random tidbit on the truck build

[Plymouthy Adams]

Yesterday even with the heat index of 107 I decided to start early on the finalizing the bumper mounting holes by taking the pilot holes to 1/2" hardware.  I then followed up with fitting a donor Dakota winch to the Morris chassis so to hide the spare tire out of sight out of mind.  The spare even in this case had to be a donut style to fit.   The unit is now all fab'd up, painted, installed and spare tire cranked up and stowed against the chassis cross braces.  I am pleased with the outcome.   Even at eye level you cannot see the spare in any manner.    Stock spare fit to the back panel of the cab inside the cargo box and was not only an eyesore, but in the way.  Stock bed is not being used....modified Dakota bed with 13 inches removed now graces the chassis.   

[Plymouthy Adams]

made it back to the wrecking yard, got the Dakota scissors jack and the jacking tools in the sewn bag.....I am now set to go.....happy camper.

[Sniper]

Years ago I bought my youngest daughter a used Explorer..  No spare tire.  I'm like what?  I was in Lubbock where they have a pick and pull type yard.  Seems virtually no vehicle there had a spare.  I found one Exploder with a spare, only because it had been rear ended and they couldn't get to the winch to release the spare.  I cut the cable end off, got her a spare, jack and tools.  That truck had mastercrap tires on it, got her Michelins.  The difference was so noticeable that when she got home from the tire shop she remarked upon it.

[Plymouthy Adams]

my 2015 did not come with a spare.....and the dealer was off his nut for cost.  I got the entire thing later from an online dealer selling at fair price.....I do want a spare on hand.   The little truck I am building never had a bumper on the rear even from the factory....I will not drive a vehicle without bumpers...while they really provide only minimum protection, they just dress better with a bumper and puts me in my happy place.

 

As an added, as of this afternoon, the cab has been stripped of paint now and ready for some DA sanding.  Found a few areas that will need tweaking and that will be done next time out to the shop.  I also got the grille surround prepped for welding and then on to sandblast and paint.  Doing better than I thought with this heat.....

 

Hope all are making gains on their projects as well.

Edited July 2, 2025 by Plymouthy Adams

[Plymouthy Adams]

Well this morning I surveyed my items accumulated for the build.  Losing the front tilt hood assembly and returning to stock configuration.  The hood, valance, bumper blade, over riders, repairing a few dings on the fly.  Also the front fenders, grille surround and the slatted grille insert.  The only item not requiring lots of tweaks was the slatted grille.   Lets just say before stripping and such....lots of Minor (pun intended, model of truck is a Minor) work to be accomplished, many welds and a few holes to fill with weld that I am not in need of for my build.  (car hood being used and truck has 14 fewer holes)  Just inspecting the items out in the morning humidity and heat of day....can already wring out a t-shirt.   Going to be a long day.

Edited July 2, 2025 by Plymouthy Adams

[Los_Control]

Sounds like good progress ... I feel for you with the humidity. Lots of weather coming in from the East coast and throwing our weather pattern off.

We would usually be in our 2nd month of 110 degree weather ... today is 77 and raining ... almost need to get a long sleeve shirt on.

[Plymouthy Adams]

Thank you, in for a cool down, 86 temp feels like 93 with the heat index.   Enjoy your better temps.   I think I got the right fender welded and will move on to the left one.  Some one (PO) in the lifetime of the fender of the front mirror mount when deleting it ground the area to razor thin metal.  I only found the mirror holes were there when scraping the inner area.  So the holes have to be welded.  Same on the other fender, but I know these are there and do not look like they have been ground for a bondo party to take place.  Little hot for welding...but got to keep moving forward.  

[Ulu]

The lovely thing about building a Morris is you don’t really need an engine hoist.

 

I picked my 1098cc after assembling it in my mom’s kitchen, carried the long block outside in my arms to the driveway and set it in the trunk of my Ford.

[Plymouthy Adams]

I am not so sure I would try that myself, remember the one time I along with a couple others struggled to lift a 948 with smooth case transmission off a table and into the back of my van.   Was not easy or fun...but did and done.  The Morris is a throw back to the fat fender days all the way up to the last of production in 1971 and on of the main reasons I find it a worthwhile adventure to build.  Second is the availability of replacement parts and for the most part, very economical overall.   The Travelers were most unique with the wooden rear body and the Tourer (convertible) the biggest hoax ever played using the word convertible.  After thought through and through, rush to market to compete with sales with others mainly the VW Beetle.   They not for everyone...and this model is no less entangled between the purist and the modifiers.  

 

I continue a bit in the heat, yesterday was a down day for local business/shopping.....today I will go back to the final touching up of welds as needed after prepping the back sides for primer.  Need to mockup the metal on the chassis/body to see if all is well before continuing.  So many changes made to the truck over the years before I got it and of course I have my own build views in mind.   

 

 

[Ulu]

I was only 19, and it didn't have the transmission attached. Still they were tiny engines. 
 

I pulled it with the same DIY hoist I still have. 

 

[Plymouthy Adams]

I do use my hoist a lot and have converted one to an outdoor model.  This thing can roll easily over turf with a load suspended.  I do recommend placing cross supports on the legs and rest the majority of the weight on the legs to prevent swinging.  

 

 

Edited July 10, 2025 by Plymouthy Adams

[Sniper]

Back in 88 I carried the 413 bock for my 64 300 from the engine hoist to the hatch of my Daytona then from the hatch to the machine shop counter.  I pulled a muscle across my right shoulder that, to this day, complains at me if I do something stupid like that.

 

I was 23 then.

[Plymouthy Adams]

I tore a rotator cuff years ago....had  no idea at the time I did it.  I removed some very stubborn bolts and could have used more overage but did not.  Anyway...5 hour ride later with AC blowing on my shoulder, I arrived with a very sore shoulder.   Long story short, it healed in time....I still get a twinge from that shoulder if I sleep on it wrong.  But within 5 minutes of moving about I forget all about it again.  But for sure it prevents me from gripping a golf club properly.  

[Plymouthy Adams]

well, with three days of off and on rains, I am surprised I did get the front sheet metal in primer on the underside of the panels for most pieces and both side for others.  Now If it does not rain tomorrow, will mock up the front sheet metal.  Got lots of stuff hanging from the support racks in the barn.   

[Ulu]

I had to look it up, and the book says 253 lbs for the MG 1098 engine + 44 lbs for the trans.
 

However, I was only carrying the long block. No clutch, flywheel, damper, starter, generator, manifolds, carbs, distributor, tin, etc.

 

Literally cuts the weight in half on an MG. 

[Plymouthy Adams]

still a bit of weight on a kitchen table.....your mums was kind....

[Plymouthy Adams]

meanwhile back at summer camp, I had to revisit a segment as when I cut the tailgate down 6.5" per side, I did not account for the taper that was on the origninal ends so my gate stood some 3/16" less that flush at the end of the bed.  So yesterday after company left, little slice and dice, strategic application of a couple clamps...few welds made, the gate corner are now flush.    Think there must be an unwritten law that all owners must somehow ding up any and all tailgates.  

 

[Plymouthy Adams]

just dropped a 100.00 for stainless steel hardware for the bolting on of panels for the build....while that seems a lot of  money, trust me, I got lots of nuts, bolts lock and flat washers of multiple sizes each in lots of 40 to 150 pieces per bag.  This company is the best to deal with locally for sure.  Been a number of years since my last stock up from this company.  Worth having on hand.  As is always also, running behind on the moving of the bed and truck to paint booth and assembly bay.

[Sniper]

On 7/26/2025 at 12:45 PM, Plymouthy Adams said:

This company is the best to deal with locally for sure. 

 

Wish I had a place like that around here.  Most cater to the oil patch, $$$$.

[Plymouthy Adams]

I dropped off another order this morning for 1000+ pieces of small stainless steel hardware in 6-8-10 with oval heads and countersunk the majority, with 6-8 selection of pan head screws of various lengths.  Definitely comes under pay to play, got out of there for 44.00  So I am happy.   My small hardware was getting thin in the bin. 

 

Putting all the hardware on the doors, vents and such in stainless...only way to fly, even better, the stainless steel vent frames are on the way also....got posted at noon today.  

 

 

[Plymouthy Adams]

Learning curve....long road to disappointment and even longer road to resolution.  While I could well have just dropped in a set of painted glass frames and vent assemblies (bolt on door tops if you will) I wanted to do a bit more by dropping in STAINLESS frames, they dress the vehicle well, this is where the fun began.  Frames were loaded in the car by the guy whom I was trading parts with.  While I wrangled a bonnet (hood) into the van.  I was not aware till I got home that the vents were not with the frames.  Enter my bud Robbie who shifted a few parts  my way from some of his stash.  While the vent glass stayed the same from 1949 through 1971 end of model, there are 3 different vent frames, three bases due to screw holes, two upper frame halves and two pivot pinch clamps.  I have the frames coming in now by way of snail mail and hope to emerge victorious.  Could not build a set with parts from my bud and what I had on hand.  In the meantime, the outer frames are now polished on the buffer, the cover plates also buffed.  Only parts available are for the last models....only mid and late will interchange.  These also I can get vent seals for...at 15.00 a side, you cannot go wrong here.  Early models, no parts or seals are made, later can get latches w/pins, upper hinges, lower pivot block seals and flocked rubber for the channel and vent glass seals on the division post.  These little cars have an excellent parts following.....the trick is having original frames of later origin to work with.  Hope to get the box by Monday...

[Plymouthy Adams]

Not that anyone cares....but.....I have decided to adapt another albeit earlier Dakota part to my build, the cup holder is inverted from stock, the vent now gone, the radio (mainly USB player) in place... 

 

Edited August 22, 2025 by Plymouthy Adams

[Plymouthy Adams]

about ready to spray with some primer....this is the tailgate, I have removed 13 inches in width and little slice and dice to taper the ends at the top to match the bed sides.......as you can see the typical small dings most all tailgates get along the way in terms of normal use.  All in all not bad for a 21 year old tail gate

Edited August 29, 2025 by Plymouthy Adams

[Plymouthy Adams]

can you believe it, actually got around to applying some primer.....the back side is where the welds were accomplished, some 52 inches of weld bead...the front panel...that was folded over metal to mimic factory. 

Edited September 3, 2025 by Plymouthy Adams

[Plymouthy Adams]

serious creases found in the right door I got to replace the right door.  These doors are very thin and few access holes and a number of inner braces.  I studied it a bit and decided that the fix is to cut the panel behind the door card and not disturb inner bracing.  After a bit of hammer dolly and shrinking disc....I got the bad boy pretty much worked out.  I am not the best man at dents and dings but after a bit got it to a level I can live with...way better than the ton of bondo I cut out of it stripping the door.  Missed one smaller crease down that had filler as it did not show with initial strip of topcoat.  I can get this tomorrow with some dolly work.  Then I had to replace the Velcro on the sander...quick hit with the DA and it am pleased so far.