1952 F1: Flames to Fantastical!

[A12pilot]

Greetings Folks!

1952: The Corvette prototype was presented by Harley Earl in December of that year with it being unveiled to the public the following year. The Mau Mau Rebellion was going strong in Kenya. And Mr. Potato Head hit stores nationwide! :biggthumpup: Yes, it was a wonderful year to be alive! Ford continued its redesigned F1 for another year before changing the design yet again in 1953. What you see here is how one of those 1952 F1s holds up in a 1000 degree fire:ooo:

My buddy Rick was very unfortunate to have lost several cars and lots of priceless family heirlooms in a fire that devastated his shops. This 1952 F1 was Rick's father's truck and it means a lot to him. Rick's the kind of guy who would give you the shirt off of his back. And you'd want it since he wears some pretty nice shirts! :cool2: Some of the Ohio clan met him at MCACN a few years ago when he was up there. He's a great guy and this is just a tragic thing. So how's one help? Simple! After seeing this truck, I volunteered to take it on for him. What did I get myself into? :hmmm: Am in even capable of handling this type of restoration? I think we all know the answer to that question: Maybe:eek2::D

I'm postponing my other projects to get this truck back on the road. Here's some pics the day it happened. I'll be posting up more as I get into the build. Stay tuned for more updates and hopefully you'll follow along!

Cheers:beers:
Dave

[Postsedan]

Dave,

You’re a great friend and human being to offer this....this will be Huge Karma for you!

I am 1000% prescribed:)

Dan

[SS427]

Very nice gesture Dave and a very honorable thing to offer. Good luck with it and may your friendship grow. We sincerely hope all works out for you, Rick and his family and the truck.

[markinnaples]

Great gesture Dave! Sorry for your friend's losses, but hopefully your revitalization of his truck will put some salve on his wounds.

[Jonesy]

Those things had some pretty thick metal on them back in that day. Hope it all goes well!!

[Steve Shauger]

Kudos to you Dave for undertaking this project.:beers:

[BJCHEV396]

Kudos to you Dave for undertaking this project.:beers:

X2!!

[A12pilot]

Thanks, Guys!:worship: I’m excited to get started in between building stone columns for the driveway, all the landscaping that needs to be done around here, and of course, finishing up Shop #1 so I have a nice clean place to reassemble it!!:3gears:

I figured with my other 49 truck build, the 57 T-Boid redo, and barn build among other things, you’s guys would enjoy following along! There’s bound to be such memorable moments as Tetanus Shot Part Deux, and Stiches: Not just for pillows.:grin:

Cheers:beers:

Dave

[A12pilot]

It is amazing what the intense heat of a fire can do. Things were burnt that just made you scratch your head. Potmetal turned to molten slag or just disappeared entirely. The leaf springs reversed eyed more than any drop spring I've ever seen!! The battery was a shell with the lead cores just neatly stacked, yet fused at the bottom from where they had melted. The spare tire is gone, but the steel cords in the tire remain! Welp... Time to get dirty.....

Cheers
Dave

[Postsedan]

That will buff right out :)

Dan

[Billohio]

That spring is wild. Good for you taking on this project

[olredalert]

----I saw many of the things you have pictured in my 2011 shop fire. Fire marshall stated that the temperature would have been around 1600 degrees to have that much damage. Really hoping your metal isn't brittle...…Bill S

[Ryan1969Chevelle]

I am hooked already!!

I am a big fan of the amazing support people share in this hobby!!

This is way over the top!!

Ryan W31

[mssl72]

Wow!! Man Dave, that's a big undertaking! As Steve said "Kudos to you Dave for undertaking this project. :beers:"!! I've always heard that there can be paint issues with metal that's been in a fire. Is it a matter of proper metal prepping, how hot the fire was or a combination of those that determines how paint holds? I'm not a body man and can't say I've ever knowingly seen a burnt vehicle before and after. I've always wondered how true the statement is. I'll be watching you on this one.

[A12pilot]

Thanks guys! :laugh: So with fresh concrete needing some dirt, I started digging in on the truck. Luckily, no rusted bolts! See? Everything has a positive side. :scholar: To answer your questions, Mark, I'm not sure. I'll have to research that myself!

I'm still in shock on a few things the fire did. The start solenoid melted and fell apart yet the coil remained inside. The power brake booster came apart as one piece leaving the pushrod connected to the pedal. :eek2:

So step one was to pull the engine....

Cheers:beers:
Dave

[A12pilot]

Moving forward, with the engine out I wanted to tear it down to the long block to see what the heat might have done. Any ideas on if the head gaskets would need to be replaced? :dunno:

I'm no expert, but that rotor looks like it's needing replacement! :laugh: The interior shot is what's left of the A/C evaporator. Those reverse arc of the springs put so much pressure in those pins I needed to chop the spring before I could get the sledge out and pound the pins out. Of course, with every hammer of the sledge, dust and debris went flying everywhere with somehow it all ending up on me! But no matter..... we're almost roundin' the way from Truck Corner to Frame City!:burnout:

Cheers
Dave

[A12pilot]

So, after hurricane Dave moved through, I'm down to the frame! And my once clean and new shop has gone the way of the DoDo bird:frown:. But that's ok! That's the sign of progress and once I get everything sitcheated here, I'll powerwash the shop and get it all cleaned up. I mean, it's not like I'll have another hunk of a truck in here that could be any worse than this one... right? RIGHT??:confused2:

Cheers:beers:

Dave

[A12pilot]

Wrong!!:naughty: Why do I get myself into these predicaments? Why can't I ever have nice cars? Why do I crave creating crap into crystal?? :eek2:

After looking over the truck cab, the fire did such a number on it that a donor cab was needed. So where's one to find a 1952 F1 cab laying around? Welp, glad you asked! I live in nowhereville now, and as such, these trucks are pretty plentiful around here. So, like I do eeeeevvvryyyy morning: (ssssiiippp)ahhhhh.... man that's good coffee. Alrighty, let's see...craigslist....Dallas....(tippity-type)....1952.........(enter)....hmmmm......"1952 Ford F1 flathead solid" [snort]ppllffllppp....cough....(coffee through the nose) Holy Crap! That's it!!

And two days later, it's in the shop! 100% complete 1952 F1 with an 8BA flatty and 4 gear on the floor! More to come.....:burnout:

Cheers
Dave

[Postsedan]

Super Man Dave is back in Metropolis, Texas :)

Well done!

Dan

[Billohio]

That is amazing craigslist had what you wanted! Looks like a pretty solid truck

[olredalert]

Wrong!!:naughty: Why do I get myself into these predicaments? Why can't I ever have nice cars? Why do I crave creating crap into crystal?? :eek2:

After looking over the truck cab, the fire did such a number on it that a donor cab was needed. So where's one to find a 1952 F1 cab laying around? Welp, glad you asked! I live in nowhereville now, and as such, these trucks are pretty plentiful around here. So, like I do eeeeevvvryyyy morning: (ssssiiippp)ahhhhh.... man that's good coffee. Alrighty, let's see...craigslist....Dallas....(tippity-type)....1952.........(enter)....hmmmm......"1952 Ford F1 flathead solid" [snort]ppllffllppp....cough....(coffee through the nose) Holy Crap! That's it!!

And two days later, it's in the shop! 100% complete 1952 F1 with an 8BA flatty and 4 gear on the floor! More to come.....:burnout:

Cheers
Dave

----Was afraid of that, Dave, but as usual you handled it in a strait forward way and now you are on the right track. Keep up the good work!......Bill S

[Chazman]

Excellent thread!

[A12pilot]

Thanks guys, and yes Bill S, that fire did a number on the cab. Just way too much warpage. Surprisingly, the fenders are usable along with some front sheet metal. Hood is wavier than the North Atlantic, but the donor truck has a nice one. I'll start tearing into that over the next few days. I'm doing a sit and wait thing with it: let the truck sit and wait for all the nasty spiders to build their webs so I can smush 'em!:eek2:

And we're exploring going the flathead route too! Always wanted to build one and from my understanding, this is the version to do! :scholar:

Cheers:beers:
Dave

[SuperNovaSS]

Well done Dave. Thanks for sharing. What. The SBF does not look bad in the valley pan. Think its a survivor?

Jason

[67since67]

And we're exploring going the flathead route too! Always wanted to build one and from my understanding, this is the version to do! :scholar:

Cheers:beers:
Dave

Yes, keep the Flattie!!

[A12pilot]

Yep, the 289 survived on the long block, but the externals reverted to a more molten state. Which really made removal of all the parts pretty easy! :smile: But we're probably going the flathead route! :laugh::biggthumpup:

Old frame painted, and the best part about that? I'll need to repaint when I grind off the 289 mounts and install the flattie mounts. I prefer to rework things a few times before getting it right. Anyone can do things once! :scholar: Guys like Mikey and such. Man, they do this hobby no justice!!:rolleyes2:

So now with the shop covered in soot, what better icing on top than to add some rat droppings, mud, sticks, broken glass, beer bottles, and a whole lot of assorted whatnot! Most of these bolts came out as easily as the other truck, with one exception: they all snapped. But, that's OK. The doors, cab corners/ rockers/jambs are all mint! Floor? Mmmmm.. not so much. But that's an easy fix. I'll have this down to the frame next week.

Kroil in the cylinders and the motor turned over by hand. Time to yank this bad boy out! More to come.....

Cheers :beers:
Dave

[Ryan1969Chevelle]

Almost done now.

Reveal next week?

Ryan W31

[mssl72]

Almost done now.

Reveal next week?

Ryan W31

I would guess he's installing glass right now!

[Crush]

I need to drink more coffee......

[454_Malibu]

Red Bull

[A12pilot]

:Charley: Hahaha! I’m not sure It’ll be reveal-ready by next week. Mmmm...maybe July!:biggthumpup::laugh:

Going to give a few shops a call next week to get flathead chit-chat going!:cool2:

Cheers:beers:
Dave

[A12pilot]

Moving forward, I'm just about ready for cab extrapolating procedures to commence on Old Blue. I found the VIN on the frame and it's a truck originally delivered to Dallas. Which makes sense since, well, I'm close to Dallas and there's a gun rack in the back window! :tongue: After some research, apparently options were regional based. The ones delivered to Philly had a cheesesteak holder in the glovebox. San Fran trucks has daisy vase on the dash:rolleyes2:

The flathead, while cool, will not be going into the newly restored Bowen Ranch truck. After deliberations, extensive meetings and several conference calls, we're sticking with the 289. However, the flatty will be used! After whoever buys it off craigslist rebuilds it, that is. It actually in pretty good shape. I added oil to the cylinders and lifter valley and it does turn by hand. I snapped a stud off, but luckily it snapped with enough of a nub that I welded a nut on and was able to get the stud out. That Jalopbox of a transmission..... that's another story. :no:

More to come next week!:biggthumpup:

Cheers:beers:
Dave

[Postsedan]

Nice farmers tan :)

Dan

[big gear head]

The flat head would have been really cool. I always wanted to build one and just leave it on a stand and run it. Too bad I don't have enough room for that.
Looks like a Dana 44 under there.

[A12pilot]

I’m just trying to make sure I fit the part of Ranch hand perfectly, Danno!:cool2: After all, this is a former Ranch truck!

Yeah, the flathead would have been cool, but flatheads aren’t the cheapest to build and the 289 is a fresh motor on the inside. With everything else that needs to be rebuilt, that’s just one less thing to worry about.

Cab removal happens this week then onto the metal work!:headbang:

Cheers:beers:

Dave

[Keith Seymore]

Following along so that I can feel better about what I get pulled into with my friends.

Nice farmers tan :)

Dan

That shop ceiling is beaUtiful!

K

[firstgenaddict]

Flat heads kick ass... my dad builds them and sends them all over the US.
Here is the preshipment video of a 59 AB which we sent down to Charleston SC.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KPfPC6ZKsk

[A12pilot]

Well that’s just great. Now I want to build the flathead for myself and put it in something!!!:drool::eek2: Very smoooooth running flatty!:smile:

Thanks for the shop ceiling compliment! It’s still a work in progress but I’m knee, well actually, elbow deep in F1s right now to do anything else. But this week the cab will be off the donor truck and I’ll be sending everything unusable to the scrapper.

More to come this week!

Cheers:beers:
Dave

[A12pilot]

....aaaaand it's this week! :tongue: I spent this morning finishing up some stone columns on my driveway entrance, then jumped into Flathead Extraphead:hmmm:. Just a few bolts removed and this upside down motor was yoinked out of its cradle. Anyone have a set of Ardun Heads they want to sell? :smile::eek2: One will notice the motor minus the bell housing photo and what is on the ground behind it. Usually something like that mess appears in the toilet after having one of those Yokohama Beef Bowls, but this is infact, what was inside the bellhousing after I removed it: dirt, those dirt bees nest thingies, a couple snake skins, a bottle cap, and plenty of leaves/ sticks/ stones. Matter of fact, that usually IS what's leftover after one of those Beef Bowls!:(:eek:

Up next will be Cabitation Extrapulation! :tongue:

Cheers
Dave

[Keith Seymore]

....aaaaand it's this week! :tongue: I spent this morning finishing up some stone columns on my driveway entrance, then jumped into Flathead Extraphead:hmmm:. Just a few bolts removed and this upside down motor was yoinked out of its cradle. Anyone have a set of Ardun Heads they want to sell? :smile::eek2: One will notice the motor minus the bell housing photo and what is on the ground behind it. Usually something like that mess appears in the toilet after having one of those Yokohama Beef Bowls, but this is infact, what was inside the bellhousing after I removed it: dirt, those dirt bees nest thingies, a couple snake skins, a bottle cap, and plenty of leaves/ sticks/ stones. Matter of fact, that usually IS what's leftover after one of those Beef Bowls!:(:eek:

Up next will be Cabitation Extrapulation! :tongue:

Cheers
Dave

Hopefully it won't be "premature exptrapulation" -

K

[A12pilot]

Ha! Yes, that's never a good thing. This week metal work begins, but I had to delay cabbitation extrapolation due to, well, nowhere to put the cab once I remove it due to having too much scrap all over the place in Shop #2!:crazy: I dun piled myself into a kerner with parts! :hmmm: The pile of parts in here is just Scraptacular!:tongue:

Meanwhile, over in Shop #1 chassis rebuild will begin with new, non-involuntarily heat treated-reversed eyed leaf's and a freshened up 9" along with a disk brake upgraded front axle. I'm going to try and make a few narrated videos of this build this month for non-stop entertainment value! My goal is to rival Kevin's infamous V8TV videos with unrivaled choreography, a multi-star soundtrack, flown-in Yenko.Net celebrity guest appearances, and possible nudity! :rolleyes2:!

Cheers:beers:
Dave

[A12pilot]

Extrapulation has occurred! It was messy, a lot of work, but plenty of rags handy! :grin: And as the scrap guy pulled away (he'll be back for a few more things) I turned to see a clean shop! Well, not really clean but clutter free!

So who's fluent in Ford 9"?:dunno: I've got a casting date and numbers and was curious who may know what they decode to and what rear axle this is from? I'll post up the casting info tomorrow.

Cheers:beers:
Dave

[Ryan1969Chevelle]

Wow you have a nice rear end buddy.

:-)

You are rockin this Ford!!!

What gears? What trans?

Ryan W31

[A12pilot]

Thanks, Ryan! :cool2: C4 Auto, and the rear is ....I don't know! :no: That's the mystery! I think it's from a Bronco, but not sure. The casting is C5AW-4888-A and the date is 5C24 (March 24th, 1965). What has me stumped is that casting. I think it's the small bearing 28 Spline from a Bronco, yet, it's got the 5x4.5 bolt pattern of the car. No tag to confirm. I've searched all over but kind of coming up empty. No filler plug on the side of the 3rd member. Just the backside. :dunno:

And scrap-exscraption has been completed! I'm hanging onto the original cab for any patch metal that may be needed just in case. After that, that cab and the donor frame and headed to the scrapyard! Time to clean up the shop finally just to get it dirty with primer :shocked:

Cheers
Dave

[big gear head]

Looks like a '58 to '64 car housing with a '65 or '66 standard case and pinion housing with a car yoke. Those are truck axles that have been redrilled for a car bolt pattern, so the housing could be an early truck housing. It's not a Bronco housing.

[A12pilot]

Thanks, Freddie. That clears it up enough to figure out what brake parts to order, at least! :cool2:

Moving forward, all the flathead parts are gathered up and I'll get that on a stand for further disassembly. Man, that would look so good fully dressed in something! :3gears:

I found a very easy way to store a frame when space is getting tough to find. There was rust by one rear spring mount , so selling this wasn't gonna happen. But, the scrapyard will give up a cool $10 for it!:shocked:

I mounted the cab on a dolly I built and it'll be braced across the door openings when I zap the floor out. That one piece floor suuuure is purdy!! I'm going to be setting up my air compressor this week, so once that's done I can blast the body and get it epoxied up.

More this week with step by step tootilage on how to remove and replace a floor! You won't want to miss it! :no:

Cheers
Dave

[A12pilot]

Framification has commenced! With it being about a billion degrees outside, I've delayed bodywork for a month since we all know August is way cooler than July in Texas. :hmmm: Well, ok, maybe not. :rolleyes2: But I decided that since I finally cleaned up the shop, let me assemble the chassis with some shiney new parts! Disk brakes from CPP, rebuilt king pins on the donor front axle, and new correct-arc- in- the- right- direction leaf springs, along with proper factory finishes all make this chassis Framified!:dunno: :biggthumpup:

I also started into the 289 with cleaning up the dirty valvetrain and getting the first coat of Ford blue on it. Next week I'll be assembling the front end of the motor with some polished parts and pieces that proliferate pizzazz posthumously!:grin::scholar::bs:


More to come...

Cheers
Dave

[markinnaples]

Good grief you do nice work, and fast. I'm amazed with every post. Congrats Dave.

[Ryan1969Chevelle]

This thread is mellifluously ineffable.

Looks awesome!!!

I so want an old truckerooo

Ryan W31.

[Xplantdad]

Super cool!!:cool2:

[A12pilot]

Thanks Mark! And yes Ryan, that's the spirit!! Everyone needs an old truck. Take one to a show and see how many people approach you with their eyes lit up as they remember some old truck Grampa had. Might not have been the same year, but everyone seems to have some old truck story in their past! :laugh:

Cheers:beers:
Dave

[A12pilot]

Having packed my schedule tighter than Donnie & Marie, I've been a little lax on updates. But have no fear! The updates will be coming in post-haste this month! First up is the the advancement of powerplant perfection with a dress up kit, a serpentine belt system, and some clean detail items that'll make this 289 look like a million bucks! Waiting on a few extra parts and then this will be done and installed in the chassis. But wait, what about the transmission? Welp, glad you asked!:smile:

Unfortunately, the fire had an effect on the tailshaft. :frown: It warped and jammed the yoke in the housing. I had to beat the driveshaft out with a hammer, which served two purposes. This first was, well, it got the driveshaft out. And secondly, it cleared out all my pent up rage I had festering deep in my unconscious pschye stemming back to not being able to go to the Philadelphia Zoo in 3rd grade cuz I forgot to bring the damn permission form back! :bs:

So, with this just being a run-of- the- mill C4, and not knowing what was going on inside of it, we decided to just go with a rebuilt one. I'll pick that up at Summit next week along with the rest of the engine goodies.

Up next will be the dreaded bodywork. Stay tuned for more updates like "Bodywork: best done at 110 degrees? " and "Block Sanding: The next Tae Bo":frown:

Cheers:beers:
Dave

[markinnaples]

The 289 looks great.

[big gear head]

Dave, are you confident that the heat didn't damage the valve springs, rings or any other internal engine parts? Valve springs would be my biggest concern. I slung the belt off of the water pump on a 454 many years ago and didn't know that the engine was running hot. When I realized it was hot I shut it off, but the damage was done. The valve spring had to be replaced because the heat made them weak.

[A12pilot]

I’m pretty confident in that, Freddie. They all seemed pretty tight and spring pressure measured around 290, so hopefully that means they’re still good. I guess we’ll see when I fire it up!:crazy::tongue:

Bodywork has begun! My tentative schedule is to have it in paint next month!:eek2:

Updates to follow with updates, um...to follow!:hmmm:

Cheers

Dave

[A12pilot]

Finally, a break in my schedule and a few extra days off gets me some progress! The bed will be painted next week and I'm hoping the cab will be ready by the end of the month. :biggthumpup: New door hinges and all that inner door junk that's so easy to assemble in the blind is also on the shelf, so I'll have the doors hung and aligned next week. This cab, while solid, looked like it not only rolled down Pike's Peak, but some crazy super-bee or something (hey..Superbee... get it?? SuperBee? Beater Bee??:grin::rolleyes2::smile:) was sealed inside trying to get out wearing a crash helmet since most of the dents are from the inside out!:hmmm:

The color will be Bombay Ivory, which is a mid 50s GM truck color. Which is perfect since I can say without a doubt they'll be one or two ding-a-roos that I might miss! :laugh:

Engine and transmission go in this weekend. Off to Summit Racing for a few more parts today. More to come!

Cheers :beers:
Dave

[mockingbird812]

Lookin' just SWELL Super Dave! Love the updates and PLEASE keep 'em coming!!!!!!!!

[A12pilot]

Thanks, Sammitron!!! :biggthumpup: Just back from Summit Racing buying some parts to wrap up the engine and transmission and will install that today!

Man, that Summit store....I feel like you Ohio people that live down the street from it. Sooooo long wallet!!!:crazy:

Cheerios:beers:

SuperDave

[A12pilot]

Old truck door gaps: If you want a bodywork challenge that is more like being a master of geometry coupled with algebraic equations that defy the fundamental laws of physics, grab yourself an old farm truck and have fun! :frown: So here's some preliminary work tightening up the 1/2" to sometimes greater door gap on this old Ford. Tools of the trade? Shims, 1/4" square steel strips, door cradle for the jack, a lot of cursing, and a few thrown tools that may or may not get found again until I run them over with the lawnmower which will, once again, result in more swearing. :blush:

The door latch guides are riveted and welded to the cab, so I removed them, blasted, then will install after paint with new rivets.

It's coming along!

Cheers:beers:
Dave

[Ryan1969Chevelle]

Wow it’s going great!!!!

Keep the hits coming!!

Ryan W31

[olredalert]

Old truck door gaps: If you want a bodywork challenge that is more like being a master of geometry coupled with algebraic equations that defy the fundamental laws of physics, grab yourself an old farm truck and have fun! :frown: So here's some preliminary work tightening up the 1/2" to sometimes greater door gap on this old Ford. Tools of the trade? Shims, 1/4" square steel strips, door cradle for the jack, a lot of cursing, and a few thrown tools that may or may not get found again until I run them over with the lawnmower which will, once again, result in more swearing. :blush:

The door latch guides are riveted and welded to the cab, so I removed them, blasted, then will install after paint with new rivets.

It's coming along!

Cheers:beers:
Dave

----Dave,,,Great work! Do you have enough room for the paint,,,LOL…….Bill S

[A12pilot]

Thanks guys! HA! Yeah...I think so Bill! :biggthumpup:

More to come this week!

Cheers
Dave

[A12pilot]

Preliminary round two of blockification is proceeding unabated! :burnout: Sooo many dents. Farm trucks seem to get dents on top of dents and in places where dents shouldn't be. Sort of like hair as you get older. :dunno:

Getting closer....

[big gear head]

Wow, that's a lot of dents!

[m22mike]

WOW,that's a lot of dead stir sticks :eek2:
Nice work Dave :beers:

Mike

[cook_dw]

Excellent progress and fantastic work as always. Keep it up.

[A12pilot]

Thanks, men! Yes, many a paint stick has met their maker with this build. We're down to 220, and should be at 320 tomorrow! :3gears::cool2:

Cheers
Dave

[dykstra]

Lookin good!!

[A12pilot]

Thanks! Update over the weekend. It's down to 320 so one more final run over with the pencil to circle the pinholes, then 400 wet and she's ready!

Cheers
Dave

[A12pilot]

This is the stage that takes the most time. Grab a pencil, go over ever inch and circle the imperfections, then sand and repeat. Then after it's painted, realize you got all the pinholes out but somehow missed that Meteor Crater divot dead center on the brow of the roof for all to see:thumbsdown:

Ugh... bodywork. Getting closer! Outside is done and now the dash and inside door panels are next up! I should be done with those tomorrow and hoping for paint over the weekend!

Cheers:beers:
Dave

[Xplantdad]

Wow...looks awesome Dave!:headbang:

[A12pilot]

Thanks, Bruce! Went over everything with the pencil again. And if you're wondering why I always wear the same shirt, there's a simple reason. When your car is on it, you own 325 of them!!:3gears: So there's plenty to get dirty in! Undercoating applied to the kick panels, rear lower body where the gas tank gets installed, and interior of the doors. 400 wet is up next tomorrow then color next week! Bed is ready too! More to come....

Cheers:beers:
Dave

[Ryan1969Chevelle]

You amaze me!!

I am sitting here proud that I mowed a couple lawns and I see this post...

I need to visit and learn a thing or two!!

Any snow in Texas?

Ryan W31

[big gear head]

Do you ever sleep, eat or do anything besides work? :shocked:

[A12pilot]

Ha! Thanks, Ryan. Snow? Nope, although we just recently had a cold snap. Probably not as cold as you guys though. Come on down man! I’ll put you to work for sure! Not real sure you’ll learn anything. Or if you do, that it would be correct or be respected by others. :thumbsdown: But, hey? We have good steaks down here in Texas!:drool::biggthumpup::biggthumpup:

Sure I do, Freddy! In addition to the truck and the Cuda, I’m installing rock wainscoting on my shops and wellhouse, changing the exterior colors of the two shops to match the house, I have another 5 acres of fencing to install on my parents lot (they bought the 5 acres next to us!:headbang:) and....Oh, wait, you said do anything ELSE but work. No...no I don’t :confused2::burnout:

Cheers
Dave

[A12pilot]

Paint!! Bombay Ivory. Up next will be the fenders, then hood, then the small little front end pieces. Very happy with how it came out. Perfect day to paint too.

Time to get these mounted onto the chassis! :cool2::biggthumpup:

Cheers:beers:
Dave

[Ryan1969Chevelle]

Paint!! Bombay Ivory. Up next will be the fenders, then hood, then the small little front end pieces. Very happy with how it came out. Perfect day to paint too.

Time to bet these mounted onto the chassis! :cool2::biggthumpup:

Cheers:beers:
Dave

Wow very creamy!!!

Ryan W.

[Crush]

I swear the guy has elffsss!

[A12pilot]

First time the cab has moved from the shop in a couple months! Very happy with the color coverage. All those LED panels in the shop were worth it. Next up are the smaller parts and the running boards.

Yes, the big shop is a mess but it's clean! The cab will be safe here until I get it onto the chassis, but I need the Cuda out of the way for lift access!:blush:

More to come!!:scholar:

Cheers:beers:
Dave

[mockingbird812]

Dave you have outdone yourself or at least one of your clones!!! Nice job. Love the color!!!!

[mssl72]

Looks fantastic!!:beers:

[A12pilot]

Thanks guys!! Sammitron...if I buy your little car, would you autograph it for me!?!?! That’s waaaaay cooooool! :burnout:

Spent today hanging rock wainscoting on my shops, so more this weekend!

Cheers:beers:
Dave

[A12pilot]

In between Cuda stuff and calendar coordinating, I managed to get some paint on the remaining front end parts and running boards. Up next is a visit to Dent City (fenders) along with a stop in Waveville (hood).:eek2:

More to come!

Cheers:beers:
Dave

[mockingbird812]

Thanks guys!! Sammitron...if I buy your little car, would you autograph it for me!?!?! That’s waaaaay cooooool! :burnout:

Spent today hanging rock wainscoting on my shops, so more this weekend!

Cheers:beers:
Dave


Ha Dave. Yes sir, all models are pre-signed........unfortunately I used a black marker (labeled "10/10")!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[m22mike]

:haha:
:haha:

[A12pilot]

It's time for cab unextrapulation!:cool2: This is the reason I wanted the two post lift this time around versus the four post lift I had before. Makes the whole removal and install a snap! Especially being the one man show that I am! :burnout:

Once the cab was airborne, I muscled the chassis over to the far bay, preceeded by muscling the muscle car over to the other shop until I regained my strength to push it back into the other shop in the adjacent bay next to the other bay:hmmm:. Follow me? :dunno: Good, cause I can't! :shocked:

I then installed the bed and running boards. Rick will come into town to help assemble all the rest of the parts later next month or December.

Up next is building the structure to hold the fenders for blockification!:headbang:

Cheers
Dave

[markinnaples]

Coming together nicely! Wasn't sure I liked that color, but it looks pretty darn good.

[Billohio]

that is hilarious

[big gear head]

You're awesome Dave.

[mssl72]

Coming along beautifully! Do you have a time lapse camera you can set up? That would be fun to watch!

[KenMaisano]

Is it our age or what?? I just came upon this post. Love it ! The last two weeks, Guess what I have been looking at...1948-1955 Ford F100s. But my eye has really been on the 1952 Model:)

[A12pilot]

Thanks guys! It's ODTD, Ken. Old Dude Truck Disorder. For some reason everyone has one in their past, or at least thinks they did!:grin: And despite them handling and riding like an empty trash can on roller skates with 192 leafs in the springs per side, we all love them!

Are they MCACN material? Nah. But they're fun!:cool2:

Cheers
Dave

[A12pilot]

We're into the home stretch on bodywork! Four fenders and one hood to go! :smile::biggthumpup: So, if you follow my threads, you'll remember me building a 1949 Chevrolet 3100 which had a contraption I called Jigasaurus that held all the fenders in place while I did the bodywork on them. I recreated this for Rick's truck but did it for only two of the fenders this time. Holding all four was a bit overwhelming. So I named this scaffolding Jigzilla!:rolleyes2: Why does everthing I do have to have a name? Beats me! Why you asking? You should know by now nothing I do makes any sense! :no::laugh:

After several hammer and dolly rounds which made the fenders worse than they were before I started, I sprayed some DP74 on them since it was the only epoxy I had on hand. But that's ok since about 2 gallons of Rage and 8 coats of primer will be in top of that so the red won't show through. And I'm glad I have some of this left since a certain GM product I'll be starting on might need this red oxide primer underneath! :hmmm:

I'm on Reserve this week with work, so hopefully I won't get used and I can have these painted by the end of the week. More to come! :biggthumpup:

Cheers:beers:
Dave

[A12pilot]

Still a lot more hammering to do.:thumbsdown: I'm pretty sure to get your Doctorate of Dentology from Waveville University, you're given an old farm truck fender and told "Make it flatter than Kansas!". No better final exam than that! :frown:

Hopefully I'll have these in paint by Friday! Then it's onto the front fenders which, if one can believe this, are worse than the rears!:grin:

More to come....

Cheers:beers:
Dave

[A12pilot]

Rear fenders should be painted this weekend and I started into electrical work, which, if you can remember back to my 49 Chevy truck and how that all went down, I'm thinking of flying in M22Mike to handle this! :biggthumpup:

Although he may be busy with other things right now:hmmm:, so I'll move forward on my own. Everyone always asks me if I have help in the shop, and here's the proof I do! This is Stormy., he's the only horse of the four Kelly has that I ride! You don't even have to put a quarter in him! :haha: More updates over the weekend!

Cheers:beers:
Dave

[big gear head]

I might be able to ride that horse.

[A12pilot]

Ya know, sometimes you get the feeling you're not appreciated. Like nobody really cares what you're doing on your cars. Matter of fact, sometimes it's like the car actually laughs at you despite all your work.

Well today, that fact was undeniable and it wasn't the voices in my head! After not being happy with a wave I kept feeling (and it kept moving around on me! :tongue:), I busted out the guide coat, 220, and a 2ft long block. And there it was, clear as day!! Laughing at me in “Emoji with the tongue sticking out” form that I've used here twice!:tongue:

And with that comes good news in that the rear fenders are ready for paint now that Wavey-Magoo is outta here. Next up will be the hood.:cool2:

After much debate, I convinced Rick to order a new set of fenders for the mighty Ford. The originals, and the donor truck ones, are just way too banged up. Sorta harkens back to the moon landing photos as they are hovering over the surface right before touchdown. I talked to a guy that used the new ones and he said he'd never straighten another orginal set again since these fit so good. We got to use the original rear ones, so that's a bonus! :cool2:

More this weekend!

Cheers :beers:
Dave

[m22mike]

Those fenders aren't that bad :hmmm: Did you try a shrinking disc :biggthumpup:

[galveston]

:haha::haha::haha: you Ohio guys!!

[A12pilot]

Yeah, Shaun. I thought the same thing!!:biggthumpup: I tried a 5lb sledge, Mike. Seemed to work pretty good at flattening out my frustration. Fenders? Not so much.:thumbsdown: Off to the dump they go!

Only a few more parts left to paint!:biggthumpup:

Cheers:beers:
Dave

[A12pilot]

Weather perfect? Check. Ventilation good? Check. Dust and debris in topcoat of clear from the dirty lid that I failed to clean goodly?? Yep... check! :thumbsdown: Oh well, a quick wet sand will get that out no problem. See? Even despite all this progress screw ups stiiiiiiilllllll happen in this thread. :shocked: Just no drama video showing it. Although that weird music that usually plays right before a commercial break happens was playing in the head when I saw it. :mad2:

Happy to report no runs, sags or curtains. Next up is the hood!

Cheers:beers:
Dave

[A12pilot]

Moving forward, the truck is wired up! :eek2: Rick chose Dakota digital gauges that come with this uber cool control box. Makes wiring a breeze! I installed it right next to the fuse box and used leftover harness looms from my Mopars to secure it all tidy up in the cowl. Easy access, yet up and out of the way. All ends of the crimped terminals are tight and heat shrunk with wrap. I looped the longer lines so in the event someone pulls on the cords they have room to give and the connection at the box isn't compromised.

Friday the hood will be painted, and based on the arrival of the front fenders, when I leave for MCACN Friday everything will be painted! :headbang:

Oh, and a pair of new Iwata guns are on deck for the next project. What will that be? :dunno::dunno::dunno: More over the weekend! :scholar:

Cheers:beers:
Dave

[mssl72]

Hey Dave! Looking amazing! I'm not sure how you can work on both this truck and the "Crusty Cuda" at the same time along with the property and living a life!! :dunno: Just a little "ouch" note. Do yourself and others a favor and flush cut the cut end of the tyrap/wire ties. Those things will slice you real good if you're reaching in to try to move or adjust something and you hit one with your arm. Ask me how I know about those cut ends. I have scars!

[Xplantdad]

Hey Dave! Looking amazing! I'm not sure how you can work on both this truck and the "Crusty Cuda" at the same time along with the property and living a life!! :dunno: Just a little "ouch" note. Do yourself and others a favor and flush cut the cut end of the tyrap/wire ties. Those things will slice you real good if you're reaching in to try to move or adjust something and you hit one with your arm. Ask me how I know about those cut ends. I have scars!



Absolutely! me too!

[Woj]

Great work Dave. Keep it going! Don't get cut on the zip ties, burned by the welder or pass out from the fumes!!!! Ha.

[A12pilot]

Thanks, Phil! Looking forward to seeing you guys soon!:laugh:

Mark, good point! Er, bad point, actually:wink:. I’ll trim those flush for sure.:scholar:

Fenders are due to arrive Monday, so for me to get them painted by the time we leave for MCACN Friday will be a feat!:eek2: It’ll be a marathon of PPGical proportions, I tells ya! :hmmm: It’s going to involve late nights, minimal sleep, and no room for screw ups!:eek2:

Bwwaahahahahaha!!:haha: No room for screw ups......man, that’s rich:bs:.

Cheers:beers:
Dave

[A12pilot]

All the small remaining parts are painted along with the hood as of today! :cool2: Just the front fenders are left (oh, and the wheels:ooo:) and the goal is to have them done prior to leaving for MCACN. I swapped the truck around with the Cuda so I could get that car on lift since I don't need the Fantastical Ford taking up that spot.

You know, this is a nice color but man it's hard to take a good photo of a reflection. That beige is just sooooo creamy!

More later this week!:biggthumpup::biggthumpup:

Cheers:beers:
Dave

[454_Malibu]

Thanks, Phil! Looking forward to seeing you guys soon!:laugh:

Mark, good point! Er, bad point, actually:wink:. I’ll trim those flush for sure.:scholar:

Fenders are due to arrive Monday, so for me to get them painted by the time we leave for MCACN Friday will be a feat!:eek2: It’ll be a marathon of PPGical proportions, I tells ya! :hmmm: It’s going to involve late nights, minimal sleep, and no room for screw ups!:eek2:

Bwwaahahahahaha!!:haha: No room for screw ups......man, that’s rich:bs:.

Cheers:beers:
Dave

Hey Dave! Looking amazing! I'm not sure how you can work on both this truck and the "Crusty Cuda" at the same time along with the property and living a life!! :dunno: Just a little "ouch" note. Do yourself and others a favor and flush cut the cut end of the tyrap/wire ties. Those things will slice you real good if you're reaching in to try to move or adjust something and you hit one with your arm. Ask me how I know about those cut ends. I have scars!
We call them Panduits at the B Company, get a Panduit gun and problem solved

[big gear head]

Not only do you put a lot of effort into the work you do on the cars and truck, but you also put a lot of effort into posting great pictures and entertaining commentary. Thanks :biggthumpup:

[A12pilot]

Thanks, Freddie!:biggthumpup::biggthumpup: I try and make my posts enjoyable since it’s such a fun hobby, and hopefully since I make the same mistakes we all do, everyone finds humor in my screw ups since they’ve seen themselves do exactly what I just done did!:hmmm: Errr...something like that...:dunno:

I’m pretty sure the next restoration/hotrodification/barn build I do I’ll have to do some kind of video commentary to keep the entertainment value up!:shocked::3gears: Actually, I think after Crusty is up and running the next project is to finish up the shops. I sort of out those in holy my buddy out with his truck. So once this heads out of here I’ll be back on hammering in tongue and groove pine again for all to enjoy:thumbsdown:.:grin:

Fun stuff!!!:grin:

Cheers
Dave

[Lynn]

You make me feel like a slacker. I did get a new arm rest installed on the driver's door of my Opel GT today.

[A12pilot]

That’s not slacking! That’s called progress, Lynn!:biggthumpup: Every little step forward helps! I’ve been fortunate with vacation all month and a great schedule last month, but that’s going to change starting on Thanksgiving when I start training. So now I’m enjoying bouncing between the Cuda and truck before I go into hibernation:ooo:

More to come!:cool2:

Cheers
Dave

[A12pilot]

Welp, it's official! Every last part of the Flamin' Ford is painted exactly on time to the deadline I created for myself... for some unknown reason:hmmm:.... before leaving for MCACN tomorrow! :biggthumpup: It's 100% painted! Woohoo! :biggthumpup:

When I get back I'll be spraying the backsides of the fenders with Raptor berliner. Now, time for some sleep since we've got an early flight tomorrow! :cool2:

Cheers:beers:
Dave

[flyingn]

first time I seen this thread! Nice work Dave! Looking great

[A12pilot]

We're moving into the final stages! Been a crazy busy last month what with work and stuff, but I'm happy to report she turns over! I'll add the fluids the weekend and get her running again! :biggthumpup:

Fenders are Raptor bedliner coated for easy cleaning because I fully expect Rick to go mudding in this rig!:rolleyes2: But besides that, they look pretty nice. I'll do the underside if the cab once I cab get it over to the lift. A couple more things to do and I can reassemble for the last time! This pic shows the front end just mocked up to verify that big '53 radiator clears the hood and it does with no problem.

Off to work again... more to come!

Cheers
Dave

[Xplantdad]

Wow!!
looks great....

[Lynn]

Looking good Dave.

[dykstra]

Looks great Dave!!

[A12pilot]

Thanks Guys!! Rick came into town yesterday and we assembled the rest of the remaining sheetmetal. I started the truck up yesterday and it fired right up! Not much left to do and Rick will take it back and finish the interior and trim! 7 months after I got it, it goes back. Very exciting! :flag:

Cheers:beers:
Dave

[Ryan1969Chevelle]

The before and after will be coo coo bananas

Ryan W31

[A12pilot]

The last bolt has been bolted:hmmm: and she's running, driving, and stopping. The hood fitment is the last major hurdle but coupling aftermarket fenders with original 1952 sheetmetal, this may be the best it gets. And compared to what it was before, it's really not that bad.

I've taken her on two test drives so far and other than some brake adjustment, all seems to be functioning perfectly! :headbang:

Here's some final pics and she goes back to Rick next week for him to finish the exterior trim, interior, and the remaining small items. What a journey! Thanks for tuning in to another Super Dave disastrous restoration project. And always remember, "We know you have a choice in restoration shops. We just don't know you choose us.":thumbsdown::D:p

Cheers:beers:
Dave

[Xplantdad]

Wow Dave...very nice! Your friend must be jazzed~:headbang:

[mockingbird812]

Sweet! Nicely done Dave! An awesome gesture on your part!!!!

[Jonesy]

Looking real good. Your friend should be thrilled to see it all done!!

[Ryan1969Chevelle]

Amazing!!!

Fantastical!!!

Ryan W31

[Woj]

Looks great Dave. I know the project was a challenge, but you never walk away from one. I'm sure Rick will be happy to get her back and do what little it takes to finish the project. Another one for the record books.... Now back to your regularly scheduled projects.....

[mssl72]

Wow!! Awesome job!!! :beers:

[A12pilot]

Thanks, Guys!! I can definitely say that this truck fought me every step of the way. Transmission in and out three times, five hours to install two parking brake cables, and countless other small things that are just too crazy to mention. But I stuck with it, and I think Rick will be pleased.

Now like Phil said, I believe there’s a Cuda that needs to finished!:drool: And with that too, I’ll finally finish the small shop up with cabinets and benches and a good cleaning in preps for the 507 build that will start next month. :biggthumpup:

Cheers:beers:
Dave

[cook_dw]

Dave gonna make it rain!

https://media.tenor.com/images/ed49a003bebf3cb393da7ee173dc0376/tenor.gif



Nice work on the Ford.. Looking forward to the Cuda.

[Lynn]

Less than 7 mos. start to finish. At the pace I am able to work these days, that would be a two year project for me.

[A12pilot]

Hey, two years, two months, it's all good! Any progress on any project no matter how minor is a good thing! :biggthumpup:

Today was "Go Home" day for this firey Ford. Rick will send me photos when the interior is done and I'll update then. Thanks for coming along on another journey! Everyone's comments were greatly appreciated!!:headbang:

Cheers:beers:
Dave

[Woj]

Well done Dave. On to the next project!

[big gear head]

Great job!

[KenMaisano]

Very nice, Great job!

[mssl72]

:biggthumpup::beers:

[454_Malibu]

Hey, two years, two months, it's all good! Any progress on any project no matter how minor is a good thing! :biggthumpup:

Today was "Go Home" day for this firey Ford. Rick will send me photos when the interior is done and I'll update then. Thanks for coming along on another journey! Everyone's comments were greatly appreciated!!:headbang:

Cheers:beers:
Dave

Awesome job, I have those Boeing shirts everywhere.. lol