1960 F100 Radiator Support

So I completely disassembled my front clip and from what I could see when it was on the truck it looked good. I was really hoping that the radiator support was in good shape too. I was wrong!

Here are some pics once I got it removed.  Great googly moogly!






I removed the bottom in order to clean out the rust and check the sheet metal.  It was good with just surface rust, so I cleaned it, coated it with a rust preventative spray and then painted it inside and out. I prefer VHT products, both their Rust Converter and Roll bar and Chassis Paint.



Before anything was taken apart, I made templates out of card board for the missing/rusted pieces and cut them out of 18 gauge steel.





I removed a the two horizontal braces because the radiator I plan on using was a little wider that the original radiator and would not fit.  So I have about a dozen small holes to fill on each side.

Repairing rust is dirty work, but it must be done!  There were parts of the support that had what looked to be some type of coating on it.  The only way to get it off was to scrape it off with a scraper / single edge razor.

I'll post a few more sometime later.  It is currently mocked up on the truck right now.

I love my Fabricator 211i welder!  It makes me a better welder and I need all the help I can get!

But a quote by AvE (ArduinoversersEvil) on YouTube sums it up!  "A grinder and paint, makes me the welder I ain't!"


       

Here is some images of the front cab corner / cab brace rot

Here are some of the pic of the drivers side front. This one was easily the worst of the two.

Here is the Passenger side...not as bad.

Here is the fuel filler.  I plan to weld in a piece for this.

Here is a hole in the upper driver's side of the bed.  It looks like it could have been for an antenna, or possibly a fuel tank in the bed.  (there was a fuel diverter valve in the cab.)

Here are the rear cab corners... again the drivers side is the worst by far. I think the damage was compounded by a failed repair attempt via duct tape and fiber glass.

I have one more small piece of the passenger side floor to replace and then I'll get some more pics of the repair posted.

Til next time.