Projects 1948 Diamond T pickup tow truck project journal.

Sure can. I posted a thread called, "Getting the upholstery done" a couple days ago with pics of how I made the panels, just search that title.

These originally must have had a molded tar paper headliner, long gone. If I had any metal working skills, I'd have pounded a single piece aluminum panel, but lacking that, I simply bent a piece of .030 over a 3" pipe for the radius at the back, and hammered a lip to fit over the channel that frames the back of the cab. Above the doors, I made small panels that pinch the headliner up against the roof. These replace the cabs original steel door frames. The cab rear panels are done the same way, just fitted over the cab framework. All the panels are covered the same way, 1/4" headliner foam glued to them, with leather glued in turn to that. The hides have been rolled up in my basement for about 20 years, and had some wrinkles that were impossible to smooth out when I glued 'em down, but in real life, in the shadowed interior, they loof fine, actually matching the slightly wrinkled look of the seat. The color match is perfect, a happy coincidence. The seat is from my buddies salvage yard, the rear seat from some SUV, make/model unknown (to me). Looks good to me. The tall headreats are pretty modern looking, but the cab has a big brace/frame right behind the seat that would fracture your skull with the tiniest of rear impact, or even a big bump.

Brian

 

I got the tailights wired up, and the 12V hot feed for the trailer harness run to the junction block at the back of the truck. The tailights and blinkers worked fine, but no brake lights. AARGH. After a moment pondering the situation, I checked the fuse panel. Blown brake light fuse, which for some reason I also fed the radio "hot" circuit with. I remembered shorting out the radio wire feeding it thru the cab, and sure enough, that was it. So, a little re-wiring under the dash is in order, and then I have move up front and wire up the blinkers and parking lights in the little "Guide" lights on top of the headlights.

 

Thanks Brian ! I have been tossing around ideas in my head for a similar headliner set up , something I can do myself.

 

I'm glad you were able to resolve the wiring issue. One thing I learned as an electrician, if you disconnect the battery first you won't create an issue that lets the smoke out if the wires. Its damn near impossible to get it back in there.

 

Yeah, repairmen know it is the magic smoke that electronics actually run on. Once you let out the smoke it stops working for good.

 

Worked on the truck all day, and it looks just like it did when I started. Nearing the end when it's little things getting tidied up, I guess. The hood latches and prop rods are in, the fan is wired up, blinkers blink, and the West Coast mirrors are now on both doors. Now, I just need to remember to use them, unlike the ones on my dually. I backed right into the garage the other day plowing, and knocked the divider wall between the doors off the foundation.

I also took the left front suspension apart and cut a quarter turn off the spring, as it sat about an inch higher on the left. All better now.

I still have to put the windlace in the cab, put the rear window in, and make kick panels. I did figure out how to make them, and have a pattern made, but don't have enough aluminum to make them.

Here a couple pictures, there's more at "Cool McCool's Garage", just follow the link...http://flynbrian48.wordpress.com/

Brian

 

Yes! I love this truck. So much!!
Can't wait to see it hauling the Spartan mansion!

Also can't wait to see what it looks like with the steelies.

Fantastic work man, I'm really jealous of that beast.

 

Yesterday I fired up the woodstove and set to wiring up the wiper motors. My bright idea was to wire them together to a single switch I have mounted in the center of the Auburn style gauge panel. Good idea, huh?

Like a lot of my good ideas, this one did NOT work! Well, it worked if count that the wipers did both turn on with the switch. The problem is, they wouldn't shut off!

They are aftermarket electric ones I bought at Nats North last fall, and have a nice "self park" feature. The issue I think is thay since they don't run perfectly in time with each other, the shut off feature wasn't timed right, and wired together, they would both keep cycling. Great if the only tme I used it was in the rain...

So, I wired he separately to little toggle switches from the hardwares stoer that'll mount where the orignal wiper switches were in the overhead bulkhead/console/dash. Whatever it's called.

Also, the brake light switch wasn't adjusted properly, when I put a fuse in the fuse panel for them, they stayed on all the time. This meant pulling the ECM module out to be able to get to the switch to adjust it, which meant all the wiring under the dash was laying on the floor. Again.

The heater motor also took a dump when I hooked it up, which meant it had to come out to be fixed. The brushes were just hung up in their little tracks, no big deal. Works fine now.

So, the, wiring is basically done. There's coolant in the radiator, the brakes are bled, I got the left front spring trimmed so the truck sets level, and the interior is done aside from carpet and the kick panels. I'm going to get the radio and CD changer mounted today, and figure out where to inconspicuously put some speakers. Kick panels and doors probably. Then, exhaust, front end alignment, and buffing the paint.

My burning question now is, do I get a set of marker lights for the cab roof? I pulled a wire for them, so before the w/s header/console/dash goes in for the last time, I need to decide that. I think old trucks look cool with them, but I don't want to fall into the "If a little is good, too much isn't enough" category with accessorizing the truck. What do you guys think?

Brian

 

WHOOPS! LOL, I just realized, looking at the picture of the wipers mounted, that I didn't paint the center bar in the windshield frame! Good God, how'd I miss that? Well, I have to paint the w/s header and a couple of little trim pieces that finish the door jamb, so I'll mask everything off and shoot it with them.

This is how I roll...

 

Radio and CD changer in. Wiring re-routed, bundled, wrapped, and tucked in up under the dash. This may actually turn out pretty good.

Brian

 

Man this is gonna be such a blast to drive! I would go for the marker lights, green glass ones if you can find them, and only 3 lol!

 

All that work installing the (admittedly ancient) stereo and CD changer, and the damnned thing didn't work. I was able to "fix" it, buy going to Best Buy and getting a new stereo. Blue-tooth capable, satellite ready, 3 input jacks for MP3, I-phone (if I had one) or other device, and best of all, it was on sale!

Should have done that in the first place, but I had try to save a buck...

 

Diamond T's make for a good Rodded Truck. Looks to me like you have a good project.
This one built in the USA recently was seen here in Australia.

 

Brian just wanted to thank you for the email posts. As always, great work and detail.

 

Thanks Denny.

 

I got laid! The carpet, that is... Tomorrow I'll pull the carpet out and bind the edges with matching leather, but you get the idea. The carpet came from Home Depot, an outdoor throw rug meant for use on a deck, that goes perfectly with the taupe colored leather interior. I like it!

 

Brian you need cab marker lights. Get those old teardrop style from a truck stop. Without looking I can't say if five or three would look nice.
I was a trucker and even my pick up trucks looked like what the guys I worked with called "a bull hauler." So lights it is!
I like how you think about adding things from the hardware store and making stuff work. Just like the good ole days.

 

Yeah, it's gotta have marker lights! Green ones. Round.

 

I'm sneaking up on finishing the Diamond T. The interior is DONE, and the results are, I think, the best overall interior I've ever done. The carpet binding went great, and I got the stereo installed out of the way on the floor behind the Lokar shifter. Didn't want it hanging below the dash, and there is NO other place in the cab to put it. Or anything else, for that matter...

Now, the fun job of color sanding the clear and polishing it. I know, I know, I should have done that while the paint was still "green", it'll be much harder now, but I'll get it. I knew I'd scratch it up putting it all together, and I was right. Nothing that won't "buff right out"...

Here's the interior. I still have to paint the steering column and emergency brake handle, and refinish the steering wheel, but I'm calling that paint work, not interior work!

 

Very Nice!

Do you have any stock parts you'd like to sell? I drug this out of a barn recenty, and am looking to make a driver out of it.

 

WOW! That thing is cool! I don't have any of the original bits. The engine/trans went to a guy in MO restoring a DT fire engine. The original pot metal grill I sold on eBay to a guy in CO, and the original axles and Dayton wheels went to a fellow in CA building a one ton Stude pickup. All to help finance the project, even my '36 Fordillac went to aid the cause!

 

I got the steering wheel repaired and repainted, and painted the e-brake handle and steering column while I was at it. I also broke my glasses pulling the steering wheel off, it popped loose and smacked me right in the face, busting the left bow off my glasses. Luckily, I had my old pair, so it's not a totall disaster.

I also figured out how to mount the (rather ugly) antenna without drilling a hole in the cab, which I was loathe to do. I made simple bracket of diamond plate aluminum, pulled one of the screws out that holds the bed interior planels in (also polished diamond plate), and mounted it just below the top of box. There's already a plug in the rear of the cab for wiring to pass though, I'll just pull the antenna wire through that, and thence to the radio. Done.

I'm going to tackle aligning the front end myself, a buddy of mine does all his, and will get me pointed in the right direction(Haha, pointed in the right direction!). If I could only bend the exhaust tubing myself, it wouldn't have have anything done outside my own shop.

 

broke my glasses pulling the steering wheel off, it popped loose and smacked me right in the face, busting the left bow off my glasses.

I only did that once! That's why we leave that big ole nut on but loose.

 

LOL, wish I'd thought of that before I bashed my face!

Brian

 

Lol! That was my first thought! Mean ol' steering wheel notwithstanding, the truck is looking pretty good Brian! When will you be getting it on the road?

 

I managed today to get out and get the park lights/blinkers wired up on the headlight buckets. An 1157 bulb BARELY fits under the lens, but they're in. Now, off to that online auction site to buy two more chrome hubcaps for the Dodge wheels and some marker lights for the cab...

Brian

 

There is a "smaller glass" version of the 1157, I forget the name(number), available from NAPA. If the 1157 hits the lens underside it may break at a bump.


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Hey thanks, the lenses do touch the bulb. I'll search and find the smaller bulbs.

Brian

 

Thanks to my friend Kirk ("Crafty B"), I've got the wheels mounted on the truck!

Well, they were on, but the rear axle, from an early 70's Dodge, had 5/8x18 fine thread lug nuts, which didn't fit the taper of the wheels, nor would they hold the wheels center caps on.

Kirk very graciously let me use his shop, and I drilled the (metric thread) late model Dodge lug nuts out, and then re-tapped them, with the correct thread. After a trip to an industrial supply store for a 5/8x18 LH tap for the left side. Still cheaper new studs, and Kirk now has the tap if he ever needs it.

The cooling system is full, after a leak that turned out just to be old radiator cap. The power steering is filled and bled, and the wheels now will stay on. I think we're ready for it's maiden voyage to the muffler shop!

 

Re: the marker lights on the cab.......you can see this one just pulled
out of the barn has 3. I'm thinking either 4 or 5 might be good.