Projects 1949 Shoebox Ranchero Build

if you look back a little there is a post or two of when I chopped the vent windows. Yes it will have them.

 

My opinion, and yes everyone has one, is that will show the quality of the build. So easy to just eliminate them and replace with one piece of flat glass. Very inventive and exemplary of your craftsmanship and injunity. Very good thinking ahead and executing the image.

 

i see why you put the top rails on the bed now. it gives better proportions were the bed meets the roof belt line. nice planning.

 

It didn't even hit me how bad the sideglass looks on that one until you said that!

 

I know some think it's a thing to do but for me it just looks like you cut a corner and cheeped out, kind of like painted bumpers.

 

I agree with flathead Gary. The other builds look good, but the bed rails on this one is the detail that takes it over the top.

 

Put the doors and tailgate on and just couldn’t quit...put the tail lights and bumper on and rolled it outside to get “the look”. Lots of body work ahead, but exciting. Who ever welded up the side moulding holes really warped it up. Hammer/dolly/mud. On to the front clip next...

 

You appear to be more than capable of straightening any panel on that car up. Looking good! I know that had to make you smile letting the sun shine on it!

 

Are you going to drive it before you paint it?

 

I may drive it when body work is done and it’s in “close to paint” stage. It will depend on the time of year it’s at that point. Lots to do before I start body work.

 

I know that feeling your having. Well done pal. License plate says it all.

 

now that's the way ford should have built one!!

 

The way that you have incorporated the back cab of a pick up, bed rails, and the tailgate hinges that almost everyone thought were ugly and would detract. All of those little touches have been incorporated into the final chopped creation to an example of judicious perfection. The example alone would be very difficult to discern if it were even ever on a dealership showroom floor. It should have been as they would have probably sold a bunch of them. I agree with the license plate. Henry should of. All in all you should have been a Ford stylist in an earlier life.

 

Quite certain Joe Bailon would approve
Nice job!!
Saw his Shampoo Truck at Mecums Auction Friday


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This is a major PITA...wish I could find a nice front clip...

 

There were those mid 90's T-birds done with shoebox front clips. Maybe do the reverse?

 

haha...no.

 

Haha, a thousand times no!

 

Thanks to an old friend I got a real nice hood and a much nicer left inner fender. I think I’ll be able to save my fenders with parts of the extra three I have. Tear them down and off to the blaster. Movin on...

 

It's looking really good Jake

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Epoxy primer on the front inner panels...I’m back at it.

 

Looking good Jake!

 

Great to see that you're back on this project. You've done some fantastic work on the back of the "truck". Looking forward to your continued progress on your build.
Mike

 

Here I thought this was gone. Nice work.

 

Front inner construction together. Now finish work on fenders and hood and get in epoxy.

 

Here's a little thing I learned many years ago and a solution to one of the problems with these 49-51 Fords. We all want good clean gaps and work hard to get them. On these cars, hood gap is one of the things that we see be them Good or Bad. You can work hard to get Good ones only to drive them a short time only to see things change. I'm talking Hood to Fender front to back. The Core support on these cars is just a large U made out of angle iron, mounted in the center and not tied together at the Top. One of the reasons the Rad mount brackets are always broke loose from the solder to tank. Seems the engineers must have thought the sheet metal air dam was enough and it may have been were it not for the Dog Legs stamped in that part right where the Rad Tank step starts on both sides. On the last two 51's I've built I added a piece of 1" angle iron and bolted it just under the top tank and tied together the top of the U of the core support. Once painted you can't see it, also I no longer bolt the core support to the Frame with the stock center bolts. This system lets the complete front clip rock in the center uncontrolled. I've started mounting the core support on both bottom corners of it to the frame with a spring and bolt there. This let's me adjust a fixed height and keep it outboard and that stops the Flex that happens at the Top Rear fender bracket that is mounted with 1/4" sheetmetal screws to the pinch weld of the Cowel top and Firewall. Just seems to tighten everything up and keep all my Gaps where set them and my Hood Latches have never given me any trouble since. I've been driving my avitar for 16 years and it's holding up just fine. Here's a photo of the brace under the air dam across the top of the U bracket. If you don't know it's there you don't see it at all.
Keep up the good work, I'm really enjoying watching it make progress.

 

I’ve had thoughts of the front structure as I’ve noticed it is real tippy side to side. What you did looks like a good answer to the problem. Especially the mounting on each side to the frame. Thanks for the kind words and ideas.

 

One other thing I do. Prior to actually installing the U Core support is take a good framing square and make sure the vertical side rails are actually square to the bottom section. Most are not and it can drive you Knutz. May be a little late for that tid bit but well worth doing.

 

Can you get me the measurement for the outside of the U saddle? Thank you.

 

Best