mattb73lt

Here is another pair of tools I used to work my gutters. Two small slip joint pliers. Because of their twist I could reach inside the gutter lip and work small sections back into shape, then I used my little dolly and smallest body hammer to finish off the gutter. That small hammer is probably my most used one out of my set. Light taps, backed up with a dolly can do a lot of straightening.

Ask around to locate a good spring shop. A good shop can do a lot to get them back in shape. From the pictures you posted it looks like only a couple of leaves are broken. You can have a shop just replace what's broken, if the rest are OK. I have two rear springs sitting on my barn floor you could have, but I'm farther away from you than Yarnall. .I've seen several trucks with air ride setups under the rears at shows. I think they're OK and if you run empty will probably give you a much better ride. Especially if your truck is a short wheelbase. Lot's of bucking when going over bumps.

I've used several different media's on my restorations. For heavier materials I'll go with actual sandblasting (frames, axles and heavy bodies like my steel deck on my B73), to glass beads on sheetmetal that's got some corrosion. If it's sheetmetal that you're looking to remove mostly paint I'll go with soda blasting. I did the entire front clip and doors on my B42 that way and the metal looked like it came right out of the presses, minus damage/dented areas. On the cab I did mostly mechanical methods, a DA sander with some heavy grit discs to remove layers of paint. Chemical is OK, I've done other vehicles that way, my '27 Model T I did that way. So it depends on what you're working with. Find a good dry stripper business and see what they offer. I used an Aerospace company that does dry stripping on the side that I've used on both B models for sheetmetal and aluminum parts. The B73 had a lot of aluminum castings and sheet metal they did. Most of the parts below were done by that Aerospace Parts company I mentioned.

I had to fabricate new ones as the originals and a pair I salvaged were only good for patterns. They’re fragile once you cut them off due to corrosion and loss of material from the spot weld cutter. If you can fix them in place or just repair small segments, that’s a little easier.

I had to on my L cab, but that needed a lot of work. On my B42, I just worked them in place. I made a few dollies out of round bar stock and flat stock. The round stock fit inside the lip and the flat stock was used as a handle, welded together. If there’s no rot or other damage, I would try to work them in place. If there’s signs of rot, I would look at removal to get in there and stop it. Clean up both sides of the gutter as best you can to expose the seams and spot welds to come up with a plan to cut them apart. A wire wheel on a 4” angle grinder and a good quality spot weld cutter are your friends there to open it up.

A lot of history in those layers of paint! They look pretty solid.

First, take care of yourself and heal up! Glad you're home. So when you drop the bolts down from inside the cab they don't pass through the lower portion to the exterior and protrude? The interior spacing looks standard and unless someone replaced the lower mount or it's damaged, the bolts should pass straight though. All three holes should line right up, interior to exterior and then the bolts should continue through the frame mount.

If you're talking about the rubber discs, I believe they are the same. The only difference in the mounts were between the cab and radiator. The cab ones had solid almost solid backs with a little ridge around the base. While the radiator ones had cupped backsides, making for a softer mount. The ones I've bought were all the same, now. As for the structural parts, they should at least line up. Mack advertised their "Diamond" pattern cab support, having four points of contact with the frame. Two in the center of the cab back. Then one under each corner of the forward cab points. Finally, another pair under the radiator. The only differences I've seen between the B81 and B61 cabs, was where they dropped the floor a few inches under the driver's feet. Pictures would help to see what your issue is?

Here's something else I had to fabricate, the door check stops. I couldn't find these anywhere, so I made them out of a scrap piece of stock I had laying about. The pivot pins are actually 16P nails, cut off then peened over on the bottom.

Yeah, I kind've went all out in restoring them. Took them completely apart to re-chrome everything. A little over the top, but I was pleased with the results. If you do go for re-chroming the vent window pieces, there's some small parts you'll need. Like some pretty small hollow rivets for reassembly. I've got the source and part numbers for you if you do. It's looking great and you're nearing the end of a long road. After the doors, your fenders will probably be your last big hurdle.

The only thing you can’t get for them are the rubber vent window seals. I sourced most everything from Restoration Specialties. To dress up my inner door panels I put in stainless hardware from Totally Stainless. The doors look in pretty good shape. As long as there’s no real rust or damage, you’ll go right through them. A little trick on the vent window seals. If you take them out, be careful and go slow. They can be brittle and they’ll crack and break on you. If they’re covered in paint, don’t chemically strip them, the chemicals may dissolve the rubber. Run them, gently, through a glass bead cabinet to remove the paint. I did mine that way and they came out really nice.

Went up and checked on the B73 this afternoon and take some measurements to order some underframe storage boxes for my equipment. All is well with it. Hopefully, it'll be back home in about two more months

If you notice the spacing between the brake and accelerator, you can see it would be easy to work both pedals with your right foot by rolling it while pushing in the brake and rolling it to the right. That pedal spacing is not stock but of my own design. I use the same technique in both my trucks. I know of the technique you speak of, but never had a need to do it in a truck. I mostly use the heel to toe method for down shifts, while braking and using the Jake.

I just usually "heel to toe" it when I need to. Left foot for the clutch and the ball of my right foot for the brake pedal. Then roll my right foot to the right for the accelerator or pivot my heel over, depending on the pedal spacing.

Damn, he's getting big!!

Age mostly. As plastic ages it becomes brittle and actually shrinks. Then add the UV's, solar heating, hot and cold cycles and someone wrenching on it all day, cracks will form. If you watch some, you'll see gaps opening up where it's cracked. Plastic is a petroleum product and "off gasses" as it dries and cures. Hence the PVC smog that forms on the inside of you cars windows and the New Car smell it has when new. Then it smells like sweaty man ass, fuel, oils and exhaust after a while.

Fiberglass is pretty easy to work with and as JoeH just said, adding strength and reinforcements to the underside can bring back integrity to the overall structure. However, you need to really evaluate the overall condition and the efforts to bring it back as you dig into it. The man hours you expend may be better spent elsewhere, at some point. I had several items on my restoration that I worked on and then found better replacements as I progressed. The fuel tanks were one item. The cab was the other huge one. But, not finding any reasonable replacements, I was forced to proceed on fixing it. Several friends thought it was beyond hope. Just a little food for thought.

You've got your work cut out for you with that hood. I agree with Mean Green with removing the bondo and any other foreign materiel that's been used to repair it in the past. Some of those cracks look pretty significant and my concern there would be loss of strength and rigidity, causing it to flex and deform. I would do the bigger repairs right on the truck like it is to keep it's shape. Then tackle one repair at a time, with the larger ones first to build some strength back into it. It's been a while since I did fiberglass repairs but it's not too hard to do. Do you know anyone who repairs boats or has experience with fiberglass? It couldn't hurt to bend someone's ear to gain some knowledge or some good techniques about how to get it done.

And progress on the little one, too!! He's going to remember all this time spent helping his Grandpa for the rest of his life.

It's looking great. Lot's of progress on it for the last few years.

If you think the bumper, bumper to frame extensions and the frame are all straight, I would look to the front radiator mount as the next point to check. There are two rubber mounts in there that support the entire front clip. They are on the bottom of the radiator support frame to which everything mounts and bears down on. If one has failed it can throw the whole front end off. You can use the same rubber mounts for the cab and transmission there. The originals were slightly different as the back side was cupped and made for a softer mount for the radiator. There's less weight there than on the cab or transmission. You can also shim those mounts with large fender washers to adjust if some thing is bent. Pctures would help to see where your alignment is off, as we're all guessing where things are off.

Wow, you really tore into that quickly!! If you’re that deep into it now, may is a very strong possibility.

Berlin Steel Construction. They were still big when I moved to town, 30 years ago. They’re still in business, but seemed to downsize the yard here.

I always liked those hard nosed R's. There was a steel company in my town that used to run two, long wheelbase, single axles flatbeds with a grapple crane mounted between thw cab and bed. Your's looks clean. You'll probably run right through quickly and have it done. Good Luck!!

Cool family story and what a history with that truck. It must've been quite the trip up and down Route 1 back then!!