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B-73 Restoration


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Since I finished my three winter projects (engine, transmission & radiator) and there's still snow on the ground, I figured I'd continue assessing the cab. I was able to get some time in before work and remove the doors. This cab had some previous damage to the back panel and the repair work was horrible. The lower panel and rear window panel were factory replacements and were also barely attached. Once you open up the cab, it's pretty simple construction. before I remove anything else, I'll cross brace everything to prevent shifting.

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Is the timber in your floor a factory item? I think all the old w model Kenworth's here had timber floor. Makes sense too, better noise and heat insulation. 

If your previous work is anything to go by, that cab will look great once completed. 

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1 minute ago, Timmyb said:

Is the timber in your floor a factory item? I think all the old w model Kenworth's here had timber floor. Makes sense too, better noise and heat insulation. 

If your previous work is anything to go by, that cab will look great once completed. 

Yes, there is another piece that I had just removed on the passenger side.

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  • 1 month later...
21 minutes ago, Red Horse said:

Matt- too lazy to go back to page 1-so what is the plan in terms of WB stretch?  This going to be another roll back?  If this had liners the rails look good-at least to my uneducated eye!

Yes, pretty significant stretch to a single axle roll back I have stored in a friend's yard. The frames are close and will slide together with an 1/8" shim down the length of the overlap, which will be over 6' plus creating a double frame. This is the donor frame and body that I had to move for the barn work.

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Loved the old flathead caddys, The porcelain exhaust manifolds were one of a kind! My dad rebuilt a 48 wreck, I can still  remember rubbing out the black lacquer! I was about 14! He wanted to keep it, but my mother said it looked too much like a hearse😁Nice work Matt! That's an antique welders hood!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Busy day!! Went to my storage yard and brought home the back half of the project, separated it, and brought back the parts I don't need yet. Leaving just the frame at home to be stripped and prepped. Three round trips in the B-43 and all before the rain started, I'm beat!!

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After positioning the donor frame in front of the barn, spent today assessing and stripping the frame back to where the overlap ends. I'll have just short of 8' of overlap on the frame. Found some scale and rot that'll have to be addressed. Good progress this weekend, next several weeks I'll have limited time so it'll be slow

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9 hours ago, Red Horse said:

Matt-just out of curiosity did you ever price out rails from P.G. Adams?

My original plan was to fabricate everything and then mount the body. As I looked at the donor frame, I found that it would slide over the original making the stretch and mounting much easier and quicker.

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9 hours ago, mattb73lt said:

My original plan was to fabricate everything and then mount the body. As I looked at the donor frame, I found that it would slide over the original making the stretch and mounting much easier and quicker.

Freighttrain & myself did something similar.   I can't say for him but I didn't use any type of shims.   Everything pulled together    like it belonged.   I bolted it through 3 of the mack crossmembers then added the fuel tank mounts and some other brackets through the splice as well.        I think my overlap is about 4'

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4 hours ago, Hobert62 said:

Freighttrain & myself did something similar.   I can't say for him but I didn't use any type of shims.   Everything pulled together    like it belonged.   I bolted it through 3 of the mack crossmembers then added the fuel tank mounts and some other brackets through the splice as well.        I think my overlap is about 4'

A couple of years ago I posted a question of the frame stretch, I think Freightrain responded with some pics of his stretch. That and a few other responses confirmed that it was pretty sound to go forward that way. Most of my measurements are close and just need to be tightened up a little. Right now I'm thinking that there's 1/4" difference from inner to outer spacing, that could be made up with two 1/8" shims down the overlap. I still need to finish cleaning both sets of rails and then finalize everything.

My plan is to use the two Mack cross members where the original axle is, then staggered bolts in between. There'll be two more cross members  where the donor axle is. The Mack axle will fit the springs that are in the donor frame. It has a Eaton twospeed under it now that'll be removed. The plus is the body is already mounted and will just need to be remounted. Looks like there'll be about 7' added to the wheelbase.

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34 minutes ago, mattb73lt said:

A couple of years ago I posted a question of the frame stretch, I think Freightrain responded with some pics of his stretch. That and a few other responses confirmed that it was pretty sound to go forward that way. Most of my measurements are close and just need to be tightened up a little. Right now I'm thinking that there's 1/4" difference from inner to outer spacing, that could be made up with two 1/8" shims down the overlap. I still need to finish cleaning both sets of rails and then finalize everything.

My plan is to use the two Mack cross members where the original axle is, then staggered bolts in between. There'll be two more cross members  where the donor axle is. The Mack axle will fit the springs that are in the donor frame. It has a Eaton twospeed under it now that'll be removed. The plus is the body is already mounted and will just need to be remounted. Looks like there'll be about 7' added to the wheelbase.

Matt-what was the donor truck?

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