poppop,s M37 restore thread

[poppop]

OK, a diclaimer from the start. This will not be done at zouts warp speed and also not his quility. Probably not PB's either. It will be the most extensive job i have done on an MV.

I bought this truck from an SS member who had started restoration and had 80 % of the parts needed to do it. It already had the rear axle brakes rebuilt with all new parts. New brake lines were installed as well as most of the gas lines. Fuel tank professionally redone with all new gaskets and sending unit and new pickup pipe, new fuel pump installed, correct fuel filter installed on firewall and most new wires. It came with a perfect extra cab, NOS doors, perfect running boards, new windsheild glass, new seat chussions, winch with two drive shafts and new worm gear and frame extensions. Also 4 of the big tires which I can't recall the size now and all new tubes and flaps.

This truck was advertized in SS classifieds so I am going to tell what I paid. I paid the Members asking price of $2000.00. He has more money than that just in parts I believe and the truck itself is sound as a Dollar, maybe I should change that to sound as a rock as the Dollar is not doing very well these days.

With the rainy weather we have spent the last couple days finishing striping the frame. It is down to the springs , axles and shocks and that is as far as I am going. Yesterday we pulled the transmission to inspect the clutch and release bearing and pilot bearing. All parts are brand new, no rust, no dirt or dust and no crud. Reinstalled the transmission as it will be cleaned and painted as a unit.

Removed all seals from transmission, transfer case and differentials and ordered form NAPA. They will be in tomorrow. Today we decided to install the new brake parts on the front axle and decided while we are here we might as well strip the hubs to inspect and replace all seals. Once again everything looks new so will order seals tomorrow and just clean all other parts and reinstall.


I have done a lot of reading on paint and this is what I have learned. My truck was built in 1952 and painted 23070 which is the color from WWII through 1955. It then changed to 24087 which is 1955 through Vietnam. The older color seems to be a little more brownish to me. Well I could not find any information on how to mix the 23070 but I could on the 24087. I wanted to buy the paint locally as I thought I could get a better paint for the same or less money than the hasmat fees would cost me. My Carquest dealer will be mixing the paint tomorrow in acqulic enamal. His sample looked a little dark to me but I have some sample drying and will check tomorrow. Anyway it looks close enough to me and that is the color it will be. If anyone is interested I have some codes to get paint mixed locally for you.


Chrysler DT7471

PPG 42955

Dupont 29149D

Acme Rodgers 1744

My guy handles Acme Rodgers. I am going to prime everything with epoxy primer as soon as sandblasted. The frame and most parts bolted to it will have color sprayed within the time window with at least two coats and maybe three. All parts that can be seen will be primed with one color coat and final painting after the truck is back together.

I know you guys like pictures, but my shop is a mess. We are a working farm and don.t seem to find time to haul off junk. There are two antique John Deere tractors that have been in their spots for three years still not finished. Last week we had to put rod and mains in my mack tractor truck and a pressure plate in the Chevy C65. They both broke on the same day hauling corn. When the Chevy was pulled into the shop a rear seal start pouring oil so we rebuilt the axle with new seals and new brake cylinders.

As I said this is a working Farm. I hope to have the M37 done before we start selling vegetables at the local Farmers Market as I want to use it to sell from. Only time will tell if I can get it done quickly.

 

[doghead]

Good luck and please post some pics!

M37s are cool!

 

[3dAngus]

I know Robert (Bob) has a camera. Hope he is OK. Tell him I said we "need pictures". LOL

Sounds like you got a heck of a deal. Good thing I didn't know about it first. (Or did I?) Doesn't sound like Ferro's.

Congratulations on the purchase. I would have loved to had the winch. They are getting harder and harder to find as they were pulled off many of these machines and used elsewhere.

 

[papabear]

Lloyd sounds like you got a screaming deal there Sir!! Was that here in GA?? Be glad I didn't see that add (well...I seldom look in the classifieds).

I'm glad you got the truck and wish you the best of luck getting her going.

 

[poppop]

Thanks Dell

No it was not ferro's. You should have seen it but maybe not. The members name was oldvw2 and he had sold his house and needed the M37 gone. I wanted to buy lifers several years ago but when I got the money together he had just sold it that day. Things happen for a reason so they say and this truck and deal was just to good to be true. Lifers truck went to an SS member so it went to a good home also.

I will have quite a few left over parts including the cab which does not look like a difficult fis to me. I may have something you can use.

 

[poppop]

PB, the truck was in NC, but I have a friend who hauls farm equipment from here to NC. When he made one delivery he was 40 miles from my truck, so he picked it up and did not charge me a thing. Of course I had been good to him in the past.

 

[3dAngus]

Thanks Dell

No it was not ferro's. You should have seen it but maybe not. The members name was oldvw2 and he had sold his house and needed the M37 gone. I wanted to buy lifers several years ago but when I got the money together he had just sold it that day. Things happen for a reason so they say and this truck and deal was just to good to be true. Lifers truck went to an SS member so it went to a good home also.

I will have quite a few left over parts including the cab which does not look like a difficult fis to me. I may have something you can use.

I'm passing your way next Tues/Wed and back home again on Sunday. If you need anything let me know. I hope to make it to Ferro's to pick up a hardtop for it that week. Not firmed up yet. Only thing I really need is winch parts and bumper, or any specialty option components. My truck appears to be whole. PM me with your price for the cab when you get ready to let it go. Maybe we can swap out some parts if you need anything. Say hello to Robert for me.

p.s. And if it helps any, you're always welcome to borrow my M-37 for a while. I've upgraded the wheels to superlugs and it's presentable, but the inside of the bed is not stripped and painted yet.

 

[poppop]

Dell, if you are comeing close to me stop by and see what I have. I would enjoy a visit and Bob would be here to. He is doing great.

 

[Danger Ranger]

poppop, I will be watching your build as it sounds like it will be a great one. You mentioned Deere, so you have captured my attention....what models are they? We have close to 25 of them at home between Dad, uncle, Grandpa and I. A few of ours have sat for closer to 15 years. It all depends. Does your C65 have the 427, or the smaller engine, the 3xx (can't rememeber the exact number)? Our C70 dump has the 427 and a 2 speed with HD clutch, over a quarter million miles and goin pretty strong!


Good luck and post pics when you get the chance, we don't care that the garage is messy, most of ours are...

 

[clinto]

That's probably the most detailed "here's my resto thread" introduction ever written here.

Where are the pictures?


I look forward to seeing the progress.

 

[papabear]

That's probably the most detailed "here's my resto thread" introduction ever written here.
Where are the pictures?

I look forward to seeing the progress.

That's right poppop, if we don't get to see the truck before ya start, how will we know what an excellent job ya did??

 

[poppop]

We have been working towards sandblasting and painting and I have some time to post some pictures. These pictures show the truck when it arrived on the Farm.

 

[poppop]

Looks like the program has changed since I last posted pictures so this may look strange until I figure it out. These pictures show a fender I have already repaired and then the one I did today. One shows the cancer, then it cut out, then the patch drawn out to be cut out, then the finished repair.

 

[poppop]

Ok so the order is not great but you guys get the picture. These shots are of the disassembled truck scattered around. The engine and transmission are ready for paint. The frame is ready for sandblasting as are all the parts on the trailer. I have the rest of the seals and bearings I need except the differiantial seals which I could not source locally. They are on order from Adirondack Dodge parts. I picked up the paint yesterday. After I finished the fenders I beat on the tailgate for a while and it doens't look bad. The metal that wraps around the shaft in the bottem needs to be replaced and I will have to think on that awhile. I had already straightened the tool rack and done some welding on it. I also have honed the master cylinder and have the kit to rebuild it. I hope this coming week we can get some blasting and painting done.

 

[zout]

Why is everyone always pickin on me !!!!

LLoyd - ya all just take your time at your given speed and it all works out the same in the end. You already know I am a total nut case and have no OFF switch
and its always full speed ahead with me.

PB and TWM can tell you about a 72 Chevelle I got and finished up in about 62 days.
Here is the replacement in the garage - from start of drop off till now its only been 17 days - PB and TWM have been given updates and can tell ya
the progress report. Anything I would say would just sound like total BS - the first pic is its second day here - second pic was a couple days ago.
Its #900 original 1964 1/2.

Its easy - do not ever let anyone tell ya - you should have done it this way
Do not every ask - how do you think it would look this way
Do you think I should have put this on

Its YOURS - and you will make it the way you want it and thats good enough for me - and I can always appreciate the hard work on things when folks
do them themselves - its always good.

 

[poppop]

Certainly not picking on you Brother Zout. I can't believe how you can get stuff done so quick. I bought My Daughter a 66 Mustange which she drove to High School and then to UGA. There are still black streaks on the road by my house where she peeled out every morning going to school, and that was 25 years ago.

 

[cobra5]

I have done a lot of reading on paint and this is what I have learned. My truck was built in 1952 and painted 23070 which is the color from WWII through 1955. It then changed to 24087 which is 1955 through Vietnam. The older color seems to be a little more brownish to me. Well I could not find any information on how to mix the 23070 but I could on the 24087. I wanted to buy the paint locally as I thought I could get a better paint for the same or less money than the hasmat fees would cost me. My Carquest dealer will be mixing the paint tomorrow in acqulic enamal. His sample looked a little dark to me but I have some sample drying and will check tomorrow. Anyway it looks close enough to me and that is the color it will be. If anyone is interested I have some codes to get paint mixed locally for you.

Chrysler DT7471

PPG 42955

Dupont 29149D

Acme Rodgers 1744

I want to make sure I understand what you wrote. So when I go to Carquest, all I have to do is ask them to mix up some PPG 42955 or Dupont 29149D and I'll get a close match to the original 23070?

 

[poppop]

No cobra5, I could not find codes for the 23070. The codes given were for 24087. We will see how close it is when I spray some. This paint turned out to be quite expensive And if I had it to do over I might go a different route, but this truck is in great shape and this paint will protect it well for a long time and look good doing it.

 

[zout]

Was hoping there were some more pictures instead of blah blah blah - you have that baby laid out with an attack mission programmed - I bet the sands flying around today down there.

Nice to have a BIG area to work around and open like yours.
From looking at the pics everything I could see looks great Poppop - that will AHHHHHHHH take you AHHHHHHH say couple weeks to finish up !!
Just kidding.
I am locked onto this thread - that baby is going to look Cherry (not my kind of cherries tho) but better.

 

[poppop]

Got busy on the farm recovering a greenhouse as we have Tomatoes ready to be transplanted into pots for early tomatoes. When I could I left the Guys and worked on the tailgate for the truck. The pipe that it hinges on was completely torn loose and the metal that held it was also torn loose. There was lots of rot in that area and the tailgate was warped and twisted with lots of bent places. I beat and banged on it in what I thought was the appropriate places and even jumped up and down on it when I thought it appropriate. It straightened up nice and I proceeded to cut out the cancer and weld in new metal. There were several holes rusted through that I welded up and ground down. I have about 10 hours invested just in the tailgate but am pleased with the results and I think the tailgate will stay with the truck for some years to come. It will not be as it let the factory but will be strong and functional.