Rusty Driver
Posts: 195
Joined: Mon Sep 04, 2017 6:22 pm
Re: 1948 KB5 Railway Express
The truck uses a stamped sheet metal filler panel between the bumper and lower front section of the fenders. The panels fit and bolt under the top/back edge of the bumper.
Pic #1 - The panels had been painted with undercoating and I used the brush-on paint stripped to loosen/lift much of it and followed up with a putty knife to scrape the majority of it off. Followed this with water and a greenie pad to neutralize the stripper and scour the panels. Did the tops and underneath.
Pic #2 - To get the panels clean, I sand blasted them. I got the tops clean of all paint and the underside I did a basic blasting getting loose paint and rust removed as my plan was to undercoat the underside. I did have to do some slight straightening work on the panels. At the same time I sand blasted the latch plate to which the hood lock locks into. My latch plate had a couple splits from use and I welded these up before blasting.
Pic #3 - Once the panels and latch plate were cleaned up, I used brush-on Rustoleum Rusty Metal Primer in the quart can. Painted up all my parts and let them dry/sit for the next weekend. Then I scuffed up the primer with a greenie pad, painted the latch plate black, and applied truck bedliner to the undersides of the filler panels and Rustoleum Hunter Green from a spray can to the tops and let dry.
Pic #4 - Panels are just laid in place to check for fit. The front edge/lip goes under the bumper - which means doing some unbolting to get them back under the bumper.