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512 cid C series on Dakota chassis- build thread


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4 minutes ago, bkahler said:

As expected it's looking really good :)

 

I''m assuming you're not going to paint the truck right now, what are your plans for the bare metal you've been welding in place?

 

 

 

 

The interiors of the patches that won’t see daylight again got weld thru zinc primer. The exterior got satin black krylon just to keep rust away. When/if I get around to bodywork it will be easy to take back to metal. I do have some 2k epoxy primer but it’s just too much of a production to mix and clean up after. It’s probably the greatest disadvantage of working outside- I’d much rather be able to strip the whole thing to bare steel and do the bodywork then prime all at once. 
 

I did just put a down payment on a medium size (8x12) amish built shed so hopefully I will be able to make enough room to do bodywork inside this spring. I will probably be having too much fun driving it to sign up for extended down time though. Hopefully.

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Yep. There are lots of rough spots but she’s real solid where it counts and nothing is getting worse in a hurry. 
 

I am planning to keep tackling them slowly one at a time as long as it seems fun. This round was satisfying but I bit off quite a mouthful trying to just throw in a new windshield that doesn’t leak, and I am still not done yet!

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I tuned up the glass flange and hit the whole thing with a lick of paint to get ready for tomorrow. It was also my last chance to fix up the rear view mirror- I tried to pull it before and the screws are seized so I left well enough alone but I’ll never have this kinda access with glass installed and it certainly shows from the front of the truck. It always looked dingy- the cast stem was a mix of oxidized gray and the glass frame was a brownish rust finish probably tempered by thirty years of nicotine. 
 

I had no idea the stem is chrome! It has a few pits and dings but it came up pretty nice and bright. The frame back was easy to clean with a wire brush on a drill and I painted it satin black. If I could remove it it could be wet sanded polished and clearcoated for a more original look but at least it will look clean now. I found a maker’s stamp- “Guide” the famous oldschool light manufacturer! Pretty cool. 
 

It’s supposed to be 60° by 10:00 am tomorrow so it will be my best chance for a while to work with the rubber gasket. 85° would be better but I’m sure typical just over freezing winter temps would make the job frustrating and greatly increase the odds of breaking the glass and ripping the gasket. 
 

Anyway I’m as ready as I’m gonna be for tomorrow!

22F7E240-6A82-43C9-879E-2A34E3A8B8FA.jpeg

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34 minutes ago, RNR1957NYer said:

Sweet - but, but do I see a crack forming in the upper passenger side corner??

 

Whew - just something showing beyond....

 

It's after noon - celebrate responsibly!

 

I saw that and looked a bit beyond, it seems that crack is on the drivers side glass...but then, I could be mistaken with that observation

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Working on sealing up the cab again. I got the cowl vent re-gasketed and hit the windshield and cowl with a hose. The cowl is sealed now but the passenger wiper pivot leaked like a sieve. I pulled it off and buttered it up with rtv. My new batch of weather strip should show up in the mail today so I can seal up the doors again.

6C194745-0DEF-470B-B186-48FB94D43603.jpeg

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Ok I got some thicker weatherstrip over the doors and after more hosing the doors are not terrible, the wiper pivots are holding water, and there is still a trickle down the left dash corner out of the a-pillar. 
 

I guess I have to pull the lockstrip and throw some more glazing and bedding compound in the gasket. ? 

 

Sad but not the end of the world. I only put a small bead in the gasket when we installed it- I guess it wasn’t enough on the driver’s side. Getting the glass into the rubber and holding the rubber on the pinch weld was a bear but the lockstrip install was like butter and I have plenty more soapy water. 

 

 

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Man I am a big fan of this style of gasket now. I went back out and pulled half the lockstrip out, then laid a nice bead of glazing and bedding compound under the pinch weld flange lip. Without the lockstrip it folded up easily and it was easy to fill any gap between the gasket and the steel.
 

I don’t run power tools after dark but some nights I can’t help myself and go back out after my kid’s in bed to tinker with a flashlight in the driveway. 
 

The lockstrip went back in super easily with the special tool except I must have pulled on it a little more than last time because now my tail is too long to tuck in. I’m going to wait till morning to trim or reset and trim it before driving to work. A little extra compound squeezed out all along the edge and most of it squeegeed off on a rubber gloved finger. The rest cleaned up nicely with a little gas spilled on a blue paper towel. 
 

The stuff sets in a minute or two and doesn’t ever really cure hard so I didn’t wait long.  I played the garden hose all over the windshield roof and cowl and it looks like I got her all sealed up now. No familiar drip down the corner of the dash. I’m feeling pretty good about it!

 

Now on to figuring out the gutters, restoring the heater, and a bunch of work on the driver’s door. I ordered a new window crank from dcm because I’m going to have to destroy this one which is cocked and has the pin stuck hard in it. Can’t fix the window until I can pull the door card and can’t do that with the crank installed. The driver’s door needs a ton of work but since nobody else uses it I have been procrastinating.

Edited by Radarsonwheels
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15 hours ago, Radarsonwheels said:

Working on sealing up the cab again. I got the cowl vent re-gasketed and hit the windshield and cowl with a hose. The cowl is sealed now but the passenger wiper pivot leaked like a sieve. I pulled it off and buttered it up with rtv. My new batch of weather strip should show up in the mail today so I can seal up the doors again.

6C194745-0DEF-470B-B186-48FB94D43603.jpeg

 

there should be a rubber gasket under the wiper pivot.  

 

I'd be careful of RTV, it can literally CAUSE rust to form depending on brand and type

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Phew! I looked up the data sheet on permatex ultra black- it’s non corrosive. I did find info about how some rtv compounds release acetic acid as a byproduct of the curing process. I’m sure that has something to do with the way my A-pillar skins were completely slotted through in the corners. I found plenty of hardware store clear bathroom silicone in there when I cleaned them out, especially after shaving the gutters.

 

I’m tossing around ideas for the gutters now- maybe 1/4” round stock would look cool and unobtrusive while guiding water down off the top? I’ve seen shaved drip rails replaced with round stock or brake line then mudded in for a slight radiused bulge but mine would be perched on the top of my repaired pinch weld flange and fully welded in. 
 

I still have the stock gutter edges. The passenger side is in three pieces and pretty rusty. The driver’s side is in one piece and in better shape. Even though it is a complicated shape I think repairing them would be almost as much work as making new ones.

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I put the wipers back on and drove to work in a drizzle today. Bone dry floors so far!

 

I can’t believe the difference in my view! I feel like I’ve been wearing glasses that were handled by a toddler eating pancakes this whole time and finally cleaned them!

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1 hour ago, Radarsonwheels said:

Phew! I looked up the data sheet on permatex ultra black- it’s non corrosive. I did find info about how some rtv compounds release acetic acid as a byproduct of the curing process. I’m sure that has something to do with the way my A-pillar skins were completely slotted through in the corners. I found plenty of hardware store clear bathroom silicone in there when I cleaned them out, especially after shaving the gutters.

 

I’m tossing around ideas for the gutters now- maybe 1/4” round stock would look cool and unobtrusive while guiding water down off the top? I’ve seen shaved drip rails replaced with round stock or brake line then mudded in for a slight radiused bulge but mine would be perched on the top of my repaired pinch weld flange and fully welded in. 
 

I still have the stock gutter edges. The passenger side is in three pieces and pretty rusty. The driver’s side is in one piece and in better shape. Even though it is a complicated shape I think repairing them would be almost as much work as making new ones.

 

I also have to redo my gutter edges on TODD since the front of the cab is a B3 and the rear is B1.  And of course the area I added.  I'm thinking flat stock about 3/8" tall and weld it on, grind/contour it to be convex on the outside for some style, but allow me to get seam sealer down in the bottom (B3/4) rolled over as far as it is I think causes some rot like you've seen.

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Thanks GGdad

 

That thought crossed my mind too. I was also thinking a piece cut from say 14g sheetmetal and welded on flat would be long lasting and not too fragile, then it could be gently hammered over some 3/8” round stock as a buck, but not too curved so it can be cleaned out (and the buck can be removed)

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gutter railing is available....you can find listings on e-bay....with a good shrinker and stretcher set up one can easily modify these to their need, bend and shape your gutter if you have a small brake.....these are easily made in smaller sections of 24 inch and welded as needed.  

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Well I didn’t have to wait long for a good rain- it was coming down pretty much all day while I was at work. 
 

I still have a nice drip down each dashboard corner. The driver’s side looks like the glass channel in the gasket is overflowing and spilling out. The truck was parked on a slight hill so 3/4 of the glass channel was pitched down that way. I still have most of a tube of bedding compound so it looks like I’ll need to seal up all around the glass side of the gasket against the glass.

 

The passenger side leak seems to be coming from inside the dash up where the pinch weld comes together so I’ll have to also caulk the outside of the gasket as well. No big deal. I’ll wait for it to dry out and re-caulk and lockstrip it tomorrow. 
 

Surprisingly the doors are holding pretty well. It was really nice to have a good all day soaking so I could really get a report card on how well it was sealing. It’s still a million times better. 
 

I also was mildly annoyed by a foggy windshield on my way home. Time to put the heater core and defroster hoses on the list to get done soon, but carrying a small towel in the truck is working in the meantime. 
 

Do everybody’s trucks leak in the rain? Or do you all keep them inside?

94714457-03B2-462F-A237-75D424F8A2DC.jpeg

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