Stovebolt.com Forums The Parking Lot General Truck Talk What did you get done on your bolt today????

Got the hydroboost assembly installed in my '55. Assembly did not fit well, many hours of rattail file work, but it is done, will get the MC soon.

Ed

Doors refinished, that was a very long process. Now lets see how long I can drag out putting them back together. Time to get out the shop manual.....

I replaced the "ratrod" style Maltese cross taillight on the '52 with one of the correct reproduction taillights I have been hoarding. I intended to wait until we did the paint and body work, but couldn't stand it any longer. I also did some more trimming and test fitting of floor panels. Hopefully, we will have them installed, along with kick panel patches, over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.
My biggest hamper, other than money, to this whole process is keeping my butt out of the driver's seat. I started to take the '46 to town today to pick up some panel bond, but the battery was dead. A reasonable man would've taken the daughter 's "modern" Jimmy. I'm not reasonable. I threw the temporary, quarter inch steel "floor pans" that the old farmer had been using in the '52 for the past 30 years back in, and away to town we went. Too much fun driving the antiques and life is too short to drive normal rides.

Got the lower rear shock mounts fabbed. Had the spring shop bend the steel for me and when I got the shocks today I welded the shock mount studs on them. (Don't look too close at the welds - they'll hold but aren't that pretty. ) The original shock mount studs were in terrible shape.

I installed new headlight reflectors and halogen bulbs that I bought from Jim Carter's. Nice and bright even in daylight.

Installed a sway bar on my '59 (235/3 on tree, all stock) today & I was blown away with it's new road manners. I like it stock, but it really was leaning in corners . You know...... turn the wheel & hang on at same time kinda thing.

I feel its safer & makes it more enjoyable to drive. I've only had it 14 months, got it from my neighbor. Last ran in 1986, took me 100 days to get it running right & all legal.

The sway bar was $125 ish from cpp (on ebay). I gotta say I was shocked by the excellent quality. Powder coated, zinc plated hardware & grade 5 bolts.

Pulled a hood hinge out of a 2-day soak in Evaporust. Cleaned up pretty well (except my container didn't have enough in it to completely submerge the hinge plate. You can see how rusty they were from the remaining rust on the corner. That was pretty much all over the hinge plate. There is a little of the original zinc plating on the back side that the Evaporust doesn't mess with.
Once completely derusted, these will get zinc plated as a finishing touch.

Thanks Fester! I’ve been considering a sway bar on my ‘57 3200 but couldn’t decide front or rear first. I’ll go with your pleasing results and put the front one on my Christmas list.

Got the passenger side floor pan installed in the '52.Not as neat as I wanted, but then I realized it definitely was not as bad as the old farmer's repair job that I cut out. I also have had to remind myself that perfect is the enemy of good, and I am NOT trying for a high scoring show truck- rather, I am trying to preserve and enjoy an antique, which will never leave my possession while I am alive. Therefore, all I need is to make me happy, and all that will take is no more rust and solid metal. I'll use the grinders, ect. to dress it up and some bed liner will be sprayed on it before it will get padding and a new rubber floor mat. Hopefully this next couple of days will see the driver's floor pan replaced as well. Gonna be real strange to actually drive the '52 without seeing the road beneath my feet, and worrying about dropping my phone, ect to an untimely death. It'll also keep me from an unwanted shower anytime I hit a mud puddle. LOL

Today I installed the Rear Cab Mounting Shackles on my 1953 3600.
Only tricky part is that the cab has to be raised above the frame so that the mount holes line up with frame. I used 2x6’s on a floor Jack to raise rear of cab cab.
Not a bad job - good Pilates crawling under truck of course...
Below is a stock pic of what these look like.