The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Blue Funk hit by a Semi

I was turning left off of a two lane when a Semi hit the Blue Funk totalling it out. Neither Belinda or I was injured. The ins. co. compensated me well for the cost of the Blue Funk and allowed me to keep it. Two reliable resources assure me the Blue Funk is repairable. So here I go:

The Blue Funk was returned to me toady and I set upon working on it as if I thought I knew what I was doing. When the Semi struck, the firewall to fender support was pushed into the carb, which broke at the base, on one side. The manifold stud closest to the engine is bent toward the engine. There's a hard plastic piece between the base of the carb that is also cracked.

This is going to be the first of many situations I'm gonna have to be dealing with. I thought I'd throw this one out first for ya all to reply to and share your perspectives and knowledge.

Thanks.

First off, certainly glad you and the missess are ok. After a hard impact I would think you might consider having the frame checked for damage and alignment. No sense repairing a body on a bad frame.

The spacer below the carb is available from most of the parts vendors listed on the links page. You might want to remove the manifold from the you truck and make sure its not cracked or broken. If you have enough of the stud sticking out you might be able to grip it with a vice grip plier. Make sure you spray it with penetrating oil, if it doesn't want to come loose heat it up with a torch. Also check the linkage to the carb and make sure its not bent up.

Glad you and the wife are OK. The truck can always be fixed or replaced--not so with people.

Sorry to hear that. Glad you guys were not hurt although I'm sure it hurt your feelings quite a bit.

So sorry to hear about that Dave and glad you and your wife are ok. Good luck on getting the funk back on the road.

Dave,
Good to hear you and the wife are okay.
Drew's right, first thing to check is the frame. If the ins. co. totaled it there is a good chance it's bent. You need to find out how much, where and if it can be straighted. If it is, maybe it's time for a frame-off restoration?

John

Good to here your ok. They old truck kept you safe. As for the truck. Well. Im still speechless.

Glad you and your lady are OK! Get a good frame shop to do a basic check before starting any repairs other than removing damaged sheet metal. There can be several types of frame damage, and some of them aren't obvious to an eyeball inspection.
Jerry

Glad you are Ok, that old iron is strong.
I think I would take the $$$ and buy the closest thing to oldBlue funk I could find and rob all the good parts off her and sell the rest.

I'm kinda new and just took a look at the Blue Funk. What a loss. I'd cry if it was my '54 and I aint ashamed to say it and mean it.
Glad you're both okay though.
Good luck.

Sorry to hear what happened. do you have any after photos. also glad your ins. co. came through, that is what i worry about most.

Davey,like the guys say,we're all glad you and your better half are OK,and the Insurance Co. came good.

Can't say much more than has already been said,but I would definitely be checking out the chassis first before making any more decisions on ole Blues future.

Thanks for all the empathy, info, and direction! Where else would I get so much understanding than from the guys at the Stovebolt Page?

You know, even though I'm not much of an auto-mechanic, I found that what I missed most about the Blue Funk while it sat waiting at the autobody shop, was the tinkering around on it. I've spent more time tinkering on it than I did driving it.


My first concern is the bent frame thing a couple of you touched on... How is that done? I'm figuring there's a pretty good chance the frame was bent, as Jerry said, that's not apparent to the naked eye. Now that the Blue Funk is back home, what's a good course to take? Remove what needs to be removed, which is the cab, fenders, running boards, etc. and tow it to the bodyshop?

Thanks again.

Nice to have the time to get odd jobs done, except for the circumstances around that. Although it's not necessary to remove the body,if you do, it will be very easy for a body shop to put it on a frame aligner. Given the year, you may need to provide some frame measurements from a shop manual to help them.
Short of a shop doing the work you could get out the tape measure and check references yourself, BUT I highly reccomend the use of a body shop precisely for the reasons Jerry stated.

Sure glad no one was hurt. BlueFunk was a beautiful truck. Maybe use the cash to buy one of the same year that needs a little work and transfer the good parts off BlueFunk to the new one. That way it still lives on and will probably cost less in the end.

Once again, thanks for all the input. You guys almost make it worthwhile to have gotten into an MVA!

I'll be putting future questions in the appropriate forum as they come up.

See ya around!

Just for poops and giggles, I'd like to keep you all up on the progress I've made with the Blue Funk:

Upon the Blue Funk's return and an initial jolt of adrenalin, I removed the damaged door and running board. The carb, with its broken base, accelerator rod and throttle cable were also removed.

Then, I started to see the Blue Funk as an elephant I was trying to eat. The whole thing seemed overwhelming and I found excuses not to work on it. After about three weeks, my little voice told me that, yes this is an elephant you really want to eat, so do it- a bite at a time. So, as part of my daily chores after gettting home from work, I'd listen to a Hank Williams CD and take at least one bite of the elephant.

I have removed the glovebox, radio grill, and electric windshield wiper with its attachments, along with all the guages, oil line, temp line, and wiring. I was able to keep the light, inignition, heater control, and stoplight switches all attached to the wiring assembly. I've removed the seat, parking brake, clutch, and brake pedals, and the defroster control, hoses and vents. The heater is out, along with things like the the gearshift lever, mirrors, sunvisor, etc.

Today I got the damaged left front fender off along with the wheel well. I was able to remove the fender, separating it from the grill and radiator bracket. Most of the bolts had to be chiseled or sawed off due to age and fender damage.

The oil line connector, which runs from the block to the canister is broken with a portion of the connector in the block. Did I mention that the frame is definately bent? It's buckled just a bit at the point of impact, which was around the the area of the door hinges. I've been communicating some with Hotrod Lincoln about the ins and outs of frame straightening.

I still need to detach the fender from the other side and remove the steering wheel and gas tank before I can get into the meat of the matter and remove the cab. I've been doing a little researching of past posts for steering wheel, gas tank, and cab removal.

Well, I think that's just about it. Now that I'm into working on the Blue Funk again, it's no longer percieved as a chore. I now have to get my chores done in order to spend some quality time working on it.

Any advice or other input you Guys can give me will be appreciated.

Thanks.

I did similar repair as yours, but definitely not to correct as severe damage as you have. As you progress I would constantly and I mean "constantly" scour "for sale" or "free parts" in the Stovebolt forums or Craigslist. Even EBay as long as it's resonably priced. Doing this I was able to find a frame for less than the cost of straightening mine and inner fenders for next to nothing. Also, as the job progresses, post what you need. I bet a Stovebolter will help you out. And for me at my AARP age, little steps was the way to go so I didn't feel overwhelmed. Still at it too!

Thanks, Drew. This I will do.

Dave! Let's get together and get her back on the road! Bessie is now running like (or better than) new. PM me when you're wrenching and I'll come help you turn a few.

Your offer is graciously noted, Eric, and I will PM you. It's great that you have the Bessie on the road! Now, you realize that I stay on a midnight schedule and do the majority of my work between 2 and 10 am, right?

Here's an update on my progress:

I got the accelerator pedal and bent linkage out. I've taken the right undamaged door off. The right striker plate must have been recently replaced as it had a GM label on it in good condition. I stripped two of the four clutch head screws getting the left striker plate off. So, I drilled off the heads and removed the shanks with some soaking and vice grips.

The damaged door shell is badly bent and not salvageable. I was able to remove the badly cracked window to be used for recycling glass. The ventilator setup is bent some and the galss has a crack in it, but I believe it's salvageable. I removed everything else from the door- the handles, remote assemblies, and such, and hung the shell, with its Blue Funk logo, on the wall of my garage. A piece of art. And the other great thing was that I sawed metal and worked with broken glass and sustained no injuries!

I've noticed that the generator bracket is bent and one of the two radiator-to-frame mounting bolts is busted.

I noted earlier that a piece of the block-to-oil line connector is broken off within the block. What's the best wat to remove that broken piece from the block?

Thanks. I will be back.

Here's an update:

The cab and all the sheet metal has been removed and the Blue Funk's frame now sits in my basement garage/shop. I put the steering assembly back on. I replaced the broken leaf spring by having the old one rebuilt. A bent cab support was straightened. A running board support broken away from the frame was repaired. And lots of other little things.

I plan to tow the frame to a body shop for straightening this week.

This is the first I have heard of your accident, Davey...

Sounds like you have a lot of work to do but I'm sure glad you and your wife are alright... in the grand scheme of things that's all that really matters here!

I hope your restoration and repairs go well for you and that you both stay well...

Thanks, Trev.

I'm having a real good time, learning as I go.

Glad you and the missus are ok, Dave.
Hopefully the cost to put the Blue Funk on the road doesn't exceed the damages awarded.
With the hit you took, I can't imagine today's vehicle structure holding up as well as that old ironside!
Looks like you're on your way to getting her back on the road.
Good luck, buddy!
Jerry

Davey,

Looks like you're on you're on your way. If you need an extra set of hands for anything give me a hollar.

Darren.

If the broken-off fitting you're dealing with is a brass T fitting, I'd suggest drilling it out close to the diameter of the thread, and using a straight-shank EZ-Out tool to remove the remaining piece. Drive it in until it gets a good bite on the remaining piece of material, and back it out with a Crescent wrench. DON'T use the reverse-helix type of bolt extractor, they just wedge the remains of the fitting tight into the hole.

http://static.zoovy.com/img/usfreight/W100-H100-Bffffff/catsquareeasyout.jpg

I hope that picture link works!
Jerry

Glad no one was hurt. Rebuilding takes time and a lot of love. Good luck.

Dave, are you documenting any of this w/a camera?

Thanks for the respones, interest, well wishes, offers of assistance, and info, Guys.

I had forgotten that I asked about removing the broken off block-to-oil line connector. I removed it shortly after asking my question with a gentle removal by means of an Easy Out.

There are several small jobs that I've done which I haven't mentioned, not wanting to bore you Master Mechanics with my small feats. For example, I removed the shank of a bolt that had long ago broken off on a fender-to-grill connection by drilling a hole in the shank with a small bit. I gradually increased the drill bit diameter until I could thread in a tap and clear the threads. It's now perfectly clean and I have trouble not patting myself on the back for a job well done.

While the Blue Funk's frame sits waiting to be towed to the body shop for straightening, I've found a myriad of situations requiring attention: I've straightened a bent cab support, cut through welds attaching remanants of running boards to their supports, removed badly rusted running board-to-support attaching bolts, reattached a running board support that had been broken off at the rivets, and got a rebuilt leaf spring attached to the frame and axle. The leaf spring doesn't match up perfectly, but I'm hoping the frame strightening process will rectify this situation.

While I wait for the necessary parts to reassemble the Blue Funk, I plan to replace the leaking oil seals on the rear axle. It's an area in which I've had little or no experience.

I'm reconsidering an AD truck that the owner is willing to sell in the next town over. If I add up the costs of buying a cab, door, front fender, and left windshield, his selling price of his truck is extremely close to the total costs of the individual items. There's the added benefit of not having to go through all the work and costs of getting the parts to me. And, I would have LOTS of left over parts that could produce a relatively good return. The only down side I can come up with is the fact that I would hve to go through the tasks of removing the needed parts. But having had the experience of removing the parts from the Blue Funk, the task is somewhat inviting.

This is all one heck of a good experience and I am especially appreciative of the Stovebolt site and you Guys.

I plan to keep you all up on my progress.

Thanks again and the best to you all.

I am documenting some with pics, Eric. I tend to do a LOT of drawings and notes in a journal I keep in my garage/shop.

Thanks for the question, Eric. You've reminded me that I need to update my photobucket account. I could start by posting some pics of the accident scene, eh?

Dave,
I like the dedication you have to see this through, I'm envious of the time you have to achieve all these feats, applaud you for all the jobs well done and thank you for keeping us posted.
So like... when you get finished, how would you like to work on mine?
Lord knows, I have plenty of broke-off bolts to extract still...
Jerry

Good deal! I always forget to take photos and regret it later on down the road. I have fond memories of several but only photos from the day they sold.

Thank you, Jerry and Eric, for your intersest in My Endeavor.

I had the frame straightened and it looks good. The frame straightening was all I requested but the Body Shop ended up repairing two bent running bord supports. The total price came back at $300 which was $50 less than the ballpark figure they shot me. I am pretty much pleased all around.

I've begun removing the front leaf srings to clean, paint, and replace the bushings. The repaired leaf spring now correctly sits atop the axle as I hoped it would.

I've also begun a chipping and wire brushing other portions of the frame. This is not going to be a true frame off restoration, but more of a rebuilding process. I'm reading past forums on different Members perspectives on ways and methods of the frame preservation process.

One thing that amazes me about this 60 year old truck frame is its condition. Generally, there is only surface rust with very little pitting. If I do nothing aside from reassembling, this frame will far outlive me.

I drove a 1985 Toyota Truck for nearly 20 years when the frame rusted in two just behind the cab. They truly don't make them like they use to.

Well, that's just about it for now. Any comments ideas, or advice you may have is welcomed.

Did you get to watch any of the frame-straightening procedure? It's interesting to see a good frame tech go about his business- - - -reversing the impact stress that caused the damage in the first place. There's a lot of geometry involved in a correct straightening process, sheet metal or frame work. Making a wrong pull just compounds the original damage.
Jerry

I let HRL Jerry know in a PM that I did not get a chance to watch any of the frame straightening process, so it's still all a mystical magical maneuver to me.

I thought I'd give an update on the Blue Funk's progress:

I've gone over the majority of the frame at least once wire brushing with drill and hand-held grinder attachments.

I've KBS treated the left front and rear cab supports, the right front leaf spring, the battery box, the common bracket for the clutch and brake arms, the front and middle running bord supports, the right rear cab support, the oil-bath air cleaner, and the road draft body for the reto-fitted PCV system.

I can now appreciate the Guys who have really gotten into a restoration- This rebuilding process was going to be just that: a repair and rebuilding of the Blue Funk. But now the process is becoming more like a frame-off restoration and I am immensely enjoying it!

Congradulations on discovering a great "hobby".

Sorry your hand was forced regarding the resto Davey,but at least you seem to be enjoying it.
The bonus is,at least you've got the help of very nearly 30,000 like minded folks!
Good luck on your continued progress.

Thanks for the Well Wishes, Guys!

You both said someting about Fate playing a part in this "new hobby". It is true that my "hand was forced" but purchasing the Blue Funk, discovering this wonderful website, and even getting it totaled has opened up a new world for me.

Bebuilding and/or restoring the Blue Funk is a slow, interesting, and thought-provoking process.

And because of the profit gained from the accident and subsequent insurance payoff, I've been able to easily afford new tools and power equipment and "stuff". All of this has made working on other things, for example my riding lawnmower, much easier.

I've spent less than $500 so far that went directly toward the Blue Funk for leaf spring repair, frame straightening, KBS paint package, and odds and ends from Classic Parts. And I'm still about $1800 in the black!

It feels good not to have to dip into my savings or use paycheck to fund my hobby.

I plan on finishing KBS treating (and painting) the frame, replace a couple of bands on two leaf springs, replace the rear axle oil seals, and then get a cab to work on.

I'll keep you posted.

Thanks.