Mike "Hubbie" Stearns Posted October 9, 2022 Author Share Posted October 9, 2022 This week sucked as we are working 10 hrs a day and that means less time to play. I’ve been fighting a fuel leak that I finally replaced the stainless line with steel. I did get the fuel pump working again after replacing the valve stems. I’ve also been fighting the radiator leaking. I replaced the lower tank gasket twice and added rtv the second time. I filled the radiator and the top tank started leaking. Replaced it and topped off. Then the thermostat housing started to seep. I decided to start the engine and get it up to temperature so I could set the carb and timing. To my surprise the dam thing stopped leaking. I figured it was a fluke and expected to go out this morning and find a large puddle on the floor, but it’s still holding. I was able to get it on all four tires, the drive shaft and brake rod installed. A major milestone happened today as it left its home( barn ) for the first time in about four years and saw the sunlight. I even took it for a short drive with my neighbor. It ran great and stopped great as well. It definitely doesn’t turn to the left very well but there’s nothing I can do about that. It’s just one of those things that is what it is. I have to add the rubber on the running boards , tail board and the cab this week. It will also get it a first bath. I have some wiring I want to get done this week and then it will be ready for my daughter’s wedding on the 15th. Till next time. Mike 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike "Hubbie" Stearns Posted October 9, 2022 Author Share Posted October 9, 2022 Some more pics 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike "Hubbie" Stearns Posted October 9, 2022 Author Share Posted October 9, 2022 I definitely sounds good also with the 3” open exhaust. Mike 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lahti35 Posted October 10, 2022 Share Posted October 10, 2022 Awesome! Great job. I've enjoyed your thread bring this old girl back to life😁 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike "Hubbie" Stearns Posted October 16, 2022 Author Share Posted October 16, 2022 Well I’m glad this week is over. This passed week was spent getting running boards covered and some wiring done. My now son in law picked it up and took the wedding venue Saturday morning. I then moved it into position per my daughter’s request. It was used for their pictures. Quite a few compliments on my work were received as well. It’s not completely done, but was good enough to keep my promise to have it at the wedding. The good news was after dinner I drove it to my brother in law’s place till today. It is at this point the furthest that I’ve driven it. It was a about 7-8 miles. It proved to be quite a drive as the temps were in the low 50s. I learned I still have some sorting to do and a few items to look at next year. I have one more thing to do at the end of the month and then I will be putting it to bed for the winter. So my post will slow down for a few months until next spring. Here are some pics for you. Mike 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike "Hubbie" Stearns Posted October 16, 2022 Author Share Posted October 16, 2022 Here is my favorite so far. Mike 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chistech Posted October 17, 2022 Share Posted October 17, 2022 Sorry Mike but your daughter outshines the truck!😁 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike "Hubbie" Stearns Posted October 17, 2022 Author Share Posted October 17, 2022 14 hours ago, chistech said: Sorry Mike but your daughter outshines the truck!😁 I will agree with you. She was just glad to see it there. Mike 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike "Hubbie" Stearns Posted October 20, 2022 Author Share Posted October 20, 2022 Well I’ve taken a few evenings off and besides its been a little cool, 40-50 high, and I don’t heat the barn. Anyway, I stopped at by the place I use to go for testing and repair of starters and alternators and found a note on the door saying the had closed their door. A real bummer as they did great work. I ended up at Napa and they tested my alternator. He said it had a little noise, but was good at 14.6 volts. It’s a 3 wire GM. So I reinstalled it and did a google search on the proper way to wire it. After a little searching I found a light that would work as a warning light. I started the truck and gave it some gas to get it charging and the light went out. I checked the voltage and low and behold it read 14.6 volts. Since it was running I checked the rpms and adjusted the carb a little. I just need to make the light circuit permanent and that will be one more thing off the list. You can teach an old dog new tricks. Mike 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike "Hubbie" Stearns Posted February 2, 2023 Author Share Posted February 2, 2023 Well not much to post since winter is here. My wife and I did take the truck up to the the fire station on October 31 for the parade. The fire department still does a Halloween for the kids. We got to lead them. Some of the members were surprised to see it. Saturday I finally got the motometer that I had ordered in July. Today since I’m on vacation this week and it’s about 40 outside, I started it up. To my surprise I didn’t have to crank it very long at all before it started. I ran it for about 30 minutes to get it up to temperature. It sure was nice to hear it running. I have been working on the rear compartment that goes behind the Boyer drop down door. I just need to finish painting it and then get it mounted. There are a couple of things I will need to address once the weather breaks. Until next time, mike 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chistech Posted February 4, 2023 Share Posted February 4, 2023 Stay warm Mike, it will be waiting for you and it won’t be long before the weather breaks. Enjoy the time off. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike "Hubbie" Stearns Posted March 12, 2023 Author Share Posted March 12, 2023 Since last time, not much has happened. I built a new rear compartment over this winter. Last week I was able to get it mounted. it was a big pita to get it up and into the correct position. It got nailed and screwed to secured into place. Sorry I didn’t take any pics, but will the next time I go to the shop. The wife and I did go to the annual swap meet in Kentucky at the expo center. Lots to see. There was a lot of 50s-70s parts. Not much of pre 50s stuff unless it was early 30s Ford. I was able to drop off the windshield frame and supports at one of the chrome companies that I had used before. They are about 8 weeks out. So mid May I should have them back and can get the glass installed. Then I can get it mounted. well till next time. Mike 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike "Hubbie" Stearns Posted April 11, 2023 Author Share Posted April 11, 2023 Life just seams to get in the way more and more now a days. The wife and I decided this was going to our year to do something together and around the house. Sunday her dad past after about a month or so in the hospital. He was 87 and lived a good life. She is also the executor of the will to boot. So maybe next year? I finally went to the shop, with my phone, since the weather is starting to cooperate. I started doing the cut and buff on the rear panel. The pics does shop the rear compartment that I built and installed last time. I water sanded with 1000,2000 then 3000. I then started with the compounds. I think it came out great. With the weather we are having, I’m planning on doing some more every night after work. I’ll keep all of you up to date. If you can’t tell, the pics are before, during and after. Mike 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r1lark Posted April 11, 2023 Share Posted April 11, 2023 Beautiful Mike! The reflections of you taking the pictures also show the progress start to finish. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chistech Posted April 11, 2023 Share Posted April 11, 2023 What’s that ugly image above Boyer!😂🤣😂🤣 Looks great Mike. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike "Hubbie" Stearns Posted April 11, 2023 Author Share Posted April 11, 2023 9 hours ago, chistech said: What’s that ugly image above Boyer!😂🤣😂🤣 Looks great Mike. Your right, quite ugly. Mike 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike "Hubbie" Stearns Posted April 14, 2023 Author Share Posted April 14, 2023 I have some time off 1) we are slow at work and 2) because of my father in law passing. So with the weather cooperating, I have been continuing to do the cut and buff. I have also added the gold leaf to the finished panels. All the gold leaf will get cleared and pinstriped. I think it looks pretty good so far. Mike 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike "Hubbie" Stearns Posted May 26, 2023 Author Share Posted May 26, 2023 (edited) It’s been awhile since I last updated you all. Life has been just crazy. I’ve been cut and buffing. I did have to repaint a couple of panels which slowed down the buffing process. Then getting those gold stripes to line up down the bed as well as straight. My daughter then came in and added all the scrolls. I tried to do them, but she is so much better than me doing it. There’s a car show Saturday in the town where I live. So last evening my daughter and I gave it a bath. Of course a good time for some pics. I’ll get some more on Saturday. Mike Edited May 26, 2023 by Mike "Hubbie" Stearns (see edit history) 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike "Hubbie" Stearns Posted May 26, 2023 Author Share Posted May 26, 2023 And 1 more 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted May 26, 2023 Share Posted May 26, 2023 BEAUTIFUL! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike "Hubbie" Stearns Posted May 27, 2023 Author Share Posted May 27, 2023 12 hours ago, keiser31 said: BEAUTIFUL! Thanks. It will look even better once I get it all done. Mike 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike "Hubbie" Stearns Posted May 28, 2023 Author Share Posted May 28, 2023 Well today was the car show. It was a long but a good day. There wasn’t anything older than the 67 camaro other than my fire truck. All were well modified. Other words not a thing worth taking a picture of. I did meet some interesting people though. This was the fire truck and my first car show and we won the truck class. Everyone seemed to like it and several couldn’t believe that it was that old and the amount of time I have in it as well as that I did almost all of it by myself. I’ll be finishing up the cut and buff as well as the gold leaf in the next month or so. Than I will have to do some sorting out the carb. It ran good on the way to the show, but had some issues on the way home. Mike 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike "Hubbie" Stearns Posted June 10, 2023 Author Share Posted June 10, 2023 It’s been a few weeks since my last update. Not too much progress but progress is progress. I did cut and buff a couple of panels. I also got the rear panel gold leaf applied and pinstriped. I even got it back on with the lights hooked up. The hardest thing was getting the Maltese Cross on in the center of the panel. Applying the gold leaf was the easy part. Adding the pin striping took about 3 hours each as well as quite a lot of beer. I was able to get the front fenders cut and buffed as well as starting to lay out the gold leaf stripes. I should be able to get them gold leafed tomorrow. It’s suppose to rain tomorrow so it all depends on the weather. I’ll post some pics when they are done. That just leaves the hood to finish up. I haven’t decided weather to pull it off to cut and buff or just leave it on. There are benefits to both. I’ll decide later on that. Till next time, mike 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chistech Posted June 11, 2023 Share Posted June 11, 2023 As we say here in New England, it looks freaking awesome! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike "Hubbie" Stearns Posted June 11, 2023 Author Share Posted June 11, 2023 8 hours ago, chistech said: As we say here in New England, it looks freaking awesome! Thanks. I think so too. Mike 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike "Hubbie" Stearns Posted June 11, 2023 Author Share Posted June 11, 2023 I did a lot of research on doing gold leaf(gilding). I talked to lots of people that do gilding. Most of them said it’s very expensive so I should use imitation gold. The savings would be about half. After talking to a painter I know, he said if it was his he would use real gold as it will hold up a lot better in the long run. At lunch one day we discussed it in depth. I had one gilder quote me 4-5000 for just the gilding and I would have to find someone else to add the pinstripes. Pin stripers are not cheap. One of the stripers quoted 2-3000 to do all the stripes and lettering and 1000 for the two Maltese Cross. So like many of you, I bought the needed tools and supplies and dove in head first. As it turns out, gilding isn’t that hard to do. ( I didn’t have to do any engine turning. All the gold leafing I uncovered wasn’t engine turned. ) Engine turning is the process of adding the swirling you see in gold leaf. It takes a lot of practice to get them uniform and straight. It is done with felt and a spindle or you can use your thumb. It just take a lot of time and patience. For stripes I used 1” blue painters tape ,1/4” vinyl tape and a block of wood the width of the stripes. Removable vinyl cut on a cricket or silowet for letters, the ovals and Maltese Cross. You just have to remember to weed ( remove the unwanted parts )as a negative. You need to remove all the wax or other surface contamination. Once I had it laid out it’s time for size ( adhesive). It needs to be uniform thickness. Once all the size is on, the tape or vinyl is removed. Then it’s a waiting game. Size is kind of like contact cement, you need to let it tack up for about 30-60 minutes. I use a sign painters lettering brush. Once it’s ready you add the gold leaf. Most of us haven’t ever seen gilding done. Gold leaf is thin. It’s .12 microns thick, so very delicate. The gold I’m using is on a tissue paper backing. I bought it in 5/8” rolls for the strips and loose sheets that are 3 1/8” square. Once the gold is applies I use a very soft makeup brush to remove the excess. If I was doing engine turn, I would do that next. The size then needs to dry for 24 hours before I clear. I used the same clear as I used on the paint just put on with a lettering brush. It has to dry before the pin striping is done. So 3 days to add gold leaf. If I were to do all the gold leaf and pin striping at once, it would take about 4-5 days. If you were to figure material costs and labor, my truck would have cost about $8500. I will have about $1500 in it and I can say I done it by myself. 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt G Posted June 12, 2023 Share Posted June 12, 2023 Mike I so admire your determination and patience . I have had some experience in pin striping and a friend who lived about a 10 minute walk away from my house had a business in Richmond Hill, Queens that was pin striping . You need a very steady hand and a lot of focus without distractions to get it right. It has been many many years but I was taught how to letter by hand as well when I worked with a fellow at a museum who was a master at that skill. He also taught me how to re - enamel car badges ( then fire the powdered glass enamel in a kiln) and I did one car club badge from the 1930s that had 7 colors to use to replace what was there. PATIENCE. no clicking or tapping of buttons to get the job finished. All done as a "break" from researching, writing, and restoring 90+ year old steel toys. With a smirk a friend visiting here said " and you think you are retired?!" I didn't have an answer for that. Walt 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike "Hubbie" Stearns Posted June 12, 2023 Author Share Posted June 12, 2023 This evening after work, I started adding the gold leaf stripes to the front fenders. As I described earlier, I laid out the stripes with tape. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike "Hubbie" Stearns Posted June 12, 2023 Author Share Posted June 12, 2023 I then applied the size and removed the tape 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike "Hubbie" Stearns Posted June 12, 2023 Author Share Posted June 12, 2023 (edited) Size has a little amber tint, but it has a high gloss. Some gilders add paint to the size so you can see it when applied. Some say it lessens the adhesive quality. I prefer not to. Edited June 13, 2023 by Mike "Hubbie" Stearns (see edit history) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike "Hubbie" Stearns Posted June 13, 2023 Author Share Posted June 13, 2023 (edited) After about 45 minutes waiting, the size was ready. Edited June 13, 2023 by Mike "Hubbie" Stearns (see edit history) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike "Hubbie" Stearns Posted June 13, 2023 Author Share Posted June 13, 2023 I then cleaned it up and wiped with a microfiber rag. Start to finish was 2 1/2 hours. Tomorrow I will clear the stripes. Wednesday I’ll add the pinstripes. Mike 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike "Hubbie" Stearns Posted June 17, 2023 Author Share Posted June 17, 2023 Well as usual, the weather and life got in the way. Thursday I was able to get the gold leaf cleared. Last night I added the pinstripes. Th pinstripes really add that little extra to the gold leaf. Next up is the hood. I just haven’t decided weather to leave in on or remove it. Each has its benefits. Mike 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFranklin Posted June 17, 2023 Share Posted June 17, 2023 Nice work! when I was a wee lad I had a job in an art supply house as the resident gold leafer. I had fun working at JARU and see some of the items on EPay now and then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike "Hubbie" Stearns Posted June 19, 2023 Author Share Posted June 19, 2023 Well today was an emotional day. A beautiful day for a drive. I got to lead a funeral procession to the graveyard with my in laws and sister in law nestled between my wife and me. The fire truck great. My wife did the best she could under the circumstances. Afterwards, the truck wouldn’t start, dead battery. So the funeral director gave me a jumpstart and off I went home. A quick check and the alternator wasn’t charging. I used an led bulb for the warning light and I need to get a non led bulb and that will fix that. The drive wasn’t that long, 3-5 miles, but I did push it a little hard on the way home. My sister in law told me that I was running about 40 or so. I still need to get a new speedometer cable. It was a good time all in all. Mike 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike "Hubbie" Stearns Posted August 2, 2023 Author Share Posted August 2, 2023 It’s been hit and miss time with my fire truck. Work has been a little rough lately. I have been working on the hood and running board trim. My wife helped me put the hood back on on Sunday afternoon. I put the two side panels on on Monday after work. That means that all the sheet metal is back on and it’s all gold leafed and pinstriped. I did talk to a friend and he is going to to a final polishing as he has a buffer that is better than mine and I don’t have a big enough air compressor to run it. He’s been busy as well and there’s two events on the same day that I have already committed to next month so we still have time to get it done. My daughter is working on a design for the battery box as it looks kinda plain. Her words, and I agree with it since she mentioned it. And she’s right. Well till next time, enjoy the pics and a cold one. Mike 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike "Hubbie" Stearns Posted August 20, 2023 Author Share Posted August 20, 2023 Not much to update. But I had an opportunity for a couple of photos. Mike 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike "Hubbie" Stearns Posted August 20, 2023 Author Share Posted August 20, 2023 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chistech Posted August 21, 2023 Share Posted August 21, 2023 That truck is gorgeous Mike! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike "Hubbie" Stearns Posted September 4, 2023 Author Share Posted September 4, 2023 This past week my friend did the final polish. I picked it up on Friday late afternoon. I was amazed at what he was able to do. Pictures don’t do it justice. He really did a great job. I had taken off the running board rubber to Mae it easily for him to polish. Yesterday I started putting it back on for the last time. I finished it up today. I did make hood supports so I don’t have to lay the hood completely over onto the other side. HF sells a rubber dipping compound for tools and I used it for the end that the hood sits in. And I don’t have to carry a blanket to do so. It does give me enough space to work on the engine. Last winter I made a new shifter knob out of hard maple. My daughter was able to make the shift pattern and a silver circle out of vinyl. She did a great job. I then did a final sanding. I sprayed about eight coats of clear. Then installed it the next day. Everyone really likes it. I just need to remember that the shift pattern isn’t a normal one. I believe it’s called a box pattern. There are a few things I need to do yet like figure a route for the speedometer cable. I also need to figure out what gears will be needed so it will be accurate. Then I can get the measurement and order one. I’ve been working on the siren. I have it working, but I need to work on the motor cover as it has several cracks/splits in it. It is thin brass and will be soldering them up once I get the chrome off. Till next time Mike 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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