My '44 Flying Control Dodge

[armyairforce]

The front panels in the body of the truck were fitted today and painted checkers. They are still a bit bright, but once fully hard, I'll give them a wipe over with an oily rag to tone the white down a bit. It was freezing cold outside and I was struggling to hold the paintbrush, never mind painting checks!

The aluminium order has been delayed and won't be in until tomorrow, but I did get the polycarbonate sheet cut for the glazing.

[armyairforce]

I went back to work today, but here's yesterdays progress on the windows. I collected the aluminium sheet late morning, and had to go shopping for a few other odds and ends too. This included a new powerfile since my last one died recently after many years of service.

The rear and side doors were removed to work on, and the truck taken back to the farm as I don't need that while I work on the doors. It's better off in the barn as we're getting hard frosts again.

After marking out the aluminium, the hole was cut roughly to size with a metal nibbler and fine trimmed with the powerfile. The aluminium was attached to the door with self tapping screws and will be drilled for bolts to hold the glazing in.

I'll fit all the aluminium and etch prime it before moving on to the glazing. The only exception was the small window in the front of the body which had the glazing fitted before the truck was returned.

[armyairforce]

Today, the wooden side doors were trimmed slightly on their top edge, as the aluminium skin was going to wrap over the edge to prevent water running off the roof into the end grain. The window areas were then cut into the aluminium and filed clean.

Each sheet was then drilled and screwed to the plywood side panel before the overlap at the top was hammered around the edge. The sides and rear doors were then etch primed, ready for the white base coat of the checkers. After painting, they just need drilling for the glazing and the glazing trimming to fit the openings.

[armyairforce]

I got one coat of white sprayed late last night and a second and final coat sprayed today.

[armyairforce]

On Friday morning, I took the doors over to the truck to mark out where the checkers go. This allowed me to bring them back to paint them in the comfort and warmth of home today. While I was at the farm, I gave the Dodge another run, as when I took it out last time, it coughed and spluttered a couple of times.

After about 5 minutes of running smoothly, it coughed and spluttered again for a minute or so, then the revs picked up before cutting out and then failing to re-start. I suspect there's some crap in the carb or fuel line somewhere that starved the engine and caused the erratic running. I'm planning to go back next week and strip the carb.

[armyairforce]

Four hours of trimming polycarbonate, drilling holes and fastening nuts and bolts saw the five pieces of glazing fitted into the four wooden panels. These are ready to go back onto the Dodge now which I'll probably do next week when I go to check out the carburettor.

[divingrocks]

Hi,
Have you considered installing a live webcam so anyone interested can watch the restoration take place in real time?

[armyairforce]

I can't get a webcam to the barn, and my workshop is too dusty to keep a computer in there, so it's just easier to take a few photos and post them up. It's not as if I'm not posting enough pictures!!!

[divingrocks]

I wish I had the time and money to devote to my ambulance the way you are doing your rig...

[armyairforce]

Time is not a problem, money can be, but the window addition has only cost about £110. With the vehicle, radios, flare gun and all the other bits and pieces, it's only cost me about £8,000

[divingrocks]

Gee...that's like $14,000 US!

[armyairforce]

What prices are Dodges getting in the USA?

[armyairforce]

Today I went over to the farm armed with a load of tools to sort out the Dodge Carburettor. I must have had my whole workshop with me, just in case! I guessed there was a blockage by the way the engine appeared to be starving itself of fuel last time out. I suspected the blockage moved somewhere critical during the last run in the barn when after 5 minutes of running normally, the RPM suddenly began to rise for several seconds until it stopped dead. My conclusion was the blockage starved the engine, leading to a lean run, hence the RPM rise until it couldn't get any more fuel.

So the carb came apart, but I found no contamination in the float chamber, and the fuel was flowing freely from the pump when the float valve was opened. I could see anything else anywhere it shouldn't be either. So it all went back together again and I tried a start. There was no signs of firing, which was odd as there was plenty of fuel through. I pulled a plug, but couldn't get a spark at the plug or points, so tried fitting a new condenser. The engine fired in less than a turn on the starter!

Here's the cause of my concerns!



While I had all my tools everywhere, I loaded them up into my new vintage tool box which fits nicely under the floor.

[armyairforce]

While the Dodge idled as I warmed through the engine and tested that it wasn't going to stop again, I refitted the rear doors and side panels which are now virtually complete. There's still a couple of small jobs to do next time the truck is home. The first is some 'L' section aluminium to be fitted over the top of the doors to form a gutter, and also some 'L' section to be fitted at the bottom of the doors to make a gutter just above the tailgate to stop rain running down the doors and into the back of the truck. The other thing is to then wipe over the white checkers with an oily rag to dull them down like the rest of the truck.

[armyairforce]

Here's the internal view now the glazing is fitted. I guess with this out of the way now, I can get back to making the radio mounting trays.