Category Archives: F-100

Body is Blasted and Sealed

The truck went off to be blasted and sealed a few weeks ago as planned. It was in a real sorry state after being vandalised and left in the rain. I went through everything with the bodyshop, and asked them to straighten the cab while they were at it as it had been folded in on the corner and bent the door frame. They pulled it back straight with a hydraulic jack thingy and knocked the dent out too. Theres an awful lot of little dents that still need doing, but the rest of them I can have a go at.

Cab Primed

The only part that I am really worried about is the roof. It’s badly warped and lumpy. I got them to take all of the old filler out before they painted it so at least I know its not over rust. I’ll have a go at it myself, but I think that may end up back down there to be done. Once it was all sealed, they mixed up a load of left over paint and gave it a coat of colour to waterproof it. The colour they ended up with was blue, I quite like it. Orange may be better tho…. When I get it back in a week or so its going to have to try and squeeze in the garage or back under a cover. I’d prefer it to be in the garage obviously, but it’ll take some creative re-arrangement in there.

Cab Inside

Motor Arrives

I bought a motor off ebay early this year, and have had it sat on a pallette in work waiting for its day. We were quiet in work, and the ’55 was going to get its exhausts done, so I got it dropped over in the works van. It’s a 6.0L LSx series engine from a 2002ish Chevy pickup or SUV. It’s an Iron block with ally heads which have lower compression than the car versions so are perfect for forced induction (can you guess where this is going?)

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I’m completely comfortable with all of the electronics on the LT1’s in the ’55 and Camaro, but this is the next generation to them and has a lot more wiring to work out. I intend to make my own loom from the factory one as I actually enjoy doing it in a strange and twisted way. I went through all the disconnected plugs and worked out what went where in my head, but was left with a huge bundle of wires. Most of these will be replaced with a new fuseboard or removed but there’s still an awful lot to find. The truck itself is out for media blasting at the same bodyshop that did the Camaro. They are priming it and painting it with a top coat of left over paint to give it some protection from the elements when it comes back. Looks like I have a few years work yet.

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