Is My Pick up REALLY a pick up

[les]

If you are looking to remove all the corrosion in your chassis you will need to remove the top plates as the box section will be full of it! The internal brackets etc will be reveiled as well, which are probably in need of work. I coated mine with red oxide before using chassis black and when fitted sprayed with waxoyl.

[jallen70]

thanks for the info Les.. how do you think i should take the top off.. im not a welder and am scared of chopping/cutting..

[les]

If you're going for it you need to drill out the spot welds that hold the top plates on, you will have to search for them as time and rust etc makes them hard to see. If you drill right through you can use the holes to get the new top plates plug welded back on. It's difficult to drill the welds exactly right so you will find you have to sort of 'peel' the top back as you go, so to speak.

[jallen70]

Well still no sun so i quess its back to paint stripping [frame][/frame][frame][/frame]
things are coming along now, the floor is almost done,[frame][/frame].
Went to my first nationals the other weekend, had a real good time, saw some lovely pickups which have inspired me to carry on .

[jallen70]

Saw this lovely pickup at the nationals..[frame][/frame]. Anyone know what colour this is? (would like to hear from its owner ). so whats been happening since then!..... Well the cab is now almost finished, the floor is now in and i have started to put red oxide over it, then hopefully in a few weeks i will be able to put some 2pack primer on it. Then still need to rub down the doors, bonnet, wings, well you get the picture .[frame][/frame]. a new strip was welded to the bottom of the back cab section.[frame][/frame][frame]. Had Kevin from KGC Eng to come round and have a look at the chassis. I`ve had a quote.. but in the meantime me and my little brother(Who came up for the week) have made a start on the chassis restro.
Now this is where things started badley.... . Human flesh and a wire brush on an angle grinder dont mix!!!![frame][/frame]OUCH!!!!!!!!!!.
I stared to peel the top off the chassis (like Les told me) its hard to do as you can`t find the spot welds in all the rust, but its worth doing.[frame][/frame][frame][/frame].. With about a stone of crap removed from inside the chassis, im started to paint it.[frame][/frame][frame][/frame]Thanks for the help Bro and for the first aid!!!!!!!

[jallen70]

Has anyone got some photos of how to fit a Ford Crossflow engine into a moggy?
Cheers

[ASL642]

Try asking on the Custom & Modified section of this site?

[jallen70]

Well things are progressing slowly, but at least we're progressing. The cab is now 2packed primed. (looks great ). so its back to the chassis and still stripping paint.
I made some new top plates to fit on the chassis[frame][/frame]also a section to fit on a new front leg[frame][/frame][frame][/frame]. I had to take off the Passengers side out rigger as it was too far gone.. and what a job that turned out to be. After 44 years in the chassis it really did not want to move.. but after a day of heat, chiseling, grinding, hack sawing i won [frame][/frame][frame][/frame].
I contacted Kevin from KGC Engineering, who then came round and welded the plates on and the out rigger and a few holes were filled. just need to sort out the front leg now.[frame][/frame].
I've now got a Ford Crossflow 1600 engine to use, if anyone has some pics of engine mounts etc that would be great.

The weather was getting vile so i put the cab on the chassis for the first time .. I noticed there seems to be a gap between the cab floor and the chassis the cab sits on the floor strengthener plates??.. have i done this wrong . i will try and photo it soon.

[Kevincolley]

Cheers for the mention Jason looks like your progressing well, you know where i am if you need a hand

[ian.mcdougall]

not got a pickup myself but from reading other restos I think there is some packing of some kind but as I say do not take that as gospel, someone should be on soon to put you right

[les]

That's correct there is a packer under the rear of the cab where it bolts down to the chassis, mine is approx 6mm thick. If you leave it out you will probably find the sides meet the cab at an angle rather that squarely. This is more pronounced on the van as the sides are from top to bottom rather than from halfway to bottom.

[jallen70]

Thanks for your replies, any idea what i could use as packing, also while everyone has there thinking caps on Im putting a 1600 xflow engine in so i need to chance the halfshafts.. or get the old ones hardened!!!!...

[les]

Well the packers between the chassis and load bay floors are a leather type material but these are just wedged in between. I used a rigid but not brittle piece of plastic under the area in question, I suppose anything that is not going to crush or soak up water would be ok. Even aluminium I dare say.

[davidmiles]

I put hardwood slips in between the chassis top plate and the middle of the cab floor, I regretted it later on as it distorted the floor angle and I had to jack it all apart to get the slats of wood out. There is a gap, but the drumming stops when the gearbox cover and chairs are bolted up. They add strength and rigidity to the cab floor.
Ive got rubber packers between the cargo bay floor and the chassis, but I need to fit more, there needs to be something between the timber floor and rear chassis cross piece that the top of the shocks attach to, as that flexibility causes loud bumps when you go over a speed hump.

[les]

The packing is placed between the chassis and the REAR of the cab floor, and the rear chassis cross piece should have a separate piece of formed metal bolted on top of it to take 4 screws holding it to the wooden floor. Maybe you have put a one piece floor in instead of two pieces, so wouldn't have seen this requirement, hence the gap and unsupported floor!

[PaulTubby]

Nice progress mate and good project

[jallen70]

Hi. Anyone know where i can get hardened halfshafts from also where i can get my propshaft mod to fit escort box??

[les]

Birmingham Minor centre for your half shafts ( take plenty of dosh) and there's a place in Belvedere that deal with props, you may get more info if you google them.

[jallen70]

Well I`ve gone down the Ford Escort route[frame][/frame]. Just because i think it will be stronger and more suited to modern day traffic. Its a bit more work but hay winters coming

[jallen70]

Well the cab is back from the painters[frame][/frame][frame][/frame]. Just the rear end body work to sort out now, and also a small matter of putting it all back together......... .. I've given myself a date to get it finished 10th August!!!. That's the date for the MM rally at Gaydon.. on the whole it seems like a long time away, but when you factor in work, weather and actual free time, I think I'll have my work cut out . I could do with some help in the sourcing some engine brackets, pictures, advice etc, on how to fit 1600 x-flow engine and also Escort rear axle.