How To: C15a Wire-3 restoration

[Jordan Baker]

Hi everyone

I finally got some photos of my new project for down the road. Its a late 43 into 44 production as it had a round roof hatch. Origianly it had been a sigs truck but im told the body was rather gone. So the previous owners used an older trailer body instead to make it into the the GS version I know its not accurate but I want this truck to be useful around the family farm without having to worry about puttng dings and dents into it.

If anyone has some leads on any spare front grills or window frames I woudl be really interested to hear from you.

[Jordan Baker]

Here is the next photo.

[cmperry4]

Very nifty - that trailer box doesn't look half-bad on the back. I'm sure someone will translate the markings for you. Sorry I can't help with parts - I need what I've got. (And what I'm missing, of course.)

[Jon Skagfeld]

Originally posted by Jordan Baker
Here is the next photo.

Jordan:

Those Tac Signs/Call Signs applied to the rear of your vehicle are totally inappropriate...as in "No-Go".

Suggest you remove them in the interests of preserving some modicum of proprietary interest. (Look up all the funny words in your Concise English Oxford dictionary.)

If you're gonna show it off, do it right!

[Jordan Baker]

Don't worry about the tac signs as they wont be staying. Everything is going to to be painted in a nice SCC15 colour sometime this summer. Heck I don't even have the truck at my grandparents place! I will be kepping this box until an original one comes along for a "very" good price.

I know this truck will be handy when Hay bailing season is among us.

[Jordan Baker]

Well after more then 1 year from the last post I figured I should start to do something with my truck. Last fall I pulled most of the cab apart to store many of the components inside for the winter. I have since spent the last year picking up parts that I did not have here and there.

It has only been in the last few weeks that I have started cleaning up many of the parts and priming them.

Today was painting day. I managed to get a whole bunch of parts painted in SCC2 today.

[Jordan Baker]

Rear end

[Jordan Baker]

And here is most of the parts that I painted today. Even thought I could not make it to BB1 (BB2 just for A. Blair) I at least spent half of the weekend working on a CMP.

[Jon Skagfeld]

Jordan: If you have the data plate info, please post.

[Jordan Baker]

Jon, unfourtunatly the data plates that came with the truck are for a C60. Thats where the dash and I believe the dog house came from.

Anyway here is another picture of some of my progress. I still have to clean up the gauges and track down a speedometer but I have everything else.

One question I do have is what went in the small hole to the left of the dash jewel?

[Jordan Baker]

More parts painted in the final colour.

[Jordan Baker]

More parts freshly primed

[Jordan Baker]

I also managed to get more then 3/4's of the cab cleaned up.

[Jordan Baker]

Not only was it jsut cleaned up but it was also primed.

[Ken Hughes]

hi jordan
you are doing an excellent job there.
i was wondering why you dont do more with the lower rear cab panel
a good panelbeater could tidy up that panel for you by heat shrink and hammer and dolly,wouldnt be perfect but would look better,perhaps i should explain that im looking at it with a panelbeaters eye and am not being critical.
if i wasnt around the otherside of the world i would do it for you, keep up the great work,i enjoy seeing your progress

[Jordan Baker]

Thanks for the compliments Ken. I though about smoothing out all the bumps but I actually don't mind them. I find it adds "character". Thanks for the offer to come and fix it up though.

Another days work has paid off. In between spitting rain and sunshine I managed to get the entier lower cab painted in the SCC2 colour. Once the engine is pulled this winter I will get those last little bits I couldn't get to.

[Jordan Baker]

ONe thing that I have found is that my back panel has holes drilled for a second Pyrene extinguisher bracket.

[Jordan Baker]

And just for fun I added the window frame/ roof support and the doors.

[Jordan Baker]

Started work on cleaning up the nose of the truck. I still have the inside to do and a bit on the outside. I also managed to get what I had cleaned up primed to keep it from rusting again.

[Alex van de Wetering]

Jordan,

What do you use to clean parts? Do you use a wire brush type disc on an angle grinder? Or some chemical stuff?

Alex

[Jordan Baker]

Hi Alex

I use an angle grinder with a wire brush cup on the end. I find it does a really rgreat job on gettting paint and rust off. It also does a good job of smoothing out where I have used a grinding disk.

[chris vickery]

Jordan, Its also not too difficult to re-skin the lower section on a 13 cab. Its only 18g metal and does make for a nicer looking cab...

[Jordan Baker]

Its been a long time, but the old truck is finally getting some work done on it. Sadly it had to sit outside for about 5 years or so while I worked on other projects. However I did remove all the small stuff and kept them boxed up inside.

Now that I have my own place and shop, I have been able to start in on it. My plan is to remove components a couple at a time. Clean them up/rebuild/repair and get them primed. Once Im done tearing down the truck to a chassis, Ill start the reassembly of it.

Here is what the cab looks like as of now. Ill try and get some better pictures posted in the next day or so.

[Alex van de Wetering]

Jordan,

Good to see your back at it. Working space and a roof above the project is definately positive for this hobby


Alex

[Jordan Baker]

More disassembly. Pulled off the cab frame work. I also bought a mig welder last week and have begun to try it out. Currently Im just using the fluxcore wire that it came with. I did some welding up of some rust holes in the pedal plate and added the reinforcing strip along the back of it. Now I can't wait to weld more things.

[rob love]

Personally I use the mig with the gas myself. I think it's a cleaner weld. But the welders I worked with in Kandahar told me they actually prefer to use both at the same time: flux with the inert gas.

One thing to watch out for is the polarity of the gun. If you change to inert gas, or go back to flux wire, you have to reverse the polarity just inside the welder where the cable attaches. Otherwise you will pull your hair out trying to get decent welds. Please don't ask me how I know this but suffice to say it's a lesson I have learned twice.

[Bob Carriere]

Hi Jordan

Once you have tried gas you may never go back. It makes you a better welder.... at least the welds will look better.....cleaner...less grinding.

Also try the "non stick" spray when you are welding a piece that will remain visible..... it keeps the little balls of slags from sticking to your work and speeds up the cleaning job.

Remember to start on a clean piec of steel... or clean it with a flap wheel....MIG is not good at welding on rusted metal.

The more you weld the better you will get.

For tight precision work.... use an automatic shading head piece. I also use a couple of 500 watts lights on a tripod to illuminate the work so it can be seen clearly for the start of your weld. To keep the ceiling lights from reflecting off the inside of your helmet I have pop rivetted a piece of leather about 12 in.x 12 to the upper baqck rim of the mask and it creates a shadow. That by itself allows me to start a clean bead or stiching exactly on the spot needed...... improves my delicate work tremendously. Nest try to simulate spot welding...real easy...... predrill the top piece....sandwich the two metal and weld inside the hole..... by playing with the heat setting and wire speed ( on practice pieces) you can almost eliminate any grinding.

Just watch your hydro bill go up...

Cheers

[Gordon Yeo]

Bob

It's only us old guys that can't see any more and need all the back lighting. Jordan is still a kiddy by comparison, he won't have that problem.

Jordan

Bob has sage advice on the auto darkening helmet. They are really great and might be a help with the new learning curve.

Gord

[Jordan Baker]

Thanks for all the tips/advice on the welding. Im just so happy that I can now do more of this stuff on my own without having to send it out.

Anyway got the engine pulled out along with more parts off of the frame. Im trying to get it down to a bare frame and other large components. The feed mill on the other side of town has offered to sandblast all the big stuff for me.

[Jordan Baker]

Frame all ready for sandblasting. Por15 paint ordered. Hopefully I will get the frame back this week and it will be painted.

Here are a couple of pictures of the frame being pulled out of the shop and then waiting on the driveway for pickup.