My 50 Pilot House, the work begins!

[Don Boger]

Ok, I am finally going to get around to doing some work on the 50. I figured since my doors are bare shells I would start on them. This weekend I will be sand blasting them and doing little repairs on them in prep for primer. I have a couple of questions on the doors.

Is this supposed to be spot welded?

and how do you get these little guys out??

Instead of cluttering up the forum with a bunch of different topics, I will ask any and all questions and post updates here. With that said, are these holes supposed to be in the front fenders? If so, what are the for?

Thanks

Don

Edited July 2, 2012 by Don Boger

[Dave72dt]

No, they're not spotted. At the very top you can see a what looks like a staple. It's holding a piece of welting.

It's got a small groove around the rubber that fits in a slot, backside is bigger than the slot. like the ridge on a tire stem that keeps it falling back in. It'll pry out, often hard and brittle, don't know if anyone has them.

A hole, smaller than what you have, for a bolt to the inner lower fender mount.

[Don Boger]

Thanks. Well, the direction I wanted to go with the truck was a resto rod type deal. Stock body with an upgraded power train. The only problem with that was my uncle hacked out the seat support from the cab. Couple that with the firewall being cut I had a decision to make, replace the cab!

I met up with Tim this morning (heck of a great guy) and struck a deal for this gem of a cab.

For two reasons this

and this

Not to mention all the little parts he had laying around that I was missing. Can't wait to get the cab here and get her blasted, it will give me something to do while we work on the frame.

Thanks Again Tim for all the help!

[ggdad1951]

good for you! that cab looks solid!

[Don Boger]

Started the tear down today, cab is pretty much stripped, front end removed, everything else is soaking overnight in wd-40 so I can pull the bed off in prep for moving her over to Tim's place for some work. I even managed to get my dad out to give me a hand.

While Cleaning out the cab, buried under a bunch of dust and junk, my dad found the one piece door windows, windshields, and rear window (one door window, windshield, and rear window are broken, but useable as patterns).

My dad is pretty much there just to "hold" the front end up, I'm doing all the lifting.

Nice coating of WD-40 on whats left of the bed bolts

How she sits until tomorrow

Soon that old girl will shine again

I am beat, but it was a fun day.

[Jim Shepard]

I just want to say I'm not surprised Tim came to your rescue. He's a friend of mine, he's a great guy, and he'd give you the shirt off his back (though i'd be too big...). Hope to see you at the BBQ next year...

[Don Boger]

Im glad Tim came to the rescue, I was seriously thinking of putting the truck up for sale or worst yet, scrapping it. I'll be at the BBQ for sure next year. And since time is only 15 +/- miles from me, the truck will be there too, even if I have to trailer it. I even volunteered myself to help him turn wrenches anytime he needs it since we are so close together. And every time I head up there I will see this old cab sitting on the frame the donor came from LOL

[48Dodger]

.....and he'd give you the shirt off his back (though i'd be too big...).

LOL....I'm happy to say Im down to a 5XL.

...I even volunteered myself to help him turn wrenches anytime he needs it since we are so close together..

That's right! He's on the list of available wrenches..

48D

[Don Boger]

Here is a little unknown fact, I joined this forum looking for Tim. You see a guy I used to work with told me about Tim's Bonneville truck knowing I needed parts for mine, he gave me Tim's card, but I lost it. One night searching the interwebs for parts I found this place and told myself it couldn't hurt to join and see if he pops up. Turns out it was a win win for me LOL

[48Dodger]

Ok.....cab is oiled and hopfully being pulled off tomorrow.....Murphy's law sez the last bolt will be the spoiler.....gonna start with that one! Checkmate Murph, you just got lawyered!! lol:D

48D

[Don Boger]

sweet, went to sandblast my doors today and well, couldnt find the stuff any where in my garage, I really need to get the bondo out of the lock cylinder hole.

[Don Boger]

did a little sand blasting today on the passenger door, I had to stop because my compressor cannot keep up with me, found some things I dont like and a blessing in disguise.

found this under the bondo, just need to remove it now to pound the door back out.

and what I thought was just a little rust through

turned out to be this

now I know why my dad calls my uncle the bondo king I am afraid to even blast the front sheet metal now because I know it is full of bondo

[Dave72dt]

The door bottom is repairable and would be considered a "good" door where I'm at. Might as well blast the front sheet metal. Then you can address the problems that bondo covers up correctly and won't have to wonder what's under it. If it's beyond repair, (most isn't)you'll know you need to source replacements.

[HanksB3B]

This is where you want to use fiberglass cloth and resin. It'll be strong and no one except you will ever know.

Hank

[48Dodger]

I'll know......

48D:D

[HanksB3B]

Quiet or I'll post the Wheaties box again..

[B1B Keven]

Quiet or I'll post the Wheaties box again..

Damn it!

[ggdad1951]

Don, Dave saved my doors and I think they looked similar to yours after cleaning all the rust out....

[Dave72dt]

All steel. Breaking the repair area down into manageble sections helps. this one was done with 3 pieces.

[Don Boger]

This is where you want to use fiberglass cloth and resin. It'll be strong and no one except you will ever know.

Hank

I would rather fix it with metal, fiberglass is for corvettes

[Don Boger]

Well tomorrow is the big day. Tim is going to meet me at my house after he gets off work. We are gonna load the 50 up on his trailer and take her out to his place to swap the cabs! It may not seem like a big deal, but in reality it is.

[Don Boger]

Had a minor set back on Thursday, so we rescheduled for tomorrow. Took the time to finish taking her down to nothing. It has been about 15 years since it was taken down this far.

[48Dodger]

The cab is in position in front of my house waiting for me to make the swap.

The Plan:

Go to Stockton and pick up the truck and Donnie.

Tow it to my house.

Pull his cab of with my forklift.

Put the "new" one on his frame

tow it back to Stockton.

Ta Da!

Here are a few pics, and one with the special "cab picker" I made just for this task...works awesome.

48D

[Don Boger]

While my dad and I were sitting there shooting the breeze after we moved the truck he looked and the frame and said its bent....Sure as hell the frame rail on the driver side is wavy, not sure if it happened when my uncle took the torch to it or not, I do know the truck was in an accident years ago, but on the passenger side. So the plot thickens.....

[48Dodger]

Got a frame too....

Isn't this like the old saying....10 handles and 4 heads later,its still grandpa's axe? lol

48D

I like this picture "waiting on a second chance"....