Technical Yeah, Its got a Hemi/41 shop truck

I spent the majority of the day welding up more holes. An old spot light in the A pillar on the passenger side? And a slew of small holes in the dash. I want it neat and tidy inside so they all get filled.

During a break I made a bracket that I have been debating on. When I mocked up the truck earlier this year I had to put the master on the firewall...hey it's got a hood so don't get yer panties in a wad. The firewall isn't flat on these trucks, there are ribs running through them. I cut into one of them for a leg of the bracket where there was a mounting hole. I built it out of healthy bar stock that was the same height as the ribs.

and the cheesy spacer thingy that was included with the master was, well, crap. (just ignore that tube of JB).
Them there's Banker hands! Just at home to a Mont Blanc as they are a bondo spreader.

I built this here and test fit it on the booster...yes the booster is chrome plated, they are ugly and the chrome makes them less an eyesore.

I welded it to the firewall on the inside of the brace, I will butter the outside and blend it onto the rib in the firewall when I do the bodywork.

This makes the booster sit flush on the firewall, adds support and bracing to the booster and pedal assembly and well, it just looks better. Add the fact that it didn't cost anything and it is a win, win, win... win.
Why are there so many holes?????

 

I vote leave the tunnel exposed...but, will that expose a noise situation with sound deadener applied to the floor but not to that? You did mention a quieter Hotrod I recall...

It looks like that wrinkle finish applied in the good ole days

You could apply it to the underside of the tunnel I suppose and apply the same coating to the deadener to match it to the equally impressive underside...

 

BITCHIN!

 

That was my concern as well. It is a small area that will bee exposed and the rhino liner top and bottom should act as a deadener, I think. I have no idea, I make this stuff up as I go.

Today I got around to welding in the column plate I made during mock up. I welded it in from the inside then hammered the outside lip down tight to the new panel and seam sealed it with the JB. I am going to run the rhino liner up the toe boards to the break so that panel will be coated.

I also hammered the under cab replacement floors down tight as well and seam sealed all of that. It really looks nice underneath, I'll get a photo after I stand it up on the firewall. Right now I am trying to finish with the firewall inside and out so I can tip it over. I am exhausted, need to rest up so I can go to my real job tomorrow.

 

Here is the pic of the lower column plate. Getting close to done on the firewall.

Got the powder coating done on the AC vent. Wrinkle finish, looks nice. Mounted the hoses with harness clips I had on hand. The face plate covers the clips.

The look is what I wanted. I'll cut the hoses once everything is mounted and fit.

This is a close up of the finish. So far so good.

 

Thanks! It aint "Norwell Equipped" but I'm loading with as much Bandit as possible.

 

Billy is a detail freak for sure, (not that it's a bad thing).
I know how I can be stressing over the small stuff, losing sleep, wonder how BB gets any sleep.

 

By eating Birthday Cake, sipping a glass of Crown Royal...Happy Birthday @Bandit Billy!!

 

Can't let this milestone go without a present

Twofer cake and booze.

 

Bankers hands! I like that! Look at holes in your firewall as the training ground for welding. I had 73 holes in the firewall of my 47 Ford coupe. By the time I was done filling them all I could almost hang hot weld in mid air!

 

Sleep is overrated buddy

I took a few days off from the garage, went to Vegas with my wife and some buddies from Spokane. Partied well! Too well, took a few days to get back to normal...whatever that is.

Now that's a cake made for a king!

It just takes patience. I got 'em all closed up. So now I can move to the next step, tip her on the firewall.

 

A couple of weeks ago I built a dolly for the cab. I needed one to paint it on and to transport it to the rhinoliner guy. He wanted it on the firewall for easier access so I modified my design thusly.

Yep, I added home built hinges and a firewall "receiver"

Cut a recess for the lip and made the measurement to fit just inside the firewall lip on the sides. Itt will also fit the cab nicely when it on there right side up.
So today I wheeled it over to the cab, lowered the lift and lined it up

Then strapped it down with ratchet straps

I used locking casters so it was time to lock them down to make sure nothing decided to move during this next step.
Since the front of the cab was being supported by the dolly now, I could drop the front legs of the lift and move them out of my way.

You can see I added a floor jack under the back of the dolly to prevent the front from getting light as the weight transferred.
I used the rear legs of the lift to tilt the cab and my cherry picker was used as backup and to allow me to adjust the rear legs on the lift as I progressed.

It was right about here that I was regretting doing this solo as I had no idea how heavy this might be as it came forward so I grabbed my drill and knocked a 1 3/4" hole in the two cross 2x6's and stuck the pipe that I use to stabilize my frame rotisserie into the holes

I grabbed the pipe and the cab lowered perfectly down into the dados I cut to secure the assembly for trailering.

Now I can clean up the bottom and finish some interior items so hopefully I can get this to the rhino guy in a couple weeks.

$117 bucks worth of casters, screws and 2x6 doug fir. A one man flip onto the firewall...priceless!

 

I expect you to tung oil, & Lemon Pledge it .. at your leisure. Between Crowns & all.

Cheers !! Good work.

Carry on, sir.

 

Great imaginative solution to moving the cab. Not surprising in the grand scheme of the whole fabulous build.

 

Indeed I shall.
Now that the firewall is sans holeage, I didn't want to drill more to mount the heat/defrost/AC mini from Air Vintique...so I welded studs it to handle the job. I knew I was going to have the cab on it's firewall so I waited to tackle this job until I had gravity on my side.

I also drilled the holes for the under dash vent I built which just about hides the mini unit. From a normal viewing angle the firewall mounted unit will be invisible...well practically. And yes, there were more holes to fill on the dash! I may be filing the rest as I have had an idea after a recent PM with a fellow 40 ford truck aficionado.
I like the way this picture makes it looks like my tools are all defying gravity.

 

One thing I didn't like about the AC unit is the thin, cheap brackets they included. I will be remaking the one in the front and one in the rear out of something a little more substantial.

 

Would've been a good opportunity to "proof" the magnetism of glass Crown bottles, as well.

Science !!!

 

I don't know, that looks awfully crafty, you sure you didn't have help.
I saw the Ask This Old House trailer going up I-5 heading North.
How many jugs of Crown did you have to give to Tommy and the Ask TOH crew to build that contraption.

 

I am not a carpenter by any means but I dreamt it up on my own. I would work for crown though
My wife stopped off at the liquor store on her way home today and grabbed me a surprise, a bottle of Makers 46, single cask special edition, 109! you can set fire to 109! I'm afraid to open it.

 

I'll be right up!!!

 

I like it Billy! Working smarter, not harder!

 

Sorting out a couple of items that needed to be done prior to taking the rear fenders off. I did not like the fit of the fender to the aftermarket panels I louvered. So I fixed it on the left side, now it can be removed and I will copy the procedure on the right.
This is the gap of which I speak, and a wavy mounting area, and some missing metal, and some jagged crap.

This is better

I did it by slicing the fender open with a cutoff wheel, heating and pounding it into submission, making a template that my assistant is holding and welding it in from the back side.

Al little welding and grinding, no one will ever know once the Rhino liner is applied. I also reattached the mounting reinforcement bracket that had come loose. This one is ready to come off and go to the blaster to get cleaned up and then to the rhino liner shop.

It'll still be a truck...just not a farm truck. Tight and right. That's what we're shooting for

 

I got the bed off and while it was on the lift I removed the screws that I used to assemble the bed panels to the substructure and replaced them all with rivets. Looks neat and tidy

I also finished welding up the seem by the tail gate on both sides

The top tail gate bracket hole was tapped but not the lower so I welded in a couple of nuts to make the installation of the gate a hell of a lot easier. The bed is now on the dolly I adapted (the 34's body dolly).

Once all my crap was moved from the front of the bay I could roll the frame forward and work on the bed while it dangled from the lift.

So here is a question for the truck folk, the seam where the front panel meets the side panels...weld it up tight? Or leave it be? You can see I welded the front panel in a few places to strengthen things up a bit.

So should I weld that seem up? I cant see why not, it would sure look tidier.

 

I'm not "truck folk" but I agree that welding the seam would make it look tidier and stronger so I would weld it if it was mine.

 

Welded mine on the F-1

 

Weld it.

 

I'll weld it. It will look more finished.
Another question if I might, I noticed that the front panel of the bed, at the bottom center of the panel has a lot of play. It bounces in and out an inch or more. I was thinking about bracing it, maybe across the bottom of the panel.
???

 

Won't that stop once you install the Wood?

 

I can only see one drawback for welding it, that would be if you had to replace that front panel at some point in time (I doubt that would be an issue though with this truck).
The wood will keep it flush against that panel, but not solid at that point..sure a brace fabricated will strengthen it, and remove the chance of it creating potential rattles (probably wouldn't hear it though over the Hemi), I'm sure you'll fashion it to look factory, or actually better.
My favorite '40-'41 Ford p/u.