Sheesh! Another F-1 build...

[dmw56]

Very nice, your moving right along. Mine has a 4" chop and I'm using the column out of my 50 Studebaker.

 

[dyce51]

wow you're really moving along...Lookin great!!!

 

[TheTruant]

Thanks everybody


dmw56, yours looks great with the 4" chop. You can definetly tell that it's chopped. I might do 3" to have more of the "is it chopped?" look. Who knows though, it's a ways down the road.

 

[TheTruant]

Took my steering column stuff down to Clipper's place last weekend to get the u-joint welded on and the shaft turned down. He had a safer/better idea. Add a length of DD steering shaft so I could use a removable universal joint and most importantly it could be sleeved at the joint.

Here's the pieces...

Adding a few holes to the sleeve so it can be rosette welded.

Sleeved, TIG welded and trued up.

Another shot of it. You can also see the little tube/spacer pieces that he made that will weld to the column and bolt to the plate on the floor to keep the column from moving. Thanks so much for the help Clipper!

 

[TheTruant]

After getting it home and back together I didn't like that floor plate I had made. Dosen't need a big hole for the universal to come through now that it's removable. So I made a new plate. I rolled a flange on the edge of the lower sheetmetal piece as well so it'd sit flat, then put it all together.

I switched the bearing to the other side, makes it look a little more "finished" I think.

 

[TheTruant]

Then today I wanted to get the motor & trans mounts done, so naturally I did something else. Dug through the parts pile and pulled out a Chevy truck bumper (bouns points to the person who guesses the year). Flipped it upside down and checked it out.

Not to shabby...a little long though...

So I whacked 12 1/2" out of the middle...

 

[TheTruant]

Some welding, grinding, torch heating and hammer bashing and there ya go. Not perfect but good enough for this project

It's got that wierd little hump in the middle but the tag will cover it up. I think I'm gonna do a frenched/sunken tag though with a piece of wire screen over it, industrial work truck lookin' kinda thing....we'll see.

And a quick test fit...I think it'll work.

 

[clipper]

Great job Truant !!! floor plate looks good. I found some gas filler hose give me a shout when you can p/u.

 

[TheTruant]

Great job Truant !!! floor plate looks good. I found some gas filler hose give me a shout when you can p/u.

Awsome, thanks man!

 

[TheTruant]

I put my "universal" 4 speed shifter on and it put the handle under the seat. So I bent up a piece of TIG welding rod (coat hanger would serve the same purpose) to see what would clear. After a few test fits I had one that would work good. So I walked around the shop until I found something with the same radius that I needed my bends to have. Old brake drum from my Maverick rear swap was just the ticket. Pics tell the rest...

Oh yeah, thanks to Pops for lending a hand!

And here's my pattern laying on top of the finished product...close enough for me.

Clamped it in place and tried it out. Works great...could be 6" taller though...lol Once I get the motor and trans mounted I'll weld it to the other handle.

 

[TheTruant]

And I can finally say my steering is DONE! Woohoo! Got my set screws staked, bearing stop/collar in place, tie rod ends on and everything painted. Nice to turn the wheel and see the tires move finally.

Then took care of some misc stuff like shocks, grease fittings, cotter pins, etc. All the little things that eat up time. Far as I know the frontend is done...on to the motor and trans mounts.

Oh yeah, played around with dash ideas a bit.

 

[Gastrick]

That frontend looks great Truant.

PS - I think that truck bumper is about a "66" or so.

 

[hotrod preacher]

man i just read thru your build thread and LOVE IT! that is way cool fab work and on a very speedy time-frame too, it seems! there's not much sweeter to me than an old ford truck...even w/ a chevy motor (my 46 is sbc powered)
keep up the good work, and for my vote on that chop top i say go for the
3" "is that thing chopped" look

lovin it all, HRP

 

[TheTruant]

That frontend looks great Truant.

PS - I think that truck bumper is about a "66" or so.

Winner! '60-'66...I think they're all the same those years

 

[TheTruant]

man i just read thru your build thread and LOVE IT! that is way cool fab work and on a very speedy time-frame too, it seems! there's not much sweeter to me than an old ford truck...even w/ a chevy motor (my 46 is sbc powered)
keep up the good work, and for my vote on that chop top i say go for the
3" "is that thing chopped" look

lovin it all, HRP

Thanks HRP. I don't really care for the SBC myself but it was on hand, runs, was all setup for a stick shift and won't be seen with the hood closed so it's kinda hard to say no

 

[nitrozahn]

Lookin good! What size Firestone slicks are those? What is the backspacing on the wheels. I would like to run a similar setup on my 51.

 

[RABSBODYSHOP]

Truck looks great man i'm fixin to buy a 48 thanks for the ideas!

 

[TheTruant]

Decided to try and put the fuel filler on the fender.


No going back now...

Cut, welded, cut, welded & ground on a couple of stock filler pipes and came up with this. Not pretty but it dosen't leak, will never be seen and works good so....

Into a piece of flex and we're good to go.

Looks good to me...

 

[TheTruant]

Got my motor mounts tacked in an started on the braces. From paper to steel..

Using 1/8" so I decided to use two per side. Cut a couple spacers and held them in with a couple magnets to keep everything equally spaced and square while I tacked it in.

Tacked in....plenty of room...

With a fresh coat of paint...don't worry, I got the missed spots on the second coat

 

[TheTruant]

Next up was the tranny mount...out came the paper for this one...