Grampa's 60

[Walys60]

Okay, got the front end finished. This isn't the 'latest' video but is the beginning of the end of the front

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So, now here is my dilemma...I decided that I wanted to keep it 'patina'. The body is straight as an arrow and it really has the 'look' for a good patina truck. Or I should say it HAD the look. Once I started after it with the pressure washer, the white that painted over the seafoam back in 62 kind of went sideways.

I don't know, I'm a little too close to the project obviously and was hoping I could get some honest opinions of the patina as it is turning out. Either way I'm going to keep going with it...if I end up scrapping the patina and just repaint it all has to come off anyway.

Oh, also, there is a new product that clearcoats patina paint. Specially formulated to adhere to it (mechanically) vs. regular clearcoat which is designed to adhere to paint (chemically). So whatever I end up with after getting all the 'loose' pain off is then protected and will be stopped from deteriorating any further.

Anywho, let me know what you think please!

[ilvracn]

parts of it look good and other parts do not look so good. try a da sander with med fine paper and see if you can feather it out a little. just my opinion

rick

[Walys60]

Originally Posted by ilvracn

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parts of it look good and other parts do not look so good. try a da sander with med fine paper and see if you can feather it out a little. just my opinion

rick

Thanks for the feedback ilvracn! I have done a little work with 00 steel wool (see picture) and was going to move to 'ultra fine' scotchbrite next. I have been keeping it to a small area toward the front of the bed...maybe a foot from the front edge back. You can start to see a little blue coming through. I don't want to go too deep but that area is VERY rough texture wise so I have to get to something smoother at least.

Anyway, I will keep on going with it and will switch to the DA if needed as well. Thanks!

[Walys60]

Okay, to start with here is a current picture of the frame minus the rear-end and the rear end itself. I finished the front end and pulled it back into the shop about a month ago and have been working on the rear end since then.

I have my usual parts problems at this point. I think I will post about the engine mounts in the engine forum but I'll just ask if anyone else has run into the problem of locating a pinion seal here.

It is the Dana 60 with a 4.10 and I just kind of figured this was going to be common enough to be easy but it isn't. I got 2 different ones from Autozone, checked the one O'reilly's had and ordered one from 'the car and truck shop' online and all of them were wrong. I have also spent quite a bit of time scrolling through pictures on Google and I don't see anything that 'looks' right. I know the replacement likely doesn't 'look' exactly like the original but I have to assume the seal 'form' is pretty similar along with the inside/outside diameters.

Anyway, this is a big hold up as I have otherwise finished the backend and it's ready to go back together.

Once I have it done, it will just be a matter of wire brushing/painting the under side and figuring out the motor mount situation. In the meantime we'll be getting the engine to the machine shop and get it done and ready to go back on the frame. Then that will just leave the body for next year. Fingers crossed.

[Walys60]

A miracle happened...I got the engine back, completed, from the machine shop!

I think the main miracle was the fact that I had to order half a dozen parts for it (main bearings, rod bearings, timing chain, etc.) and ALL of them came in as the CORRECT part!

I went ahead and had him do the assembly as I would probably have had to wait a year or 2 for my brother to come back and help me with that. Worth every penny of the $500!

All the major parts went through the 'bath' but none of the hardware did. I never found a bolt kit for it and the machinist said to just stay with the original stuff, they aren't modern 'torque' bolts. Unfortunately I didn't think about the possibility he wouldn't run those through the chemicals, so just sent em bagged and tagged 'as is'. Oh well, I had a few hours in prep but I was able to get it pretty decently prepped, and then shot the Ford red on it. Definitely 'close' to the original, but could use a little more orange in it.

I have to say, this was the best rattle can paint job I've ever done...I guess I have gained 'some' skills over the years.

Anyway, I will probably get a couple accessories cleaned and painted but then I'm leaving town for 5-6 months, so won't get to put it in the frame till Fall some time.

[Walys60]

Oh, also, I used the original pistons. They have a little scoring on the skirts but generally in good shape. The concern was the little bit of scoring on the cylinder walls and there was some pitting from rust, due to sitting disassembled for 4 years. I asked for the machinist opinion and he said that it would run fine, but probably 'use' some oil. I wasn't going to pay $2500 for pistons...sorry, just not going to do it when parts are getting more and more scarce, to the point that the next part failure might be the end anyway.

For me the decision was either rebuild it 'as is' or swap it for a 350. It was a very disheartening thought to consider a 350, as I have spent YEARS tracking down 'original' parts for the chassis. Had I thought I might need to go with an engine swap I would have just thrown a square body front end on it and had power steering and easy to replace parts!

Anyway, I went with keeping the original 305a and live with the results. He called me a few weeks later and told me he had researched and it turns out he could take off .002 and still use original pistons! That got ALL the scoring and corrosion. I went and looked at them after and they're like new, except for a tiny ridge at the top.

Very excited to get this thing and and start it up this Fall. By winter I'm going to be putting body panels back on! (remind me I said that this time next year if it's still not started, lol).

[Ed Snyder]

Glad to see you're finally making progress again, after we last heard about your project two years ago! Never give up.

[Walys60]

That's crazy, I didn't even notice that...2 years, wow.

I hadn't progress that much between updates either. I did get the rear end back in and hooked up some lines and stuff. I got the motor mounts all figured out and purchased, not a big list.

Oh well, I turned around the other day and my 5 year old was a junior in college too. I guess that just how it is now.

[Walys60]

For the heck of it, I went back and looked for the first post about starting to actually work on the truck and it was Aug 2017. Nearly EIGHT years ago I started this, lol...wow. Well that's what you get when a computer guy tackles a frame off restoration I guess.