Pick up Restoration (Part 2)

[davidmiles]

The bottom repair patch that I made shown tac welded into place ready for its seam welds.
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[davidmiles]

The bottom of the cab back with the tac welded repairs in place, plenty of surface rust still to be dealt with...[frame][/frame]

[davidmiles]

The edges of the new metal need to be ground down to the correct profile of the cab back, just
one last piece of folded metal to be welded into the middle of the bottom rail, nearly there.
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[davidmiles]

While the rust treatment dries and does its stuff on the cab back, I'll take a look at the petrol tank. Its been in storage since wibble puppy donated it to my project last year before she went on her travels. The surface was covered in light rust. But after a sanding good metal was found underneath.
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[davidmiles]

after removing all the rust and coating it in rust treatment no holes were found.[frame][/frame]

[davidmiles]

A coat of red oxide primer and hammerite black and its looking pritty good, Away it goes back into storage to await its time to be fitted on.[frame][/frame]

[davidmiles]

continuing with the rust removal of the cab back, step by step, each rusty patch is being ground out and rust treatment brushed over the bare steel.[frame][/frame]

[davidmiles]

A big piece nearly ready, the rust is all gone and its now drying off ready to be sanded smooth.[frame][/frame]

[davidmiles]

partway through its initial paintup, the inside of the cab back.[frame][/frame]

[davidmiles]

It needs a bit of a tweek to get it to sit correctly, but the cab back is nearly in place..
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[davidmiles]

while Ive got it out in the open I may as well take a few pictures and admire it myself..[frame][/frame]

[davidmiles]

that positive camber on the front nearside wheel is a bit of a concearn, still, bodywork first, mechanicals later.
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[davidmiles]

Once Ive got the cab back correctly bolted on I'll be able to start welding up the tub sides and the rear valance .[frame][/frame]

[davidmiles]

Thats enough for today, I'll tuck her away nice and tidy in the garage and do some more tommorow.
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[sgray]

It's looking good. It's sort of odd to see the way the cab back sits so far inside the sides - hadn't noticed that before.

[davidmiles]

Ahhh, no buck plates fitted so far, they hide the impression of the sides going in deeper, perhapse. As yours is an immaculate, together pickup, you probably don't notice that aspect.

[davidmiles]

Success at last, I was begining to wonder if I would ever get the holes to line up. So I unbolted it again, held it there with masking tape while I went around the back, and slid it in bottom first, then swung the top closed. It was such a relief to get the last bolt in. phew!
Of course once its been spray painted the bolts can be loosened off to get the rubber seals in place.
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[davidmiles]

The offside buck plate went on with no hitches, just the nearside one to go on, then I can start welding the tabs to permanantly fasten the tub sides.
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[davidmiles]

Today was one success and one setback. It started well with the seperation of these tailgate Hasps from the rusted bolt plate.[frame][/frame]

[davidmiles]

They bolted up fine with new screws from the nut and bolt shop in Hove, All I had was a couple of fragments of the screws and the scottish lad in the shop measured the thread and came back with a bag of twenty for £8. Brilliant service, mind you imperial stuff is double the price of metric fixings.[frame][/frame]