C8 progress in Texas

[David DeWeese]

Thanks Jim and Bob,
Bob, any creativity here is actually driven by desperation or lack of money, and a pile of junk I have retained over the last 30 years.....
My motto is never throw anything away, you will eventually need it!, (finding it again when you actually do need it is another matter).
Got that right fender ironed out, along with the front sheetmetal, and painted and installed them today.
Are the 1/4 inch machine screws correct for the front sheetmetal?
Thanks, David

[Bob Carriere]

Hi David

What size nuts, bolts, screw head is like saying you finally discoverd the exact shade of OD green used on January 14th 1940 on a cab 11...... whi si rigth and who is wrong.

Most cab 11 have had the nose removed many times by backyard mechanics and most of the fasteners have been changed.

You rounded 1/4 in. screw heads are not far from original.....but again "Waht is original..?" around here we those old type fasteners were refrred to as "stove bolts" ...common and cheap.....certainly would have met the production standards at the time.

I have included two picture of my truck at theearly stage of disassembly....notice the mix of 6 sided 1/4 bolts and round screw head.... the only difference is they mostly used washers to spread the stress on the sheet metal.

I personnaly believe that they were all originally assemble using the slightly rounded ..."domed"... 1/4 inch screw heads as usually found on the inside panels that were not subject to as many disassembly..... the domed head was a counter sunk 1/4 screw and used a counter sunk washer which we refer to as upholstery washer today. The domed head screws are still available today (even in SS) and so are the washers in chrome, plain steel and stainless.

But as I said yours look the part particulally when you are consistent and they are all the same.

If you have trouble getting the paint to stick to the screw head try the acidic bluing compound for rifles..... leaves the head dark blue/black and will help paint stick better.

I wish my truck was progressing as fast as yours.

[Phil Waterman]

My Pat 12 had a mixture of pan head and hex head screws for engine compartment and sheet metal. Last time I looked for the screws large pan head slotted head I got them through Fastenal http://www.fastenal.com/web/home.ex I'll try and find the part number. Long and the short of it was bags of 100 cost what hardware store charges for 20-30.

Cheers Phil

[David DeWeese]

Thanks Bob and Phil for the info!
Not trying to become a "bolt Nazi" on this truck,(my brother and his GPW Jeep can take that honor), just want to come close to original when choosing new fasteners.
Got the grille and guard repaired, painted and back on this weekend. The guard kept warping when tightened to the bumper, but I won in the end after several hours. Was there supposed to be wood blocks between the bumper and the inner guard brace?
Repaired the front liscense plate holder also.
It's about time to get it wired and running before I put any more stuff on.
Thanks, David

[Bob Carriere]

Hi David.....

You need some steel tube spacers on those bumper bracket bolt to keep them tight without distorting the upright. We made ours of suitable thick wall tubing cut to proper size. Original I have seen are made of rolled steel.... and typically rusted.

You are doing super job.......

I had my rolling chassis for a spin in the back field today and tried to climb a large 12 foot pile of wood chips...... at least 45 degree angle. Just using the fast idle, from a dead stop, in low gear got me to the top without even spinning..... chickened out trying to reach the flat top... and backdown..... it felt like I was going to turn over backwards....but what a rush..... next time will use a video.

Bob

[Alex van de Wetering]

Repaired the front liscense plate holder also.

So, that's what it is! My C8 has the remains of one as well and I couldn't figure out what it was.

Excellent work again David....the cab looks nice and straight.

Alex

[Phil Waterman]

Originally Posted by Bob Carriere

Hi David.....

You need some steel tube spacers on those bumper bracket bolt to keep them tight without distorting the upright. We made ours of suitable thick wall tubing cut to proper size. Original I have seen are made of rolled steel.... and typically rusted.

You are doing super job.......


Bob

To repeat Bobs works you are doing a supper job.

The bumper brush guard spacers seem to be one of those things that did not change from 11, 12, 13 Pattern. Being of the same design from my 1941 to 1945 picture below is of my HUP bumper and spacers but is the same being just lengths of pipe with and ID just large enough for the bolts and length so that they provide a solid block straight across the edges of the bumper.



Cheers Phil

[David DeWeese]

Thanks Bob and Phil for the spacer information. I knew something wasn't right there.
Decided it was time to start on the Duple rear body. After one costly attempt at guesstimating the correct dimensions,(one partially built rear body in the scrap bin), Mike Kelly kindly sent me his plans for the Morris version. Many thanks again to you, Mike!
Will still have to figure out how to form the upper sides. My sheetmetal guy says the body sides must have been originally die-stamped, and he was unable to bend the tops. Will think of something...
Anyone have suggestions on how I can replicate rivets? There are many rivets used on this body, and both sides of them will show.
Thanks, David