Project Ferdinand

[nlongo33]

truck is home, new hood gets finished painted this morning and installed tonight...boy passed his road test!

so final safety and reliablity checks, and of course wait till salt is off the roads and this old girl is back....

Next friday we are going to work on the bed and get wood squared away and tire rack installed

[Gary Lewis]

Looking good!  And congrat's to your son.  Well done!

Doesn't look like much snow on the ground now, so maybe things will clear up soon?

[ArdWrknTrk]

Supposed to be a sleety weekend.
Though he's a bit northwest of me (50-60 miles?)

[Gary Lewis]

We are into that "Tease Of Spring" season.  After the Deep Freeze it feels like Spring is right around the corner.  And apparently the plants & trees agree 'cause the pollen count has taken off.  But Mother Nature usually isn't done with us, so I'm not getting my hopes up.

[nlongo33]

yup more snow tonight 1/3" we are seeing the light at end of the tunnel...i feel one more storm and we are done...we have about 8/12" snow pack still on the ground....

[nlongo33]

Progress over the weekend:

new fuel pump, went electric
new carb
added stripe to fender>>>>going to redo, think i have a better method to match, but first try came out pretty good
hood is done and installed
adjusted shifter
little odds and ends
short 5 mile road test




 

[Gary Lewis]

Good progress, Nick.

But, I just gotta tell you I think you misunderstood the term "spare tire".  

[nlongo33]

"spare tire" lol....plan is next summer to road trip his flare side and my dodge to texas, hang with my brother, then go and play in the desert of arizona nevada and california and drive back and then the boy goes to college...great send off of a trip....

can never be too prepared....

[Gary Lewis]

Oh!  I'd forgotten about that comment.

Anyway, you are right that you can't be too prepared.  And that will be a great sendoff!

[nlongo33]

all new cross members as well as metal slats..... wood is being milled this week

progress is progress right?  little frame repair and reinforcement as well going on with the bed off......


Have a great week

[FuzzFace2]

So going with planks and not ply wood.
Who did you get the parts from?

When I did mine between the front / rear sills and all the cross members I came up with $1000.
Add in the metal slats, wood & bolt / nut hardware and the wood floor was just not happening.
Being I had a bed with a good metal floor but 1 side wrecked in the roll over I went with the metal floor.

Cant wait to see the floor done.
Dave ----

[nlongo33]

parts came from a variety of vendors, like Sw classics, LMC truck and ebay....wood we are going with planks, my buddies who are wood chucks, will not allow plywood..lol  

the wood i have from a local supplier i get our school lumber through, again able to swing deals

made out relatively cheap so far...plus boy is working for it.... is his money, i am just helping him stretch that dollar

[FuzzFace2]

"wood we are going with planks, my buddies who are wood chucks, will not allow plywood..lol" Love it
Thanks for the reply back.
When you get the bed floor done you have to post up pictures.

Dave ----

[Gary Lewis]

Looking good, Nick.  Yes, progress is good!  

[nlongo33]

Some frame repair where bed mounts are and prepping for a bed cage....if you are unfamiliar a bed cage is a set up desert trucks use to mount shocks through the bed and ties in and stiffens rear chassis...we are also going to box the frame for stiffness and strength.....

again build focus is like if ford built a raptor flareside in 1981  with improvements of course..lol

[Gary Lewis]

That is going to be one very nice, and solid, machine.  

Is that guy shielding his eyes with a cell phone?  Did he put it on camera and watch the welding?   

[nlongo33]

filming welding....through camera. no ultra violet through screen..sort of safe lol

[Gary Lewis]

That would work.  But did it wash out?  Did the video actually show the welding?  I assumed that the sensor would be overloaded with light and wash out.

[nlongo33]

yup washed out but still neat

[ArdWrknTrk]

Is that top flange rusted out because of the dunnage used to mount the bed?

I have three of those DeWalt grinders so I don't have to change between grinding, cutoff and flap wheel.  (Of course that's when I need a cup brush or flexcut disc)
None of then wears guards and only one has the side handle.  

I see Yeungling was involved in this fabrication.