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Old 09-10-2016, 07:35 AM   #61
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Rivets

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Originally Posted by jjmtb View Post
Did you drill all of your existing rivet holes to 5/32 for reassembly and replacement?


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Yes, it's pretty much required. I've developed good technique with Vintage Trailer's rivet drilling tool, but still, many of the holes come out larger than 1/8"
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Old 09-14-2016, 07:58 AM   #62
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This is why you take a lot of pictures...

...because I don't remember how the luggage hatch goes back together. The hinge has an offset that kicks the door out away from the frame, but I thought I remember it being flush. All the rivet holes line up, so it has to be right, but it doesn't seem right. Anyone have a pic of their late 50's rear luggage door? Or does anyone know if the offset is correct and the door should not be flush with the frame?
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Old 09-28-2016, 07:34 AM   #63
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Bushings For the Running Gear

Well, I didn't expect to get this stuck on bushings, and my progress has been slowed to a crawl. If I would have had the bushings I would have had the bottom done and the shell back on by now. I've been to three suspension shops here in town, one who specializes in old hotrods, and no-one can help me with these bushings, so I'm going to make my own polyurethane bushings. Finding the right size everything to make the bushings has been a challenge, but I've finally rounded it up, and I'll detail what I've done.

The first two pics are the old, dead bushings and the cleaned out spring eye. To remove the bushings I drilled the rubber into swiss cheese, knocked the innards out, cut the outer sleeve with a sawzall and then knocked it out. The third pic shows the old bushings to be 1.29" in diameter which doesn't correlate to anything you can buy - 1 1/4" OD is too small and 1 5/16" OD is too big. The best thing I could come up with is 1 5/16" brushed nickel closet rod from Home Depot which I'll shave down to fit (fourth pic). The fifth pic shows that it's 1.322" in diameter, so I've got to shave .032 off.

Pic six is the pipe I'll use for the crush tube. I picked it up at a local supplier, Metal Mart, and it's .875" x .120". The seventh pic is the Smooth-On polyurethane kit I picked up on Amazon, and I've chosen Shore 70A hardness. Lucy's going to handle like a hot rod

I had a difficult time finding 5/8" shackle links, everything is 9/16" at the trailer shops, so I opted to drill out some new 9/16" shackle links (eighth pic).

The ninth pic shows the drilled out shackle links with new grade 8 5/8" x 14" find thread shackle bolts that I picked up at Tractor Supply.

The tenth pic shows how nicely the bolts fit in the .875" tube
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Old 09-28-2016, 07:47 AM   #64
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Bushings Continued

The first two pics are cutting the pipe. The 1 5/16 closet rod gets cut into 2" pieces, and the .875" gets cut into 1 5/16" pieces.

In pic three I'm using a table sander with 50 grit to shave the closet rod down. It doesn't need to be perfect, just a pretty snug fit, and the fourth pic shows I've gotten it down to 1.296" which will work just fine.

The fifth pic shows a completed inner race with a shackle bolt, pic six is one assembly ready for poly and pic seven is all six bushings ready for poly.

I haven't poured them yet, and probably won't get to it this weekend because we're going to the Austin City Limits Music Festival, but when I do I'll update the thread on how it went.

In between trying to find materials for the bushings I've been working on windows, and I'm 1/2 way done. Yay! The last pic shows the rear of the trailer with completed window, LED tail lights and new nameplate. I've sent the license plate light out to be chromed.
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Old 09-28-2016, 08:30 AM   #65
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Great work!!!

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Old 09-28-2016, 03:53 PM   #66
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Mistake above

Thanks toastie!

I did notice a mistake above, I said, 'The first two pics are cutting the pipe. The 1 5/16 closet rod gets cut into 2" pieces, and the .875" gets cut into 1 5/16" pieces.'

The .875" actually gets cut into 2 5/16" pieces
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Old 09-28-2016, 04:16 PM   #67
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DDickey View Post
Thanks toastie!

I did notice a mistake above, I said, 'The first two pics are cutting the pipe. The 1 5/16 closet rod gets cut into 2" pieces, and the .875" gets cut into 1 5/16" pieces.'

The .875" actually gets cut into 2 5/16" pieces
DDickey

These are the bushings that I used on my 1955 Safari

http://catalog.redneck-trailer.com/A...SKU&WEBID=2770

14-73 rednek

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Old 09-28-2016, 08:01 PM   #68
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Really?

Hot damn, I always do things the hard way
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Old 09-29-2016, 07:07 AM   #69
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Look what santa brought

Just picked it up from Centex Plating. As soon as the new license plate bracket from VTS arrives I'll install it.
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Old 09-30-2016, 01:05 PM   #70
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While most of the vernacular here is Greek to me, it does amaze me how you're able to cobble parts that you can't find on the market. Necessity is the mother of invention!
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Old 10-16-2016, 08:19 AM   #71
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Making progress again

We have running gear! And plumbing! The bottom end has taken way more time than it needed to, next time I'm going to:

1. Order tanks as soon as possible. I lost at least a month trying to get my tanks right.
2. Order a new fully loaded axle very early in the process. I lost another month trying to save my old axle. Even though the old axle was salvageable, the cost to benefit was out of whack.
2. Order bushings from Redneck Trailer instead of making my own. It's just way easier.

The only thing I have left on the bottom is to polish it, then it's ready for the flip. My goal is to get the shell back on and all of the windows in before the end of the year. I may still make it.
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Old 10-16-2016, 08:49 AM   #72
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I'm in Houston, so I might get to see it when your finished. Fun seeing your progress

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Old 10-23-2016, 09:15 AM   #73
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Gluing the back frame gasket

I seem to be doing things the hard way, so take any helpful tip I post with a grain of salt. I was having trouble gluing the back frame gaskets on the window frames. I tried using 3M weather stripping glue, but it wasn't working very well, so I put the gasket on and ran a small bead of silicone between the back edge of the gasket and the frame, let it dry overnight and it worked perfectly
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Old 10-27-2016, 09:19 AM   #74
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One step closer to the flip

I put the gas lines in last night. I'm so close to flipping this thing over and putting the shell back on, all I have left is:

1. Attach the stinky slinky storage pipe
2. Install hangars for the plumbing underneath
3. Spot polish and final clean-up

I really think that with better planning I could have done the bottom in 1/3 to 1/2 of the time.
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Old 10-28-2016, 12:22 PM   #75
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It's looking good. Don't worry the 2nd camper will go faster😁
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Old 10-28-2016, 02:37 PM   #76
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She's flipped

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It's looking good. Don't worry the 2nd camper will go faster😁
Thanks Matt! I saw a '57 on the side of the road the other day, stopped, looked, and said to myself, 'walk away little buddy, walk away.' But honestly, I'm hooked: I love the process of restoring these things, and I'm partial to the 50's trailers. I'll get this one done and buy another one for sure

The bottom is DONE, and flipping her over feels like an accomplishment. I had Custom Sheetmetal here in Austin (I can't say enough good things about these guys) bend up some J channel, so I'll replace the 2x4's on the deck with it, and then I'll be ready to pop the top back on. I hope it fits
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Old 10-29-2016, 10:50 PM   #77
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That looks great! Yeah I know what you mean on a another camper. There's a spartan 5 miles down the road I google almost everyday! I tell myself that I need to finish the argosy first. I love it too. Wish I hadn't recycled the 24ft argosy 3 yrs ago. (I made a promise to my wife that had a time requirement) but I did save all the good stuff. I really like your belly pan. Do you have banana wraps anymore?
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Old 10-30-2016, 08:02 PM   #78
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Looks great. Everything looks so clean. I sure do appreciate all the do's and dont's that you share along the way. Even if you feel you are making a mistake or doing something the hard way there are those of us that are following along and using your invaluable advice.


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Old 10-31-2016, 07:12 AM   #79
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Banana Wraps

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Originally Posted by rugjenkins View Post
That looks great! Yeah I know what you mean on a another camper. There's a spartan 5 miles down the road I google almost everyday! I tell myself that I need to finish the argosy first. I love it too. Wish I hadn't recycled the 24ft argosy 3 yrs ago. (I made a promise to my wife that had a time requirement) but I did save all the good stuff. I really like your belly pan. Do you have banana wraps anymore?
The 57's didn't come with banana wraps, I think that started in the 60's. This was my first belly pan and it was easier than I thought it was going to be, but I did learn a few things.

I love Spartans. I'd love to re-do an Imperial Mansion someday.
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Old 11-01-2016, 07:31 PM   #80
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WoooooooooHooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!

The shell is back on. Wow, that was rewarding, and a heck of a lot of work. I've been at it for about 12 hours, but it's on and it's buttoned down. I started the day out getting the gantries in the right position, lifting the shell and making sure all of the details were right to set it back down. The bottom is remarkably light, and I was able to move it into position by hand, which was way easier than trying to get it into position by myself hitched to the truck. Once I got it into place I began by lowering the front into position. I put a lot of pop rivets in the belly pan to floor connection, and several of them interfered with structural elements, so I had to go slow, and drill out the ones that interfered. Setting it down front to back was very slow going, up, down, uh-oh, back up, drill a rivet, down, something else was caught, and so on. Once the front was all the way down, I tied it down
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