I (we?) need your help. Most of us have the battery under the floor and the master cylinder under the floor, but how did you finish the inside of your ride with carpet/floor mat that allows you to gain access to these compartments? To me, it seems like carpet is out due to the need to keep the edges buttoned down. Those who have a finished interior, (Ken) could you help us out with some pictures that show how things look "ready to drive" and what it looks like when you have access to those two compartments. I would love to install carpet, but I don't like the idea of it just flopping around inside the cab. Thanks for your help and time with this as usual.
My carpet just lays flat and I flip it up from the corner. I used a piece of plate and a piano hinge to make an access door. I spray glued the rest of the carpet down so it does not move.
Zig, I have an original style rubber mat in mine. Http://talk.classicparts.com/photos/showfull.php?photo=1432 When I need to access the battery, I remove the metal strip and lift the mat and jute and open the box cover. Hope that helps. Ken
Ken: Is that strip stock? Reason I ask is my '52 doesn't have one (or two). BTW, how's the trip to Tenn going? Bringing back any good stuff?
Bill, the door sill plates, as they are called are stock on my 50. Go to reply 88 on Russ' thread "how to build an AD" for more detailed pics. Our host sells repops of them. I'll check while here at mom's to see if my old 51 donor still has the strips on it and will give you them if you're in need. Ken P.S. Trip down here was good, having fun. Meeting an old college roommate for supper tonight, going crappie fishing tomorrow, and will be bush hogging on Friday weather permitting.
Glad to hear you're having fun Ken. My brother Tom arrives Friday night and the head comes off the 228 Saturday. Shot all the bolts I could find last night with PB Blaster. I'll hit them again on Friday.
Thanks Russ and Ken. Russ, what (the heck) did you use to glue the center down with and how did you treat the edges of your carpet? (With respect, I'm sure, but...) Do you have a barrier between the carpet and metal? What about vacuuming, do you have to hold the carpet in place? Ken, pictures of that trim piece would be nice once you get back home. (I hope your enjoying things back home and the weather/crappie are cooperating! You know I want pictures of the catch~) How about after you remove the trim piece. Do you just flip everything inward toward the center of the cab and it stays put, or do you have to weight down things to keep them where you want them? Thanks for your input. I know there are a bunch of you that have your truck finished, and I (we) are looking forward to seeing how you solved the "under the floor" problem!
Zig, I used Velcro to hold down the carpet in the area of the master cylinder access door. They have some industrial strength Velcro that is pretty amazing... Hope that helps. John
3M Super 99 spray adhesive. I have the foil/ jute stuff under the carpet and glued the carpet to the jute and the jute to the floor. Edges? It is just the ol cheap black speaker box carpet they sell at Wally World. Vaccummes fine.....when I actually do it.
Zig, We always weld plates over the battery box and master cylinder holes and install a drop out battery box. The sound deadener, insulation, and carpet can then be permanently installed. The battery box has trips which will lower it for routine service or once the cables are disconnected it can be slipped completely out very easily. The master cylinder can be filled with a douche ball or a plastic squeeze bottle that has a curved "straw" built on. Speedway, Jegs, and Summit sell the boxes. A tip on servicing those dual chamber MC's is to not even try to slide the spring wire bale out of the notches in the cap but just pop the ends out of the MC casting. Once done filling, bleeding, or whatever let the wires hang off the end of the MC and put the ends back in the holes then slide up into place on the cap. For charging or jumping on a six banger the cable can be hooked to the starter post or on a V8 a remote positive cable terminal can be used. I like using the female cable plug from an arc welder since it's not likely to get shorted to by anything near it.
Great ideas, Evan, and THANK YOU! That should help the younger generations here. Me, being an old fart and getting older, would like to stay away from some of those motions needed to get a battery in and out of it's tray from underneath. I'm wanting to attack things from topside. I know I'm not alone when I say thank you all for your comments so far! Pictures of how things look normally, and how things look when access is achieved would be gravy. Thanks again!
Battery and Master Cylinder access Hey Zig. I did the drop out battery box, and I use a squirt bottle to add brake fluid. I like the drop out box, as long as I need to access the battery in the shop. It may be a little trouble if that's necessary out beside the road somewhere though. I did leave the cover in the floor, so I can pull the door jamb strip and fold back the floor mat if necessary. Been away for about 10 days and just got a chance to check the site. Been on Oahu. Saw Pearl Harbor and all kinds of stuff in Hawaii. Nice trip.
Thread Hijack Welcome Home Bilbo ! . I hope you took the time to tour the Bowfin ~ ? a WWII Diesel Submarine that's on floating display in Pearl . My Uncle (R.I.P.Bill) was on Submarines in The War until they realized he had no sense of smell so they used him in The Pacific Theatre to pick up the casualties as they got really ripe really fast and few could stand it . Diesel Boats were tiny ~ you'd never get me on one away from the dock .
Well Nate... Sadly, as you know, the US Government was shutdown last week, (until our last day, in which we didn't have time to visit Arizona or the Bowfin). Although the Bowfin is not a Federal site, access to it is through the entrance to the Arizona Memorial... Volunteers worked out an alternate method to get to the Bowfin, but too late for us... Same problem with the Missouri, and Pacific Air Museum as far as access, but a couple of the tour bus companies, and a bunch of VOLUNTEERS arranged for us to be picked up at a parking lot and with permission of the Navy, took us by land to those two sites. I am very disappointed that we didn't get to see all the exhibits we wanted to, but grateful to those who made it possible for us to see those that we did. BTW, there were a whole bunch of who appeared to be Military personnel and their families VOLUNTEERING to mow, edge and trim the grounds leading into the Arizona Memorial entrance area. OUT OF RESPECT FOR THE SITE, AND THOSE MEN AND WOMEN LOST THERE. That is, as always, commendable. We had a most excellent time over all though. I even went for a swim in Waiamea Bay. Very nice. Went to Banzai Pipeline, (did NOT swim). Waves were 7-9ft there. Impressive, as that's kinda' calm for the area...
Pegs Paul, My 48 has 6 pegs that look like nail heads that hold the original style jute and rubber matts. There are 4 at the top and one near each door by the seat. They look like 16d nail heads and seem to hold the matts in place quite well. I never thought of unfastening the metal strip and pinching it like Ken. I'm glad a checked this out as I had a colony of colorful corrosion on both terminals.
Pictures please? Um... I think you forgot those pictures, Larry I'll have to go out and see if I have those posts as well. Thanks!
A thread entitled "Pictures of floor access?" and we are on post #18, with no photos yet! (Larry's trying though) I'd post some but I'm 1200 miles away from home. I can access my Photobucket account though: I used 1/2" square bar stock to make a rectangular opening, drilled and tapped (4) 1/4-20 holes and then welded the frame into the floor: I then made a cover plate out of 1/8" aluminum that bolts to the frame... I'll get photo's of it when I get back home..
Paul, My computer seems to have lost the ability to post photos. They are in my album on this site...
