Ford Blitz Restoration/Rebuild

[Private_collector]

passenger door primed 1.jpg
The passenger door was rubbed down by 1030hrs and I was ready to setup for painting. Door was hung up and wiped down with prepsol. The weather was looking unsettled and there had been light drizzle off and on.
passenger door rained 2.jpg passenger door rained 1.jpg
The rain stopped and clouds looked a little friendlier, so I mixed the paint. Thats where things turned decidedly NASTY. Rain returned, got heavier, clouds got blacker and wind started. And there's 700mls of paint thinned with hardener added, and I was damned if I would waste it. I had used this tarp before, when painting the cab frame, but then it was to keep the sun/heat away, not rain. Got the tarp in place and started spraying. All went well UNTIL the rain turned monsoonal and the wind carried spray back under the sheltered area. This paint is just so forgiving. No more than 10min (max) after last coat applied, the spray mist started getting on the freshly painted door. I kept the air-dust gun moving the water around on the surface until weather cleared, then got the door into the shed as fast as I could.
passenger door painted 1.jpg passenger door painted 2.jpg
After blowing off the remaining water droplets, I saw no rain damage on the paint.........anywhere!

[cliff]

Tony you should have done what I did when it first started raining - Used it as an excuse to go inside and have an afternoon Nanny nap LOL!

[Private_collector]

fit of windscreen frame to cab.jpg
Some time ago, I was pondering if the windscreen support frame needed a pack or shim to align it properly. My concern was that it sat out further than the edge of cab, and both the vertical sections were wider out at bottom when measured across to the centre post.
drivers door fit 1.jpg drivers door fit 2.jpg drivers door fit 3.jpg
When I did a trial fit of drivers door this afternoon, I discovered that it touched the windscreen support upright. This contact starts when about 30-40cms away from door closed position. This despite the hinges NOT being tightened fully against the cab. This will definately require some effort to correct, and a thick shim (roughly 3mm) will be manufactured to keep the windscreen frame upright post away from the door. I will bolt in the window assembly to check it still fits too!

I reattached cab rear panel and tightened into position before attempting door hanging and discovered that it is leaning slightly forward, bringing it to contact rear of the door. This will be easy to fix, and i'll add it to the list of things to do tomorrow.

To do list for tomorrow:

• Remove nose panel for better access to door hinge bolts

• Buy slightly longer bolts, to allow for shim thickness

• Make shims x2

• Make alteration to rear panel so door closes

And I discovered that the modern bolt version of hinge to door are ever so slightly thicker heads, so they will need to be removed and shaved to original specs, or this too will cause contact against cab frame.

If these vehicles were intended to be thrown together by unqualified laborers then I don't understand why they didn't make far greater tolerences in panel fit. It wouldn't take any more effort in design stage and might have made the workers life easier. Now I know they didn't give the proverbial about such things, but jeezus, think of us poor restorers would ya!

[Private_collector]

No 'nanny nap' for me Cliff. Not today anyway. It would have put a whole week behind if I didn't get that thing painted, besides i'm too stingy to waste the already mixed paint. It's the Scottish heritage in me you see?

I once dropped a 20c piece, and bent down to grab it sooo fast that it hit me in the back of the head!