THE 1938 FORD PICKUP TRUCK PROJECT

THE HOME STRETCH

	JANUARY - MARCH 2009 I have recovered from by tick-borne infection, and I am back to work on the truck. After I painted the bed last fall, I just set it on the frame, which is where it sat all winter. The first chore was to securely bolt it to the frame. First I installed the rubber pads between the bed and the frame. Then I bolted it down using a combination of original, reproduction, and Home Depot bolts. Then I installed the rear fenders with the bolts only finger tight. Next was to finish all the stuff that would be under the bed floor. I put the exhaust system together using Purple Horny glass packs. It is nice and loud! For the last straight section of exhaust pipe, I used some steel pipe I had lying around. After I get the tailgate and bumper on, I will be able to figure out how long to cut the stainless steel pipes. I purchased a set of stainless steel tail lights from Wescott's. They are a two-bulb system (brake and tail light), and I needed a three bulb system (brake, tail light, and turn signal). I went to NAPPA and purchased a pair of sockets that held two filament bulbs and dismantled them. I enlarged the hole in the back of the housings to fit the oval protrusion on the two-filament innards. The oval shape keeps the contacts oriented to the bulb and keeps everything from moving around. I had to "adjust" the bulb housing because the pin locations are different for one and two filament bulbs. I routed the wires through a stainless steel conduit that I picked up for $5 at a car show. The assembly ends in a plug (removed from my Toyota pickup before it went to the junkyard) so that the tail light assembly can be unplugged and removed if needed. I drilled some holes in the stake pockets and attached the tail lights with a stainless steel bracket. I added a license plate holder to the left side. Next came the gas tank. I picked up a 12 volt sending unit, some 1/8 inch brass pipe and fittings from Home Depot, an intake fuel strainer from NAPA, the correct reproduction screws from Roy Nacewicz Enterprises, and some AN fittings from JEGS. My initial idea was to drill two holes in the top of the sending unit, one to accommodate the fuel pick-up tube and one to accommodate the fuel return line. I am using a fuel injection system that incorporates two fuel lines, one for supply and one for return. The hole in the gas tank is only 1-3/4 inches in diameter, and all of this stuff would not fit. I toyed with the ides of drilling a hole for the return line in front of the sending unit, but there is a baffle in the way. Finally, I settled on the idea of using the the original fuel line hole at the bottom of the tank for the return line (D in the picture below). I assembled the pick-up tube from 1/8-inch brass tubing and fittings and installed the fuel strainer at the bottom (A in the picture below). I drilled a hole in the top of the sending unit and inserted the pick-up tube (B in the picture below). I installed it in the tank, but the pick-up tube offset the top of the sending unit and the screw holes did not line up. I enlarged the screw holes in the top of the sending unit (but not the cork gasket) and that worked (C in the picture below). Next time I do this, I will cut a second hole in the tank for the fuel pick-up and return tubes BEFORE I have the tank cleaned out and coated.

APRIL - JUNE 2009

My spring project was the doors. I hung the doors and installed the glass using a Juliano's power window kit. I actually did the right door glass some time ago, but had a problem with the glass binding before it got all the way up. I fiddled with it for a long time -- shimmed it this way and that way and tried all kinds of adjustments without success -- before giving up, I mean temporarily setting it aside. I installed the left window, and it had the same problem. In a semi-desperate attempt to try something I had not tried before, I disassembled the workings and cut about an inch off the channel that holds the glass. It worked perfectly! I did the same thing to the right side and it worked perfectly as well.

Next came the power door locks. I had some actuators that came from the donor Mustang and a junkyard Explorer. I tried for a long time to get the power door lock and key lock to work on the right door and gave up on the ides of using the key lock. It was a tight fit for the actuators. I had to grind off all the plastic nubbies to make it as thin as possible. I am using the arm rests with the switches from the Mustang, so I had all of the wiring. I got everything installed and all wired up. My truck now has power windows and door locks. Kool.

Finally, I attempted to install the remote keyless entry. I purchased a unit from Auto-Loc several years ago and installed it under the dash when I did the dash wiring. When I could not get it to work, I removed it and set it up on my workbench with a 12-volt battery, spare actuator, and spare Mustang arm rest (don't ask why I have a spare one). I wired everything together. I could hear the relays inside the black box clicking when I pressed the buttons on the remote, but no signal was coming from the wires. I called Auto-Loc and their tech help confirmed that it was wired correctly and that it may be a defective unit. However, since I could not find the receipt for it, they could not help me any further. I tossed it in the trash and I am in the process of looking for a remote keyless entry from a different company.

I did a couple of other miscellaneous things. One was to replace the ragged air filter that came with the Mustang. I wanted to buy one of those cool K&N air filters, but .... nothing ever seems to work easy. The Mustang came with a plastic 45 degree connector and a Purolator air filter with a 45 degree bend at the neck. The resulting bends made the air filter fit perfectly. K&N did not have an air filter with the proper bend. I looked at a bunch of different connectors but could not come up with a workable combination. I decided to just replace the air filter with a new one, thinking I could put on a new connector and K&N filter at some future date. The number on the air filter was partially missing. I ran a search for a 1988 Mustang, but the numbers did not match what I had. Using the numbers I could read and making up the ones I could not, I hit a match for Purolator A54855. The filter fits a 1994-2001 Accura Integra. What???? I took the number to the local auto parts store, pulled the box off the shelf, and pulled out the filter. It was identical to the one on my truck! How about that!

JULY - SEPTEMBER 2009

The summer sure went by fast. August was spent preparing for a vacation, taking a 17 day roadtrip to Quebec and the Canadian maritime provinces, and recuperating from the trip.

I installed and hooked up the gas tank. I poured in some gas and got my son to watch for leaks when I fired it. I started the engine and ran it for a while. No leaks! Amazing! I think that is the first thing I ever plumbed together that did not leak.

I attempted to make a floor for the bed. I do not have the big bucks for a fancy oak plank floor with stainless steel strips etc like the magazine trucks. I scrounged up a 3/4 inch sheet of pressure treated plywood and went to Lowes and purchased a 5.4 mm (1/4 inch?) sheet of oak plywood (made in China). I glued the two together and cut it to fit. The idea was to seal it with marine varnish to make it waterproof. After a week, the marine varnish (one coat) was still tacky. Very strange. I never had that happen before. I stripped off the varnish with paint remover, washed it down with lacquer thinner, and then sanded it really good. I then painted it with exterior polyurethane. After a week the polyurethane (one coat) was still tacky. Very very strange. I gave a piece of scrap luan plywood a coat of the polyurethane and it dried overnight. Very very very strange. I concluded that the Chinese plywood was treated with some chemical that prevented the finish from drying. I promptly tossed that project into the woods. I still like the concept -- pressure treated plywood on the bottom and oak on the top. When I get a chance, I have to track down some non-Chinese oak plywood.

I installed the running boards. It took me 8 hours to put each one on. Yep, 8 hours. The welting had to be cut to fit. Then I discovered that rear fenders were lacking holes where the running boards attach, so they had to be lined up, clamped, and drilled. Where a bolt went through the frame to attach the running board, there was usually a brake line, fuel line, or wires that had to be moved and then put back. I also had to loosen up the front fenders (and all of the front sheet metal) to line up the front fender and the running board. At this point I tightened the rear fender bolts (which I had left loose). I had to drill two holes in each fender where a matching hole was missing in the bed, frame, or fender. Since the front sheet metal was loose, I thought it would be a good time to put the front bumper on. I dug the bumper brackets out of long-term storage and proceeded to bolt them on. Should be a 5 minute job. It appears that the grille and grille sides are too low for the bumper bracket to fit. I am not sure haw that is even possible. I guess my next project will be to disassemble the front sheet metal and get the bumper on.

My garage attracts furry little critters. Over the past winter season, I caught 35 mice and 10 moles in my traps. That is a new record. I am at a loss to explain why moles, which live underground, are attracted to my garage. Even in the dead of winter when the ground is frozen and there are several inches of snow on the ground!!! In September, I had an invasion of a different kind of critter -- toads. My wife keeps her Jeep in the garage, and the toads really freaked her out. If I toss them out the door, or even across the street, they are back the next day. I have to take them deep in the woods to release them so they won't come back. Sheeesh.

OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2009

My truck is looking fairly complete but there seems to be a bazillion things that have to get done. It was a busy fall. I took off all the front sheet metal, drilled some new holes, and then reassembled everything so that the front end fits together without a huge gap on the right front side. I made a new bed using a piece of 1/2 inch pressure treated plywood glued to some AMERICAN red oak 1/4 inch plywood. The finish dried like it was supposed to. I installed the bed with 12 bolts. It should be quick and easy to remove if the need arises.

I bought a new remote keyless entry module, this time from Electric Life. The instructions told me I could cut the wires in the cab to install it. WRONG. Only one side worked. I had to run four more wires into the door and cut the wires there. The instructions said that I had to program the remotes. When I followed the instructions, nothing happened. Also, pressing the lock button on the remote unlocked the door, and pressing the unlock button locked the door. After checking five or six times to verify that the wires were hooked up according to the instructions, I called Electric Life.

Me: Hello. I bought one of your remote entry modules and I am having some problems.
Customer Service Rep: What is the problem?
Me: I am following the instructions on programming the remotes but it does not seem to be working.
Customer Service Rep: They come pre-programmed from the factory. Ignore the instructions.
Me: OK, but when I press the unlock button on the remote, the door locks.
Customer Service Rep: Just reverse all the wires.
Me: OK, but that is not how the instructions say to wire it.
Customer Service Rep: Ignore the instructions and reverse the wires.
Me: OK. Thanks. Goodbye.
Me (after hanging up): Why do they bother sending instructions with their product if the instructions are all wrong????

It did work fine after I reversed the wires. SHOP TIP: I used small wire nuts on all the wires while testing the unit. It made it quick and easy to reverse the wires.

I also hooked up a wire so the parking lights flash when I lock or unlock the door. Cool. Just like a 2003 Civic.

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