1955 F'in 100

Well we are well into Jan of 2005 now and while I have made some progress, I also feel I am further away. I have now got to the stage where the cab should come off and the pick-up bed is dismantled and in a load of pieces...

But I am getting away with my self there, lets go back a bit, I had to work everyday in December so didn't open the garage door much, now the Christmas rush is over for us I have got back into the project, though I still doubt I have the skills to see it through to the end but we shall see.

1st Gear .......................................................................................................................5th Gear ;>)
The original gear lever was far to short, so I scrounged a Transit one off one of me old Banger mate Rob and after some cutting welding and bending had a lever I could reach, though 5th is a stretch. I had to leave the gear shifter shy of the bench seat in 1st, in case my misses ever drives the truck and the seat needs moving forward. Though I may invest in a short throw after market shifter yet (30% shorter throw).

Next job I needed to get out of my head, was the antiroll bar. I had enough clearance to put the rollbar the original way up and because I had no rake built into the chassis, there was enough room to just weld a plate on to bolt the antiroll bar to easy peezy! Just had to cut a piece off the forward mount plate so the antiroll bar sat flat and Robert was ya fathers brother.

Next I thought I should get some red oxide slapped on the 50 yr old chassis, so after a good wire brushing and a few lungs full of black kak, it was sparkling and ready for some oxide and I was ready for a lung transplant or some beer which ever was easiest.

I added some lower strengtheners to the engine mounts I will add some gussets later.
I also welded the original brackets and crossmember's where they were just riveted for more tortional rigidity ( I sound like I know what I am talking about now don't I )

This is the state of affairs on Jan 14th 2005, is it progress? or am I now further away?
The cab is loose on the chassis, the pick-up bed is fully dismantled, with quite a bit of work ahead of me just in the bed alone.... no not in bed alone ..... but in the bed on its own welding and straightening :o).... Loads to do, so little time to do it!

Anyhow the idea of lifting the cab to the rafters to work on it, went out the window. I think it would of pulled my garage roof down. So plan B was in order, I just had to work out exactly what plan B was..

Plan B

After some working out I managed to get the body into this position all on my own. it rests on a couple of old tyres and hopefully wont get any damage. I did however remember after I got it in this position that I meant to weld up all the old and defunct bulkhead holes... er now I will have to do it once the cab is back into position with is all new OE cab mounts and the cab floor is all scrubbed and finish painted. Same as the old 50 year old chassis, all scrubbed up and covered in a few coats of lovely new paint.... will look nice wont it with all the welding splatter on it when I do the bulkhead Grrrrrrrr
Cab is all scrubbed now and will be getting ox'd next..

Feb 10th 2005

Well the cab was up and I managed to wire brush all the 50yrs of grime off and I stood back all proud, then it dawned on me, I not only hadn't welded up the holes in the bulkhead, I hadn't sorted a clutch pedal Derrrr so no point finishing the under cab floor just yet. I had to pop the cab back down again, which was a crazy affair all on me todd. I got a Transit clutch pedal and made up brk's to mount it to the bulkhead and low and behold the clutch cable fits perfect, nice and easy peezy. I felt so chuffed at last something was going well and I was actually enjoying myself for a change.

I then proceeded to make up plates and weld up them bulkhead holes. My good mate Pudzz arrived after I had done the large square you can see on the left. He said that will take you forever doing it that way, just weld plates over the inside and skim with some body filler, er so that was how I did the rest. Turned out ok and Pudzz attacked the bulkhead with a skim of filler ready to red oxide it. While I stripped the front crossmember, why? because I was going to get some new coil springs made up that's why.

Pudzz cracked on with the bulk head for an hour or two before he had to go, it was great to have him helping me again and being able to bounce idea's off someone else. But it was all over so quick and I am back now on my own again. Before he went though we came up with this idea of strengthening the cab floor to bolt the eye's through, for when I mount the seat belt harness's (3 of em)

I find it hard to know in what sequence to do jobs and I think I am doing some jobs a bit about arse face. I seem to do a job and have to redo it again later, but I am making some progress I feel, even if it is only slight. All the floor is mint now, well actual most of the floor is mint I should say, I still have to finish the hole where the shifter sticks through and the trans cover also needs securing and painting... Then maybe I can finish paint the cab floor Chassis black and the chassis of course the same, then fit the new cab mounts and then I will really feel I have moved forward...!

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