The 68 after a year of body work (on the road) pics

[427blackpearl]

you are going to bring that truck out here to the f-100 show in knoxville, right

[MAK]

Very nice! Thanks for the additional photos and info on the bed.

[Fordnatic]

I just checked out ALL your pics. That is one sweet project and you do terrific work. I wish I could make similar progress on my stuff. I didn't see any pics of the painted hood. I don't think I have seen the ridge flattened like that before. Pretty trick.

[mnagatani]

I am looking foward to putting the hood on as soon as I get this thing fired up. The hood is currently in my living room safely out of the way on possible harm. Wife loves it! JK. I try to do as much as I can with what little time I have. Looking foward to the day when its all done.


Mike

[sport71]

Polished aluminum! I was lucky to have a really clean grill that had almost no dings. The grill and headlight buckets had the clear anodized removed and was then polished by a local shop here in san diego for $220.00. The grill was taken to a different shop to have the anodized removed. I tried to put easy off on thinking I could do this job myself. NOT. Turned out really sweet.

MIke

Nice looking grill, good luck keeping it shiney like that.
I polished mine, and yes it took me some time.




I'll be getting it chrome plated for $350

[Supermike]

Call me stupid, but I didn't know you could chrome plate aluminum... why would you do that vs. the way it currently looks?

My apologies if this is ... this question is for Mike, too. Why polish the alum. vs chrome plate if that's an option?

[kaptnkaos]

hmmmm I didn't know you could chrome plate aluminum either....
I guess if they can chrome plate plastic, they could chrome plate aluminum...
I think the item being plated jusr needs to conduct electricity...

KaptnKA S

[sport71]

Ya, I got the new Custom Classic Trucks mag. and it had an artical all about chrome plating. Well i got to thinking, it's true how do you keep the luster in polished aluminum. After all it was alot of work no matter who does the sanding, polishing ect. They were very detailed on the artical on how the prosses is. First of all aluminum is a conducter and does work for anodizing, so why not chrome? So I decided to call the number of the shop listed, and spoke with Joe. Feel free to call I'd rather go chrome just lasts longer especialy when done right. Don't go with just any metal finishing shop get the facts right first. Here's the name and the number if you're intrested. MJB Chrome Plating and Finishing...909-875-1910.. ask for Bill or Joe.. Tell them you saw the artical in Custom Classic Trucks...

[69F110]

ShaZAM! That is sweet. Very good man.

[robroy]

Hi Mnagatani,

Fantastic project! Who made your instrument cluster, and how was it made?

Thanks!
-Robroy

[1971ford]

Hi Mnagatani,

Fantastic project! Who made your instrument cluster, and how was it made?

Thanks!
-Robroy

That looks like the custom cluster that is always selling on ebay by a company.
I couldn't find the listings now but they do pop up often. Maybe someone else will have a link?

[mnagatani]

Here ya go! Click on the ford truck years for 67-72

MIke

http://www.boeseengineering.com/

[robroy]

Ryan, thank you!

Mike, thanks for the link. That looks like a very nice console!

Mike, how did you adapt that console on to the factory instrument cluster bezel? Is your bezel metal or plastic? And did you attach it by welding, drilling holes for screws, or some other method?

I like that piece but I'm not sure how I'd adapt it in to my bezel.

Thanks!
-Robroy

[mnagatani]

My bezel is the stock plastic and all I did was cut out the center area where it matches up. It fit pretty nice inside the inner area. I attached it by using eight or so fastners that thread into the aluminum plate. The unit comes with its own mounting kit, but I opted to use my method. My only issue with is was the center tach and speedo hole was not standard to the dolphin guages that I had already purchased. If you saw on the site, you can buy the cluster with guages, but only those autometer guages which are 3 1/8 will fit. Dolphin tach and speedo are 3 3/8. So I opted to bore out the center holes to make them fit. The reason why they do this is because of the clearance of that bezel width is really close and I think the 3 1/8 give a little bit of spacing around the bezel and guages. Anyways, after an hour of hogging it out, I got it to fit nice and tight.






Mike

[Robert]

do you have any pics of how you did this