Longer, Lower Wider Ford Jailbar Touring Project

[charliebob]

Finally got the hood bracing structure, latches, and lift supports fabricated. Thanks to Mercedes salvage for latches and support struts.

Preferred to use short lift supports, but the geometry is tricky because the stock hinges move the hood forward and up. Thus long supports.

[Motown 454]

They look good.

[charliebob]

They look good.

Thanks. Not show quality, but should be functional.

Hope you can get back to your project soon.

Bob

[Motown 454]

Thanks going out there later this week. Thanks.

[wfo guy]

I like it. It shows some thinking.

[charliebob]

Project on the JailBird has been slow due to other commitments and hoping for steel prices to come down further so I can build a bed.

Made a frame for a magnetic mount for an iPhone that will be my instrument panel. Removable to allow for technology changes and/or mounting a larger tablet.

Dash insert temporarily mounted.

Got the idiot lights wired and mounted above the windshield. Panel is also temporarily mounted--will have nylon washers under the button head bolts. Firetruck plate is original to the 1942 Military firetruck that provided much of the sheetmetal for the front clip.

Gotta build a bed next!

[Motown 454]

Looks good! Progress is progress.

[charliebob]

finally some progress. Built a flatbed with partial front fenders grafted on the rear. A side rail lined up with the bead on the cab is planned. Taillight decision pending!

[wfo guy]

I like where you're headed. Lots of fun starting from scratch.

[charliebob]

Lots of fun starting from scratch.

As you know!

How are you doing? Driving your outstanding project?

[dhutton]

That is awesome work.

Don

[charliebob]

That is awesome work.

Don

Thanks Don.

[wfo guy]

Charliebob, I sold the gray 51 at the end of last year. I have some mismatched parts for another project but didn't like where it was headed so I'm stuck in neutral for the 1st time in decades.

[charliebob]

Charliebob, I sold the gray 51 at the end of last year. I have some mismatched parts for another project but didn't like where it was headed so I'm stuck in neutral for the 1st time in decades.

BTW, I loved the 51 and your mods.

I'm not "stuck in neutral," but I can't decide what gear to use! Maybe reverse. I need a pickup to occasionally haul stuff long distances (including taking the Jailbar 400 miles to have a friend pinstripe it). Recently traded for a pile of parts that someone gave up on. CV chassis with a 65 F100 loosely attached. I have an 84 F150 that Dad bought new. The 351 HO gave up long ago. Replaced it in 2000 with a LS 5.3 that I had. Drove it for years, then pulled the powertrain to put in a 69 El Camino. Sold the El. So reverse gear is putting the CV chassis under the 84! Then finish the Jailbar.

There should be a lot of good old iron in SW Kansas.

Bob

[wfo guy]

Bob, my area has been pretty well picked clean. eastern Kansas has had some pretty good sales in the last year but I think it's not as fruitful as it was. When scrap prices got high a few years ago, the scrappers cleaned house. It was sad watching load after load going down the highway. I think the cv under the 84 would be good. That year is wide enough that the read end width wouldn't be such a problem. I have the rear end out of an 88 and a cv rear also. There is about 2" width difference with the cv being the widest. That and the 2015 and newer Mustang rears are the widest Ford's that I have used.

[charliebob]

Some progress on the bed. Epoxy primer time now!

[wfo guy]

Kool!

[charliebob]

My original plan was to paint the truck red since much of the sheetmetal came from a firetruck. But I have decided to paint it flat black and turn it over to my friend Charlie FastFeet for pinstripe art. Thus the rear panel is a big canvass for him.

Charlie did the dash panel.

Obviously my "plan" is drifting away from a touring truck!

[charliebob]

Thought the original headlights had too much of a bulging eye look, so made use of 1956 F100 trim rings.

Bed finished. No illusions of spoiler being very useful. The rear end looked incomplete, so I added the spoiler.

[Motown 454]

Sweet! I like it.