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This evening I cut out a pin hole rusted section of my front RH fender. The lower rear had rust holes and severe gouges/dents in it so I cut it out. The piece looks ok in the pictures but I hammered it straight after I cut it out to help make patch pieces. The support underneath of course is likewise rusted out and I have begun to rebuild it.

I have a reproduction patch panel but of course it will require a lot of work to get it to be “up to snuff.” The original fender opening has a creased indent that runs all the way around the fender opening. Of course, the reproduction does not have this. I don’t have a bead roller (but I suspect I wouldn’t be able to make that work either) so I am going to splice the old piece creased indent, which is good, into the patch panel. Fingers crossed it works out. The patch panels are a decent start point but always seems to require a lot of extra work to make them “just right.”

A slow evening but enjoyable...

I’m having trouble posting photos tonight. I will update when it is fixed.

Not working 100% but here they are:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/oWB9YYZ8nw3EjtEb7

https://photos.app.goo.gl/jPKzbNjrPBgUeXdW8



https://photos.app.goo.gl/G5DgYtjTJDpawFUC6

Cab hours: 77.5

Frame/fenders/other hours:17.5

Total: 95

🦊

It has been a while. Everett is growing so fast and he’s keeping mom and dad busy! He already knows 5 letter sounds! We have these ABC fridge magnets and he LOVES them. He plays with them all the time. He knows the sounds of H, P, M, X, and B. It is amazing how much they learn so quickly! In addition, I have been finishing parent interviews about kids. Testing. Report cards. Ugh! I haven’t been completely idle, but haven’t done too much either.

I have the lower rear of the right front fender almost welded out. I was frustrated by the progress and fit here, so I hop skipped around a bit. I proceeded to cut out the rust on the inner fenders and I have begun making patch panels to repair them. The front left is pretty rotten and I will see if the patches I’ve made for it will be good enough. A patch I made for the front right will have to be cut out as it isn’t good enough yet.

Here’s what I am working with. Just another day in rust land!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/FfbD6QCX5aDjQZ2Y8

Here is the inside of the lower right support before I welded in the patch panel for it.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/UA3oKduMHqVMzprS6


The kids are setting personal goals in school and I feel that the metal work being done on this truck by June is doable. I have to make time for family, work, and then truck stuff. I’d better get a move on as baby #2 is due April 23!

Cab hours: 77.5

Fenders/frame, etc: 27.5

Total: 105

🦊

Congratulations on the upcoming new arrival. April 23rd is an excellent date. There are two bolters that share that date. Sweet and myself
All the Best to the three of ya!
Jim

Thanks, Jim!

Tonight I built the brace that tucks up under the inner fender and is basically a repad for where the hood hinges bolt through. Isn’t factory looking, but will work well enough after blasting, epoxy, rubber coating, etc.. I have to build a couple more and then plug weld them in place. I had to repair the metal skin on top of them but I forgot to take pictures. I repaired those a few days ago. One side looks really good. The other is ok and will need a little more finishing work to pass quality control ( my wife’s keen eye).

https://photos.app.goo.gl/f6dNnPT6jjGBuiDQ6

Cab 77.5
Frame/ fenders: 28
Total: 105.5

🦊

Tonight I finished up the front left inner fender. I tacked the new patch piece in the other night since I tore out the old one to rebuild it as it was kind of ugly. Tonight I mocked it in place on the cab and rad support and it seemed to fit well. I then welded it out, ground it out, rechecked fit, clamped in brace support, rechecked fit, and then plug welded the brace in place. It’s nice when you can check a large item off the list!
Front left inner...Done!

I then trimmed and test fitted the patch panel I beat into submission for the front right. It is substantially larger and was harder to build because of the curves in it. I really need to get a small English wheel for stuff like this. However it seems to fit well. Next day I get in the shop I will tack it and check its fit before welding it out and planishing it. Slowly getting Some sheet metal work done here, Bolters.

Cab: 77.5
Frame/fenders: 31.5
Total: 109

🦊

I lightly bolted the front left inner fender in place and everything seems ok. I still need to hang the outer fender and make sure door gaps, etc are still good.

I tacked in the front right inner patch panel I built in place and it lined up really well. I did a little hammer and dolly work to keep it flush as I tacked. I stopped for the night. Next step is to hang the inner to check fit, hang outer, check, weld it out and grind it down. Then I need to build the stiffening brace on the inside of the inner fender.

Tonight went very well!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/9gyGBUHnu2XbTKww8

Cab: 77.5
Frame/fenders: 32.5
Total: 110

🦊

I hung the right inner fender tonight and made sure the outer would bolt on without incident. It seemed to fit ok, so now I have to build that brace and weld it out. I really didn’t feel like doing all that welding tonight and you all know how sometimes you can go cross eyed staring at the same area all the time.

I changed it up and focused on the left door. I shaped a patch piece for the lower back outer corner. I had to pie cut and accordion the piece to get the bend and the “rolled lips” along the bottom and side. So far, it looks pretty good.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/BGQ8D9dzXGVfRWLM6

Cab: 78.5
Fenders/frame/other: 32.5
Total: 111

🦊

Well, that nice little corner patch I built is now redundant. I began cleaning the lower door bottom with my wire wheel a little bit and I have pinholes everywhere along the bottom of the door. They showed up as I worked the wire wheel. I examined things more closely and see I have lots of issues with moisture and rust inside the door.

I formulated a game plan. Cut out the rust. Simple isn’t it? Well, the bottom of my door is now gone. The lower lip, the “belly of the door that nearly touches the rocker, the curved area near the lower hinge bolt holes have been sliced out. I feel this will be my most challenging sheet metal task to date. My wife gasped when she saw how the door looked tonight.
“Why did you do that?!” she questioned.

“Because it’s no good.”

“Is there another way?” she asked.

“Oh, there are others but none of those are the proper way...”

So needless to say I’ve bit a lot to chew. The door fit great before tonight, hopefully all is well when I’m done fixing this mess.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/KzxDwzFvAGHzSF3b8

I only have a few preliminary pictures that show how I masked it off to cut and the extent of the rust pinholes. They are on the outer skin, the belly, the front lower curve. More cancer pictures to come. The door looked good before I started but it is truly in need of surgery. Grandpa’s truck has to be done right.
So much for just one patch and sealing up the inside. Yeesh. Hours to go...

I also cut out the right door window bump stop bracket. It was crooked as sin. The factory welded it in place very poorly. Two spots welds held it and they barely had any meat holding it in place. I literally twisted it out of there. I blasted it clean, prepped it and then shot it in gloss black.


Cab: 78.5
Fenders/frame: 32.5
Doors: 4 hours

Total: 115

🦊😬😬

Ugh....rust.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/4Gj9CNb8gGMhkdxC8

Cab:78.5
Fenders/frame: 32.5
Doors: 6
Total: 117
😣🦊

Today I tore the right inner fender off that I had hung in place to mock up the right outer fender. I had a large patch piece tacked in place. I welded it out and did a little hammer/dolly work. It’s not perfect but is up underneath the fender and it will be covered with box liner. I still need to spot weld in the little “stiffening” brace under the core support on the fender. After planishing,I built that little brace and prepped the underside with primer and left it for the day. Slow but good progress on the inner fender today. Next round I believe I can call both inners done.
Photos to follow.


Cab:78.5
Fenders/frame: 34.5
Doors: 6
Total: 119

🦊😎