'61 Uni restoration

[olliesshop]

I figured I'd start a new thread for my '61 Uni restoration. Hopefully this is the first post of many, till it's done. To sum it up the status right now, I've pulled off the front clip, restored the outside of the engine and trans, recovered the seat and now I am working on making the underside and engine compartment look presentable, safe and functional. I've included some pictures below to show how it looks today.

Front Clip off (with the Engine/Trans still in)


Engine/Trans



Seat recovered


Underside


Finally I have a question about the antenna hole. From the searching I've done on the site, the hole was cut by the Dealer. I plan on taking the radio out (that I put in during my rough 1980 restoration) and it looks like I should weld the antenna hole shut ... right?

[slickmainer]

thats what I would do, I think a rubber plug would let too much water into the the cowl section

[olliesshop]

that's what I would do, I think a rubber plug would let too much water into the the cowl section

Cool, thanks ... I also have to fill the holes I cut in the dash for the radio and the door access panels (where I put the speakers). I'm also going to be doing so much patch panel welding on the truck anyways, so what's on more hole to fill, eh!

[Max]

Weld away! It's just as easy to cut holes back in the truck if you have to!

[olliesshop]

Weld away! It's just as easy to cut holes back in the truck if you have to!

Excellent point !!! Thanks

[olliesshop]

Well, I'm back at it again. I finally decided, though, that I was making little progress on my own and I should have a shop do the Body, Paint, including removing the body. Here's what's happened so far:

I transported "Big Red" over to the shop on December 2nd.


In December they did most of the exterior sandblasting, but nothing on the underside yet.


Then work got stalled a few weeks around Christmas and New Year's, due to numerous snow storms and power outages. This week, though, they started fixing the rust and welding in the patch panels I'd purchased. The step/rocker areas on both sides had completely rusted out and hopefully they'll both be welded in place next week.




Here's a link to the pictures I've been taking (and will be taking) at the shop ... http://olliesshop.smugmug.com/Trucks/2013-2014-Big-Red-at-Shop

My current plan is they will finish the truck up to a painted interior and exterior. Then I will but in the engine/trans, rebuild the chassis wear items, and finish up a number of final items. I'm hoping it will be done this year, but that me be too optimistic, God only knows.

All the best !!!

[thenephilm]

Looks like it should turn out nice when it is all said and done.

[olliesshop]

I hope so. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. It sure was a major decision to have someone else do the Body and Paint for me, since that was my specialty. So hopefully this will be a good decision ... time will tell. Also, I'll keep posting updates here.

[1965fordf100]

Body and paint are the things I'm most comfortable with as well, but most likely going to farm out what's left to a shop in town...too messy to do in my home garage and I am running out of time and getting antsy on getting my truck done! I look forward to seeing how it all comes out!

[olliesshop]

Body and paint are the things I'm most comfortable with as well, but most likely going to farm out what's left to a shop in town...too messy to do in my home garage and I am running out of time and getting antsy on getting my truck done! I look forward to seeing how it all comes out!

Yeah, it was getting way too messy, espescially the sandblasting, which covered the entire garage in a thick coat of dust. Also, at the speed I was going, it wouldn't get it done for years ... sad to say.

For fun, here are 3 pictures showing the shape it's been in over the years.

This is when I first inherited the truck from my Grandfather in 1979, on his Fort Wayne Indiana farm.


This is my first restoration in 1980 , which was just rust repair and paint. It stayed fairly nice, until it had to suffer through years outside in snowy Michigan winters. It went back in the garage permantly in 1988.


This is how it looked in 2006, which is how it looked from 1988 until 2013.


Hopefully it will be done and back on the road this year or next.

All the best !!!

[olliesshop]

This week the passenger side rocker area is done, except for a couple of welds.


The driver's side is looking good too. Hopefully be pulling the body off next week. BTW, the reason the rocker areas are being fixed before the body gets pulled off is to keep it from twisting out of alignment when it's lifted.


Here's what it looked like before, pretty much not there.

[Shadow]

Looks Like You Have The Fabrication Skills Needed. That Seat Cover Turned Out Great, And It Still Has The Original 8-Lug "Innie" Wheels & Caps. Great Start!

[olliesshop]

Thanks

It sure looks like I picked a good shop for the body and paint. I could have done the fab and paint work myself (although not as well) but I never could get cranking on it. Now the rust repair and paint will hopefully be done in the Springtime, ready for me to put everything back together.

All the best !!!

[Gary Seymour]

Very cool you have your grandfathers truck.

Are you going to stick with red or go back original on the color?

Nice detail on the engine.

[olliesshop]

Very cool you have your grandfathers truck.

Are you going to stick with red or go back original on the color?

Nice detail on the engine.

I'm planning on sticking with Red. It probably will be 1967 Ford Candy Apple Red, which my friend has on his Mustang and is NON-metallic. I thought long and hard about making it the original Turquoise, but just can't do it for a couple of reasons. First, it's been "Big Red" for the last 34 years. And second, I'm pretty sure my Grandpa bought it off the lot and didn't care about the color, since it was just a farm work truck. Still a tough decision, though, since I will be living with it for a long time. Also, I thought about painting it Monte Carlo Red, like the original '61's, but it's too orange for us. This is a tough decision, which I have to make in the next few months, so if anyone has any suggestions for a deep "Blood Red" I'm all ears ... preferably a Ford color.

Thanks on the engine. I duplicated the colors I found on the parts after I cleaned it up, which I hope are original. Either way it sure looks a lot better than it did. The plan is to put it in the chassis first thing after I get it back from Body and Paint. That'll be a big day.

All the best !!!

[olliesshop]

The body is off the frame ... woohoo !!!


The frame looks solid.


The rocker welding is almost done.


A big box section piece needs to be fabricated that runs across underneath the front of the bed. It's pretty rotted right now.


Next is to finish sandblasting the body and fabricate the box section. Also, the chassis work can begin.

[ROOSTER]

That's the nastiest torque box I have ever seen!!!!

[olliesshop]

That's the nastiest torque box I have ever seen!!!!

Yeah, quite the bummer ... aargghh, it obviously wasn't doing anything to help stiffness. Although, once all the structural rust is fixed I'm hoping it will ride and steer a lot better.

Also, I haven't been able to find a replacement box section anywhere. Does anyone know of a source? I assume nobody makes them, though, and we'll have to make it.

All the best

[simonscr]

Also, I thought about painting it Monte Carlo Red, like the original '61's, but it's too orange for us. This is a tough decision, which I have to make in the next few months, so if anyone has any suggestions for a deep "Blood Red" I'm all ears ... preferably a Ford color.

That is a family truck. You are never going to sell it. So the value of painting it factory original or a factory color for the year does not matter. You are the one who is going to drive and enjoy the truck, so you should painted the color YOU want.

I do like the idea of keeping it red. Since it has been red for so long and you originally restored and painted it red! IMO

I did some restoration work on a car that had a deep blood red look. The guy told me it was painted MILANO RED off of a late model Nissan. Not a Ford color, but a nice red.

[olliesshop]

Also, I thought about painting it Monte Carlo Red, like the original '61's, but it's too orange for us. This is a tough decision, which I have to make in the next few months, so if anyone has any suggestions for a deep "Blood Red" I'm all ears ... preferably a Ford color.

That is a family truck. You are never going to sell it. So the value of painting it factory original or a factory color for the year does not matter. You are the one who is going to drive and enjoy the truck, so you should painted the color YOU want.

I do like the idea of keeping it red. Since it has been red for so long and you originally restored and painted it red! IMO

I did some restoration work on a car that had a deep blood red look. The guy told me it was painted MILANO RED off of a late model Nissan. Not a Ford color, but a nice red.

Thank you