Another day, another truck

[Ron in Indiana]

I have a 58 W200 here in the shop that needs some work obviously or it wouldn't be here. I wasn't in the mood to start on a different project and it was to humid to spray primer. So I decided to pull the right front fender off this particular truck since it's been waiting for some time now. It had been dented in above the headlights. The fender was pulled forward with a mashed flare and wrinkled. It was pretty well beaten. I got the fender off and proceeded to beat it back into shape. With 4 hours work it's looking pretty good sitting on the truck again. I forgot to take my camera to get before pictures... duh. How's that go? Do as I say not as I do. Anyway the owner of the truck thought it was beyond hope but I managed to save another one. This one has only surface rust on the bottom side. I love banging out dents.

[MoparFreak69]

Ron,
Since you love beating dents so much can I ship you a couple rear fenders and have you fix em up for me? I love every part of a build EXCEPT the body working part. I guess I just havent beat enough dents, or sanded enough filler to get the real hang of it. Got to enjoy that today working on my drivers door.

Oh yeah, where are the pics? ;-)

[Thedahmer]

Ron,
Since you love beating dents so much can I ship you a couple rear fenders and have you fix em up for me? I love every part of a build EXCEPT the body working part. I guess I just havent beat enough dents, or sanded enough filler to get the real hang of it. Got to enjoy that today working on my drivers door.

Oh yeah, where are the pics? ;-)

what he said--- where are the pics?

[74w300uteline]

hold on fellas

Get in line

[Bruce]

Pis's

I want some more pic's, please?
Mail order body work, I don't know if that will catch on, but who knows, stranger things have happened?

I feel bad, I haven't touched my 37 in nearly five weeks, this knee crap is really starting to bug me!

[Ron in Indiana]

Ok sports fans I just uploaded to my Webshots site so here you go http://rides.webshots.com/album/578522508NTLyeZ

I haven't done anything more to this truck since I was priming the Crispy Critter today. I'll post the link to those pics on that thread.

[Thedahmer]

Ok sports fans I just uploaded to my Webshots site so here you go http://rides.webshots.com/album/578522508NTLyeZ

I haven't done anything more to this truck since I was priming the Crispy Critter today. I'll post the link to those pics on that thread.

Ron, so is this a truck that you are fixing up to sell or for a customer?? obtw the pod is KOOOL!~

[Ron in Indiana]

This is belongs to a friend of mine and we will be working it together once I get the other 58 done. I have plenty of work stacked up for the forseeable future. The pod is REALLY cool. It's strange to push on the brake instead of a clutch pedal when driving this truck. I has a 315 V 8 that runs well too. Should turn out to be quite a truck.

[Ron in Indiana]

I had to go back to find this thread. With the cold weather we've been having and it's to cold in the shop for filler or painting so I worked on this 58 W100 yesterday. The tailgate is shot beyond repair and Jerry had a better one in the bed. Of course the center hinge bolts were rusted fast. A little work with the blue tipped wrench helped out on the removal. Heat is a wonderful tool. Once the tailgate was off it was on to the rear valance panel. It came of fairly easily only three bolts were broken off at some point in time. Again a little heat goes a long way. The rear stake pockets were cracked at just above the four mounting bolts for the valance. I cleaned up the area with a grinder and mig welded the offending cracks. One more time with the grinder and we're good. A few spots to clean up on the valance and it's time to reinstall. I really like working with fine thread bolts. The left stake pocket had been hit at the tailgate chain latch pushing the pocket in about 3/16". I got some of it out with a 10# slide hammer but it's going to take a little heat to get the rest. Since it was only 30 degrees in the shop and close to supper I put that off for another day. I didn't want you all to think I've been hibernating this winter, just close to it.

[Bruce]

Pic's

Hey Ron, Good Morning,
It has been kinda cold here to. Please don't forget to up-date your webshots page for Jerry's rig, we all want to be involved so to speak. Heat is one of the best tools I've come across to. Quick ? about heat, or more specific, MAPP gas, how does that differ from propane, do you use the same tip?
Thanks,

[Ron in Indiana]

Good morning to you Bruce,
We were well below 0 here this morning with a high of 5-10 today. I should have taken some before shots but I got caught up in the work. I will try to remember some pics of the progress. My youngest son and I spent yesterday trying to get his Blazer running. This was a chore since I don't speak "Chevy". Ended up getting spark back to the plugs and him down the road again. I'm much better at repairing things I can see like dents and rust. Electrical problems are not my forte especially electronics. I'm happy with the old school way in our trucks, points, condensers, coil, regulators.

This truck was in my shop due to a bed full of parts and the others are buried under the snow. I'll be reassembling the Crispy Critter truck as soon as I can get it painted. Then to concentrate on a 75 crew cab. This 58 truck will be worked in as I find time.

[Bruce]

Weather

I'm not rushing you, so don't worry about that stuff. We have not had much of any weather except COLD temps, a light dusting of the white stuff last night, should be gone, excuse me, it's already gone!
Now don't get me wrong, compared to your temps, we are experiencing a heat wave, but I'm used to the mid 60's, my heat pumps are not used to this below freezing stuff.
The four units we have, three are air to air, one, the oldest one too, is a geo-thermal water source unit nearly 26 years old (we used to have 2 of them) does a bang up job for AC, but freezing temps just do not facilitate good heat extraction.
Now that I have said that, I think I need to start another separate thread just for heat-talk, what do you think Gordon?
BTW, What about the MAPP Gas, any input?

[Ron in Indiana]

Bruce, sorry I forgot that question. I've never used MAPP gas myself. I have an oxy/acetelene cutting torch and a small propane torch. The cutting torch is my main source and will heat a frozen nut in seconds. I will use my propane for tight spaces and more controlled heat but obviously won't get as hot as the cutting torch. The center hinge bolts go into caged nuts which wouldn't allow me to heat the nuts themselves. I cut the cage and nuts free with the torch. I can weld nuts in place or just install them in the regular fashion. I tried the wax trick with no success which was disappointing. I used an impact driver on the flat heat Phillips bolts but it stripped out the head. Looks like an order to Mar K for those along with a set of bed angles and strips. I've replaced bed angles on three trucks now and each one was a real job. At least the Mar K products fit like OEM making it easier to replace them. The bear of the job is drilling out the spot welds but that will come later.

My house is heated and cooled with geo thermal and I wouldn't have anything else. Heat pumps don't work to well when it gets this cold.

[Bruce]

I did a poll, did you see it?
I might need to bite the bullet and get a oxy-acetylene cutting torch set-up as I know I could never justify the $ of a plasma cutter. Are the bed angles your speaking of at the rear of the bed on either side, R & L?



Are these what we're talking about?

[Ron in Indiana]

I didn't see the poll when I replied but I just voted.
The bed angles are the ones on the insides of the Utiline beds. They are spot welded to the bed sides to set on top of the wood floor. I use my mig welder to reattach them. I've only used a plasma once years ago and like you I can't justify the cost at this time. A torch does what I need by cutting and heating metal. The torch it's self isn't that expensive it's the bottles. But by renting them it makes it more affordable. The welding supply house I use has used torch sets that have been reconditioned for sale.