Finally back to work in the shop My C.O.E.

[xtremek]

I've got a question. That mount for the sleeper seems like it's hung a long way out there. Why didn't you triangulate it? I'd be afraid it would bend. Just curious. I'm liking what I see.

 

[HOTFR8]

Was thinking about you project last night and these adverts came to mind.

Don Strasburg is now owned by a Company here in Castlemaine.

The same Guy is a Car enthusiast.

He did an advert for Yellow Pages.

and later and advert for Shannons Insurance.

So Don forgive me and have a laugh when I say your project
"Is Don. Is Good."

 

[don long]

I've got a question. That mount for the sleeper seems like it's hung a long way out there. Why didn't you triangulate it? I'd be afraid it would bend. Just curious. I'm liking what I see.

xtremek
I appreciate your concern.

However the sleeper is part of the cab now. It is welded to the cab as one unit The cab has a front and rear mount along with the core support mount. the sleeper also has a mount in front and the lighter one in the rear. The one in the rear of the sleeper is mostly for reducing viberation and it is sitting on a piece of 3/16 plate that is welded to the frame x member

Does that make any sense??

Was thinking about you project last night and these adverts came to mind.
Don Strasburg is now owned by a Company here in Castlemaine.

The same Guy is a Car enthusiast.

So Don forgive me and have a laugh when I say your project
"Is Don. Is Good."

Simon
Sorry that you are loosing sleep over my project. lol
I think that it is good????

 

[HOTFR8]

Simon
Sorry that you are loosing sleep over my project. lol
I think that it is good????

No lost sleep. Just been thinking "Is Don, Is Good."

 

[xtremek]

Makes perfect sense. I can't wait to see the finished project.

 

[BBChevro]

Great thread Don (I'm subscibed), I love old COEs (they're a bit of a rarity down-under).

If the Land-Rover glass doesn't work out, the rear corner windows from an old N or NL series Volvo truck might work (the early N is about 6" in both directions and the later N & NL series are about 6" x 18" - both about 15" tall) - just another option.

I'm looking forward to the next installment.

 

[Justanoldguy]

Here is a nice NZ down under COE just finished from a 4 year build.

 

[BUGTHUG]

That's one of my favorite years. I just missed buying one a couple months ago

 

[don long]

Justanoldguy
That is a beautiful truck. I hope it doesn't take me 4 years to build mine
I do want to work on mine again. I just keep getting side tracked with signs and things. when a good deal comes up you must grab it

I just spent the last 3 weeks buying, transporting and hanging signs in the party garage now I have to redo the diner wall because of a huge neon sign that I just bought. Then back to the truck I hope.


BUGTHUG
Too bad you missed it
Those are very stylish trucks

 

[Parabellum]

Here is a nice NZ down under COE just finished from a 4 year build.

That's similar to the Kount Kustom's Chevy COE flatbed tow truck.

 

[BBChevro]

quote (from another thread)

"...I need to get back on my COE soon, to many interruptions from the party garage and making changes to it"

Yes you do Don


Only kidding - I can't talk, it will be years before I get back in the garage

Mark

 

[HOTFR8]

Oh No updates .

 

[Stooge]

Oh No updates .

and more disappointment when i saw the thread at the top and hoped to find an update

 

[HOTFR8]

and more disappointment when i saw the thread at the top and hoped to find an update

We may have prompted him.

 

[9c1nova]

Hi Don,
as usual, admiring your attention to detail, in all your projects. Have been watching for something that will work for your cab corner windows. On the way in to work today saw a late model Kenworth conv. day cab, perhaps this could work??
I couldn't just get the photo, so copied the site!

http://www.kenworth.com/media/9831/kenworth_t800_brochure.pdf

What do you think?

Bruce

 

[don long]

Ok guys
The pier pressure is just too much for this old man to take any longer

I haven't totally walked away from the truck even though I have been cleaning up some nagging little projects. I have been working on the right side of the truck and sleeper getting the right step to fit the opening between the fender and the sleeper.
The step has been cut and welded back together.
Now I must drill holes in the step and fender in the front and in the rear drill into the sleeper to hold the step while I mount the step brackets to the frame to support ones weight when standing on the step.
Then I can remove the right fender, sand blast it and do the body work it needs
before priming it.

 

[HOTFR8]

Don, you are at the stage you have progress on the project but simply have nothing to show us.

 

[don long]

Let me bring us up to speed again since it has been a couple of months that I have neglected the old truck

Back on track
I finally spent the day working on the C.O.E.

There were a few unfinished areas that needed attention
1st we had started to finalize the sleeper body mounts
They are now complete

Next was the framework for the lower sleeper areas. Remember that the left side will be a storage area The right side will be the door to the rear of the truck where the stairs will be installed.

I spent the largest part of the day working on the right side, I have a set of rolls but had never used them before today, I rolled the lower front corner of the sleeper and fitted it to the side of the cab

Now that the space between the sleeper and the front fender has been established I can go back to work on the step I will section it about 4 inches
and bolt it up to the kick panel coming down from the cab (it holds the lower front fender in place so the step must be strong

 

[don long]

Today I worked on the step plate and the brackets



The right side step held the battery tray and the battery cover acted as the second step to climb into the cab. It was in pretty bad shape with extra holes in it for the tie down etc.


So I welded up the holes then cut a center section out of the step because I want both factory ends on the step, and welded the step back together. I fitted the step to the opening, drilled bolt holes in both ends of the step so I can mount the step without the step brackets making it possible to find the correct spot to drill and bolt the brackets to the frame




Then I ground the welds and filled in the low spots with bondo (my favorite tool)
and primed the step and brackets

 

[HOTFR8]

Always good when you get some thing to the primer paint stage.

 

[BBChevro]

It's really good to see some progress again Don - we were having withdrawals.

 

[don long]

Thanks Mark
It feels good to make a little progress again

I hope to do more better at working on it lol

Don

 

[slickgt1]

Another dope build. Love this custom stuff. Subscribed for more.

 

[don long]

Well I finally have a pic to share
The step is finished and the back panel has been rebuilt
Remember this panel held the battery and battery case so I had to patch in a panel 6" x 8"





Next up is to take the dents out of the right fender and get it into primer

 

[HOTFR8]

A little progress always makes you feel good.

 

[don long]

It was hot out in the shop but I managed to move the truck off the lift far enough to get to the front fender and pull it back into shape
The metal is so thick on these old trucks that it takes a pretty good hit to get the dent out but it also makes it much easier to metal finish rather than bondo up

I really like the low stance the truck has

 

[e-tek]

Great to see son progress - even better to see some shop pics!
The metal is so thick on these old trucks that it takes a pretty good hit to get the dent out but it also makes it much easier to metal finish rather than bondo up

That a way to start a whole new topic Don
I was nearly a believer in that it only seems thicker because it was heat - formed and therefore 'stiffer', but its barely a gauge thicker....

I really like the low stance the truck has[/QUOTE]

 

[don long]

ED

I haven't measured the thickness but I know that the cars that we were working on in the late 90s and into 2005 you could push a dent out with your hands

and this stuff on the old truck won't move with my pick hammer It barely moves with a slide hammer or I was hitting it with the corner of my utility dolly

 

[BBChevro]

I know what you mean Don, I can remember working up quite a sweat working out a very minor dent in the fender of my father's '46 Maple Leaf (Canadian Chevy) log truck many years ago.

It looked like it would be real easy - it wasn't.

 

[MP&C]

I did a measurement on panel thickness on my 52 F7, and found the hood to be 19 ga like most other body panels of that era.

A measurement of my front fenders showed them to be about 17 ga, or about .054 in thickness.

There isn't all that much difference between the two panels, but one thing I've seen in shaping metal here recently, you really notice the difference going from 19 ga to 18 ga in trying to get that little bit of extra thickness to move. For long, sweeping fenders like your COE has, I think the "eggshell" effect plays a large part in adding strength, in much the same way that pressure applied equally around the shell of an egg make it virtually indestructible. I've heard others mention that because of this it makes those fenders seem thicker than they are. It would be interesting to see what the thickness measures out to on your front fenders.

This is coming together nicely, an awesome look!

 

[don long]

Thanks Robert
Now that I am back in town I will mike my fender and let you know

I do know that the metal didn't move easily but it did file nicely

 

[don long]

I'm working on the left fender of the truck so I thought
i would mike it to get the thickness
.0625 that is what the mike said or 16 gage steel
compared to the metal in todays cars this is thick

 

[MP&C]

Don, thanks for measuring the thickness, another tidbit to file away. They must have wanted the extra beef on that front end to support those fender steps..

 

[rarevair]

Since all body panels start out as a flat sheet and stamped, they most likely are not the same thickness all over. The more the metal had to stretch to conform the thinner it will be. So where do you measure?

 

[noelalford]

I thought you might want to see this truck, it reminded me of yours a little. I think it's because the sleeper is wider than the cab. I hope you're well and back to work on the C.O.E. soon!

 

[Wanna Ride]

Forgot all about this thread. Can't wait to see more progress on this beauty.

 

[HOTFR8]

Must be time for another update here Don ?

 

[don long]

Does this help

Working on vette while I have help
along with several smaller projects

Truck is still in the shop however

 

[HOTFR8]

A little.

 

[BBChevro]

Any little tidbits you choose to throw in our direction are welcome Don.