The bead is pretty crude, but it'll do the job on my floor. Nobody was more surprised than me when that floor dropped in and actually fit. Driver side next and it will probably end up being the same amount of new steel as the passenger side.

Thanks Zane! It's cheaper and faster to keep a good assortment of odd and end steel. Turns out I just happened to hang on to the right mix for this project.

They never had doors/covers as far as I can tell. You have the lift up the seat bottom to access the storage boxes.

@@StephenStrader-f2z Thanks! It for sure stands out in a sea of 60's big three trucks you normally see out there.

@@TheToolmanTim I couldn’t have said that better myself, it’s so true.

@@clausschuster470 You're right, more bracing in between would help prevent repeat warping. That being said, the days of running this truck as a 1 ton load hauler are over.

Thanks! It's the old eating and elephant approach. I try to get something done every day. Even on days when I can only find 30 minutes, I'll wire wheel a small part and get some paint on it.

@@kjohn1626 It's great to hear your getting some value from my videos. I have benefitted the same way from other guys like @tumbleweed_garage and @AntiqueCarsandStuffposting work on their Willys truck projects. Thanks for the comment.

Hi Tom. Guy has been a huge help on the project. He's put in a lot of hours and kept me out of trouble.

Thanks. I'll give it some thought. Stronger is always better. I am going for an original look, but I'm not worried about making changes where it makes sense.

Sorry, I didn't capture that part of the job. If I remember correctly, I removed the large brake lever retaining nut and the lever popped off without putting up much of a fight. If it's frozen to the knurled shaft, try the heat and beat method to break it free. Alternatively, you could remove the body bolts on both sides of the steering control shaft and you should be able to lift it high enough have clearance to lift the cover and brake block out as a single unit. Good luck.

@@TheToolmanTim Thank you sir.

I was going to leave it alone. I credit my buddy, Guy, with pushing me to flatten the bed. I had my concerns that it might pop some spot welds, but everything held up while we pressed out the waves.

I'm curious to see how the epoxy does too. Part of me feels like using bedliner is cheating, but the other part says "just do it". I'll keep it tasteful so it doesn't look too modern.

It's called a 3-jaw puller or gear puller. They sell a set of four different sizes at Harbor Freight for around $40.

I was fortunate that mine where there and still good enough to save. I was a little skeptical that they would turn out and expected them to look terrible after priming them. I was surprised that my hackery was pretty much hidden.

Thanks! It took a couple weeks start to finish. It was my first attempt at this kind of job and that truck wasn't my daily driver, so I had the luxury of taking a little more time.

Thanks! You're on the right track. I spent my entire career as a software engineer in various roles and industries, none of which were automotive related. I am also a life long car guy, woodworker and DIYer.

@@TheToolmanTim That makes total sense to me. I have a couple of relatives who have engineering backgrounds and you're all cracked out of the same mold. You folks, unlike myself, have a calm and methodical approach to problems, unlike people like me who panic and go into fight mode when confronted with hurdles. As a guy from Red Wing, I also can admire a guy who wears a nice comfy set of Heritage boots!

Old school Redwing Irish Setters are my favorite footwear for the shop.. They took a long time to break in, but are as comfortable as slippers now.

@@TheToolmanTim You can't beat that crepe sole when working on concrete surfaces, I just dropped off a pair of 6" 875 boots at the flagship store in RW to have new soles put on at the factory. I am already counting the days until they return. They'll be good as new when they return, minus the headache of a break-in period.

Thanks! I'm going to pick up stencils for the WO and 4 wheel drive. i think I'll use the same cream color I used on the wheels to paint the logos on the tailgate.

Thanks! It is passible for a driver build even though the floor looks like Lake Superior on a windy day.

I appreciate the comment Zane. I'll finish off the tailgate by putting the big round OW logo in the middle and a small "four wheel drive" jeep decal on the lower left just like factory. Might even fool a few folks.

Thanks, Guy! Looking forward to having you out for more wrenching next week.

I appreciate the comment Zane. I'm slowly working my way through things. At this rate, the truck probably won't be road worthy until this time next year. I usually take my International to a car show, held every year on the third Saturday in August, called the Gearhead Get Together in Maple Lake, MN. I have a goal to bring the Willys there next year.

@@kjohn1626 Thanks! I use a Lincoln Pro-mig 140 with argon/CO2 mix gas. For sheet metal I run .025 wire. It works great on good sheet metal. Welding rust thinned metal doesn't work as well, so I try to cut back to the full thickness metal when I make a patch.

@@TheToolmanTim I'm fairly new to Mig welding and can admire good work after getting beat up with trying to learn on 69 year old sheet metal that never left Minnesota. Your mention of getting back to good metal was a hard lesson for me to learn, but it does make all the difference in the world. Does that welder run on either120V or 240V?

@@kjohn1626 My welder is 120V only. It's a good little machine but a bit limited for welding really thick metal. There are a lot of good RU-vid channels (@badchad, @HalfassKustoms, @MakeItKustom, @CarterAutoRestyling and @fitzeesfabrications) where I learned the basics of sheetmetal welding. The funny thing is all of the channels I mentioned are Canadian. I guess being from Minnesota makes us almost Canadian too. I'm still a novice welder with just enough knowledge to be dangerous.

Thanks. I'm seriously considering building my own tailgate with spare parts from the other two boxes I'm cutting up. That will start after I finish up on the box.

Cutting patches from an identical box is a lot easier than trying to make them from scratch. I'm glad I started my work in a spot that isn't visible to anyone except the mechanic who crawls under the truck to work on it. I need more practice on my sheet metal welding.

Glad you're enjoying the project. Stay tuned for more work on the box next time.

I scored big time when I picked up that engine, but it did need a lot of attention before I was able to use it. It's still running strong with no leaks. I'd watch Marketplace and Craigslist for old Loadstars as engine donors. There are a lot of old grain trucks out there with super low miles. I made a video on that engine run stand a couple years ago. Here is a link: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-tKsQduMRB2k.html

@@Okierover I'm watching Tumbleweed garage too. He's further along on body work and I'm getting a lot of good information and ideas watching his videos. My best guess is 18 gauge on the sheet metal.

That's what I was thinking. I can see the difference in my 22 gauge versus the work for 18 gauge. 18 welds better too I bet.

@@Okierover Yeah, 18 gauge is a lot more forgiving. The only downside is it is a bit more difficult to bend if you are fabricating a new panel.

​@@TheToolmanTim truth. I confidently bought a 4x8 sheet of 16 gauge. That was a mistake.

@@Okierover Yeah right. I just posted part 13 last week that marks the end of mechanical/chassis work. I'm starting rust repair on the box now. Things are moving along slowly. My approach is to try to do something on the truck every day. Even on days I don't have much time, I may take 15 minutes to clean up small parts on the wire wheel. Thanks for watching.

Thanks! The tires are a no-name brand I picked up on Amazon for $107 a pair. I just check my order from 2 years ago and they don't come up as available now. The tread pattern is really good and grippy though. Probably a copy of a pattern available from Carlisle or Kenda.

@@TheToolmanTim👍🏻found them. Wanda p306 tires.

@@carlospelay9642 You can't find a more stable wood than 50+ year old pew oak. Be sure to check close to see if the surface is flat. Seats and backs were sometimes contoured for comfort. The old flat uncomfortable pews are best. I wouldn't recommend oak for countertops though. The grain on oak is too open. Maple is a better choice for countertops.

Thanks Randy!

Thanks, they look pretty good for the most part. A few of them have some visible pitting if you get a close look. I'd say it's a pretty good sign the vehicle probably sat in one spot for a very long time and slowly sank into the ground. I was fortunate that most of my wheels were salvageable and the seller included and extra wheel.

Same to you

Thanks! Having neighbors with a good shop who are willing to help out is a real budget saver.

I think you could probably negotiate lower. There isn't a lot of demand for radial arm saws. I see people giving them away for free now and then.