Projects '60 F100 Daily Driver Project.

Now you need to gold flake the roof , the top and the back window area (just the flat parts from the body line in like seat panels) .

 

Great job on the steering wheel restoration and customization! Damn, great work!

 

Really cool…

 

That's the shit! Just what it needed.

 

Wow! Looks fantastic!

 

That hits the spot! Nice choice.

Devin

 

I would normally be all for this…but I thinks it’s too much for the truck…clean, mild, and simple…now if it was a 60 Galaxie..different story

 

Well, gang. Let's talk tailgates.

Let's face it. My old tailgate wears its history proudly and displays it with every ding, dent, and pockmark, not to mention the bondo filled rust I found. And, while I'm usually the guy that likes a little character in the form of age on certain things, this tailgate needs to retire.

Did a whole lot of research on aftermarket tailgates, read a bunch here, and even had someone in this thread caution me about the flimsiness of the replacement gates.

They certainly are proud of their aftermarket tailgates given the price they are asking for them. Geez.

So... I gave myself a mission. Design and build a tailgate for as little money as I could. You know, just to see if I could and whatnot.

I sat down and came up with some renderings and figured, screw it, let's do this!

So... off to the local scrap metal yard. I love that place. It's like gearhead Nirvana. Spent the bulk of the morning there on Monday and came home with everything I thought I needed to build a proper tailgate.

To address the "flimsiness" potential, I opted for a piece of (if I'm reading my calipers right) 16ga. sheet metal.



This with two bends in it should be strong enough to handle my fat ass setting on it, so we should be good. I figure, if I strategically heat shrink the metal here and there, I won't end up with any kind of oil-canning, plus it gets reinforced on the backside anyway. But, more on that later.

The pipe for the top and bottom, square stock for the uprights and assorted other chunks of angle and bar, as well as, the sheet metal cost me $41. So, I'm more than on budget for this build.

To begin, I thought it would be easier to start with a hole saw then cut the uprights to give me the half round I needed for the pipe. Worked like a charm.





Then test, trim, test, trim... etc. until it was square and flat, then clamped it down and tack welded everything together.





Had to weld on a hunk of cut-down angle so the edges of the tailgate will cover the spot welded lip of the bed.





Time for the most important and valuable fabrication tool out there... cardboard.



Up to this point, I've used the old tailgate for measurements. The angle for the bends on the new gate is the same as the factory.



"Press brake?!? We don't need no stinkin' press brake."



Scored the backside and clamped a couple of recycled bed frame rails to both sides, then used pipe clamps as levers and this is the result.

So... this is where I stopped today.







Now all that's left is everything.

I'll probably mock it up on the truck for fitment, then start finish-welding this thing tomorrow.

That's it for today. There's cold beer in the icebox that is way better looking than you lot.

Cheers, ya cheeky bastards.

 

Hot Damn! Great work Chris!

 

Thanks!!!

Takin' a break. It took the bulk of the morning to get this tailgate panel to drop into the hole, but it got there.





And that, my friends, is how you make a 60 pound cookie sheet.

I love pretending to know how to do cool hot rod shit.

Anyway... back to work.

 

Now that's a tailgate. Nice job.

 

Side Quest!

The drivers door latch has been giving me hell lately. So, I broke down and ordered a new one because I fixed the last one (earlier in the thread) .

The new one came and it's action is like that of a fine hunting rifle. So... cool, right?

Turned out to be only part of the problem.

This bitch!



Saw shiny metal where the striker used to set. It had moved that far. Was lucky to get those screws out. Holy hell.

So, to put it back in, I figured I'd get slick and grind some slots in those screws so I could put my big flat screwdriver in there and use a wrench for some leverage. Worked great! Well... sorta.

The damned thing would still only catch halfway when I closed the door. After close inspection, I found this:




If you don't have at least one black fingernail, are you even hot-rodding?

The knurl on the backside of the striker is worn smooth. Without it, the stiker walks when you close the door.

So...the problem wasn't really the $100 latch I bought, (although the latch works better than the factory one I "fixed"), it was a damned worn out smooth knurl.

huh-huh-huh... "smooth knurl". Sounds like a euphemism. . (sounds like something that costs you fifty extra bucks at the massage parlor)

Well... like me dear old grandad used to say... "money might not buy you happiness but it sure can fix everything.". So, there is a new heavily knurled striker and new bolts coming in the mail.

Back to the tailgate for a few days.

 

Nice work on the tailgate! I really like the "If I can't find it, I'll just make it" work ethic.

Have you considered cutting the stamped letters from the old tailgate and stickin' 'em onto your new one?

 

Thanks! That work ethic comes from a lifetime of being broke. If I wanted it, I had to build it. I've gotten a little better at it over the years, but I sure made a lot of crappy toys as a kid.

As far as the letters... I've wracked my brain trying to figure out what to do with the tailgate letters.

I've had a few ideas.

• Weld in letters.
• Use a water jet cut ford logo and maybe silver solder it on or something.
• Airbrush the highlights and shadows of the letters to make a faux embossed look.

BUT... I think I may have found a better solution.



This morning I bought a really nice '56 Fairlane trunk emblem (not the one in this photo). Driver quality, nothing special.

BUT, the damned thing is 21" wide and will dimensionally fit the tailgate beautifully. There is a slight curve to the emblem but if I'm careful, I can get it to go flat. I've done that before. As long as I don't have to bend it a whole hell of a lot, I think I can squeak by.

Of course, I'll have to figure out how to cover the word "Fairlane" and sneak a little "F-100" script in there, but I'll make it happen.

It'll add some much needed chrome out back and stay true to the style of the era of my truck.

We'll see. The price was right. And hell, if I don't like it, I can always hang the thing on my shop wall.
I've paid more for metal signs at Hobby Lobby.

Everybody is shaving the emblems off their customs... I'm a backward assed hot rodder.

EDIT: So... After doing some photoshop mock-ups, and as much as I hate to admit it... aesthetically this emblem works better with a bumper. Dammit.

Now, just to decide on which one. They can cram ALL of the repro 57-60 rear bumpers that are for sale up their collective keesters for as much as they want for them. Beside, to me, they're not all that attractive and hang off the truck, so to speak.

Need something without any curve to it but is close in style to the front... something I can tuck neatly up against the truck. Hmm. Lemmie dig a little and see what I turn up.

 

If you are looking to get something cut, try SendCutSend they do great work at a reasonable cost for a variety of materials. Had some brackets done by them for a friends car.

For the F-100 Insert, break out your laser cutter and have some fun!

I never cared for the Style side rear bumpers, just looked a bit off to me. I am in the process of using several 69 Camaro rear bumpers to make one.

As always, love your work! Keep it up!

 

I have no idea about pricing, but IH Scouts used a straight, simple chrome bumper. I know they are repopped, and since they are not too complex, MAYBE you won't have to give up a kid (or kidney). Good luck!

 

Ford missed the boat when they came up with the rear end of these trucks I have been kicking around ideas to do something different on my 57. Keep the fairlane who knows ford must of made a f100 fairlane truck. Nice work on that endgate.

 

Another stupid update.

Here's where we left off...



And then...



Ta-DA!



Got the gaps on the back side tacked in.



My welding sucks, but hasn't killed anyone yet. Went nice and slow, back and forth, so I didn't warp anything. My old welder starts to cool down as it heats up, so to speak, and when it blobs and sputters a little I stop, clean my tip and let the welder cool down. After that it's sinking into the thick stuff again, no problem. Overall decent penetration... giggity.

Took all damned day to do what you see here because I had the welder break down on me twice. On top of that, my cordless Ryobi grinder eats batteries like a fat kid eats twinkies when you're cutting sheet metal, (and I can not find my corded one) and my batteries wound up dead all at once. So, wait an hour, cut and trim sheet metal for 5 minutes, wait and hour, rinse and repeat.

Anyway, comparison shot. Still rough around the edges, but we'll get there.



Here's where we're at tonight.



My stubborn ass is going to Lowe's in the morning to get a new corded grinder, this is bullshit. Good thing too, because I'll be doing this...



most of tomorrow and the next day... and so on....

Hey, I'm no welder but I've been grinding coffee, gears, and weld blobs for 4 decades now.

That's it. That's the post. Tune in tomorrow for another exciting episode of "Who The Hell Gave This Guy Tools?!?

Cheers!

 

My motto has been and continues to be... "A grinder and paint make me the welder I ain't!"

 

How's that go?.... Bash to fit, grind to size, paint to hide.... LOLOL

I quit buying the 'good' grinders, the $15-20 HF ones will last at least a few years in most cases. I buy 'em in multiples, that way I can set each one up for specific tasks which reduces wear and tear on the individual ones. The switches seem to fail on the name-brand ones after a year or two and just those cost as much as a whole 'nother HF grinder....

 

Still welding and grinding but it's coming along.





As we speak, I'm chugging down my 4th cup of coffee and swapping out the flappy sanding disc on my new CORDED grinder. I'm not bitter at all.

I'll report back later. My Fairlane trunk emblem is coming today, so I'll hold that up against the tailgate to see if I love it or if I have chuck it back in the box and throw it in the attic.

I still have a butt-ton of welding to do on the front AND the back, so I really need to quit being distracted by the HAMB and get back to work. Do me a favor, nobody post up anything cool for a while so I can stay on task.

I hope you guys are having a great day, and if my ex is reading this, I hope you have the day you deserve.

Toodles

 

Yet another side quest:

Got that Fairlane trunk lid emblem in the mail yesterday. This morning I fired up my graphic program and built a background that better fits my truck. Then I cut out the parts I needed on my Glowforge (I FREAKIN' LOVE THAT THING!!!) using black and mirrored acrylic.

Kinda gotta make this quick as the wife has agreed to go to the scrap yard with me this morning as long as we hit up a couple of stores on the way home.

Anyway, here some pics:







Now that the original Ford Badge was liberated from the old Fairlane badge, it'll get a clean up and a repaint. Then I'm gonna try and polish the crap outta the chrome. But... it all fits beautifully and might just fool a few folks at car shows.



Pictured here are two of my bad habits and a dirty shop keyboard.



Later Gators!

 

Love the idea and came out great, but not digging the font - I think a simple block closer to the original might fit better. And what about doing it in gold or white?

Too bad it's not a little taller, a lightning bolt and gear like the hood badge would be cool back there!

 

Oh man, I tired just about every font I have and went out to some free font websites and downloaded all kinds, including the "Ford" font. I've actually been working on the idea since I ordered the thing and have tried all combinations.

I like this one because it's kinda 1950's Ford-ish and it was the only one that fit the field aesthetically.
Every other font was too heavy on one side, meaning I couldn't have centered the logo and have it look right. Sometimes kerning will kick you on the ass.

I like the serifed and stylized "F" because it kinda sorta is on the same page as the "F" in the "Fairlane" on the old emblem.

I tired regular style block letters but it ended up just looking like a sticker I added to a Fairlane emblem.

I'm gonna run with this one right now. I saved all my files so I can change it anytime I want.

 

That's freakin' awesome! Font choice is a personal thing. Ten people will have ten opinions.
Personally, I think you hit it right on the money!

 

Damn it man! That is freaking awesome! Plus there were lasers involved!
Keep up the great work!

 

Looks great!

 

Thanks, guys!!!

I love living in the future with antique stuff.


See you cats later.

 

Burning some of that late evening oil...

The Ford Crest was pretty rough...



So... started massaging it until it came up little by little.

Had to end up painting the gold crown back on, on the outside, because the clear plastic was cracked pretty hard on the stress points.



Not the best, crazed as all hell, but a whole lot better than it was. I have a "Tru-Chrome" pen that works... meh... okay I guess. I used it to color in the letters, then the cats, then the chevrons and bubbles. Then it was just a matter of painting on the black, red, white, and blue.

And here it is all polished and in place.





Gonna blow it back apart and polish the hell outta that chrome.

Tomorrow is all about finishing up the "bare metal" portion of the tailgate build so I can move on to bodywork then paint. Might have this thing buttoned up this week... I dunno.

AnyHOOT, that's all I got for tonight. Sleep tight.

 

I'm with Mike - I think the font, with the stylized "F" looks great.

One thing you might want to try with the crazing in the old plastic on your emblem would be to coat it with a think layer of petroleum jelly. That will often bring back cloudy, or crazed plastic parts. I've seen it done here on the HAMB on horn buttons and interior parts and it works great.