Pick up Restoration (Part 2)

[davidmiles]

I had thought of drilling through the chassis side flange into the floor panel adjacent to, but not in the way of, the seat to floor anchor points. and bolting it down, or bolting in a sandwiched wooden spacer made of marine ply,. but the rubber spacer idea sounds good too. The floor panels can't need shrinking, quite the opposite as they are laying 12mm short above the chassis. But if I can bolt them down it may get rid of that intollerable flexing/drumming every time I put weight on the floor ahead of where the seat will be.

[aupickup]

shrinking will not affect the height distance
i had this on a van with a restored floor and the body shop man shrunk the floor and hey no more drumming or flexing
still its up to you what you want to do

originally there was a rubber pad where i said anyway

u seem to know more than us

[Dean]

How do you "shrink" a floor? ? ?

[taupe]

To shrink a stretched panel you heat part to cherry red , then quench quickly.

It shows how to do this in the manual section R22 - Though you should probably substitute a wet cloth for the wet asbestos!!!

[davidmiles]

Thanks Taupe, is that the original 1960's Morris manual you are refering to there?

[davidmiles]

Also is it common to have a gap between the floor panels and the chassis or are my gaps a fault with the rebuild?

[les]

You should expect a gap between chassis and floor. At least it allows water to run away instead of getting trapped, the gap will naturally occur anyway, because the strengthening strips would touch first. I suppose a piece of hard non-porous material coated in waxoyl could be inserted---can't think of any disadvantage as I type this. Glad you're keeping on track, I've just got the rear tub to do on my van. Unlike you though I've not been working through the winter!

[aupickup]

if u had had worked les it would be finished by now, you should work harder

[davidmiles]

With MDF spacers under the floor ( waterproofed with hammerit and waxoil ) and the drivers pre-restored seat fitted the drumming was gone. The bottom bar of the seat frame must help provide some rigidity to the floor. Thank my lucky stars I don't need to heat the floor panel to a cherry red colour to solve the problem. I can now strip out the steering wheel and the seat and get cracking on the rear tub assembly.[frame][/frame]

[ptitterington]

No matter what you do, the MDF will eventually turn into weetabix. Meditite exterior would be better or your first thought of Marine grade ply. My lorry had strips pf pine between the flatbed and the chassis and it was in good order when I swapped it over with a tipper frame. (the wood had been there for at least 15 years.)

[davidmiles]

yes your right, the mdf stuff isn't hardy enough, even with several waterproof coats. Still at least it prooved that the floor flexing can be got rid of with a proper thickness spacer. Better get myself over to Hove Chandlers for some Marine ply.

[aupickup]

its a bit of a bodge really to put any kind of ply , timber etc, in there
use thick hard rubber if need to, and is better

[davidmiles]

Rapidly moving on, the pickup is easy to move in and out of the garage now. Great for getting it into open space to work around it.

[frame][/frame]

[davidmiles]

Managed to cut out the plug weld and slide the floor edge underneath to make what will be a flush floor.[frame][/frame]

[davidmiles]

with the drivers seat fully back you wonder if there's enough space in the curve of the cab rear panel to encompass it.[frame][/frame]

[davidmiles]

The cab back is in reasonable shape, can't wait to begin repair work on the bottom edge, that will come once the rear tub is assembled later this week when Ive got some free time.[frame][/frame]

[mmjosh]

looks really good mate i bet you cant wait till it is all roadworthy so you can go to shows i know its earl but have you decided what colour you are going to have it.

All the best

Josh W

[les]

Regarding the seat clearance from cab back, mine touches and has always made an annoying creaking sound.

[davidmiles]

hI josh, I'm going to put it back to dove grey as the original pickup. Les you've got me thinking, the drivers seat does give some fine adjustment, looking at the picture (shows how nuts I am about this, just finished work, gone midnight and I'm out there photographing my morris's seat, hope I didn't disturb my neighbours, I'd have the cops calling thinking there's a breakin) The adjustment looks to be at maximum extension, so I can ease back into the cab a little if it, as you say, causes rubbing in contact with the back of the cab. I bet these cabs are cosy in the winter.
[frame][/frame]

[sgray]

I bet these cabs are cosy in the winter.

hahaha - when the heater's working perhaps..