Proud dad moment!

 Proud dad moment! I got my oldest son out to help install the transmission. All I did was instruct him and raise and lower the hoist. He has helped me on several occasions from sanding the chassis, holding bolts, scraping grease, and installing the cylinder sleeves.... My kids have helped in the process over the years (when they want to).  But I know that one day they will look back and be able to say "I helped restore that with my Dad" which I think is worth more to me than the anything. This truck has brought me to meet several people and brings me closer to my kids, which I am super grateful for. I hope my kids will keep up there enthusiasm to work on this and that this will teach them a good work ethic. I could not be prouder of there help!

The engine is in!!!

 The engine is in!!! We pulled out the engine the other day and installed it. I have been putting this off for a while not wanting to use the old John Deere to install the motor. The tractors hydraulic system is a little sketchy and will periodically lower on its own no warning! So this worried me to no end ( hence all the strapping and chains. But all went well. But the old deere quit running the next day, so I got super lucky we got it in before it shut down. It was just a simple loose wire but still terrifying to know that it could have shut off and lowered on us at any time. 

I'm way behind on this.

 Okay I have been really slow to update this, totally my fault. I have been working a lot on the truck lately some little things and some bigger things to come. I got some of the body started on sand blasting and took a small trip to pick up a front lower cowl piece to help replace my old busted up one. I'm trying to decide if i really want to try to do my own body work or have someone else do a better job than I can. I also got the steering gear all apart and ready for clean up and rebuild.

Original engine color?

 The original engine color on my truck has been debated by many. There are lots that say they were painted gray and a teal color. I am not going to dispute that gray or teal were not original colors too. But from both of my engines the little paint left on them was red. And not just in places that might have been repainted. Behind the fly wheel, push rod cover and fuel pump, under the valve cover and on the rockers. I did change the timing cover and the water pump color from gray to red (just for ease of painting and esthetics) . All of the tin covers were black on both trucks too. This is why I painted my engine red. Again this is not saying red was the only color these engine's were painted, just what mine were painted.

                                                                   Texas engine block (top and bottom)

                                                     original engine block and tin (below)

rolling along!

Five years ago I stayed up all night dismantling the Texas truck. One year to the day I stayed up all nite again to finish putting the rear end together, and then decided to put it back under the truck.  I got all the tires mounted and aired up too. I need to cut down the new brake pins and really start to tighten all the chassis loose ends, grease certs, and drive line. I had a moment of panic while in the middle of putting the rear end in, I looked at the motor mounts and realized when I reinstalled them I did not mark which was right and which was left. I racked my brain for a hour or so until I remembered I had a extra hogs head(fly wheel housing) on the shelf. Crisis averted engine mounts are proper.

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More sanding!

the sanding will never end! I have been getting the rear brakes together, and just the same as the fronts I had to sand to fit. The rear shoes were not as bad as the fronts I just need to take a little off. So instead of three hours per shoe that the fronts took it took me a hour a shoe for the rears. I really wish I could have found someone local with a Ammco 8000 brake shoe grinder. I looked in to buying one but the cost out weighed the benefit. After I got the shoes mounted. I also got all of the tires mounted on the rims. Now to get the silver paint on the rims and get them fully mounted.

Slowly!

I have finally been able to get back to work on this. Between the cold, lock-down, family and work things slow down. But this week I jumped in head first and got some done. Rubber on the ground! And a great day to fix my rear axle mistake. I also took apart the steering columns and am getting them ready.  More sand blasting and painting to come. And I am ready to put more back together. This has been slow going but I will get there. I will hopefully keep this better updated this year.