Stacks and fender repair

sorry it's been so long since I have updated - we are still plugging away and getting really close to it being really road-worthy. We did take it around the block again yesterday and did have some minor tire rubbing when the springs went under compression on a corner. Normal driving on flat road it didn't rub, but pulling through the grass, it did. We spent most of the spring raising the cab and all the tin up an inch for tire clearance. It was almost enough I guess. We also switched from 2'' wheel spacers to 1.5''. It was almost enough I guess. I think it is close enough we can live with it though, it's never going to have a showroom paint job in our lifetime. It WILL get paint though. We keep going back and forth. Something original for this truck would be an aqua/turquoise color - but it looks so good in black haha. Black goes good with everything. Then, we think - black cherry would be nice. Or a black/bronze color would be awesome too. Too many colors we like!

Anyhow - we worked on the rotten fender replacing a large section of rot and severe damage. We cut out a chunk from a fender with severe damage in other places and grafted it into the original fender.

20180605_170054 by Karin Vail, on Flickr

Brian is getting better at the sheet metal welding - this turned out the best of any sheet metal welds he has done. It is almost metal-finishable! It will need VERY little body filler. He did tack by tack and cooled each and every tack along the way and got almost no shrinkage. He also did it by spreading it along several days. I forgot to get a pic of the final welds, oops.

We got the exhaust ALMOST done too - just need to decide on stack mounts. Brian is trying to think hard how he can mount the stacks without a cab mount, but without a big ugly mount high off the frame. Any suggestions? 

20180624_134453-1 by Karin Vail, on Flickr

Headliner, overhead console, and running boards

Brian made a bracket for a momentary switch - this will activate the original electric horn.  It is installed on the inside of the overhead console.

The idea is to make it activated like an air horn with a pull of the cord.   The flash made the colors all weird, but the detail is easier to see with flash.  The brown is true-to-color in the pic above.

This cord is temporary, still deciding on the permanent one.  I would love to hear ideas if you have any to share!

We started on running boards yesterday - we decided to add a 3rd support for extra durability.

Brian fabbed brackets like the originals and they are going to work great!  I just need to pick up some more fasteners for these and we can finalize the install point on the truck and drill holes in the frame (oh joy, that means SIX overhead holes to drill).

build progress video update

https://youtu.be/kSkJyako6jg

Custom door panel

First door panel is complete!  After I got the correct die for my button press, the buttons practically made themselves.

Headliner is ready to install

I finished the stitching on the headliner and it is ready to install!  I just have one more board to secure in the truck that will be to staple the perimeter of the headliner to.

headliner start and windlace

I got windlace made and installed 

and Brian helped me install the headliner base/support!

wipers and first door panel

We have been working less on the Diamond T now that summer is over - it is not nearly as fun to work on it when it's cold and rainy out (we don't have a shop to work on it, so it is being done on the back patio)

We did get some Mighty Motors for wipers - what an ordeal to get them installed though.  They come with a bezel blank that you have to cut to fit the cab where the shaft comes through.  Of course it is a rounded body line there for this truck.  It couldn't be simple, could it?  Brian worked on these and got the wipers ready for final install/sealant.

meanwhile, I worked on this.

 It still needs buttons (I guess I have to break down and buy a button machine/press, booo).  It has the metal clips in the backer that will snap into holes in the door panel - but that means I have TO DRILL HOLES in my door panels!  EEEEK!

windshield hinges

I have been working diligently on the windshields.  Well, one of them anyhow.  The passenger side windshield I had installed the new rubber seal a while back, but was waiting to install the windshield on the truck until we had paint around the openings.  Figuring out how those darn hinges went was a puzzle.  I had no previous pics, had completely disassembled them to paint them, and it was all a guessing game in the beginning.  I finally came up with this:

I sent the picture to a couple of my ebay Diamond T customers and I got it RIGHT!  Woohoo!  Getting those top hinge bolts secured was a complete PIA!  Now, I have to finish the driver side (needs the new rubber seal installed first).  Not looking forward to it!!!

I also got the window garnish molding, the door panel, and the door pull (custom ordered from Etsy) installed on the drivers door.  I would love some sort of detail added to the door panel at some point.

I have gotten a few new goodies for the interior lately - a new dome light.  I fabricated up a mount and Brian installed/wired it in.  And, it works with a twist of the headlight switch!  I didn't want the same oval one everybody uses in their hot rods, so I went with a round marine light (LED so hopefully will never burn out!)

We also got a new GPS speedometer.  Now, to figure out where to mount the antenna.....

Wiring and woodwork

We have officially started wiring.  It is messy before it gets neat.

relays wired under the hood

12v power block on the firewall (which has a nice cover)

oh, and a custom bead-rolled panel (by Metal Meagan) I made into the front cover for the heater box.

Beige leather I made into shift boots:

And, I started making the rubber bumpers for the doors.  It was cheaper for me to make them (and have enough to make a bunch more), than to buy them and wait a month or more from another source.  They are just right too!

I am selling them on eBay now too, just do a ''Diamond T door bumper'' search.

Underneath is looking pretty darn tidy now.  Brian is doing a great job here.

I made a purchased switch panel into a custom one with more of the maple veneer stained with ''dark walnut'' (and the beige paint).  It has the epoxy glaze on it, same as the gauge panels.

And, I decided to go ahead and put the maple veneer in the cubby on the center console as well.  I still might put some material of some sort on the sides, but it will probably stay this way for a while.

Doors stripped

We worked on stripping doors today.  These doors came from  1940 parts truck we got a few years ago.  It looks like that truck was originally mostly cream/ivory with dark green on top and red pinstriping.  The passenger door had a couple spots where there was lead filler.  (Shows in first pic).  Tomorrow is epoxy primer day!

defroster and interior paint choice

Well, we have finally ordered interior paint.  It will be cream for the doors and dash front:

And dark brown for the dash top, upper console, and possibly door panels?  Maybe the interior trim?  That we haven't decided on for sure.






The paint (and 2K urethane primer) won't be here until next week (we ordered 'Hot Rod Gloss' from TCP Global - which is rebranded PPG)

I also ordered a dark brown One Shot lettering enamel to add some pinstriping to the cream parts of the interior..  It looks like it will match the paint color well - but I can adjust it with other colors if necessary.  I will wait to see the cream in person before I decide if I need to order a One Shot to match it.

So, as far as the dash top goes - I worked on it last weekend and got the oval holes cut for the defroster.  The original 36 didn't come with a heater or defroster.  It was apparently an option in 37, but the parts truck didn't have it either.  If it WAS installed, there would have been a large punched area cut from the dash top and the vent was screwed to the top of the dash.  I didn't want that vent to show, so I made it so it mounts underneath the dash.  I marked and cut oval holes (plasma cutter, made a template)

Keeping it real here - I had a mishap with the plasma on one hole (I slipped off the template) and Brian had to fix one with some welding.  One turned out great though with just a little cleanup with a file.  In the end, it won't show because it will have some bezels over the edge of the holes anyhow.  But, I did do some file work and body putty to clean up the factory punch marks:

I used a scrap of the wire mesh we used for behind the grill and sandwiched between the vent and the underside of the dash top.  I drilled out the mounting holes and Brian welded 3 studs on the back of the dash top for affixing the vent.

After bodywork and cutting a 2'' hole in the top of the cowl for the vent.
Dash top is now ready for the 2K primer and paint!

Here it is from the underside of the cowl where the hose will attach from the heater.  There is a couple inches of space between the dash top and the top of the cowl, so most of the vent splitter his hidden in this space.

(you can also see where we used a small turnbuckle to tension the wire in the hood lacing).

So, hopefully it will be prep for painting this weekend - and then interior paint the next weekend?

Independence Day weekend progress

This last long weekend, we got quite a bit accomplished.  The weekend before, we got an 'air dam' made for the bottom of the grill shell:

And then we got wire mesh cut to go behind the grill (and supporting rod for middle - the wood that is horizontal was just temporary until the grill was back in place)

I made steel wedges like original to install the grill:

The wedges worked great!  They seemed rather rudimentary, but they worked!  You can see the new steer tires and freshly powdercoated rims here :)

We also got the freshly sandblasted and epoxy primered hood in place:

And Brian even gave it a wash (mostly engine bay and frame)

I posted a couple videos on youtube.  Brian driving it again 

And the door jamb progress