1966 F100 Short Bed Styleside Metal/Body/Paint Work
 

I just started another '66 F100 short bed project at the shop, this time it'll be a mild custom. I'll only be doing the metal, body, and paint work instead of a full build like the last one ('66 F100 Stock Restoration).

I'll be fixing the rust, correcting the panel fit and gaps like the last truck, shaving some items on the dash, mocking up a Vintage Air evaporator, smoothing the firewall, adding spots for A/C vents, and painting the truck.

Here is the truck. It seems to be pretty solid overall other than the bed floor and door bottoms; definitely better than the other truck we restored.

https://i.imgur.com/8rrwEUEh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/FEV9ApOh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/VuscNUFh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/0BVhtyBh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/aFlkaxVh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/ATwx7wMh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/OknQI7gh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/38GoCMEh.jpg

Re: 1966 F100 Short Bed Styleside Metal/Body/Paint Work
 

Interior pics.

https://i.imgur.com/cDr4Jnfh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/TgFovlBh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/qAmFPWRh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/9YZnzOnh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/x2frAOvh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/IoI6ueeh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/8XXJCFYh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/WqjCH7Wh.jpg

Re: 1966 F100 Short Bed Styleside Metal/Body/Paint Work
 

Panel fitment and gaps.

https://i.imgur.com/r99QgCPh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/tBv9SbSh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/SCJWJYGh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/vJ8C0smh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/juQLm6kh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/74Kl4c2h.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/5VQQoYRh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/MKkapIQh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/U0Rb3hgh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/66W1yc7h.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/rWQy0r9h.jpg

Re: 1966 F100 Short Bed Styleside Metal/Body/Paint Work
 

First update. I took everything apart that wasn't needed to make it run. All of the small parts were bagged and labeled so reassembly will be easier. I'll drive it around to one of the rear shop stalls tomorrow and finish dissasembly.

https://i.imgur.com/JoBpN1Hh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/9odGa0mh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/AhtiNTzh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/PCY6OOLh.jpg

Re: 1966 F100 Short Bed Styleside Metal/Body/Paint Work
 

Looks like it'll be another good when you get done....

Re: 1966 F100 Short Bed Styleside Metal/Body/Paint Work
 

I am not a Ford guy in any stretch but....I prefer a truck like this one over the unibodies, they just look better imo!

FYI, favorite Ford truck is the 67 short bed

Re: 1966 F100 Short Bed Styleside Metal/Body/Paint Work
 

Looking forward to the perfection that's coming. 👍

Re: 1966 F100 Short Bed Styleside Metal/Body/Paint Work
 

Thanks!


These and '69 F100s are my favorite. Dad still has the black short bed '69 Ranger his dad bought new, its tucked away in the barn as a future project.


Thanks Jay!

Re: 1966 F100 Short Bed Styleside Metal/Body/Paint Work
 

Teardown is finished. I'll finish removing the seam sealer and start blasting pieces next week.

https://i.imgur.com/tQvqoTYh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/wxRJGich.jpg

Re: 1966 F100 Short Bed Styleside Metal/Body/Paint Work
 

That should keep you busy for a little bit.. Subscribed!

Re: 1966 F100 Short Bed Styleside Metal/Body/Paint Work
 

Your projects are always interesting, and beautiful. I've been waiting for you to start another one. I hope you document this one like you did the first 66 Ford.

Re: 1966 F100 Short Bed Styleside Metal/Body/Paint Work
 

Cool truck. That's a great body style. I had a 62 Unibody.

Re: 1966 F100 Short Bed Styleside Metal/Body/Paint Work
 

Thanks guys!


I have the bed floor and header panel out now, and have blasted around the peremeter to prepare for welding the new floor in. A 2008 Super Duty floor is the same dimensions so we ordered one to use, along with a new header panel and front sill from Carolina Classics. The rear sill isn't available so I'll have to repair and straighten it.

https://i.imgur.com/MvgNpl4h.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/s7u7zc2h.jpg


The seam sealer was difficut to remove by blasting so I used a dremel to cut it out.

https://i.imgur.com/fSi2OMth.jpg


New floor and header.

https://i.imgur.com/niO0jrOh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/eVOE2Hoh.jpg


Edges blasted to prep for repair work and new panels.

https://i.imgur.com/BzD4PRrh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/p7vegKSh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/MxgwKXJh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/01Xre6Kh.jpg

Re: 1966 F100 Short Bed Styleside Metal/Body/Paint Work
 

The four corner panels were all bent and sunk in so I started straightening those this morning. This was the driver side rear panel.

https://i.imgur.com/Ut0Errdh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/dUEokRih.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/eOx7h5qh.jpg



I started with the flange, then used a socket and hammer to shrink the panel back flat. The socket "traps" the metal and lets the hammer push the metal into itself, shrinking the panel. The socket has to be bigger than the hammer head and you have to keep the hammer in the dead center of the socket or else you'll hit against the edge of the socket and stretch the metal. MP&C has info on this in his '55 Wagon thread.

https://i.imgur.com/X6eI1Och.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/EiQBqaDh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/29as2NVh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/pEqSJzQh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/cRtkpl5h.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/niwaoSkh.jpg

Re: 1966 F100 Short Bed Styleside Metal/Body/Paint Work
 

Driver side front panel.

https://i.imgur.com/Se8xUCoh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/5L9b9shh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/PMxB3oVh.jpg


After:

https://i.imgur.com/mD5pCWch.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/mbnT4ikh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/5OSeczbh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/NpO2Pnmh.jpg



I also made and fitted both front corners that were rusted.

https://i.imgur.com/jSM3ZEVh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/flgQeOeh.jpg


Blasted and shot SPI epoxy on the two floor braces.

https://i.imgur.com/0H3j4Mzh.jpg

Re: 1966 F100 Short Bed Styleside Metal/Body/Paint Work
 

Awesome work John!

Re: 1966 F100 Short Bed Styleside Metal/Body/Paint Work
 

You make that look easy John....good work..

Re: 1966 F100 Short Bed Styleside Metal/Body/Paint Work
 

Thanks guys!!


The inside of all the panels were shot with undercoating so I scraped all of it off to prep for blasting.

https://i.imgur.com/u7iqLj5h.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/hQkpyn8h.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/tYbGYBbh.jpg


After:

https://i.imgur.com/Kj8uDC9h.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/wWvZAVsh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/2SS4rrph.jpg


The two center floor braces were bent so I used our tubing roller to straighten them.

https://i.imgur.com/X0tRg7nh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/76bfuGsh.jpg


They were also dented around the mounting bolt holes.

https://i.imgur.com/K09OQTGh.jpg


The truck was stripped and repainted at some time. The paint strips easily and quickly with a razor blade leaving a thin coat of primer and some spots of filler. I'll strip the primer/filler with a DA sander to avoid blasting and warping the bed sides.

https://i.imgur.com/Sg0Cg2Zh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/7VetBUVh.jpg



I test fit the front header and cross brace, the filler panels I made, and the center braces.

https://i.imgur.com/PWXEoRHh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/C5TOndTh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/jWxY59Nh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/bAvYnkCh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/cB5y07Mh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/LQ5NdbSh.jpg



Also cut out the rust that was on the flange that the bed floor spot welds to and welded in new metal.

https://i.imgur.com/YbOVdxrh.jpg

Re: 1966 F100 Short Bed Styleside Metal/Body/Paint Work
 

Subbed......I like watching your projects.

Re: 1966 F100 Short Bed Styleside Metal/Body/Paint Work
 

Yup, this is going to be awesome.

Re: 1966 F100 Short Bed Styleside Metal/Body/Paint Work
 

Thanks for following!

I've been working on blasting the bed, inside and out and underneath, that's about 95% done. I'll work on straightening and repairing as much as I can while it's in bare metal before going back over the areas I missed with the blaster and then shooting epoxy.

The seam between the upper and lower passenger side bedsides was pretty rough so I spent extra time cleaning it out with the blaster.

https://i.imgur.com/N2ntwRth.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/QJNcxgvh.jpg


The new F250 bed floor has stamping for a fifth wheel ball, and the owner wants to add a fuel tank under the bed with the filler cap in the bed floor. I'll cut out two sections and swap them to make the center smooth and have a stamped area around the filler cap.

https://i.imgur.com/Jd2Ot3eh.jpg


The rear corners had back up lights added, so I straightened the area and welded up the holes.

https://i.imgur.com/x4GjXbAh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/8J2pFvph.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/bhDdccxh.jpg


The bedside is wavy and sunk in over the front of the wheelwell so I've started stretching the area by hammer-on dolly plannishing the area to raise the low spots.

https://i.imgur.com/Lu1yY1jh.jpg


The bottom driver side behind the wheel opening had a couple creases, dents, and a torn spot on the edge of the flange.

https://i.imgur.com/iKXbfeEh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/QdSHO44h.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/5Avb2XRh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/N3HiGQ6h.jpg

Re: 1966 F100 Short Bed Styleside Metal/Body/Paint Work
 

looking good with the rapairs...great idea for the fuel fill switcharoo...

Re: 1966 F100 Short Bed Styleside Metal/Body/Paint Work
 

I always look forward to your updates. Always very interesting, and I like your before and after shots. I had a 65 Ford like this with the available trim, bright grill, bumpers, etc. Has the owner of this one indicated that he would like you to add this to this one? I think it's all available.

Re: 1966 F100 Short Bed Styleside Metal/Body/Paint Work
 

Thanks!


Yes, we'll be adding the side trim and either the polished aluminum or chrome grill.

Re: 1966 F100 Short Bed Styleside Metal/Body/Paint Work
 

I had seen people use Bronco wheel tubs to widen the factory tubs, and to use for trucks with raised bed floors but not for stock tub replacement so I wasn't sure that they'd work. They were only $70 shipped each so we bought one to try out and the stamping ended up being identical with only a couple details that needed attention.


The stock tubs were pretty rough so I cut them out with the plasma to get to the inner flange.

https://i.imgur.com/X8AVLKkh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/n30e0kVh.jpg


For Bronco applications they had a notch cut out for the shock mount. I welded that up since the bed floor will be welded to that area of the flange.

https://i.imgur.com/5ZmMcPDh.jpg



Test fit.

https://i.imgur.com/IrSLTsQh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/EPI1RULh.jpg



Trimming the bottom edge to match the original shape.

https://i.imgur.com/czY5TjDh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/lfhdSYih.jpg


Couple of pinholes welded up.

https://i.imgur.com/Al5fWauh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/j2EGW48h.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/MdsHatRh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/9JXkUWgh.jpg



There were dimples in the flange area from the original spot welds so I straightened those so the new tubs would fit flush.

https://i.imgur.com/fZU2bBOh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/FCfplYjh.jpg