Hawaiian Ranchero Rust Repair

[KYBlueOval]

Looking very nice. I know it is a lot of work, as I've been through the same issues on my Ranchero. Keep after it, you'll get there!
John

[Ford Blue blood]

Very nice!  I was very lucky, my structure was very solid, you have tackled a project I might have turned down.  As John said....keep at it, that light at the end of the tunnel is NOT an on coming train!

[lalessi1]

VERY NICE!!!

[hiball3985]

The work you have done is looking good, what a major project..

[RICH MUISE]

Great job Sean. With all the finish/pretty work left to do, you're at the stage that I miss the most about doing a build. Keep up the good work, glad Terry is lending support.

[smkeeman]

Well, I've been back at, slowly, but getting some things done.  Floor pans forward of the rear axle are solid and in, back wall is in along with all of the brackets.  So with that done I decided to pull the rest of the bed up, and like everything else so far I found a mess.  The bed was rotten, but the "trunk" pans and rear body mount brackets were much worse.  As of now I have the trunk pans and new body mount brackets fabricated with the drivers side installed.  I'll start cutting the rest of the passenger side out shortly.  Once all of that is done then I will address all of the weld grinding, epoxy filler, and paint that it needs to make it last forever. Then I get to fab up the four panels that make up the sides of the bed.

[smkeeman]

I just realized that I never uploaded final images of the rear floor pans and back wall.

[57chero]

As a fellow Ranchero owner all the work you've done is very impressive, I don't think I would have taken on such an involved project, way beyond my capabilities luckily mine was pretty solid except for one rocker and the bottom of the tailgate. Looks like you lucked on the spare tire well, one thing I've always wondered is why some Rancheros have the two openings in the bottom of the wall behind the seat, mine and a couple of Rancheros that I've parted out had a solid wall all the way down to the floorboard?

[hiball3985]

As a fellow Ranchero owner all the work you've done is very impressive, I don't think I would have taken on such an involved project, way beyond my capabilities luckily mine was pretty solid except for one rocker and the bottom of the tailgate. Looks like you lucked on the spare tire well, one thing I've always wondered is why some Rancheros have the two openings in the bottom of the wall behind the seat, mine and a couple of Rancheros that I've parted out had a solid wall all the way down to the floorboard?

Good question, I was just thinking the same. Mine doesn't have the holes and a friends doesn't either. I have seen other pictures showing them so I don't know why the difference..

[CobraJoe]

Amazing job. Looks great.

[djfordmanjack]

Obviously the Ranchero's bed was based on the floors of the station wagons, so that, with the double layer floors and panels, really creates a mess when water is coming in from a non enclosed compartment.
Interesting to note that your Ranchero was originally Inca Gold and Colonial White!

[smkeeman]

Good question, I was just thinking the same. Mine doesn't have the holes and a friends doesn't either. I have seen other pictures showing them so I don't know why the difference..

Thats interesting.  I've been trying to figure out why they were there and I was chalking it up to access to the body mount bolts.  When I am finished with all of the grinding and painting, I am planning to make some removable covers out of sheet steel to close them up. 

[smkeeman]

Obviously the Ranchero's bed was based on the floors of the station wagons, so that, with the double layer floors and panels, really creates a mess when water is coming in from a non enclosed compartment.
Interesting to note that your Ranchero was originally Inca Gold and Colonial White!

You have great eye for those details.  Honestly, I was so focused in on the rust red color that was all over these panels that never really clicked.  I searched some images of that color combo and it is nice. I am a long ways away from final paint but that returning to original is interesting thought. 

[KYBlueOval]

Good question, I was just thinking the same. Mine doesn't have the holes and a friends doesn't either. I have seen other pictures showing them so I don't know why the difference..

My Ranchero has the two openings. I've seen others both with and with out. Being that there is very limited storage space inside a Ranchero, I opted to make storage boxes that mount behind the two openings, that are accessed from the cab.When I get to the upholstery stage, I'll come up with some kind of access door. I can post some photos if anyone is interested.
John

[hiball3985]

My first thought was making speaker boxes to mount in the holes, only to find mine doesn't have them