When we left off, I had told you about buying my longtime buddy Dan's parents' '62 Ford F-100 longbed. They purchased it new and it had been in the Newton family ever since. No longer used every day, it moved into an Old Trucks Retirement Home a few years back and I was hoping to catch it before it went completely to seed. After a long and protracted negotiation ("Hey Dan, how much?" "Oh, I don't know. Couple hundred bucks?" "Yeah, sure."), we loaded the little guy on the back of a Jerre-Dan-equipped Dodge Ram 5500 Heavy Duty, and dumped it on my mechanic's driveway.
I decided to get it running reliably, and fix up the scurvy interior, plus a few minor in-the-spirit-of-stock-mods. In a previous installment I mentioned that the stock single muffler was about the size of a civil war cannon, it leaked, and sounded nasal exhaling out of a 11/2-inch exhaust pipe. My old 292 Y-block uses an odd crossover exhaust system where the driver-side manifold dumps out the front, toward the radiator, into a crossover pipe that joins it to the passenger-side exhaust manifold then on to the single exhaust, which exited just aft of the right rear tire. In order to switch to true dual exhausts, you have to use headers or get a manifold from a Y-block-powered Ford (like a Thunderbird) that had dual pipes originally. Dan had previously found a set in the boneyard and had given them to me. My mechanics recommended not doing the change at the moment, as the studs holding the old manifolds to the engine looked pretty rusty; we break one, we pull the heads, something I wasn't wanting to mess with at the moment. My local muffler guy had a single inlet, dual outlet Flowmaster on his shelf, so we cut the old single system off, welded up the new muffler, and fabbed up a groovy set of side-exit pipes with 2-inch chrome tips, which exit just in front of the right rear tire.
The leaks were gone, and in their place, a modern, throaty burble. Not too loud, but right there, and American V-8-like all the way. Money well spent, until I'm ready to swap the manifolds and build a proper dual exhaust system.
My Effie's bed had served...
My Effie's bed had served long and hard, and while there was no structural rust, it was dinged and deeply scratched.
The bed had lived a hard life and had its share of dents and surface rust, so I decided to do the spray-on bedliner route to make it look cleaner and reduce the risk of rust-through. Rhino Linings is a leader in this game, so I connected with Phil, the owner of a nearby Rhino franchise. He recommended an industrial-looking medium gray color, with a finish coat of a slightly darker gray, containing a bit of metallic fleck and a healthy dose of UV protectant.
As with any sort of sprayed- or painted-on surface, prep is the key to quality end results. Rhino Linings of Orange County technician Ray pulled out the grinder and sanders and got to work buzzing down the well-worn bed surface. Once the surface was prepared, a primer-prep solution was then rolled/brushed on. It seals the rust, and etches the metal in preparation for the Rhino material. The latter is heated and mixed with a catalyst in the gun, so it comes out hot and sticky and dries to the touch in just a few minutes. After about 20 minutes of curing in the sun, the topcoat can be applied with a roller or brush. The result is a tough, nice-looking surface; the Rhino coating hides a multitude of sins; covering up many of the bed's small dents and gouges. We also shot the cab steps as all of the original paint had been worn off, and they looked pretty grungy and were in need of protection. Treating the surface of the bed really helped clean the F-100 up and made it a bit more presentable, not to mention will help it withstand the daily grind when I start throwing parts in the back. It's amazing how easy it is to transform a dilapidated and abandoned hauler into something you can be proud to drive.
As with any job that involves...
As with any job that involves a paint-like surface, prep is key to ensure good adhesion and a long life. The old surface doesn't need to come down to metal, just requires roughing up, and the removal of any loose or flaking paint.
Rhino technician Ray applies...
Rhino technician Ray applies the surface prep/primer material, which etches the old paint and metal, and fosters interaction with the new Rhino coating.
The bed is carefully masked...
The bed is carefully masked and bagged prior to shooting on the Rhino lining.
So good is Ray with the Rhino...
So good is Ray with the Rhino applicator gun that he could probably replicate the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rhino if you wanted him to. The coating dries to the touch in about a minute.
The topcoat, which contains...
The topcoat, which contains the UV protectant, is rolled and brushed on, not shot. It is applied about 20 minutes after the final coat of spray-on Rhino. Color choices are nearly infinite, and can be mixed to taste.
Step wells into the cab were...
Step wells into the cab were rusty and worn, so we Rhino'd them too. A perfect solution.
The finished job-dents mostly...
The finished job-dents mostly filled in, ugly surfaces gone, and it's all now protected against rust-through.
New custom single-into-dual...
New custom single-into-dual exhaust system looks and sounds great.
1946-48-style Ford caps and...
1946-48-style Ford caps and beauty rings courtesy of Wheel Vintiques look super. Wheels are powdercoated for a tough, shiny finish.
A different company named...
A different company named Vintiques makes these '62-65 Ford factory-style repop caps in polished stainless that I may run if I want to go back to a more correct period stock look.
Headliner, bench seat upholstery,...
Headliner, bench seat upholstery, and carpet sets came from LMC Truck and were easily installed by my local upholstery shop. What a difference compared to the old, torn, and moldy stuff.
The interior makeover was...
The interior makeover was a huge success. The "chrome-and-foam" steering wheel came from LMC Truck and is an ideal replacement for the giant original that was cracked and crumbling, and missing its horn ring.