C8 progress in Texas

[Phil Waterman]

Hi David

Here are some photos of the door handles on my Pat 12 C60l. The square shaft and the bezel seem to be fairly common what seems to be the issue is the length of the shaft, the Dodge ones I used as an expedient were about an inch to long, cut off and drilled and tapped for the inside handle.

Cheers Phil

[David DeWeese]

Thanks Andrew and Phil for all the photos and great information!

Phil, are your old outer handles available? If so, please let me know.

I did find some outer door handles at Mac's antique auto parts, but they don't look quite the same as the ones posted. Found inner handles also, but were also chromed, and not brass over steel.

Is this bare brass over steel thing just for military vehicles of the time? I've never seen it on anything else.

Ordered some of the canvas snaps from Ron Fitzpatrick Jeep Parts. My brother, the jeep enthusiast, said to order a few more than I need as they can get distorted when you try and install them.

Decided to re-use my original inner door handles. One was broken and missing part of it's outer brass sheeting. Found a brass key tag, then formed and brazed it around the missing part. With a little effort it turned out OK.

Thanks again!
David

[David DeWeese]

Thanks, Grant for the information!

Was apparently typing a reply while you were posting your's.....

Thanks again,
David

[David DeWeese]

Hi,
Got both my doors all welded up and fairly straight this weekend. There were lots of stress cracks, structural damage and some very deep dents to manage. The deep dents in both doors were apparently caused by the lack of door check straps fitted, which caused these suicide doors to slam into the rear body.....and must have happened a lot on this truck! If you saw the condition of the door latches, you would know why.

Received my door snaps for the canvas window openings on Saturday. They installed OK using light pressure with a large "C" clamp. I used brass tarp eylettes in the two upper holes in the doors. Didn't know what exactly went in these holes, but one of Andrew's photos show a brass fitting in one of them. The tarp eyelettes were an exact pressed fit, and I had them already, so I went with them for the time being.

The 1934 Ford door handles will go away once I order a correct reproduction pair, but they do look kind of stylish, don't they?

Also sorted out my windshield wiper hardware and installed the grab handle on the passenger side floor.

Thanks, David

[Phil Waterman]

Hi David

The vertical or top surface holes hold a tapered molded units to hold the door window frames. This also is a standard old Ford part used for the same purpose holding door side curtains in open cars that didn't have roll up windows. Think I have seen it in Macs. I'll take a couple of pictures of the ones on my truck.

Wonder work you are doing, the truck is going to be a true prize when it is done, heck its a prize now.

Cheers Phil

[Bob Carriere]

HI David

The door holes... the ones on top, are as Phil describes, meant to hold the round rod steel support for the canvas side covers. They are available from Mac Auto...... who also has the proper door handles.

The early cab 11 doors did not have door straps to keep them from hitting the cargo box. In fact in some early WW 2 Canadian manoeuver pictures all the trucks seem to have the doors open all the way back..... as if they hade been tied in the extreme back position to make getting in and out easier.

Some cab 11 were retro fitted with the strap.... which in turn created additional strees points in the sheet metal.....most cab 12 had the straps built in at the factory.

Did you have trouble installing the 3 "hat" shaped fittings in the door..... did you have the proper tool that Mac sells.......????

Here is the big question for me...... I have original side curtains that I procured from Dirk.
BUT I have never seen what the steel rods, that are inserted in the canvas, looks like.
Anyone out there that has pictures and measurements.... should not be too hard to repro.[COLOR="Green"][/COLOR]

Sure enjoy reading about your progress ......

Bob C

[Ganmain Tony]

Ohhh goody. My favourite thread is back..

Again, very resourceful choices when there is nothing else available. Well done

Phil and Bob - have you got the part numbers for the door handles and those rods for the door canvas?

I am itching to get both these items.

By the way I didnt realise you Chev blokes spoke Ford???