Looking good, Rico! I rebuilt the door hinges for my truck with a bushing kit from our host. I know you don't need that now, just saying... in the future, if these hinges wear out, too. Great work! Damon
Thanks Damon, now on to my next project. One thing was I knew I wanted to put the gas tank in the back so I want to protect it just incase someone runs into me.. So I bought some 3 x 3 x 1/4" SQ tubing. This thing is stout and heavy. I squared off the frame with that. Then I drilled and tapped a hole on each side so I could screw a bolt in so the bed would not move it worked perfect. Then I put my tailgate on I also bought a roll pan to finish off the clean look without a bumper. I do go back and forth about the bumper it's sort of growing on me. I use to always hate the ugly bumper. So far I gave in and bought a front bumper and will paint it satin black like the rest of the truck. The question is do I keep the clean look with the roll pan in the back or add a bumper to the rear. We will see in the next few months.. Lol
I'd vote: clean look without the stock rear bumper. I heard an interview with Don Garlits where he said as a teenager he was sitting at a stop light and when the light turned green the guy behind him bumped into him. Well being a young car guy he jumped out and asked the guy what his deal was? It was an older guy, in an older car and the guy said "Son, ya know, that's why they call them bumpers." If you want a bumper how about a fabricating nerf bar running across the back instead of the stock rear bumper? I've contemplated doing this on my '65 using stainless pipe or tube.
It definitely looks good without the bumper Well my project today, I did one, then I let the wife look at it. She said looks good so I did the other. Lol First cut and fit pieces Here's where there going First the bottom piece And presto. Lol
Finished, still need to weld the whole thing and then smooth it out. May seem like a silly question, but do I do the same thing to the front of the bed?
Received my steering column and steering wheel today and some other goodies. I got a 30" stainless steel steering column, billet steering wheel called Waterfall, stainless steel u-joints and shaft bar all from Flaming River. From Ididit I got a 2 1/2" drop brushed aluminum with a small bracket to the dash and a firewall to hold the drop. Looks pretty good and installed really easy. I should have the linkage in tomorrow
OMG... wheres the clutch pedal.. ya gotta have a clutch pedal Those column mount brackets sure are time savers. Looking good Rico. So now that you have the column and the seats are you happy with how you fit in the truck?
Progress is really moving along great. With that little steering wheel the room the seats take up should never become a problem. Thanks for sharing the photos.
Lots of room I can almost stretch my legs out all the way. I also got the electric going so I moved the seats an positioned them where I like them. Building the seat mounts today, if I get done I'll put a picture up Thanks man, very happy that I did research before I bought everything, made the installation very easy. Steering wheel is 13.8" big basically identical to my Dodge Nitro that I drive
Well finished the linkage today, man what a pain it was. But it turned out pretty good, it's a nice feeling to be able to turn my wheels with the steering wheel without having to push on them! Also here's a picture with my seat and steering wheel. I started building my seat mounts should be done in a day or two
My first post. Been studying a lot of the posts around here as I work through my own 54 project, and this one really caught my eye since it's similar to what I am doing, as far as the Mustang II IFS goes that is. I haven't gotten as far as you have, but man does this thread motivate me! Rico, your IFS looks a lot like the one I got from Heidts, w/power R&P--hoping you can help me with a question I have; which steering linkage part #'s are you using here? I just picked up my own tilt steering column from PNP last weekend since they were having a sale...so I am getting close. Thank you...and you do good work by they way.
Thanks man, this is my very first restoration. Do lots of research before just buying. Here's my list for the linkage Summit Racing Part Number:FLA-FR1850-22SS. Shaft Summit Racing Part Number:FLA-FR1811. Support bearing Summit Racing Part Number:FLA-FR2515DD. Joint for power steering box Summit Racing Part Number:FLA-FR2516DD. Joint in the middle Summit Racing Part Number:FLA-FR2517DD. Joint to the column You need anything just ask
That is really looking great! It's a bummer having to remove all that for paint, but the second time around is always easier, right?
I sure hope so Zig! I just finished building my seat mounts. Still need to mount to the floor, but I'll do that today.
Looks good. I think I'd have to put plate on the outsides of those as well. Just to make sure I didn't fold forward in a collision. MAN it must be nice to have a welder and know how to use it! I think I need to get one someday. (Before my AD COE project! )
seat mounting Rico, I hate to be the guy that casts a little doubt, but, here goes anyway. In one of your other threads, a while back, I mentioned the fact that with the entire seat riser removed, the cab IMO lacks sufficient support. The seat riser is part of the cab support design. I know many hot-rodders remove it but, without some support across the cab, from latch pillar to latch pillar, you will have trouble down the road. The rear cab support structure (underneath) does not span the cab, therefore, the channel just forward of the gas tank provides that needed support. I think you could replace the missing channel with a custom design under the cab spanning the entire width of the cab. Also, any mounting of seats should incorporate some sort of channel support, as the floor is only 18ga. sheet. Lastly, seat-belt anchors should be CAREFULLY planned and thought out. I don't mean to sound like a know-it-all, because that is not the case. I just don't want you to have trouble later when your truck is complete and any changes would be more difficult to correct.
The reason I haven't filled that in was because my plan was to take some 3/16" flat steel and underneath go straight across from one end to the other right where the back bolts are now for the seats. I plan to use those 4 bolts and sandwich the seats. The mounts are also 3/16" flat steel. After bolting that long piece of steel from one end to the other I will weld that flat bar to the bottom of the cab. You think that would do the trick? Also I could be wrong but I had to use patch panels to fix the floorboard and I swear the floorboard is 16g just like what I used for the patch panels. If you don't think the flat bar would work I might use some 1" round steel and run across the inside from one post to the other about 4" up Zig, welding is not that hard, the most important thing is penetration. Having it hot enough to melt the steel together. Welders are great to have. I'm always using mine.
Well seats are bolted ion, glad that's over. It was worth it though. Now I'm filling in the front part of the bed and filling in the post holes.
