New restoration thread

[snowdad]

Do they have a website?
Phillip

[T. Highway]

Do they have a website?
Phillip

Here you go Phillip http://www.eastwood.com/3m-flexible-str ... 20-yd.html

I used their powder coat to do most of the smaller frame and engine parts on my M37.

Bert

[rmvivas]

Question: I'm about to put myself where you are (starting to clean up my first M37).

On the underside of the fenders, wheel wells and underside of the bed; rather than prime and paint those aea, what about covering them with a paint on bed sealer like Rhino Lining? My thought was if a Rhinoi Liner sealed truck bed can stand up to all sorts of stuff being tossed into it, it should be able to handily protect the underside of the vehicle from lesser assaults like mud, pebble/rocks, brush, etc.

Thoughts?

[snowdad]

It would have to be done just right. I have read several articles about it not being applied very well and peeling in places allowing moisture to get in and stand causeing rust. I think take you time and clean the metal underneath really good then coat it with some good primer/paint. I had a friend who bought a brand new truck. He took it to the Chevrolet garage and had it professionally undercoated. I saw the truck recently and it was badly rusted from underneath. Didn't look like it did anygood at all.
My 2 cents worth.
Phillip
ps: make sure to post pice!!!

[Sal]

I plan on spraying the bed of my trailer with Raptor bed liner this summer. But I wouldn't think of using it for a undercoating. I have to agree with Phillip, I had seen the damage that can be done when water and dirt get stuck under it. If your looking for something to protect the underside of your truck. You might look into POR 15.some people like it and some don't. I have used it on my chassis and the cloths line pole in my backyard and they both still look good.

Sal

[snowdad]

Ever since I bought the truck 3 years ago, the stencils on the front right hand bumper have really been stirring my curiosity. So today, I tried stripping the Civil Defense blue (really thick coat) to see what I could reveal. Found a 5 point star which really suprised me. Kept getting a lot of white showing through till I found one leg and when I backed up it was very obvious! The letters are what appear to be ***EG-11. Any ideas from anybody? This truck was a M-37 then M-42 and finally back to a M-37.

[snowdad]

I have finished with the bed supports/cross members. Most were in great shape except for the inside channel of #1 It was badly pitted in the bottom as noted in this picture:



Following are some methods that I used to clean up the members:


Using a cup wire wheel and extention to get into the channels


Using a stripper wheel on the outside surfaces


Using a brass wire wheel to get into hard to get to places


#1 front bed support was only one pitted. A good coat of rust converter/killer was used prior to some good coats of rusty metal primer.

[snowdad]

Don't know why the post last night did not take so I am trying again. After a hiatus from the restoration due to storms and weather I have resumed work.
This pic is of half of the passenger bed side to show prepped versus what I had to start with. I am not much of a body/paint man and am not going to spend a lot of time on the inside of the bed as it will probably get scraped up anyway. In addition, the troop seats will probably cover up a lot of imperfections.


This is the hardware of the toolbox door on that side. Note the name on the plate.


Upon cleaning the exterior of the fuel tank, I discovered 2 small pin holes on a bottom corner and 3 pin holes on a top corner. I plan on patching these with a substance called Liquid Steel that I used once on a WC-51 fuel tank and radiator tanks. That was 3 years ago and still holding well. Due to the significant amount of rust on the inside, I plan on doing some heavy cleaning on the inside of the tank and after drying with MEK will use a recommended liner called Red-Kote. I like the literature I have read on this stuff more than anything else I have researched.



Anyone have any experiance with this type reflector? It has no rear metal bezel and is only a reflector with a rubber gasket/ring on the rear. This is the amber one on the front passenger side. The mounting flanges are also different as you can tell in the second photo. I plan on reusing the old metal after cleaning up and new reflectors.



I plan on posting more pictures shortly. Any suggestions or comments welcome and that includes constructive criticism as I am by no means an expert and heartily welcome any and all help I can get.
Phillip

[snowdad]

Worked on the truck bed all day again. Really making progress just not at the rate that I want to. Got the fuel tank patched after sanding the pin hole areas to roughen them up and used some Liquid Steel which is a 2-part epoxy which you knead until the color is consistant. It worked great on my WC-51 project 3 years ago. I actually spent a little more time on prepping this tank. Used alcohol to do a final clean-up. In the process today, I uncovered another stencil in the passenger wheel well-TP-40.

This is the 3 worst holes and is located on the upper front corner. Surrounding metal roughed up to allow the Liquid steel to stick to it.


This is the lower 3 pin holes already roughed up and with the Liquid Steel in place and setting up. Rock hard in about 6 minutes. Just slice off the tube what you need, knead it until it is a solid color and force into place. It helps to wet your fingers while working with it, just dont get the metal wet though the instructions say it will set up underwater. Press it into the holes and then spread it outward from the center with a smearing motion. This stuff worked wonders on my WC-51 3 years ago on the fuel tank as well as the radiator tanks that the radiator shop said was too far gone. Like I said 3 years ago and not a drop of antifreeze lost nor a fuel leak!


Would it be ok to substitute strips of inner tube in place of these rubber-like strips that go between the fenders and the fenderwells? I also plan on sealing up all creases such as this with paintable caulk to prevent any moisture/rust issues in the future.


My latest stencil find! 'TP-40' inside the rear fender wells. I plan on restoring these stencils. Anybody know what the font of this is called?


A better view showing the stencil location. What are the two sets of holes for seen in the fenderwell?


Both bed sides showing the progress thus far.


Anybody know what this hat channel on the right bed side front section is for? 2 bolts on the outside and 2 other bolts on the inside of the bed. Also what about the holes shown? There are 3 sets of 5 holes (4 small holes and 1 large hole in the center) on the right side and 2 sets on the left. Any ideas? This was an M-42 at one time.


This is the front yellow reflector located on the left bed side. Quite different from the front one on the right side. In fact all except the one on the right front are identical. I think the one on the right front was a replacement.


This is the left bed side front area. What is the reinforcing plate shown and what are the holes shown for? There are 2 sets on one side and 3 sets on the other.


Finally, I removed the tailgate hinge pivots and really spent some time cleaning them and the longitudal bar up with a drill and wire attachments. Much, much better now. I also removed the pioneer rack and am ready for posting, supper and bed. Thanks in advance for any help clearing up some of these questions. Plan on doing more tomorrow.

[Rick C]

The bolts in the "hat channel" are where the fording exhaust clamp attaches. The groups of 5 holes are for antenna mounts and cable. The sets of 2 verticle holes are where the troop seat hinges attach. I found the same TP 40 stencils on my truck. Rick Larson can hook you up with the correct type. Most vendors carry the rubber welting that goes in the rear wheel wells. My truck had some type of hard green plastic when I disassembled it.

[snowdad]

Thanks Rick. I had assumed that those sets of holes were for antennae mounts since a former M-42. Thanks for the information. I have tried multiple times and was unable to get a response from him. Do you have any idea what that reinforcing plate would have been used for and there are 2 sets of vertical holes (2 each) located on the fenderwell identical to the vertical hinge bolts. Any ideas to purpose?
Phillip

[powerwagontim]

The reinforcing plate and holes are for the troop seat brackets.
Tim

[snowdad]

Thanks Tim. Shouldn't that plate be on the outside of the bed then? And why only on the driver's bed side?
Phillip

[powerwagontim]

I suppose since it is spot welded to the bedside, it is stiffening the area. There should be two on each side. The ones on the early bed, passenger side front are back about 18" to clear the bed mounted spare tire.
Tim

[snowdad]

Going to try to get going on the M again now that things are getting back to normal (if there truly is such a thing). I have added several pictures to my restoration album. They are dated in order of what was done. If anyone needs any pictures of anything while I have it broke down let me know. The sick green paint turned out to be ok after it cured.
I used silicon to seal every seam I could reach.


Sealing the front crossmember also seals the toolbox.


3M mastic seal was used on the toolbox panel as in the originals.


The toolbox was also sealed from the inside with silicon


I don't have the heart to tell him without the bed on it, there is no shade!


After attaching the tool box floor it was sealed with silicon.


The front panel attached.