Fix the Truck returns with this interesting three part-saga, in which our protagonist:

• starts to set up rails for his flatbed
• puts on the tyres
• engages in a lawn-mower stress test with household objects

Today’s episode: Reclaimed Wood Sidewalls

I have purchased my tyres, and are waiting for them to arrive. As part of this entire DIY aspect of truck restoration, I will be attaching them to my alternate rims manually… as part of my general prudence, I will be fetching a balance for them at the shops.

However, in the meantime, I have taken the day to start the work on the walls of the flatbed. Here’s what she currently looks like:

It is my plan to allow the greatest adaptation for the truck’s uses, and so I am going to make walls for the sides, a sturdy gate… and make them detachable for heavy or awkward loads. In order to do so, the walls are going to be one piece, and detachable via bolts.

Armed with a few basic tools, (I prefer hand tools whenever possible), I started by cutting the four side posts to size. The folks from which I purchased the truck have also kindly donated some of the old wood they have sitting around their place, provided I eliminate the waste also.

I also have to mow in order to reveal some of the wood. (This proved to be a rather adventuresome circumstance, and I’m glad the property owners donated their mower- see my upcoming blog, Mower vs….)

While the wood looks quite weathered, I think for a nice coat of paint, it will make the truck look quite bonny and tidy. For now, though, we will continue with our ‘redneck chic’ look.

The first step, as mentioned, is to take some of these two by sixes (originally used for framing concrete and interior electrical, hence the occasional hole for wiring) and cut them for side rails. These will be securely attached to the sides of the truck, and will be the resting place for the walls’ bases. I don’t feel that the rails will necessarily impede the loading of requisites such as hay bales or oversize loads, so I have left them as the basic fascia of the flatbed. Needless to say, this operation was performed handily with my hand-saw, hammer and nails.

The structure of the flatbed is such that the two petrol tank fill apertures (for the two petrol tanks! eeeheeeheee! Think of the mileage we can make!) stick up through the flatbed. This means that the side rails must go on the outside of the flatbed.

My first difficulty came from these remarkably useful tie-downs which came on the flatbed. I have no desire to block them down with the walls (because there’s nothing like, say, a perfectly centered, tied-down piano within a pair of painted flatbed rails to make your day). I’ve therefore taken my hand saw and performed the following surgery on the four foot 2 x 6 section:

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this first excision was formed solely with the saw. As you can see, it fits in quite nicely, allowing the tie-down to be raised properly:

For the second, centered in the middle of the beam as it were, I brought out my hammer and chisel to finish the job.

I drilled some bolt holes, through-and-through, on the side rails I placed along the truck. The bolts need to be strong enough to hold up not just this individual board, but the 4 x 8 sheet of plywood and the load within, so we have sizeable 5/16″ bolts galvanized bolts here. As the situation requires, the walls can be detached and set aside with a wrench (which, of course, is staying in the truck with me for facility’s sake!)

This completed, I have also puttered around and stripped the more stylish rims off the truck, with their colossal mud tyres as well. For mileage and weight’s sake, I have picked some lightweight tyres for travel, with good all-season treads. I have no desire to do off-roading, or travel too very far up Forest Service Roads with this old girl. Hauling and touring, with a touch of camping, will be my ultimate end- and for that, good eight-ply highway tyres are best. My goodness, but those old tyres are massive!

Now we have four lovely posts (and the tail end of the truck jacked up and awaiting tyres).

Next- to mow, and reveal the rest of the missing wood!