Body Builder
Well its Mid February 2008 and though I don't seem to have progressed much I have been working on the Truck plenty. I had to do some easy jobs to get a buzz from the build so I fitted the high level brake light why??? dunno I just wanted a quick fix I guess. Then I got my old Banger mate Rob Bell up again and he helped me fit the rear screen. So that is in and less chance of it getting broken now. In my infinite wisdom I decided to put the join at the top of the screen again being a knob thinking I will do something different it looks wrong ;o) but to late its in and done. I bolted the cab on properly to and trial fitted the tinted one piece side windows. I was quite annoyed when I came to do this job as even though I stressed I wanted the inner door skins spraying with 2pack stone chip it wasn't done. I didn't fancy trying to get the cab back up to the spray shop to get the job done so I bought a couple of cans from Halfords, did the job then read that this stuff never dries whaaa whaaa... now that should be fun when I come to glue the inner sound deadening on eh.. Twats!!! The window has a real tight spot so I gave up on that job as I was going off on a tangent and needed to get the engine in really and get the front metal back from my mate Col's office where all the parts where strewn about his office floor.
I got the bug to see the colour outside as I had only really seen it in the workshop and briefly outside when it was brought up on the trailer. The colour is bang on under fluorescent lights... and looked very close with no direct sunlight on it to .. just the right shade of Gold I wanted to create a sort of 60's show truck feel.
But goes a very bright but pale shad of Gold in direct sunlight.. whooo it still looks ace but a real change in shades... should dazzle a tad..
Right I had to stop messing and get the motor in. Before that could be done I had to renew a few gaskets (thanks Pez for the new ones) and fit the gear drive. Oh and change the colour of the block.
With the quick wave of a magic wand whoosh it was done. yeah right! I got some colour from Long Lane Garage, just the minimum I might add in the bottom of a paper cup.. must be very expensive I thought.. but thinned out I managed to get 2 coats on the engine and gearbox.. It looked ace.. so i left it to dry and went and had a few cans... next day when i thought oohh I wanna look at me engine all painted nice before I went to work. *Huh?* it was friggin matt gold??
A quick word with Steve affirmed my worst fear, I was given base coat and no lacquer bugger and if not put on within an hour it wont stick... shit!! Anyhow I scotch brighted it and lacquered it anyway.. so it may not look good for long. *fingers crossed*
After I had renewed all the seals (re-build kit) and thoroughly cleaned and lubed (with brake fluid) the old master cylinder I re-fitted the servo, while I dried my tears ;o)
It really is brakes, brakes, brakes now so I can get the front metal refitted.
Fuk it I thought I will get all the painted front metal up to my garage and get the bonnet on. Once the panels were back up at my place I felt I could relax. I just felt they were and accident waiting to happen down at Col's strewn about his office floor, as I did say 2 - 3 weeks max and it had now been a couple of months.
Anyone who know's me, know's I am a bit of a numpty and make hard work for myself at every available opportunity and now was no exception. When I was in California I got it into my head what would suit my truck best would be a Gold Metalflake wheel, unbeknown to me they stopped making them in the 70's, people said they looked to green apparently. But Steve Dennish from limeworks had two.. well 3 to be precise but one was to small a diameter.
Now Steve showed me this one it was very dirty but looked Ok.. but then he showed me his latest find an even rarer 500 one that was mint... but nothing could tempt him to part with his prize 500 one and it was only after a lot of badgering I finally got this one off him (the dirty one)... now cleaned it looks ace.. I couldnt believe I finally had one and how rare are they? you tell me last time you saw one.. I am so chuffed Cheers Steve.
This is the original horn push... oh yeah I nearly forgot I had to get the boss turned down so the wheel would fit first, good mate Harry Dawson soon made short work of that task and after some precision ;o) drilling it fitted.
I wanted one of them self impaling centre bullet to, with some stud bar my dream was realised and how cool does it look.
But bugger because it had 4 inch of dish and I had set up with my other wheel zero dish it was now starting to take on the stance of a Leyland Bus.. not what I wanted.
I thought I may aswell get all the steering done and made a reducing bush from a spare rod bush I had.
I enlarged the centre so the steering shaft would fit and slide Ok by hand using a die grinder and a file and it fitted perfect hey who's getting a clever boy then??
Here's it is all bolted up loctited and split pinned another job finished... well sort off, I am or have shortened the steering column so the wheel now sits closer to the dash.. that saga I will put on here later. Really I need to get the brakes plumbed in so I can fit the front metal .... oh and.....
Get the friggin removable hinged number plate done so the bed can go to paint. A guy who I know through my e-mail group Stu Balls got me some Dzus fasteners and that is what I used to secure the plate in the up position.
And I used some chrome garden gate style hinges for the removal of the number plate. ( The wobbly thing on the floor I might add is a rubber matt not the number plate) ;o)
Here you can see the garden gate style hinge. It now clips up secure and removes in seconds. This job seemed to take for ever. I made a backing plate and sandwiched the number plate with the shiny surround and backing plate holding it all firm.. I final prepped the bed and that is now being put into paint. I am about to clean my shit tip garage up and then get the brakes done. There is still plenty of work to do to the column yet but I will leave that until all the front metal work is final fitted.. whooo cant wait.
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