mattb73lt

After finishing up the mock-up and marking everything for disassembly, I was trying to figure out how to get at the front pillars to get at some rust. Well, I guess I wasn't done taking it apart. So, I removed the cowl completely.. I can definitely get at them this way.

I'm very optimistic about this. Alignment seems good and I keep using the old pieces to check. It'll all come apart again for finish work and heavy priming. I still have to attend to some issues with the lower A pillars.

Seems like it will all fit together. Finished all the modifications to the right sill/jamb, then test fit it all together along with the new rear floor panels. Lots of assembly/disassembly, test fitting, fitting the old parts back in, seeing if it will all line up. Still a ways to go, but it's getting there.

Yes, the aluminum castings were welded there. The guy that did these is close by, MaGee’s is farther away and running back and forth would take too long.

Thanks, I'm trying to make it my best one yet. I really like the style of this truck. Trying to be patient and get it back together right. I've had to drop it several times and walk away for a breather when I found myself frustrated or rushing/

I had another fabricated locally from a donor I picked up and cut apart for a pattern. Mine was too far gone and broken from the accident. The fabricator did a great job, considering how complex it actually is.

Luckily no surprises when I got it back from the blaster. The areas that were slated for replacement opened up a little more, but the rest was solid. And no real bondo, several layers of paint was about it. Now to start putting it back together so it doesn't look like a rolling jigsaw puzzle when I'm done.

It's hard to estimate the man hours due to how long I've had it. It's always been a back burner project, as I was about to start my other B just when I found this one. So, I've done and collected what I needed over the years in between other projects. A lot of items are already done and stored, ready for assembly. This is the part I've dreaded, it's just dirty, time consuming work. I have the knowledge and experience to go this deep, just not all the equipment to do it. Fabrication is adding to it's cost, but it would be even higher to buy the equipment for what I see as a one time restoration. The cab has always been the roughest part. The truck was used hard up until, from what I could figure, around 1987 when the engine was removed and it was essentially abandoned outside until I found it in 1998. With that and the typical New England climate, rust has taken it's toll. Almost all of that is gone now, with new panels to go back in or existing ones repaired. It would have been nice to find one from your area, but getting it home would have been cost prohibitive. This style cab is somewhat rare and not easy to find. I saw one for sale up in Canada, but a close look at the photo's it looked like it might need similar work and again the cast of getting it home. This is certainly the most in depth restoration I've attempted and there won't be hardly anything that hasn't been touched.

OMG....What have I done!!!! Final cutting today and the most serious. The cab is where I need it to start the repairs. Sills are carefully cut apart and completely removed. On to working on the new panels to fit and modify them. My framework seems to be doing it's job and nothing seems to have shifted. It'll be a while before I post so there's more significant progress to report.

Got the cab back quicker than expected, like less than two days. I was expecting at least a week. No big surprises. Got some primer on it late today, tomorrow I'll start cutting in to the sills for their replacement.

It's a 1968 Kaiser Jeep M715 5/4 (1 1/4) ton. Not quite stock, SBC 350, p/s, p/b, 12 Volts and 4.10 gears (from 5.86 stock). All so it's drivable. It's been getting a good workout helping with the restoration.

A quick test drive to see how the new ventilation system works. Actually, off to the dry stripper. We'll see how much comes back or if disaster awaits!!

Ok, glad these are helping you. There is a small step on the door side of the panel, where the door closes flush to it. Having no cowl vent door, it would be a lot easier to fabricate the whole panel. I just roughed out the passenger side, today. It was a little rougher than the other and required three sides of it to be repaired. I over lapped the repair panels over the damaged areas. They're now trimmed, fitted and tacked together. I'll finish welding this on Monday.

Here's some pic's from today. The patches were made locally and in the same gage and made longer to overlap damaged areas to allow for trimming. pretty simple bends and no curves. Hope these help.

Straightened out several of the rear formers that had damage and getting back some more pieces from the fabricator. Local shop, that's been really good to work with and fast. Test fit all the rear sheetmetal and the donor cab top together for fitment. It all lined up, even the factory holes on the top to the original pieces. I think the top dates from 1948 and the cab is 1960. I have some hope this will all go back together.

Yes, it was salvaged from a fire truck a friend gave me. The cab was rough, but I carefully dissected it and ended up with some better pieces or at least patterns to make replacements.

Slugging away at this cab. Test fit the "new" cab roof, had a local fab shop bend up some patch pieces for the cowl sides. Got those back today, he was fast!! Parts are still coming off and a big part of the floor came out today. The cage I welded into the cab is starting to come into play as I'm slicing away. I may have to slow up on the cab, as I'll need to get it to the dry stripper before much more comes off, as my roll back is in storage. Still surprising how much dirt and debri keeps coming out, even after the big steam cleaning I gave it. Probably swept up 5+ lbs over the last week.

Good thing I didn’t mess it up while machining it up then! I have one of his steel ones on my B-42. They do look nice.

I bought it from Doug Fetterly about 16+ years ago. He makes and markets repro steel and stainless B model bumpers.

No, I bought it years ago. Just machined the footsteps and mounting holes from the remnants of the original. Took a little ingenuity to support it while working on it. Then I rebuffed it.

Primed all the repaired parts, cross members and mounts for the frame and driveline. I'll store them until I'm ready to start assembly. Due to much improved working hours, this truck could be back on the road in shorter time.

Hopefully, It will. After I repair the lower cab and a few other areas, I'll start repairing the panels one by one. Then start the reinstallation. Just going to worry about it one panel/repair at a time. It's kind of daunting looking at it as a whole. This is the worst part of the whole restoration.

Back at it again. I've had some consistent time to devote and have gotten a lot accomplished. I had all the aluminum frame castings repaired where needed. Then I machined all the repairs and replaced all the holes on the Bridgeport. While I was doing that work, I made up a polished stainless bumper to replace the mangled aluminum one. Finally, welded in about 60' of 1" square tubing to brace it as a removed the final panels for repair.

But it has the rare sun roof factory option!! It's worth it just for that, in somebody's wild dreams.

I think I might go that route, I like that you can paint overt it.