New plan of attack for my project truck

[FORDification]

OK, I've been doing a lot of serious thinking over the past few days about my pickup truck box. For those of you who aren't completely up-to-date, here's the Reader's Digest version:

My original '67 SWB flareside box was seriously rusted, so I bought a parts truck on E-bay for the box, which also turned out to have some rust issues in the bed sides. So I decided to just save the floor area and cut some patch panels from a LWB box and trim the bedsides to fit. However, as discovered in this thread, one of the bedsides was even more seriously rusted-out then the others....and it was the last option I had that was readily available. I've been rather upset about it over the past few days and trying to figure out what my next move is going to be....and here's what I think I've decided to do:

I'm just going to take all the bed pieces I have and shove them back into a corner of the shop and forget about the box for now. I have plenty of other work to do getting the rest of the front sheetmetal ready to go, so that's what the new project plan-of-attack is going to be. The front fenders have already been sandblasted on the back side and coated with POR-15 and then painted....so now it's time to get started sanding down the front sides and getting them ready for paint, as well as the doors, hood and grille. The cab is already 98% sanded down, now I just have a few dents and dings to touch up and it's ready to go. I want to sandblast the inside of the doors and coat with POR-15 as far as I can reach, and use spray-in expandable foam to insulate and seal the door's window channels. I've also considered just sealing off those pillars with masking tape, turning the doors upside down and then dumping some POR-15 into those pillars and sloshing it around to coat the insides and seal them up.

I guess the bottom line is that I almost started to get a little disillusioned with the project since all the darned frustration with trying to get a good solid box put together, and decided that I would just have to change the plans a little, to keep things flowing along. In the meantime I will start keeping my eyes open for a good south-western rust-free box to use, and will just end up having to pay what will probably be a premium price for it. I just don't want this project to stall any more, so I'm just regrouping and laying out a modified project plan. I can always concentrate on the box after the rest of the truck is back together.

[heep70]

FLATBED

[HOWDY69]

Shock

Anger

Denial

Bargaining

Acceptance

All in two days. Good job!

[grounded72]

serenity now brother haha....... it'll all work out in the end

[xxxtina63]

SWB? If a 4x4 I'd say stepside w/vertical chrome pipes. On a 4x2 would look too much like a Dodge Lil' Red Express. Still cool though.

[flyboy2610]

That's what you have to do sometimes.
I had wanted to completely redo my truck all at once, but time and finances have forced me to rethink that. My object now is to get it driveable by next spring, and then do the things, like the doors, bed and rearend, that can be done later. Obviously some things have to be done now, such as new fenders, rebuild the engine, and put the C6 in it (I sold all the clutch linkage for the T18), but some things can wait till later.
Ya' does what ya' gotta does!

[spartman]

Sounds like you got your poop in a group on it.

That is the main thing on these projects is to not lose focus on the end goal.

I personally would love to see that truck of yours running and at least driveable by the end of this year.

That is with or without a bed on the back.

Just my opinion of course

[alvinator]

Keith, i know your gonna hate to hear this but in the Dallas area, I know of 2 or 3 place that would have a good bed for you to use. Too bad your not close by.

[kentdaryl]

Serenity now, insanity later. Hoochie mama!

[fordman]

what do you mean by spray foaming the window channels. are you talking about the roof pillars? or what i don't understand what your talking about or why.

and a lot of people put the bed off until last.

[FORDification]

I didn't mean the channels, I meant the window pillars in the door. But I also do intend to fill the windshield pillars with foam as well. Air coming in the cowl vent goes across the cowl and then up the pillars and into the headliner area. If the air is moist, the moisture will condense on the roof and then run down into the driprail area...which is what causes the dreaded driprail rust.

...and I guess I'm not really too worried anymore about the bed, except that it completely blew the planned chain of events. Oh well...a little rearranging of the priorities isn't gonna hurt anything. You're right, a lot of people do wait on the bed until last. I just wanted to be able to paint all the sheetmetal at the same time, but I guess it's not that big a deal.

spartman: I agree 100% with you. I'd actually have liked to see it together before now, but the growing family just keeps requiring more time and money. Oh well...I'm not complaining. I'm actually more concerned with doing it right than doing it fast. Actually, once it gets painted the reassembly of the remainder will go pretty quickly....as time/funds allow, of course.

[fordman]

yeah getting it all painted at the same time would be right. but i think you would have to put the bed on after the back of the cab was painted and the front of the bed. when people don't do that it makes the job look half done if you know what i mean.

[FORDification]

I was planning on painting all body panels prior to assembly....each one separately, out in the shop, including the box. Once everything was painted then I'd bolt them onto the truck. That way I'm assured of full coverage in all the nooks and crannies, and there won't be any surprises down the road.

[fordman]

i figured you would. you have done eveything else to the maximum efficency why stop now.