my shipwrecked '63

[SteveCanup]

By what you have mentioned, you have about $1200 in the engine. That's really not bad at all, especially when you consider that you will have a brand new engine when you are finished. I had a '66 that I restored back in '93 that had the 300 straight 6 in it. It threw a rod and I bought a replacement 'long-block' and If I remember correctly it was about $14-1500. Staying tuned....

[SteveCanup]

My '66 in '93 and my wife's '62 Falcon....

[bird55]

680 for machining. 800 for the kit... 400 for the con rods. And 100 for misc stuff and a rocker assembly I got from another member. I paid 200 for the engine off craigslist last year too. I'm just about throwing money at this little engine and truck.

Thanks for sharing. I wasn't trying to be nosy. It takes a good hunk of dough to do any engine. And then some more, when you think you are done.
I get amused at those that say they are going to just do a cheap engine build. There really is not such a thing. Although sometime somebody gets lucky on some phase of the job.

You are doing things right and most importantly like you want to.

[SteveCanup]

Sorry April...I can't do math today. You have more than $1200 in the engine...but like bird55 said you are doing it right.

[shipwrecked]

Today I had about 30 minutes between a medical appointment and having to go on shift at work. I took a few parts with me to the shop at work and got them in the blaster.




Here is after blasting.




Tomorrow I will throw a little primer and paint on them. The alternator bracket, clutch rods and two hood hinges were in that round.

[SteveCanup]

Looking good! That's exactly what mine looked like before and after...

[shipwrecked]

The hood hinges were always real stuff. After I blasted them yesterday I sprayed brake clean in the pivot points and dang did they get loose as a goose's poop. It isn't slamming open but they sure are easier to open now. There is 53 years of junk trapped in there and it was obvious I can't clean it all out. New springs will help too. I don't want to send them off to rebuild when there verywell might be nothing wrong with them. I've never seen a fresh set so what mine feel like may be normal.

Today is a LONG day at work. I will try to come home briefly and throw primer on it if the weather holds out too.

[unibody madness]

Great work, as to the hinges, I would spend as much time as possible cleaning out the hinges.Let your o.c.d. inner self take over.
After painting and before installing take the time to work grease into the pivot points. It is a pain once installed and you can feel for grit before you install the springs.
It also will not hurt to tighten up all your rivets with a press, or B.F.H., if they feel loose and you have someone to help.

[shipwrecked]

Spent some time fixing up that spare tire fender again. I had a bunch of pin-holes from having to re-weld the patch due to the length being off.


I bought a mid 60's mustang gas tank off eBay last week and it came in on Thursday. I had a shitty day Thursday as some jerkwad tried to pit-manuever me in merging traffic and ripped my bumper off of the '13FX4. I got home and saw the gas tank was in, but didn't have time to do anything with it.

I took some 1" square steel tubing and built a frame. This picture just shows me how it's going to lay out (UNDER) the lip.


After getting it welded together, I tapped some 1/4-20 threads into the top of it, and bolted the tank to the tube-frame.
I still need to do work to the frame rails on the truck, and paint the tank frame. I may even paint the tank. It came a little dented on the lip and I had to hammer/dolly them straight. What ever paint they put on it is pealing off from that.


I also spray painted the hood hinges. I will need to tighten up one of them as it is a bit sloppier then the other. The color is the medium grey from my paint chips up further in my thread. I took the lighter grey and sprayed it on one of the fenders and it is almost white. Not sure if I like it. I do like the color I painted the hood hinges. I need new springs for the hinges.


Had to stop there as a storm rolled in and dumped a deluge of water on us with some thunder/lightning.

[shipwrecked]

the medium grey on left... driftwood grey on the right.

The hinge painted in medium grey.



The driftwood was the original color and it matches the firewall. It is so close to white though...I may just go with the darker of the two- the medium grey.What are your thoughts? I know its my truck and I should do what I want- but what would you do if it were yours?

[SteveCanup]

Either would look great...the colors compliment one another.

[shipwrecked]

Worked on the fuel tank set up this afternoon. Boy I am tired today! I've been sick (either the crud or allergies) for two weeks straight and I had about an hour of a bloody nose just from blowing it so much.

I took the aft crossbeam out with the help of a grinder, cold chisel, drift punch and a big F-ing HAMM'AH.


tried every which way and did not like it below the frame rail.

Talked to Steve Canup a minute to figure out how he got his in between- I must have missed it in UncleSkip's write up. But I got it. Took a grinder and ground down the lower part of the frame rail just a tiny bit to allow the tank to fit inside the rail.

Re-positioned the rear crossbeam to its new location and working on the mounting bracket to hold the tank to the rails. The aft section is one inch lower then the front, so I need to add some brackets. I will do that this week. I ended up taking some 3/8" bolts and bolting that crossbeam down. The tank is inside the garage till I am sure I am ready to instal permanently. Not sure if I should paint the tank. I need to do some touchup's to the frame- the chassis saver is pealing off in small areas due to the sun exposure even after top-coating it with spray paint.

[SteveCanup]

Glad to see that you are moving along. Once you get it permanently installed, running the gas line is fairly easy. Your tank looks just like the one that I used...paint is optional. I didn't paint mine.

[shipwrecked]

spent the day welding in a rail where the wood rests on top. Had some oil canning due to the heat, but got that straightened out a bit. Have the rear section to still cut out and weld in, but I will do that tomorrow. I clamped the front extension piece into place to check for fitment. That entire side just seems to be 1/8 to 1/4 inch lower then the other. It won't be noticeable but I did.

Got email back from RockAuto about my steering assembly. I sent it out a few weeks ago to be rebuilt through their service. It seemed to have been lost for a few days at the LARES corp but they got it in paint and packaging the day I called them out on it. Should be herein a few days.

plugging away here and there where I can.

[shipwrecked]

Did a little welding the last few days.
This is the front header board.


Then I flipped the bed over so I can do some clean-up on it and then sand it down.


My fedex person dropped my steering system off today too! LARES CORP who works through Rock Auto did a nice job cleaning it up, replacing all the bearings, and painting it. Not a bad job at all.

[shipwrecked]

busy day today. I am taking a week off next week since I won't have any recruits reporting in. I have a few friends from work coming on Saturday morning to lift the cab off the frame so I can do some work this week on it, and the frame.

I spent a few hours removing windows, seat, upholstery, gas tank and misc stuff.


Opened up the plenum chambers and see this stuff just stacked in there.

[shipwrecked]

Spent my day after work removing the cab bushing bolts. They were not horrible, but three out of four needed to be cut off. The forward bolts were rusted to the floor pan and chipping flake rust off. The cab is free to be lifted in the morning by 8 friends who volunteered to help. I have no idea how much it weighs, but we are just going to set it on the floor in my garage so I can get on the floor repair. The cab corners look and feel okay. The roof has some dents because it never had a headache rack so it's got some damage. I plan on replacing the floors then carting it to a blaster then epoxy primer and start the body work process. It needs to be done by August!

Truck bed is outside under the temporary sun shade. I did the rust repair I needed to on it, and I will send it off to be blasted later this summer. It can wait till after the cab is on the frame. I need to get the cab done so I can put the engine back in the frame. Stand by for more!

[unibody madness]

Great work April!
I do not think you will need eight people but its a great excuse for a back yard grilling session.
If no one has said it to you and your work mates, THANK YOU for your service.
Enjoy the time they let you have this weekend.

[shipwrecked]

I cut the body mount bolts off yesterday evening and this morning my co-workers came to help. One son of a shipmate showed up with 3 of his 20 year old friends... those boys had it picked up and in my garage in less than 5 minutes.

I cleaned up the frame.


got the chassis saver paint on the final sections. Only been like 10 months since I did the rest of the truck frame.



Now I am working on figuring out how to remove the floor section that is rotten without having to do major deconstruction. The passenger side has a few rust through holes up in the foot well. The heater had dripped on the floor for a while and ate the metal away. Have new floor pans already and just need to get them in.

Stand by for more! I am off of work the whole week! 9 days of leave to do some work.

[shipwrecked]

I need to do some cleaning up inside the front cab supports. They are full of 50+ years of Oregon dirt, sand, MT ST Helens ash (May 18, 1980) and rust bits that formed from water being trapped in there so long.

Today I plan on cutting the support off, then cleaning up the passenger side floor section for surgery. I am going to make some supports or buy a set- but it being a holiday weekend, no one is open or home.
I don't dare go out into the town I live in- The area is a shoobie haven for people wanting to go to "the shore" for holidays. Shoot me now. I really need cut off disks for my grinder. I bought 3 that the ACE hardware had which is 2 miles down the road. If I drive the 6 miles to Lowes, I will sit in the shoobie traffic.