What do the panel/s think?
Well it's moved on a bit more, and its also done me nut in a bit more. This photo is about as close to the colour as I have yet taken so just thought I would include just for the hell of it, like ya do ;o) Finally off the ramps sitting on the floor yum yum!
Well I could put it off no longer and no help was coming forth or fifth for that matter, so it had to be done on me own "alone again naturally" Bloody hard I might add holding a friggin Steel F100 door with one hand and leaning in and trying to tighten the hinge bolts with the other, only to let go and see it settle with a lean on arrghhhhh. Took ages but are now as close as I can possible do them on my own. I also fitted the one piece tinted glass to the passenger side and the door felt which was another naffin nightmare. ;o) Oh and look the door hardware is all in and working a treat. I cant fit the mirrors as even though they hadnt been on long before I took it off the road they are pitted and rusty (cheap China crap).. so not sure what to do there?
 
Well I say work a treat not afore some fettling, the side windows were real stiff, but all it took was some work with the die grinder on the door hinge to let the side runner move out a tad and that was them running smooth. I don't suppose anyone will remember but a while back when I fit the longer door handle shafts, I lost a spring and plunger. Well I got a spring from Bob's F100's when I was over there (Free Gratis) and forgot to ask for a plunger, so I made one from an old set screw. NOW all the door hardware was working a treat. Just a note I have all new bolts fitted to the door hinge now to not the crappy orginal ones shown here, polished dome ones that are seen and new hex head where ya dont.
I have spent 1 full day with some help from Pudzz we got it all close, but the hood to wing gap is being stubborn to say the least. It must of been like this when I dry built it before paint, but looks like the front of the wing goes in as it reaches the front, it looked perfect when I did it before paint. The Hood needs lifting up a tad at this side, the front wing to hood edge is actually bang on this side but looks to be out a tad but it aint! er honest ;o) Look how the paint goes white to silver under strong light going to be wild moving in strong sunlight I recon.
Same this side the front goes in (closer to the hood) at the front edge, and the bonnet needs to come forward on this side, which will move it over even closer to the driver's side arghhhh
I have now spent a further 3 nights and long nights at that and still no real improvement. It almost got me to tears at one point as for the third time of loosening (on my own) the best part or the 76 bolts that hold the front metal on and tightened them again to no effect, well only the effect of breaking my sprit that is ;o). I had the slam panel off and the grill mesh out (nearly fuked it to). I just don't think I can do it again, but I know I have to, to be happy knowing it will be looked at and scrutineered by many critical eyes.
The gap at the rear of the hood now looks massive I don't remember it being that bloody big before paint. it really is pissing me off now and I cant see an end to it. I think that is what got me so upset, I need to move on, now and cant see a way past this point!!! I have left it at this stage now while I regroup and decide the next plan of battle.
Man has it all made me a right grumpy old bastard, I snap at the merest thing.
I heard a tale of a guy who went to the Doctors and he asked "so how do you feel?" " well" the guy says" on a good day I feel like killing someone" "Oh" said the Doctor "and what do you feel like on a bad day?" " Well on a bad day I feel like killing everyone" I know how he feels now ;o)
So here is the interlude of what else I have done, the old tank I stripped, cleaned, epoxy primed and painted, it looked brand new inside, but the outside was crap up. As with every job I do, this was no picnic either as the sender had dropped off the mounting plate and some how found its way behind the baffle. 2 hrs of scratting to get the twat out. I nearly gave up and thought I will just have to drive round with it floating around in there. I mean how the hell can a copper float with about 8 inch of stainless rod attached find its way behind the baffle?? I could see the wire every now and then with a good shaking but with it being stainless of course the magnet on a stick was of no use. But it is done now so don't seem so bad a job now it is out but really made me mad at the time I had to get brutal in the end to get the sucker out..
I had to get an adapter to fit the modern sender to the old tank but that was one easy job and the start of my wiring, here's hoping the rest of the wiring will be just as easy Pahhhhh!
This was great fun fitting the tank, as I had boxed the frame and welded captive nuts. Errr only you have to fit the mounting straps to the tank, hold it up to the frame and bolt from the inside of the frame, easy eh... er no I had to do from the outside where the tank was as it was boxed.. Ha Ha.. how I laughed for about an hour as I remember, while I tightened the 4 mounting bolts.. and I only scratched it a little. I think I need to get my punch bag back down from the rafters Grrrrrrrrrrr.
Ha Ha.... The comedy of errors
continued to totally get me ready to Kill. I mounted the fuel pump to get the last nut tightened and it stripped....... So I had to drill it out and fit some 5mm stud bar, and a better length as they all should of been in my opinion. So a few jobs that should of been just a few minutes work, took most of a day.
Here it is now all plumbed in, the photo isn't blurred it is the heat coming from me as I took the photo that has caused a haze. I must remember to get all the hose clip slots facing the same way looks miles better if you do (thanks Langy for that tip) I have done it in the engine bay and looks miles better.
Just thought I would throw another picture of me wheel ;o)
Got the exhaust all cleaned up and painted in Aluminum VHT paint and looks well cool and will do until I can make or get made a stainless set.
Turns up nice round the rear chassis to, just the rear silencers to do and that will be another job finished.
Laying under here was fun but not as much as the rear, but it was a job that needed to be ticked off and that was to safety wire the caliper bolts up. Here is a before photo, I forgot to do an after one derrr and now its off the ramps I cant do one. But they are all safety wired now.
To console my self ha ha, I plumbed in the engine. The cylinder on the passenger side is the vaporizer for the LPG. I intend to get it finished running and MOT'd on petrol and do the LPG once its on the road.
So now the brakes are all plumbed in, the exhaust is all done all bar the shouting, fuel (petrol) is all plumbed up, clutch pedal and cable all done, throttle cable, heater hoses and ht leads.. I fitted the wiper system only to find the motor is chuffed, so cant fit the wiper system or heater until I get a new motor..Hopefully that will be here soon so I can get on with the interior hardware. But Throttle, brake and clutch all done and working yeeha
For a little diddy 302 small block in a massive 55 F100 engine bay it sure does fill it niceley and dont look lost at all don't ya think.
Well that's about it... or is it?
The interior is under construction as we speak. I was going to do as much of the interior as I could myself originally "cheapskate" that I am. But after a conversation with my good friend Nigel Stephenson, he convinced me there was only one way to do my interior, especially my seat was to get it done professionally and in his mind and he is an absolute perfectionist with a fantastic eye for what is right and works, was to use Mick Shepherd from Premier Auto Trim in Wigan.
I knew Nigel was right so I arranged to go see Mick and discuss what I needed doing. I had already chosen my material as long time Uk-Hotrods buddy Al had sent me some samples I had the material and the colour and I had asked Al if he would trim my interior panels a year of more back, but not the seat as I didnt at the time know what I was doing ha ha and many would say I still dont ;o)
Well I met Mick and I can honestly say, you will not meet a nicer more genuine guy anywhere and he is a Hot Rodder to with many Custom Car feature cars sporting his amazing interior work. The afore mentioned Nigel Stephenson's 32, all Gary McCormack's Rods, Bob Booths A and Pete Whitesides 36 to name but a few. He really is the man and from the very first moments of meeting him I knew I had made the right decision, hey and he even knew who I was that made my day and has read this web site which is cool.
So anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, I said what I had in mind and as I hoped he threw a few other/better ideas around that was just what I was looking for.
The seat how I pictured it would of looked OK how Mick advised me to have it, will be awesome. I wont say anymore but in a few week I should have it back and then you will all see, all I will say is it will go with the Gold Metalflake steering wheel and match the pattern from the door panels a treat so it will all flow as one. I cant bloody wait.
I know its best to get it all done at one place but circumstances dictated the seat, sun visors and door handles will be done by Mick and eventually the carpets, while the door cards, kick panels, headliner and cab back will be done by Al .
I would love to tell you a tale about the North South divide and let me tell you in Rodding it most certainly does excist but I wouldnt want to upset anyone. Maybe I have said to much already ;o)xx
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