1941 GMC CCKW 353 Restoration Project

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Re: 1941 GMC CCKW 353 Restoration Project

Post by 70th Division » Thu Nov 04, 2021 9:40 pm

Hello,
I managed to get the original 1941 seat springs out of the truck.
The tool box under the seat if filled to the top with dirt, debris, critter bones, gunk, etc.
I wore my respirator as well, never know what is in that nasty dust !!

The bottom and back spring have some damages.
Mainly where the driver sat, several springs are broken, bent.
The same for an area on the back spring.
Now I am looking at repairing these springs.
I think I can do that, if I can get the correct size replacement springs to wire back onto position.
I will also weld the frame section back together in a couple places as well.
This could be a fun and enjoyable seat restoration.

I need to find the different sized springs, as well as a source for the springy wires that hold it all together.

Here are some pictures of what I have :
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Has anyone restored a spring before ?

Any ideas on who has the springs and wire ?


Best Regards,
Ray


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Re: 1941 GMC CCKW 353 Restoration Project

Post by kw573 » Fri Nov 05, 2021 12:32 pm

Old mattresses are a great cheap source of spring steel wire.
1942 Script GPW (Daily driver).
MB-T trailer.
Diamond T 969. ('The Glorifier')
Diamond T 969, rusty, complete, for sale.
Kenworth M1A1 Heavy Wrecker x 2.
M2A1 white HT. ('Clarrie')
Light Recovery Trailer (Ford?).
3ton GS (Blitz) Trailer.
150gal water tanker trailer.
Air compressor trailer, 100c.f.m.

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Re: 1941 GMC CCKW 353 Restoration Project

Post by 70th Division » Fri Nov 05, 2021 2:16 pm

Hello,

Thanks for that idea !!

You would believe that I had an old mattress that was sitting around for years that would have been perfect for this purpose, and I hauled it to the dump a couple months ago !!

I hope to someday take a long road trip with this GMC like you did with your Diamond T , which must have been a great expedition !!

I better get to work !!


Best Regards,
Ray

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Re: 1941 GMC CCKW 353 Restoration Project

Post by 70th Division » Wed Nov 24, 2021 2:20 pm

Hello,

I made some forward progress on the GMC today, and will get both engine side panels completed by this weekend.
They should look good when done !
A little progress is
better than none !
Here is the one I blasted tonight.
Resized_20211124_175901.jpeg
I still have to fill in the little pitting on it which will really restore this to a good level !
I will post more pics as it is completed.
Resized_20211126_203610.jpeg
Also, the floor brackets that G member Robin made for the closed cab M1 Rifle holder has arrived !
I ordered 2, as my shop van closed cab may need one in the future 🙂

They are beautifully made, reproduced from an original one that D.R.H. has from one of his closed cab Chevy trucks.

It is great that we have craftsmen here in America that can fabricate these unavailable parts for us GMC and Chevrolet Closed Cab owners !!

This bracket will allow a rifle holder to be reinstalled in the Jimmy, next to the glove box.

Here are some pics :
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Best Regards,
Ray

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Re: 1941 GMC CCKW 353 Restoration Project

Post by 70th Division » Sat Nov 27, 2021 4:14 pm

Hello,

Some more progress on the engine panel.
Resized_20211127_200438.jpeg
I added metallic filler to eliminate the minor pitting that was there.

I will sand all this down tomorrow, and prime and paint.
It will look great, and then will start on the driver's side panel.

Update :
Here I have sanded down the metal filler. I am prining it again, and then will hand sand it down again. With the primer on it again,I can see little areas that need more sanding.
Resized_20211128_185808.jpeg
The metal filler is a hard material, thus needs a lot if sanding to smooth out, so it blends in under the paint.
It looks much better now, a few little pits I missed, but I will add a little filler to fix them up nice !
Resized_20211129_170656.jpeg
There still were a few dings from earlier damage in the above picture.

I worked on it again and with all the pits filled in and dings in the metal hammered out now, it will look really good primed and painted several coats.

Just waiting for a new sandblasting attachment to arrive for my powerwasher.
I got a deal on 80 bags of 50 pounds glass blasting media.
This stuff works great and has no harmful free silica dust like sand does.
Here is a pic of the stack of blasting media. What a supply !
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This can also be swept up when dry from the concrete driveway, screened, and reused as well.

This is enough to do all my projects!!

Made 100 percent from recycled glass bottles !!
What a great use of recycled glass !!!

Here is a picture of the glass bead material :
Resized_20211127_161207(1).jpeg
Best Regards,
Ray
Last edited by 70th Division on Mon Nov 29, 2021 7:10 pm, edited 9 times in total.

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Re: 1941 GMC CCKW 353 Restoration Project

Post by zepher11 » Sat Nov 27, 2021 4:55 pm

Hi Ray,

Wow! That's a lot of glass. I haven't used that process before, but sounds interesting. It would be great to have a sloped driveway and then channel the water/glass a location for collection and reuse. Is there some kind of additive that keeps the metal from rusting if using a water blaster? I like that there isn't any silica. The Black Diamond is almost silica free, but still has a smidge. I use a respirator. I hope it works. :shock:

Keep up the good work. Knocking out little project is what it's all about!
Zeph

'42 Script GPW Restoration Thread: CLICK HERE!

'41 Dodge WC16 Restoration Thread: CLICK HERE!

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Re: 1941 GMC CCKW 353 Restoration Project

Post by 70th Division » Sat Nov 27, 2021 6:08 pm

Hello Zeph,

Yes it is a mountain of glass 😁 !
But I got it for $8 a bag from a jeep guy here in Florida that is moving to Central America.
That is about half price, and I have many projects to do !
My aircompressor doesn't like running all the time when blasting.
Another G member, Retro-Roco, mentioned this method here in the thread, and said it works great .
The guy this came from did a section of my trailer and had it bare it one swipe with the wand.
He said that he sprays that Phospo stuff on the metal after blasting to keep it from flash rusting. But you have to clean that surface some before painting.

I think I will dry it off with the air hose and prime quick.
Here in Florida the heat will evaporate the water pretty fast too, but the cool weather has arrived this week.
I think it will be fine, and primer soon after blasting and drying should do the trick.

A little bit if work at a time, is how things get done !!
I am restoring my 1943 GPW on another thread right now, and also doing just slight repairs on an M38A1 as well in another thread.

Forward Progress is being made on all fronts !!!

The 3/4 ton CC will have an appointment with the glass blaster soon too 😁😁😁😁
That will stop any rust, and preserve the sheet metal and repairs.
I have been collecting building materials for a small Dodge garage to put it in. Once that is done, I can ramp up work on it as well.

It is best to keep busy, even though sometimes days go by with little work done.
A little work each day at whatever task is better than none at all.

Now it gets dark here around 5:30 pm as well, so that is not so nice !


Best Regards,
Ray

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Re: 1941 GMC CCKW 353 Restoration Project

Post by zepher11 » Mon Nov 29, 2021 6:41 am

You're a pretty busy guy too Ray. I like to get on one major project and then have a couple of small side projects as well.

It's always good to source some material at a great price or deal for use later with the projects. I do the same when I can. Planning is a good thing. Interested in seeing how the glass blasting goes. Post up some photos when you get at it.

Keep up the great work!
Zeph

'42 Script GPW Restoration Thread: CLICK HERE!

'41 Dodge WC16 Restoration Thread: CLICK HERE!

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Re: 1941 GMC CCKW 353 Restoration Project

Post by 70th Division » Tue Nov 30, 2021 4:09 pm

Hello,

Thanks Zeph !

Well, I will let you know that this new power wash blasting process IS the only way to go !
Wow !!
It worked perfectly, zero dust, you get some water spray on you and beads back at you as the item is blasted so a little wet with glass beads on your outfit and boots 🙂.
I wore safety glasses, and a full face shield , and a long sleeve shirt .
No mask.
It blasted away perfectly and quickly.
It did use media quickly as well, but also created clean metal quickly.

I highly recommend this method, as suggested to me by Kirk, aka Retro-Roco !
I used 2 bags, per side of the engine cover.
It blew away the rust pits down to bare metal.
Paint came off quickly as well.

I got wet naturally, as the spray back on angled edges , but no problem.

The media is all over the driveway.
I will sweep it up tomorrow, sift it and reuse it.

I hate sand blasting , with all the dust and potential hazards with the dust !!

This actually is refreshing and a pleasure to do.
I had to add new bags into a 5 gallon pail , that I had a bucket cover on as well, fairly quickly as it sucks it out.

But my poor air compressor wasn't used, and wearing itself out with traditional blasting.
A gas powered pressure washer, and a $36 ebay blasting attachment did the job .
I see easy work for my jeep frame tomorrow and the jeep body.

The GMC parts will be getting the blast as well. Fenders, hood, doors, etc as I get to them, along with a few Dodge CC parts.

All you need is a bigger hopper to hold the glass media, or a helper to add it in so you don't have to stop to refill 😁😁😁😁😁
Here are some pictures :
The engine side panel had a lot of rusty pitting on them, not any more.
No flash rusting, I dried them off and primed them.
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I set the panel on top of my GPW body, you can see how clean overspray areas are on the body !!
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With it primed now so it won't rust, I can next work on the pits and clean it up nicely with metal filler. The one in the foreground is almost done, the one in the background I will start finish work on tomorrow, it needs a few welds ground down a little more, some tapping of dings to flatten them, and metal filler in the pitting.

I would recommend doing this blasting on your swept off driveway, or on a big tarp.
That way you can save your investment in blasting media, and reuse it.
I used to do that with sand.
I never will use sand again !!
This is the future, here now !!
Thanks for the recommendation Kirk !!!

This will so greatly improve the time saving efficiency on the projects !!

Did I mention NO dust !!!

Best Regards,
Ray

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Re: 1941 GMC CCKW 353 Restoration Project

Post by W. Winget » Wed Dec 01, 2021 4:50 am

Don't leave it in primer for storage, Primer is not a sealant and can let parts rust as the pores are open.

Ever notice the 'guy' with a half finished hotrod driving around with gray primer and it's rusted....
So it's good for a few weeks (weather dependent) but not long term storage.
Think it may say so on the can as well. :D
V/R W. Winget
Looking for 1918 Standard B 'Liberty' truck parts

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Re: 1941 GMC CCKW 353 Restoration Project

Post by 70th Division » Wed Dec 01, 2021 5:37 am

Hello,

Thanks for the tip !!
I plan to paint it all as soon as I finish filling in all the little rust pits with Metal filler.

I feel the pits are just catch basins for future rust issues.
I always like to fill them in with Metal to Metal filler, that does not absorb any moisture.
It is a lot more work, but to me well worth it.
They pits are also ugly on areas that can be seen !!

I also do multi layers of primer and paint, well cured between applications.

I will start blasting my GPW jeep frame today.
The next area of the truck may be to repair the damaged hood, then the fenders and lower engine cover panels .

But I must build a big GMC shed to put the truck inside, because here in Florida, weather is always working on vehicles !!

This blaster works so good, I may just keep going and make some real forward progress on several projects !!
Here are some pics of the blaster :
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Update:

I did some finish welding on small pin hole repairs.
It went great , and then I ground them all smooth.
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The little pits caused by peeled paint and rust are history on both engine panels !
Here the driver's side panel has metal filler applied over the repaired areas, and the ugly pitting.
Resized_20211201_215108.jpeg
I will wait until tomorrow to sand once metal filler is cured and hardened on the driver's side panel.
These panels will look real nice now !!
I painted the inside of the passenger side cover. The paint is pictured wet !!
I am very happy to see paint going on the panel !
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Keep 'em Rolling !!!!

Best Regards,
Ray

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Re: 1941 GMC CCKW 353 Restoration Project

Post by 70th Division » Sun Dec 05, 2021 4:45 pm

Hello,

I got the driver's side engine panel
primed and painted.
I will have to add a little more filler to get some pits that are still there, but that will be a quick fix once this paint has dried completely and can be sanded.
Resized_20211205_173252.jpeg
Zeph, that white box to the right on the floor, are your Dodge gears 😁
Resized_20211205_200141.jpeg
Best Regards,
Ray

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Re: 1941 GMC CCKW 353 Restoration Project

Post by zepher11 » Thu Dec 09, 2021 7:38 pm

70th Division wrote:
Sun Dec 05, 2021 4:45 pm
Hello,

I got the driver's side engine panel
primed and painted.
I will have to add a little more filler to get some pits that are still there, but that will be a quick fix once this paint has dried completely and can be sanded.

Zeph, that white box to the right on the floor, are your Dodge gears 😁

Best Regards,
Ray
Good to hear the gears made it Ray. I guess I should have taped the box up a little better. I received an order today and the box was ripped open. Most of my stuff was there, but missing a 12 volt horn I ordered. I think it was over $100, so that's a bummer. I'll have to order another one. More and more the boxes I receive are ripped open. They must be getting more rough with them of late.

The engine panel looks great. Another bite of the elephant. 8)
Zeph

'42 Script GPW Restoration Thread: CLICK HERE!

'41 Dodge WC16 Restoration Thread: CLICK HERE!

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Re: 1941 GMC CCKW 353 Restoration Project

Post by 70th Division » Thu Dec 09, 2021 8:19 pm

Hello,

Thanks Zeph !

A little piece at a time 😁😁

I am wondering if packages aren't getting "inspected" somewhere in transit ?

These days who knows what goes on along the journey !
That and rough handling as well.
Also based on crime news from California, maybe they will make team shoplifting a new Olympic sport ?

Best Regards,
Ray

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Re: 1941 GMC CCKW 353 Restoration Project

Post by zepher11 » Fri Dec 10, 2021 4:45 am

70th Division wrote:
Thu Dec 09, 2021 8:19 pm
Hello,

Thanks Zeph !

A little piece at a time 😁😁

I am wondering if packages aren't getting "inspected" somewhere in transit ?

These days who knows what goes on along the journey !
That and rough handling as well.
Also based on crime news from California, maybe they will make team shoplifting a new Olympic sport ?

Best Regards,
Ray
No doubt Ray. I feel like I live in the upside down world. Everything I think should be one way is the complete other way round.

I think the packages just get roughed up in transit. I doubt anyone was looking for a 12 volt horn, but one never knows. 8)
Zeph

'42 Script GPW Restoration Thread: CLICK HERE!

'41 Dodge WC16 Restoration Thread: CLICK HERE!


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