51 Ford

[kb426]

The black epoxy almost always looks good. It's almost like an award for getting to that stage. I hope the owner of the f250 looks at that pic and smiles. Cutting the sides off a new truck would be painful for me.

[idrivejunk]

All the plastic moldings shattered tabs like 20 year old stuff and the splash shields were a pain to remove. But the right bedside is on with one clamp and in need of refinement at tailgate. The whole thing could go on with push clips.

Like I try to do everything... starting with the worst first. Before the cab got dusty I looked it over and took these. While the smirky glow lingered on my face, I went and shared that with the boss. A shot of positive energy for his Monday always hits the spot.

[kb426]

What's the story on the dash. It looks like it was cut out and then tacked in place? Did I forget something since you started that?

[idrivejunk]

That probably only got posted in the dark corner. Knew we weren't using the 51 dash so cut the face out for best temporary construction access. Tacked back in place for support in between finishing firewall and A pillars.

Theres a new fiberglass 56 truck dash for it. Thought I showed it, maybe not. Just like the A, can't see it in there until it is narrowed 10" or so. Owner has been thinking over the interior. I ought to express an idea or two on it. Theres sturdy angle iron uprights inside each end of the dash, where the row of screws is next to the posts. As launch pads. I imagine the defrost vents area steel will stay. Right now, the push is to get the cab and front end in rough bondo, together and poly primed. So we can then go back and finish bondo. :?

Directly contrary to my advice and boss's main concern which is double work. The primer part. But, fairly... the parts all look pretty good, relatively speaking... so it will be fine. Priming it in rough mud will be the right thing to have done if the pause runs long.

[idrivejunk]

Today is as light on pix as yesterday was heavy but I am having my first go at fabrication with aluminum.



This is just to scratch your itchys. The tail light.  

[idrivejunk]

This is alls I gots right now, splash shield pics. Cut it twice, it was still too short. Bucked each 1/8" pop rivet along the way though.







Fixing to cut out another. I should be able to make do with the leftovers for up front. Extending the stock "carpet" fender liners there.



It was kinda like pulling teeth getting shims, longer bolts, clips, and weatherstrip coming, for final installation. Slickest part of the whole deal aside from my self proclaimed to be clever use of scraps...

Was after I had made some attempts to put longways curve in the scrap while keeping the long bend. Mike has a slip roller and we've run angled strips through like that before, but he was busy and I ended up retreating to the E-wheel after futzing with roller knobs and getting nowhere.

He kinda had the stares next morning when I approached with the scrap strip mostly flattened by the wheel. He responded by walking over to the roller and while I explained what we were doing to a coworker I just jammed one end in the rollers. Mike was already ready already and started cranking. It turned out perfect on that pass and we both walked away feeling ninja about it.

That was neat, having the right stuff and a guy who knows how.

The F1 grille has some mud on it... we may currently be in limbo. At least until 3 more shields are in place. So allow me to borrow a cup of rust from my neighbor, to serve you now. It is uncanny, that wheelhouse is solid all but the rear tip, a couple inches. Bizarre fluke rust pattern on that car-

[kb426]

Does the company that sells the fender flair kit expect hobbyist to be able to put that kit on?

[idrivejunk]

Does the company that sells the fender flair kit expect hobbyist to be able to put that kit on?

Probably no more so than they would expect a hobbyist to be able to paint it. This is not harder than painting, doing the work involved here. If you ask them can I just bolt it on, the answer would likely be yes. If you ask does a body shop have to fit it, the answer is likely also yes. :? BUY NOW!

Boss said the guy said he wished he had got the "?" other brand of kit. What that means, I don't know but its probably ye olde scenario where the perfect solution is unbeknownst until the day of committing to a less desireable and obsolete as of today version that was all that was available and kinda wonky.

Although a couple mental leaps were required for my mind to embrace the task, it has been kind of a gravy job but I don't know how much the dollars are.



Hey, are you familiar with the Ford truck terms fridge, slick, and wrongbed? :?: I had more F ideas. Stared at that 48 bed a minute or two at lunch. Stared at Cameos online, never realized about the fiberglass sides. A unique "concept" and kool name for if you were maybe going for a what-if-Ford version of that came to mind. But, alas... crossbreeding early and late 50s truck style is a sticky wicket, it seems. An earlier comment of yours has me thinking you are on the right track. In the interest of zagging while others zig, I wondered how a 57 grille would look (narrowed). Etc! Any style stuff like that you wanna try, just say so and I'll see about slapping an image together to ponder.

No pics worth bothering about this evening.

[idrivejunk]

...or today, really.  Bed end of the 250 is squared away for now and only front fender splash shield extensions left to go. This pic shows how the shield came out of the slip roller. One pass with E-wheel, flip shield over, go again. One pass through roller, ta-da!  



There was horseplay. I did this joking around but it drew second glances and raised eyebrows. So I had Buster Brownshoes hide behind it for a sec. For a pic-





Do what?



Next thing I knew-  

[kb426]

That bed side looks better than I would have expected. However, we would be going from rounded shapes to flat. If I had one of those beds sitting in the backyard, it would be cut apart in a heartbeat to see how the whole truck would look like. The looks you would get running down the highway would be a hoot.

[idrivejunk]

Oh the 51 has square shapes on the bed alright. Technically. Heck, thats part of the trouble. You could maybe round off the square on fiberglass 2020 sides and itch something fierce. I look at it and think a little chicken wire or cardboard, an old tire, and a wall stud arranged just so then fiberglassed over gets you anything you desire. Pretty much, if you're into that. Wonder what other baja stuff might be out there. I wondered how the baja lips compare to F6 lips.

80-6 bedsides might have potential too. But if you squint real hard at those pics you can imagine how the flares might be advantageous, assisting an early to late 50s style blend. Not saying use this but I was just thinking if a guy hung a bedside like the kind shown over the plain bedside (like a Cameo), he would have a fairly wide range of in and out position selection and if it could move out even with the fronts and have the cab still look ok with it, thats a hmmm.

Another something in the stew pot eh. I want to see what that chrome down low idea looks like for my own curiosity. I'll stop palavering now but am sorta looking forward to exploring with the pic editor. Sometime.

Anyway... speaking of backyards and beds, almost forgot these. Drowsy.

[chimp koose]

JEEZ ! That bed looks pretty good there! A little blending at the front and it would look pretty trick . I think the extra height makes the truck look shorter than it is , almost a short ,short box .

[idrivejunk]

Who'd a-thunk it, right? Since the 250 is a more-door, thats either a short or medium if theres such critter. Boss got a hoot out of it.

Today I wrestled with what direction to take off in. Gathered side views of various Ford beds, matched sizes best I could referencing wheels... and then stared. Used the wrong truck pic to start and pretty much lost the plot and rendered nothing we have talked about.

Again, Bill if theres anything you'd like to see I have some images to toss about now. I know you prefer reality like anyone but these exercises help me cull the idea pile.

One thing which came to mind is if I had an F,  I think I might want to draw a hard line for usage of anything 1956. Just yes or no. And Ranger is way too small.

So this one is basically wheelspin but I kinda like borrowing the later rear wheel opening contour for all around and that is shown on bottom. More aggressive but probably old news. Just kind of centering the newer opening over the old and scooting it down to a point where no added material would be necessary if a guy could reshape the metal on-fender.

:?:  

Ideas, anyone? Critique? The edit is slop, just enough to get a look-

[kb426]

I think you answered part of that question. The 56 rib doesn't make it look like it belongs there. Kinda like an International where they used parts from everyone else. I found a 05 Ford short box. It's 67" long. That's 10 inches less than the 51 bed. I don't have a cab to wheel center measurement on the newer box yet but that started to dampen my enthusiasm for that bed. There's plenty in my town so I will take a tape and do some measuring in the next few days.  Thank you.

[idrivejunk]

Ha. If you all skip to the bottom, you'll see a more typical forumer response and I typed that first, by the way. Betwixt here and yonder is the part to love or hate. Pure happy Saturday night IDJ.

I ain't done exploring yet either and was disappointed that I didn't show things spoken of. But I only hit pause and can come back to it.

What you saw is just what I started to like and I should say that the top pic is not stock either. If the openings had no raised lip but kept the bottom pic shape and maybe location, I do still like how it lessens the glaring imbalance I percieve with the bed rails so dang low in relation to the cab on these.

Its the hardest thing, trying to get astride of the owner's vision to assist in styling. Adjusting from my defaults to their tastes and cultivating the seeds offered so to speak. Finding out what is important. I just tend to take a blue-sky shotgun potshot approach to see what appeals, and use that input as a partial guide. It suprises me often, which ideas have the appeal. Thus far on yours I have been anything but methodical and serious. Wanting to do art on paper more lately, so part of that is interest. But what I do have is sincere and the thinking is fun to me and if something useful comes of it, sweet. If not, fun was had by me. I am not put off by negative reactions but they prompt me to tell the reasoning behind what I show and cause me to examine / refine internally. I am not the nicest guy so that can read as defensive. Pay no mind should that occur, I will rebound and get better and you being receptive always helps me, whether my explanations change things or not.

I would like to ask if there was a way to do away with running boards, whats your reaction. Relish or resent? Answer without thinking very long about it, if you do.

You are quite welcome and man, you are a whiz in the shop with mechanical and chassis stuff. I / we sure appreciate the O&S show. Keep on truckin