M37B3 Project

[Cal_Gary]

Thanks for the update, Joe!
Gary

[RCrombie]

Always nice when you find less rust than expected! I had the same issue with rot on the frame, especially the crossmember that runs between the rear spring hangars. Apparently an inviting spot for mice.
Looking forward to pics!

[k8icu]

Well I got out to the garage for a few hours yesterday as we had one day of good spring weather before spring decided to go south again on us. As I stated before I finally got the frame, front clip and cab out to the blaster in middle October and got it back in early January. So here are a few pics of the frame and parts after blast and prime.




I had a few areas that didn't fair that well in the sandblasting. For example this is part of the bracket that holds the back of the front fender onto the truck. . But I did a little bit of cutting, grinding and welding (CGW) and some primer (I need to get red just didn't have it yesterday) and it looks a lot better.

I also found on the rear shock mounts that mount to the frame some quality control issues. Where one of the mounts fits to the frame it looked like the mount had been cut and welded and bugger welded at that. I'm not a great welder, but I'm better than that. The problem was when you looked at the other side it was a nice smooth casting. It took me a while to figure out that what that was was just slag from the casting and not a weld repair or anything like that. I ground that down and it looks like it should have when it left the factory. Sorry I don't have a pic. I was working away and forgot to take one.

[Cal_Gary]

You go Joe! That is some awesome progress! Thanks for the update!
Gary

[k8icu]

Not much new to report here. I've been busy with life things and haven't had much time in the garage. This weekend I plan on trying to figure out where to put the cab till I'm ready for it so that I can work on the frame and start throwing some paint and getting the frame into a roller. I just wish everything didn't just jump in price as I planed for parts to be X amount of dollars and now all of a sudden it jumped past Z to BB amount! So this great economy the Brandon is telling us isn't his fault is going to slow my project down even more. Oh well, I'll post more when I get something accomplished. Take it easy brothers, take it easy.

[Cal_Gary]

We're all feeling the pain at the pump, grocery, and everywhere else. We know whose fault it is, too, but I won't start a political rally here.
Nice work on your rig Joe!
Gary

[k8icu]

Okay so I finally got off my back side and spent the day rearranging the garage and the back yard and now I have a little room to work. I had to move the cab out of the garage to behind the house so that I can work on repairing the frame, painting, and getting the frame put back together.


The frame is now back in the garage. I discovered after I moved the cab that the sandblaster who also primed everything for me must have had the cab sitting on the frame on 2x4s and then painted everything at one time as evident by the 4 unpainted rectangles on the frame. I've circled them with red circles.


I'll post more when I get the chance.

[Cal_Gary]

Lookin' good!
Gary

[NAM VET]

when I spent nearly a year, full time, "restoring" my '52 version, all I cold do was unbolt everything up front, engine/trans out of course. Then removed the bed, but I never could have been able to re-install all the electrics behind the dash. Much of my wiring was new, or is new now, with some help from Charles Talbert, who is about 100 miles north of me, had my truck up there for re-doing some of my own mechanics. My truck had been used daily for several decades, and parked under cover, so I was fortunate that I didn't have to deal with anything more than light surface rust, and my fasteners all unbolted without breaking off. If it had been more than that, I would never have bought it, with my limited space and equipment. Mine was basically unbolt, paint, reinstall. I admire those who tackle much more involved projects. Here, my truck after cutting the homemade top off, and before I started. Hal, UpState SC.

[Argie1978]

Big respect for those who go on their own from scratch. Also envy, ha!
I don't have the time, it's impossible.

Got the same place rusted in mine (the lateral side, just down there between the mudguard and the door). It should be protected by the big mudguard but seems to be a critical place. Even those models having the power receptacle (like Hal's) also suffer corrosion there.

Sebastian

[k8icu]

Sebastian,
You should go to my website http://leathernaturally.com/m37project/ and see the rust I had in the cab and how much of the drivers side I had to replace. This is why I decided to resto-mod the truck instead of actual restoration was because the truck was so bad that most people would have just used it for parts, but hey I'm not smart enough to do that...LOL.

[PoW]

K8ICU,

Couple questions:

What is that sticking out where the steering column goes thru the firewall?

Are you going to fix the spot where the slave cable recep goes? They are so handy, beats pulling the seat and box cover every time someone needs a jump.

PoW

[k8icu]

That bump sticking out of the fire wall is where the steering column that I'm using will go. I've converted the steering to power steering and since I'm using M880 axles I'm using a Dodge W200 power steering box and drag link, which works much like the original steering just simpler with out all the zig zag back and forth of the original. I am using a M151a2 steering column connected to Borgeson steering components to connect from the column to the box. Here us a pic of the set up. Then I'm using a HMMWV steering wheel as the spline count on a M151a2 steering shaft is the same as the HMMWV.

As for the spot you see on the cab, yes I'm going to do more body work, but for now I'm focusing on getting the frame painted and mostly put back together before I focus on the body. I am going to put a slave receptacle on the truck, but it's going to be the modern Nato style receptacle and I'm going to mount it on the passenger side so that the cable run is closer to the batteries than from the drivers side.

Funny thing happen. I went outside to take the trash out and I noticed that the cab was leaning over almost touching the deck. Seems the stupid plastic saw horses started failing and the cab was falling over. I spent another 2 hours putting my sturdy wood saw horses under the cab and removing the plastic ones. Should have done that in the first place.....oh well live and learn.

[k8icu]

Started to finally turn things green. I thought I'd be at this stage in 2009 or 10, but no....anyway here are some pics.





Now I have to figure out how to get the frame turned either on it's side or upside down so that I can paint the bottom of it. This should be fun...

Stay tune friends.

[John Mc]

Looking great!

BTW - where did your username "k8icu" come from?