mattb73lt

L parts pretty scarce, as you're aware, especially cab parts. Fenders are a whole separate issue, as there's several variations. Splicing a few together might not be too bad to make a good pair.

I had a good mentor show me a few tricks on doing bodywork that I've built on since. Patience is key to having it come out to where you want it. Sometimes you have to redo your work, as in the radiator shroud. This truck has been my biggest and most challenging project I've ever done. I just want it a certain way, but want to be able to use it and enjoy it without it being a barn/hangar/trailer queen.

It would be cool to build a 0 mile truck out of that RD!! I could think of several versions of what I'd like to build.

Ok, that'll do. Don't know what I was thinking when I painted it the first time, but it's better now

No, they're just Home Depot specials I've had forever. The other ones are Eastwood padded workhorses for bodywork which are great for this stuff. And you're right about collecting up stuff for a decent shop!

Jackstands? I see two different types of sawhorses if I'm looking at the same photo? No, I was never at an auction in Oxford.

Block sanded both fenders and made some spot repairs to a few areas. Then hit them with another decent coat of epoxy primer. The second coat adds some real depth to the paint when you shoot the color. Tedious and time consuming to do but worth it for the look, plus block sanding them makes them look really straight. I also had to pull the shroud back off the radiator for a re-shoot. I did the radiator back about 4-5 years ago and all my other paint work has come out so nice it made it look like crap. So I scuffed it down and hit it with some high build primer to fill in the pitting that was showing. I tried taking a picture of the left fender to show the difference of the second coat to the first coat from 2/23, but the resolution doesn't really show on the computer. Anyway, it's just primer not gloss black. I'll let them sit for a while before a final sand and then paint.

Here's another.

Seeing this coming together is really gratifying, dirty and crappy at times, but days like this are great!

WOW, that's all looking so nice!! Great work. I had to do the same with my instruments and go with Stewart-Warner's. They're close, but the best thing is the newer ones are internally lit.

It is nice when things start to turn one solid color. It starts looking more complete and finished. I started doing smaller batches because when I’m doing finish work I seem to get a better product and can concentrate on that individual piece than running back and forth to cover several. Large batches, like the frame parts, I wasn’t so concerned with gloss but more for coverage.

1961H67, I was wrong it is almost daily! Wed,Sun and today. Three batches this week, but just the headlight panels today.

I think I'm gonna need another gallon of paint to finish all this up. The weekly load of red, two more down and a few small pieces done

I have to agree with a lot of what AZB755V8 said. I was trying to be non-specific on the value of your truck and speak more of the emotion of making a decision before you're ready to do so. I do feel the value of the truck is well north of that value stated. Trying to put a value on something that you've poured so much into (time, money, effort and desire) is very difficult. Many people that knew your father should be willing to help in your endeavor. Many posts here have mentioned things that you should take into consideration in making your choice of what to do. But, only you can know what's right for you and your memories of your father. I wasn't going to post these pictures, but they might be appropriate for your thoughts. This is a picture of my father with his beloved Cadillac at one of the last shows I was able to get him out to. He even picked up a trophy for it that Wayne Carrini presented to him. I maintained that car for him for over 15 years and modified it with power steering and brakes so he could drive it longer as his Parkinson's got worse. When he no longer could drive it, I chauffeured him around to shows or just to take him out to lunch in it. Looking back, now that he's gone, are memories that are becoming priceless. For now I'll keep it and enjoy it, but it will probably go at some point, when the time is right. Matt

My condolences. It's a beautiful and desirable truck. It's value should be inline with the above statements. Unless circumstances move you otherwise or if you have no desire at all for it, I would suggest holding on to it for a while and maybe mothball it for a period until you have a clear mind on what you want to do. A similar thing happened to me with my father's '41 Cadillac. Not my kind of car and not one that I would pursue, but it was finished and drivable and actually has turned out to be a fun social car to drive around with friends in or go places in.

There’s no rebuilding this. Such a waste.

I've seen this aircraft at Bradley IAP (KBDL) in Connecticut a few times several years ago while it was there to transport new helicopters from Sikorsky to Europe. Massive doesn't even begin to give you a scale on it's size. I've been on C-5 Galaxies before and this is so beyond those. Such a shame and all of this is so unnecessary.

That's great and I'm glad it's given you some motivation!! I've been at it not quite that long, but I would say an earnest effort over the last six years and had it stored about 20. It does get tough at times to stay motivated, but when things start looking this nice it really helps.

10 more pieces down and only 12 more pieces to FINISH!!!!!! That should happen in the next few weeks in probably two batches. I can't believe I'm running out of things to fix and paint. Still a ways to go for assembly, but it feels so good to see a little glimmer at the end on the restoration tunnel.

I found a set of NOS KD517's still in the boxes a while back. I had to flatten the bases to fit the roof profile a little bit. I have a few old bases that are still usable, if you want I can send you some pictures? Someone else asked me about them but never followed up to what I sent them.

One of the big considerations was stone damage. With my current truck, I've had some stone dings from rocks coming out of the grooves in the tires as you come up to speed on the highway.

A tip 'o the hat to harrybarbon and my wife(who actually suggested it!!), but I actually brought my fenders into the dining room to cure up due to the winter temps. I shot the underside with Lizard Skip for a few reasons and rather than heat the barn they came into the house.

Forgot to mention I added mud flaps to the new fenders and added a stainless strip I made to the top of them, that I buffed out later. The original fenders had them but they were just plain flaps. I wanted to add them back to protect the fuel tanks from damage.

No direct answer, but inquiries to Coke or Mack archives for photographs? Or maybe a Coke product collector's club as another source? Barring that, maybe some light sanding in key areas, like you've shown on the radiator shroud, to determine break points and colors of the paint scheme? My cab was painted mostly green over the factory red for the company it was leased to, with a LOT of pin striping to dress it up. Most of it lost to time and repaints and not how I wanted to go with it, just the overall red. Just some thoughts.

Try to leave a little more of a gap in spacing the pieces together, don't butt the edges together before you tack them. It helps with alignment, expansion and will give you a better/flatter weld.