40 Ford tonner panel build

[Willowbilly3]

Well, not really a build, Henry already built it. I'm just fixing 75 years of wear and tear right now. You've probably alread seen the work I started on the door. Here I am tackling the door opening and it's a mess too. First is getting out the torched off door hinge stubs.





I purposed to get rid of a couple square feet of smurfyness every time I work on it.



Next is get the lead out, over 1/2" thick in places.







And where I quit for the day. I did get the twisted up lower r/h door post straightened but mostly just dismantling. Next is weld a brace across the bottom to keep it together so I can work on the broken out top corners.

 

[Country Misfit]

Thats alot of metal work-makes me tired just looking at it.

 

[Torchie]

[P [P [P
Torchie

 

[smallfoot]

Nice work WB3!

 

[Old Iron]

I'm in [cl [P [P [P

 

[Skip]

Love panels. I'll be watching and wishing I had one.

 

[Bamamav]

That lead repair was probably done many years ago, before plastic fillers became common. I see you had to do the weld a nut on the stud trick to get them out. Usually works pretty good.

I like that shade of blue, but there's too much of it! I can't blame you for wanting rid of it!

Keep on knocking on it WB. It might take you a while, but I think you will be real happy with it in the end. [cl

 

[Willowbilly3]

Got a lot done today, nothing worth more pictures though. I had to have my machinist make me a drill guide for the 3 broken off hinge bolts so all 16 are now cleaned out and ready for the hinges. Ground off more paint. Pulled the metal floor strips and inner side panels. Oh, and I finished up all the welding on the left door. It's ready to hang.

 

[Torchie]

Good progress WB.[cl
Don't be surprised at the amount of lead that you find in the body.
My 50 GMC panel had lead every where and it was all factory done.
Torchie

 

[forbigpicture]

HEY GET THE LEAD OUT WB3........[ddd[ddd[ddd
Lookin' good man.....

 

[Tripper]

Always loved panels! Here's the patch panels I used on my '41 Chev! [ddd

BoB

 

[Willowbilly3]

Always loved panels! Here's the patch panels I used on my '41 Chev! [ddd

BoB

Haha, love it. Part of what started my license plate collecting was my plan to do the floor pans in the rpu with them. Then before I got that far, a couple other people "stole" my idea so I didn't do it.

Also, just so you didn't think I forgot about the 56, it is waiting for the next infusion of $$. It's about $600 away from being on the road. Needs a water pump, exhaust, tranny pan gasket and about a mile of heater hose.
The panel was my planned next project, the 56 just kind of sidetracked me for a while. I ignored my own advice to only have one project at a time but I just like that 56 so much and it grows on me more everyday.

 

[Burgerman]

That 56 is a good thing. More than one project is fine. Passion for old rides just happens...best not to fight it.

 

[Willowbilly3]

Not much to take pictures of lately. I got the inside all cleaned out, removed the inner panels and part of the old floor wood. I got the rear door checks all straightened out and fixed. Yesterday I extracted my body side hinge halves from the donor door posts. And spent a few hours on the rear pan. It was a mess. I had to reshape the whole lip where the doors shut against.






The before




I'm trying to decide whether to close those extra holes or just put tail lights there. Maybe some 50 pontiac or 41 chevy lights.

 

[Willowbilly3]

That 56 is a good thing. More than one project is fine. Passion for old rides just happens...best not to fight it.

Yeah, but it can get you spread too thin real fast and then nothing ever gets done. I was the poster child for that when I was in my 20s and 30s.

 

[Dirtyrat]

Nice panel for sure! Should make a sweet ride once its patched up!

 

[Willowbilly3]

Here's a couple prigress pics. The rear panel fit in, still need some straightening on the r/h body so it fits right. Guess I don't have a picture of that yet.
Today, fit the 47 donor truck door. There are some differences between the 40-41 door and the 42-47. Most noticably is the 40-41 don't have a metal frame around the glass. But when I hung the door and it wouldn't close, I discovered the 40 has a much smaller dove tail.



No prob, just swap them out, oops, not so easy, the 40 don't fit the profile of the 47 door so I have to cut some away. Here you can see a 46-47 door next to a 40-41



What you can't really see is the profile of the door enge is different, a taller and more straight lip behind the dovetail on the 47 door.

Here is the door test fit and working like a new one after some tuning.



And the top profile I still need to address.

 

[smallfoot]

What are your plans for the top profile fix WB3? Changing the doors or changing the cab?

 

[Bamamav]

What are your plans for the top profile fix WB3? Changing the doors or changing the cab?

He'll have to either weld the other door tops on these doors or make it from scratch. Can't change the cab, it's a panel truck, all made together.

 

[Willowbilly3]

Not sure yet but I'm leaning toward filling that area on the cab so a regular door will always fit if I need replacements. The actual opening is the same, it's just cosmetic.