My 1949 KB-1

No problem Rick. Edge wire is hardened steel, so go easy on the heat, else it becomes even more brittle and will break easier. The key is to form all 4 edges by hand to remove unwanted bends and keep the "lines" straight and even, both horizontally and vertically. This will pay off in the end. I used common hardware store springs to replace damaged ones between springs, and round stock to replace the rods that locate the assembly to the frame. Really can't fix a bad spring so a search to find a replacement ,even if its somewhat close is better than not. Free height, wire diameter, diameter, etc. Tie the springs together using a good tough twine. Work in rows, side to side, front to back, starting at the edge wire and going in line to each spring and ending at the opposite side edge wire. The goal is to have it work as a unit, sharing the load, not one spring taking the brunt. I then wrapped the entire seat with burlap and hog ringed in place to the base, a layer of foam, then the seat cover. Sounds intimidating, but it really isn't. A few basic tools and supplies and the willingness to try it, might just work for you, and I 'll help any way I can.

And on it goes...

looks good

Thanks Jon, been making slow but steady progress. I finally finished the two-tone painting of the cab, but not without some grief. I experienced some terrible streaking and fisheye laying down the sealer. Really frustrating 'cuz I try to eliminate problems and stick to what has worked well for me in the past. It seems the new wiping cloths I was using for surface prep were contaminated with "something" and were the cause. So, re-sand and re-prep with 3M cloths and it turned out much better. At least I only lost some sealer and not the expensive base color. Just when you think you've got it figured out, you get a tap in the shoulder and a knee-buckling kick in the crotch.Painting can be such a humbling experience. But, patience prevailed and it turned out to be one of my best paint jobs yet. It's all good. Now just waiting on weatherstrip/rubber kit so I can start assembly. Pictures soon.

Some of my grill strips and especially the center strip were really beat up, to the point where I was going to replace them.. but I decided to give it a shot to refurbish them. Took a bunch of time but just kept working out the dents and these are the results. Works for me.

I finally got the cab and front end painted. I used the original #10 Adirondack Green in DuPont Nason paint. I wanted something different then the standard black, so I went with GM Autumnwood #228 for my secondary color.

I am impressed with how well your grill center stainless strip turned out. Can you give some more details on how you did it? It looks great. I worked on mine but got no where near as good of results. The paint job looks great also.

Thanks Duane. I'm no expert in metal bumping, that's for sure, but I just work at undoing whats been done, so to speak. I made a roller out of a 3/8 thick spacer and some plumbing pieces I had laying around. You can just see it at the top of one of the pic's. Working on the flat workbench top, I used the roller on the backside or the center strip and using a fair amount of downforce rolled back and forth, pushing the dents back out. I found by following the line of the center crease, the original angled shape of the strip returned where it was damaged previously. I then took a corresponding length of 1 inch wide by 1/8 " thick flat stock and slid it down the center strip in the channel where it would mount on the vehicle. This gave it support to gently hammer the edges and face as needed to smooth and flatten the finish. Using a sanding block and 120 grit paper, I sanded the face and slowly the finish began to smooth out. This highlighted the high/low spots and I repeated the steps until all the imperfections disappeared. This is a slippery slope though, You don't want to sand too much and get too thin, for obvious reasons. Once I was happy that all the blemishes were gone, I wet sanded with 320, then 600 grit paper. I then turned to the bench buffer and proper compounds, first coarse, then fine and voila! I was satisfied with the end results and it only took 6 hours, and that was just for the center strip. After a while I was on a mission, I had to prove to myself I was smarter than a piece of stainless. This time I was, but this is not always the case. LOL

Man,you do GOOD work!! I'm planning on a complete restoration on my KB3,too. I want to get it road worthy first,and drive it this Season,then possibly start on the resto. this Fall,depending on the KB5/1110 4X4 Swap.

Thanks for the kind words, Bill. I have been following your projects as well and a plan of action is a huge step to working on anything.I especially enjoy the enthusiasm that is evident in your posts . After all, this is supposed to be fun. Good luck.