Truck based woody

[38bill]

I actually have some EPDM rubber roofing and some Herculiner textured bed liner. I could try it out for you to see if it sticks. Just let me know.

[GB SISSON]

Originally Posted by 38bill

I actually have some EPDM rubber roofing and some Herculiner textured bed liner. I could try it out for you to see if it sticks. Just let me know.

I'd like that. I picture applying with a course brush. Maybe even follow up with careful 'grain' strokes with an old fashioned whisk broom. Or rolling it on and chasing with the whisk broom. I'm hoping the material isn't too thick. I plan on holding it down on the edges with a rain gutter. I have seen it in aluminum for 'canned ham' travel trailers. Sometimes called J metal. It would get painted black. When I first started this project by sawing the pickup's cab off, I was being pretty casual about the details, but after so much labor and trial and error design, I have become more uptight about the finished product. I really want it to look as if it were built in the 40s. If I went with the rubber and it's quite thick then it might not need padding or anything under it. Not too familiar with soft tops. Thanks again for all the help! Edit: Maybe a scuffing with 80 grit before the bed liner. Like we do before patching a tube. Nothing like a little bit of 'tooth' for adhesion.

[38bill]

I'll give it a try and get back to you. The Hurculiner has rubber partials in it so as its rolled on it leaves a nice stippled finish. I'm pretty sure that you would need some kind of backer to prevent the roof stringers from telescoping through. Here's a photo of a ice fishing house I built. The rubber membrane is glued down with contact cement to a 1/4" plywood sheathing. The edges are wrapped over and stapled to the side and the cut edge is covered with an alum trim. My roofing came with seams in it every 10'.
[IMG][/IMG]

[sidevalve8ba]

How wide would the material need to be to cover the roof?

[Bill]

Just measured my roof covering for width. It's 66" wide. From LeBaron/Bonney they still stock it. About $25./yd plus shipping!Took a pic now lets see if I can upload it...Bill

[GB SISSON]

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I just measured my roof. 63 1/2" gutter to gutter. So 66" would give just barely enough to hold onto for stretching. Working alone the length was hard to measure, but 128" would be ample. Got a start on welding up my steel pillar to roof stringer brackets this morning. I'm waiting for the 3m 5200 sealant to cure on the driver's side maple frame before fitting the last sections of maple in place. Never a dull moment around here.....

[rustynutz]

Most common rubber membrane is .060 thickness although .040 is available.

[38bill]

OK, I tried a piece of 45 mil EDPM roofing membrane. The piece was cleaned with lacquer thinner before it was coated with a texture. It looked good but after it was dry I could scrap the texture off of the membrane. I think with the quality of your wood working you need to bite the bullet and go with something that you know will last.

[GB SISSON]

Originally Posted by 38bill

OK, I tried a piece of 45 mil EDPM roofing membrane. The piece was cleaned with lacquer thinner before it was coated with a texture. It looked good but after it was dry I could scrap the texture off of the membrane. I think with the quality of your wood working you need to bite the bullet and go with something that you know will last.

Hmmmm, well it was a good idea and a really generous offer from Mark, but it looks like it makes sense to buy the real thing. I probably won't buy it until spring as the overhead lights in my shop add just some extra light through the roof for now and it will stay indoors anyway. Thanks for taking the time to do the experiment, that was very nice of you.

[38bill]

Originally Posted by GB SISSON

Hmmmm, well it was a good idea and a really generous offer from Mark, but it looks like it makes sense to buy the real thing. I probably won't buy it until spring as the overhead lights in my shop add just some extra light through the roof for now and it will stay indoors anyway. Thanks for taking the time to do the experiment, that was very nice of you.

Least I could do. Some day I may be asking you for help. I have always thought a custom woody would be a unique, fun project. Sure wish you weren't so far away from me.

[GB SISSON]

One year and 3 weeks ago I tried to drive to Parkers Prairie Minnesota to pick up my tonner panel truck. It was dead of winter and hair brained scheme seein's on how I had just went through open heart surgery 3 months before. I turned around half way in Bozeman, but I almost got to your neighborhood. I had it hauled by a trucker instead. He had to deal with your Minnesota winter, but he was a Montana gu and used to it. Got a lot done on the brackets, but then company stopped by and I had to quit and be sociable.

[flatford8]

Your welcome. If you decide you want to use it let me know. The suggestion of the Lebaron Bonney stuff may make the job easier. But it doesn't seem like you take the easy way out....LOL.... Im gonna keep watching the progress...... Mark

[RalphM]

Ouch!

[GB SISSON]

Well it's been a while. Today marks the beginning of high school baseball practice. My employee of 16 years is a coach and he leaves work at 2 in the spring time. After he's gone, I do a few things around the shop and gravity seems to take me down the hill to the 'lower shop' where the woodie is. In celebration I cleaned out the floor, which was a total mess, and built a temporary shelf to set stuff on so I can work towards door sills and flooring for the rear cargo and back seat area. Since my business centers around the use of salvaged and reclaimed lumber I have saved out a quantity of 1x4 douglas fir t&g flooring from an old school to use as the rear floor. I grabbed a couple of short pieces to see how it joined up to the rear tail pan (tail plank)...To plane it clean it will be about 5/8" thick. On the outside edge of the flooring, scribed around the fenders will be a 7/8" thick border piece down each side. This will be routed out underneath to cover the 3/8" steel angle brackets at the posts. After that I will construct thin plywood panels inside the body's sides which hide the screws and irregularities holding the panels in the woodie's framework. Stay tuned for tomorrow's after 2:00 report. The plan is to finish up the body sans doors and lift it off the chassis, install running gear and drivetrain, set it back on and shim permanently, then build and fit the wood doors and tailgate assemblies.

[Bill]

Tailgate assemblies.. you meant assembly right....LOLOL Bill

[GB SISSON]

Bill, I know, I know... you feel a one piece lift gate with gas shocks might seal better, and there's a good chance it would. To me the only reason a person owns, builds, drives a woodie (or any antique vehicle for that matter) is the romance of the whole experience. Let's face it. Modern cars work much better and are more comfortable and require far less maintenance. The more we make our old vehicles 'better', more of the original feel is lost. I do feel that with modern rubber weatherstripping and seals I can get a tight seal at the gates. We build a lot of custom entry door sets and double french doors on waterfront homes. Very important they don't leak any driving rain and salt spray as the owners are usually in Arizona or Hawaii for the winter and the wood floors will be ruined. My vision of this truck is the tailgate down, rear windows up, our old aluminum cooler on the tailgate
and it's a pita to reach in and load and unload everything across what looks like will be a huge tailgate. I'm hoping to address the exhaust fume issue, but I know already that the tailgate will be pretty horrible to use, but I won't have to look at the black, mini-van sourced gas shocks when I'm gazing upon my creation. We all adjust for what is important to us. Juice brakes on a model A.... Holy crap I'm starting to sound like some of the rants I see on forums. Really Bill, you have been a big supporter and this thing will never be anything original, but I just gotta have an old fashioned tailgate.

[flatford8]

^^^^^ Well said^^^^^ Guys that I work with don't understand why I drive a 35 yr old truck everyday. I just smile and say" Driving it makes me smile". Mark

[GB SISSON]

I set the old cooler inside but haven't got a picture yet. Those that understand will understand.... But I ALSO understand Bill's headaches and light headeness from those awful flathead v8 exhaust fumes. When I drove the 38 tonner as my dd, cabinet shop delivery, every day vehicle, I once backed up to an 8000 sq ft waterfront home with 12 subcontractors trying to get their work done... Well my dual exhausts filled the house with the worst fumes ever and most of the crew went home with migranes.....

[Bill]

Well GB I didn't want you to think I was takin' over your build I was throwin' out the one piece t-gate for what it was worth! Like I said in a previous post it's your baby. You are right gas prop rods (you could woodgrain them) do take away from the oldtimey look. I'm still supporting your build and will still offer my opinion as it comes together.Look forward to every post.. Bill

[GB SISSON]

I love you man...