Project Dodge WC51

The drivers side of the Dodge WC51 bed has been completed!

I am very pleased with how well the bodywork has turned out as it has been a massive undertaking, in part due to my failed attempts to fix this myself beforehand.

The rear panel has been completely replaced, the dish that holds the reflector was cut-out first and then welded into the new panel.
The rear storage box has a completely new floor which looks fantastic.

The front storage box has had some repairs done to the base and sides along with a good amount of rust repair around the lid.

The entire central section above the wheel well and the triangular reinforcing piece underneath, have been replaced. This was due to rust forming between the two parts and leaving nothing to weld to.

Lastly I have opted to have a sealer applied to the bases of both storage bins and the underside of the wheel well, where it will be less visible but still provide protection to all of the joints.

These photos represent an awful lot of work on the drivers side of the rear bed...

Rust repairs around the forward storage box lid were completed first. Then, a whole new section on the top of the bed along with a new rear panel, both of these panels have been made with tougher steel than the originals which will hopefully provide longevity. Lastly, the rear storage box has a new floor, which has been specially made to match the original.

The work looks fantastic and the pictures really don't do it justice.

A 12V dynamo for a Dodge WC is approximately 28kg, and if I can give any advice - do not remove it yourself. Your mileage may differ, but I pulled my back doing it.

So the long story is... I fitted a new dynamo and regulator, both reconditioned by the French in the 1950s, then started the engine where upon the 16A regulator to battery wire promptly melted.

Now I know that the dynamo can produce 55A, but honestly how many amps did I really expect a charged battery to draw? Certainly not enough to melt a wire that can take 16A quite happily.

After some investigating and phone calls to my Scottish Military Vehicle Group contact for some advice on dynamos, it appeared that a regulator coil had stuck closed.

So I posted the regulator and dynamo to Ribblesdale Auto Electrics who checked and adjusted the whole set up. Now I have a fully working charging setup, with an inline fuse on the wire which charges the battery (lesson learned).

Honk honk! Finally the steering wheel is complete and mud has one less place to congregate. The horn itself has been freshly powdercoated and looks fab, I just need to put it back together and see if the coil still works.

The black heat shield which protects the fuel pump from absorbing heat from the exhaust manifold has been rusting and I haven't had much luck with high temp paints. Solution: powdercoat.

I am interested to see how long the powdercoat will last. Either way the surface finish is exquisite!

In a previous post I showed the massive areas of rust on both fenders which required replacing. Originally the metal bar with the attachment nuts and the strengthening plate at the back of the fender, were drilled and rivited together with rather large rivets.
As I don't have the equipment to work with these rivets I choose to plug weld everything in place and then make new fake rivet heads using rounded coach bolt heads and plug weld them too. I am quite pleased with the outcome, let's see if this method holds up in terms of durability.

The portside fender had a rusted section at the very front where it had taken a smack. Old section cut out, as seen in the first picture and a new piece welded in.

Drivers side fender repair, out with the rust and in with the something else. Additionally I made some new fasteners to hold the whole thing together.

A little assembly line of fixings for the large front fenders. The originals are held in place with a folded lip however I will just weld mine for simplicity.

I want to preface the following, I am a fitter not a panel be**er or welder so I found this very hard and time consuming.
There are so many places on both of the rear bed sides that require patching, which only becomes apparent when you go over the areas with a wire wheel and watch the metal evaporate.

I don't know how many other Dodge owners have vapour lock issues, but my potential solution has been to route the fuel line as far away from the exhaust manifold as possible and apply two layers of different heat resistant wrappings.
Additionally I have started on the repairs to the rear bed sides. Filling in the many post war latch mounting holes has been quite satisfying.

The other inner fender has been straightened, how it got so bashed I will never understand, and I am quite proud of the replacement retainer that I made up to match the original on the panel. It's the little things that matter to me 😃

The first image is the inner fender after being massaged into shape and the enlarged holes repaired, although I honestly can't figure out how it got so bent in the first place. The other side needs much the same amount of work.

Life really gets in the way sometimes, however progress has still been made. The fuel lines with an in-line filter are in place and so is the fuel tank. Although in hindsight I should have tested the fuel level sender before installation, as 20L in a 114L tank isn't going to show on the gauge.

Only a little progress today with the waterproof box containing the flasher relay and the fuse box installed.
I spent quite a while debating exactly where to put it, so it couldn't be seen but still accessed. I am always extremely keen to only use existing holes to mount additional components, the holes I have selected don't have a purpose from what I can see.
I also went on a little run today by myself to practice changing gear, over and over to reduce crunching.
However the engine has a slight "ting ting" from around cylinder 1 which I will have to investigate to ensure it is benign .

Things have been going rather slowly as of late. Fully wiring the chassis before wrapping the wires took an inordinate amount of time and the cab wiring has still it be completed.

I win! After many hours of fitting, removing, tweaking and then refitting the fuel pipe it is finally sitting quite happily where I want it.
I am opting for rubber hose and an inline filter between the fuel tank and the start of the solid fuel pipe, so I can easily keep an eye on what is coming out of the tank.

Progress has been slow due to life getting in the way, however the cab is back on which allows me to progress with the wiring and other jobs. The cab still needs alot of rust repair and body work done before it can be called finished.