I have one jack stand I keep to remind me to be careful around vehicles jacked up. It's flat on top. It wasn't made like that, I was sliding it under a '69 Chrysler and the bottle jack popped out. I invested in a good regular jack after that.

 

I got the truck outside for awhile today. My wife helped me paint the rear of the frame. I installed the doors, hood and bed....and they all fit like crap. I have a ton of work to do to line it all up. Plus there is some mystery body work that needs fixed first. I just wanted to see the truck together.

 

I started a few things this weekend. I got my radiator in, so I started fabricating a mount for it. It seems I didnt measure the hole right, or the radiator was a little wider than expected, but it was super tight, so I modified the core support. I needed the radiator to be as far forward as possible because of the electric fan. It would have fit without cutting, but It was going to mess up the radiator over time. Plus I had been trying to figure out how to make a smooth transition into the radiator support/core support area, so this fixes that also. i think it looks good myself. I still need to work on the inner fender wells to make them look better, but Ill do that after I get them all fabbed. Also it is a 3 pass radiator, so the bottom hose is on the opposite side. I never planned on using stock radiator hoses, because I want to install a 5.7 hemi eventually. This radiator should cool up to 700 hp, which Ill never make. I got one of those AFCO hose kits that should work, but it will need a few additional pieces.

Here are the pictures. I didnt do a lot today. I woke up with a headache, and its getting worse. So I called it quits.


Final position. It will come out for paint, and get worked to look better.

Without the radiator. It fits pretty good with whats left of the core support.

Lower support. It will also get painted, and Ill add some rubber to it to keep the radiator from rubbing.

 

I started the brakes, and immediately found the right side and left side rear cylinders had different side hardware...so it was off to the hardware store for some grade 5 bolts. I needed to get the clutch slave cylinder and some more brake cleaner anyway.

Im thinking about maybe starting it briefly tomorrow. I feel motivated, because I got the F100 started today. I had ordered the carb and it came in. $280 bucks, but it runs and idles pretty good. It needs the timing set, so Ill work on that soon.

Anyway, 2 pictures for now. I got the oil lines run. I ran hard line up to the inner fender, and then the silicone lines to the engine. I think it looks good.


Hard lines and bulkhead fittings. I need to weld in the bracket.

Hard lines to AN fittings on the remote filter mount. I think it looks pretty good.

 

What are you using to bend the lines? That does indeed look pretty good.

 

Thanks. I work in aviation, so we have aviation grade tools that bend aluminum lines at the minimum safe radius. I dont know the name of the tool company. Ill post pictures when I load them again.

 

That explains a lot.

 

Brakes are my forte'. I'd love to do work like that.

 

I havent posted in a few days, but Im working on things. I had to take a break from the truck for a week or two because of funding and other priorities. Our electric bill was about double what it usually is, and I dont understand it. I was welding and grinding all summer and it never got above $200. It was over $300 this month...crazy.
I also had a death in the family, so I had to visit the family and things.
And, I got a deal on a welding table. I have been using one of the fold-up tables from Northern, with a 3/16 plate on top of it. It worked okay, but it was low and it killed my back. Plus it was a small table so it got cluttered fast.

The new table is old and a bit rusty, but its taller, and more than twice as big. It needs work so Ill deal with it when the weather turns. Its too much rust floating around in the garage to do it with the door closed. Ill get the rust off of the table, make some mods, and paint it.

Im going to add a "leaf" on both sides and extend it. It is currently a 3 x 4 top, and its 3/8 thick. Ill extend it about a foot with removable leaves that slide into receivers. Ill make one to hold the drill press and belt sander too. I will make it so they come off and can be swapped easy and used on either side. Then Ill paint it. Should be nice.

 

Check the rate you are paying per kilowatt-hour, rumor has it, in some locations further south (from me) electric got stupid expensive due to high demand, and a fair bit of generation capacity taken out by storms...... Some folks are reporting electric bills in four figures.... for just a couple of days.