Another Aussie Pilothouse

[Shifty Trick]

Hello everyone ,

been reading the threads for a couple of months now .

I have a question ,but thought I would introduce myself first.

I bought a 61 Standard Ute ,for my two oldest boys to learn the basics of Mechanics/bodywork and painting . This is their first vehicle .

We have the body almost ready to come off for sandblasting .I have struck a problem with the steering column .I've disconnected it from the dash, disconnected the gear shift from the linkages and undone the collar clamp.I can only move it up and down the shaft by less than 1/4 inch.The steering wheel is still on.

Have I forgotten anything ? I can't find a diagram of the column in the Aussie pilothouse manual that I downloaded .Is there a locking bolt in the steering box I've missed ?

Xris

Here's a couple of pics.

[Merle Coggins]

I can only assume that the steering mechanism is still similar to what was used in the American Pilot-House trucks. And if that is the case, the column does not come loose from the gear box. You'll have to remove it as a whole unit. The shaft that goes up to the steering wheel is integral with the worm gear inside the gear box.

Merle

By the way... nice truck. I love those Aussie Utes.

[Shifty Trick]

Thanks Merle , I wasn't expecting that. I had done a search on this site and found a few relevant threads ,but couldn't understand why the steering wheel had to come off.

The oldest boy and I managed to get the Steering wheel ,column

and the link from the st/box off tonight .

From my understanding ,it's basically a 53 with some upgrades and an Australian body.

Xris

[Tony WestOZ]

Hi Xris, great you found this site.

Seeing the pics of your truck remminded me that I have rudly forgot to answer your last email.

Great to see things are progressing on your truck. From the pics you sent me it appears you truck is in pretty good condition without a lot of the rust that usually appears in these trucks.

Generally the steering wheel is easy to get off the column in your model as it has a splind shaft. You just remove the nut from under the horn button.

Be carefull when you remove the instument housing (the black plastic bit) on your truck. They were only made for two years and are impossible to find. Most are either dried and split or turn into a gooy black mass.

[Shifty Trick]

without a lot of the rust that usually appears in these trucks.

Be carefull when you remove the instument housing (the black plastic bit) on your truck. They were only made for two years and are impossible to find. Most are either dried and split or turn into a gooy black mass.

Update on this truck ,

as usual when jacked up ,with a good floor to crawl on , you often find it's worse than you intially thought . So it is in this case , hence the body off.

It was a choice between passing on it and reselling the vehicle , parting it out ,or a body off rebuild .As it is only effort,time and labour ,and no real extra finacial outlay ,we decided to go ahead with it .

Well ,the body is sitting on four drums ,waiting while I finish the rotisserie ,ready for the sandblaster . The oldest boy has been practising his welding and welded some braces across the rear ute body for strength .

We have come to the time to decide whether to restore or customise , I don't mind eitherway , but bearing in mind that I can customise it cheaper and it's for the boys ,I'm more inclined to go that way .

One of the deciding factors , is the fact that the instrument housing is damaged. Tony , as it's soooo thin and brittle ,does anyone in Aus. repair them?

If it can't be restored or replaced ,there would be no point in restoring the rest .

Xris

[Shifty Trick]

I forgot to mention ,I seem to have aquired the Pilothouse bug ,I'm determened to find one for myself .

Here's a couple of pics I couldn't remember how to post before .

Xris

[anthonyb]

How good are you at working with fiberglass? What you have is easily repairable with a patching kit (if they sell those down under).

Since you are not concerned with totally original looks, a thin overlay of fiberglass will repair the cracks and allow you to get a smooth surface. Should be able to sand it smooth or use a skim coat of filler before painting and you'll be the only one to know the difference.

Just make sure you address the rust under the cover or you'll probably end up doing it again in another 30 or 40 years.

[Shifty Trick]

How good are you at working with fiberglass?

Well Anthony , it never ocurred to me to use fiberglass and fix it myself ,

( must have mental block in this thick skull off mine ). Especially as I have an " old timer " mate who lives up road from me , who sometimes repairs fiberglass boats for people . I can see a crash course in my future .

I pulled the cover off the shelf and had a look at it , definitly possible ,and I should be able to keep it looking original .

Thanks for the suggestion Anthony ,everything else was subject to the dash ,this frees us up to follow the restoration path .

Xris