Trips are over, back to work !!

Since the trip season is over, the shop time is on. I have been trying to get the panel road worthy. After pulling the engine and trans, cleaning and painting, changing the valve covers, adding some chrome goodies, boxing the frame, switching to a vega box, adding a panard bar, new tie rods, new kingpins, new front shocks and mounts, I had Fat Joe add a new trans mount, sway bar, new exhaust, new rear shocks and mounts, I replaced the steering column and remade the drop, new wiring and switches, added a heater, remade the floor boards and covered in rubber mat, new tail lights and brackets, added two third brake lights, redid the complete brake system, master cylinder, lines, turned the drums, new shoes, wheel cylinder....I think thats about it....now its time for a test drive and the tranny won't shift to third!! 60 MPH and the tach says 4100 rpms! The tranny has to come out and go the shop......after I get the lift repaired.
The lift is 13 years old last month.....the 4 pulleys and shafts are worn out...the 3/4 inch shaft that the pulleys turn on worn to less than a 1/4 inch! I have ordered the parts, just waiting for the UPS truck to come.

Since I am at a stand still on the panel, I have been working on the fordor project. I filled the big gapping hole in the dash and then cut six holes for the gauges. I sand blasted the aluminum dash panel and sprayed it flat black. I drilled out the last of the hinges to replace the pins. Three of the doors are now hung. The fronts need some more fitting, but they are hung. The new wood in the top is all installed and three coats of clear. I have fixed several bullet holes and dents, straightened the bent rain gutters and welded some small patches in. The two big dents in the firewall have been sliced and hammered back into shape. In the morning I will weld the slices up and mount the new hot water heater for its first fitting. I purchased four gauges at the fall swap meet and then ordered the two missing ones...Classic Gauges, red pointer with a tan face..pretty cool.

I need to replace the front quarters and patch the rear door opening. The doors all have some work to be done yet....dents galore!( but the body was bought at a bargain price!)

I'll try to post a couple of pictures.

 dash with blacked out insert

 doors are hung

 swap meet heater  "heatmaster"