HarryS Posted December 29, 2018 Share Posted December 29, 2018 Looks great especially the new bumper. 1 Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/41547-b-73-restoration/page/8/#findComment-412083 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post mattb73lt Posted December 29, 2018 Author Popular Post Share Posted December 29, 2018 3 hours ago, terry said: That is a bare bones cab!! Should look real good when you are done, like a new truck!! terry👍👍👍 Hopefully, It will. After I repair the lower cab and a few other areas, I'll start repairing the panels one by one. Then start the reinstallation. Just going to worry about it one panel/repair at a time. It's kind of daunting looking at it as a whole. This is the worst part of the whole restoration. 3 Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/41547-b-73-restoration/page/8/#findComment-412089 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Horse Posted December 29, 2018 Share Posted December 29, 2018 Nice Matt- was thinking about your project today and the fact you haven't posted in a while Looks like you have been busy! Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/41547-b-73-restoration/page/8/#findComment-412090 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post mattb73lt Posted December 29, 2018 Author Popular Post Share Posted December 29, 2018 Primed all the repaired parts, cross members and mounts for the frame and driveline. I'll store them until I'm ready to start assembly. Due to much improved working hours, this truck could be back on the road in shorter time. 3 Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/41547-b-73-restoration/page/8/#findComment-412133 Share on other sites More sharing options...
h67st Posted December 30, 2018 Share Posted December 30, 2018 You made that bumper? Looks great...I wish I could do metal work like that!! Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/41547-b-73-restoration/page/8/#findComment-412136 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post mattb73lt Posted December 30, 2018 Author Popular Post Share Posted December 30, 2018 1 hour ago, h67st said: You made that bumper? Looks great...I wish I could do metal work like that!! No, I bought it years ago. Just machined the footsteps and mounting holes from the remnants of the original. Took a little ingenuity to support it while working on it. Then I rebuffed it. 3 Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/41547-b-73-restoration/page/8/#findComment-412146 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vladislav Posted January 2, 2019 Share Posted January 2, 2019 On 12/30/2018 at 5:49 AM, mattb73lt said: No, I bought it years ago. Just machined the footsteps and mounting holes from the remnants of the original. Took a little ingenuity to support it while working on it. Then I rebuffed it. Was it a bumper for a B-model or any other one you found with the dimentions matched? Looks excellent. Nothing compares to polished stainless steel. Quote Никогда не бывает слишком много грузовиков! leversole 11.2012 Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/41547-b-73-restoration/page/8/#findComment-412353 Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattb73lt Posted January 3, 2019 Author Share Posted January 3, 2019 6 hours ago, Vladislav said: Was it a bumper for a B-model or any other one you found with the dimentions matched? Looks excellent. Nothing compares to polished stainless steel. I bought it from Doug Fetterly about 16+ years ago. He makes and markets repro steel and stainless B model bumpers. Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/41547-b-73-restoration/page/8/#findComment-412374 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vladislav Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 19 hours ago, mattb73lt said: I bought it from Doug Fetterly about 16+ years ago. He makes and markets repro steel and stainless B model bumpers. Thank you for the info. I don't have a B-model but will keep it in my mind. Quote Никогда не бывает слишком много грузовиков! leversole 11.2012 Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/41547-b-73-restoration/page/8/#findComment-412409 Share on other sites More sharing options...
MACKTRUCKS4 Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 On 1/2/2019 at 8:22 PM, mattb73lt said: I bought it from Doug Fetterly about 16+ years ago. He makes and markets repro steel and stainless B model bumpers. FYI, Doug no longer makes the stainless bumpers, just steel. I bought a steel one and the stainless grill guard two years ago for my B755. He said he will no longer make the stainless bumpers because they scratch too easy and are really hard to make because of that. Quote Live every day like it's your last, because one of these days, it will be. Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/41547-b-73-restoration/page/8/#findComment-412547 Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattb73lt Posted January 6, 2019 Author Share Posted January 6, 2019 23 hours ago, MACKTRUCKS4 said: FYI, Doug no longer makes the stainless bumpers, just steel. I bought a steel one and the stainless grill guard two years ago for my B755. He said he will no longer make the stainless bumpers because they scratch too easy and are really hard to make because of that. Good thing I didn’t mess it up while machining it up then! I have one of his steel ones on my B-42. They do look nice. Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/41547-b-73-restoration/page/8/#findComment-412603 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post mattb73lt Posted January 8, 2019 Author Popular Post Share Posted January 8, 2019 Slugging away at this cab. Test fit the "new" cab roof, had a local fab shop bend up some patch pieces for the cowl sides. Got those back today, he was fast!! Parts are still coming off and a big part of the floor came out today. The cage I welded into the cab is starting to come into play as I'm slicing away. I may have to slow up on the cab, as I'll need to get it to the dry stripper before much more comes off, as my roll back is in storage. Still surprising how much dirt and debri keeps coming out, even after the big steam cleaning I gave it. Probably swept up 5+ lbs over the last week. 5 Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/41547-b-73-restoration/page/8/#findComment-412695 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vladislav Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 Looks like the things are doing cool. Would like to see the cowl patch pieces. Observing your progress I even started crawling over my military Mack cab with a measure band and a caliper to figure out which parts I would be able to order fabricated. The cab has many things in common with your one being basically a L-model cab. But since it's an open one the rocker channels were made different. Consit of lower and upper panels. Your cab has the upper ones only. Quote Никогда не бывает слишком много грузовиков! leversole 11.2012 Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/41547-b-73-restoration/page/8/#findComment-412755 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 O.......M.......G.........AWESOME. Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/41547-b-73-restoration/page/8/#findComment-412758 Share on other sites More sharing options...
h67st Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 When you say "new" roof, is it from a donor cab? Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/41547-b-73-restoration/page/8/#findComment-412761 Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattb73lt Posted January 9, 2019 Author Share Posted January 9, 2019 58 minutes ago, h67st said: When you say "new" roof, is it from a donor cab? Yes, it was salvaged from a fire truck a friend gave me. The cab was rough, but I carefully dissected it and ended up with some better pieces or at least patterns to make replacements. Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/41547-b-73-restoration/page/8/#findComment-412764 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post mattb73lt Posted January 15, 2019 Author Popular Post Share Posted January 15, 2019 Straightened out several of the rear formers that had damage and getting back some more pieces from the fabricator. Local shop, that's been really good to work with and fast. Test fit all the rear sheetmetal and the donor cab top together for fitment. It all lined up, even the factory holes on the top to the original pieces. I think the top dates from 1948 and the cab is 1960. I have some hope this will all go back together. 6 1 Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/41547-b-73-restoration/page/8/#findComment-413283 Share on other sites More sharing options...
terry Posted January 15, 2019 Share Posted January 15, 2019 Hope it all aligns up right, looks like a top notch job!! terry👍👍 Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/41547-b-73-restoration/page/8/#findComment-413303 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post mattb73lt Posted January 25, 2019 Author Popular Post Share Posted January 25, 2019 On 1/8/2019 at 3:38 PM, Vladislav said: Looks like the things are doing cool. Would like to see the cowl patch pieces. Observing your progress I even started crawling over my military Mack cab with a measure band and a caliper to figure out which parts I would be able to order fabricated. The cab has many things in common with your one being basically a L-model cab. But since it's an open one the rocker channels were made different. Consit of lower and upper panels. Your cab has the upper ones only. Here's some pic's from today. The patches were made locally and in the same gage and made longer to overlap damaged areas to allow for trimming. pretty simple bends and no curves. Hope these help. 6 Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/41547-b-73-restoration/page/8/#findComment-414129 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vladislav Posted January 26, 2019 Share Posted January 26, 2019 Thank you for the reference pictures. I see your story is moving along. Glad to observe the pogress. Those side cowl panels also present on my cab. But of easier style having no vents. So the plan is to order them completely new. The issue seem the front and rear edges have double bend with small distance between. Locally the most of shops have limitation on the minimal distance between two bends. So my hope is on personal egeunity or just luck. So far I prepair to open the can of warms closer to the summer. Quote Никогда не бывает слишком много грузовиков! leversole 11.2012 Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/41547-b-73-restoration/page/8/#findComment-414178 Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattb73lt Posted January 26, 2019 Author Share Posted January 26, 2019 3 hours ago, Vladislav said: Thank you for the reference pictures. I see your story is moving along. Glad to observe the pogress. Those side cowl panels also present on my cab. But of easier style having no vents. So the plan is to order them completely new. The issue seem the front and rear edges have double bend with small distance between. Locally the most of shops have limitation on the minimal distance between two bends. So my hope is on personal egeunity or just luck. So far I prepair to open the can of warms closer to the summer. Ok, glad these are helping you. There is a small step on the door side of the panel, where the door closes flush to it. Having no cowl vent door, it would be a lot easier to fabricate the whole panel. I just roughed out the passenger side, today. It was a little rougher than the other and required three sides of it to be repaired. I over lapped the repair panels over the damaged areas. They're now trimmed, fitted and tacked together. I'll finish welding this on Monday. 2 Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/41547-b-73-restoration/page/8/#findComment-414196 Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattb73lt Posted January 29, 2019 Author Share Posted January 29, 2019 A quick test drive to see how the new ventilation system works. Actually, off to the dry stripper. We'll see how much comes back or if disaster awaits!! 2 Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/41547-b-73-restoration/page/8/#findComment-414376 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vladislav Posted January 29, 2019 Share Posted January 29, 2019 Definitely you don't need any rust as a structure element. So the way to go! Don't forget to catch dry weather on the back run. A light freeze is the best for the season. Quote Никогда не бывает слишком много грузовиков! leversole 11.2012 Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/41547-b-73-restoration/page/8/#findComment-414378 Share on other sites More sharing options...
terry Posted January 29, 2019 Share Posted January 29, 2019 love that P/U haven't seen one of those for a long long time!! that one might be a little newer that I was thing of, what year? seems we had some of those in Viet Nam. terry👍👍 good luck on the blaster!! Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/41547-b-73-restoration/page/8/#findComment-414382 Share on other sites More sharing options...
41chevy Posted January 29, 2019 Share Posted January 29, 2019 7 minutes ago, terry said: love that P/U haven't seen one of those for a long long time!! that one might be a little newer that I was thing of, what year? seems we had some of those in Viet Nam. terry👍👍 good luck on the blaster!! Gee I'm jealous you got Kaisers. All we got to use was Mutts and Mules Quote "OPERTUNITY IS MISSED BY MOST PEOPLE BECAUSE IT IS DRESSED IN OVERALLS AND LOOKS LIKE WORK" Thomas Edison “Life’s journey is not to arrive at the grave safely, in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ‘Holy shit, what a ride!’” P.T.CHESHIRE Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/41547-b-73-restoration/page/8/#findComment-414383 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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