61 Shasta
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Post by 61 Shasta on Jul 13, 2013 16:14:56 GMT -8
When I purchased my 61 Shasta Compact it had a huge metal beast attached to the rear of the trailer to serve as a bumper, skid plate and pellet gun target in the off days. I then checked as many pictures as I could find to see if there was any evidence of what if any the original bumper looked like. I have come to the conclusion that this particular unit didn't have one. Thoughts on this? My first thought was to build my own from 3" channel with some skid bumpers underneath to keep from dragging the back end when going over those "low spots". However, I am now thinking of simply going with the skid plates. This is about the last item I have to deal with before taking "Chucks Waggin" to the paint shop. I'm interested in how others have dealt with this. Because I know we all love to see pictures, here are a couple to show what I am talkin about:
And a side shot:
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Hamlet
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Post by Hamlet on Jul 13, 2013 16:55:46 GMT -8
Wow! Is that all new skin or was it just in great shape and you stripped it?
Oh as to your question... Hamlet thinks that not all models/years were equipped wtih bumpers as original equipment. We have seen so many with "bare backsides" that it really couldn't have been any other way. Hamlet has one, and yes, it acts as a skid. We took quite a nice divot of of a piece of asphalt recently. (oops). So as far as having a rear bumper, Hamlet says, "could be or not could be."
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Post by universalexports on Jul 13, 2013 17:31:14 GMT -8
I would want a bumper, a 3 inch channel connected to the frame,sanded and paintd would be fine, for a few reasons,
even a small twig will bend that aluminum if you back over it, let alone if a car or tree bumps it. it will also give you a place to mount a spare tire.
several had one so it will still appear factory.
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61 Shasta
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Post by 61 Shasta on Jul 13, 2013 19:40:18 GMT -8
Thanks for the quick replies. I really think I would feel "vulnerable" without the bumper I am contemplating. You both only reinforce that feeling so thanks a bunch. That is what I was looking for. Hamlet, yes this is all new skin. the only thing I didn't replace was the roof as it was in great shape so I simply cleaned it up. You might also notice I have used the existing cargo door, dents and all although I did put some effort into working out the worst of them. I am probably a month away from taking Chucks Waggin to the paint shop and the issue of that door is still a bit up in the air. I will probably take it to the same vendor that did the new skin and have a new one made. By the way, I am working on a blog to cover my rebuild and hope to have it published sometime later this summer, early fall. I have posted a number of pictures on the old site along with a link to the photo album but that really don't do justice to the opportunity to share the steps it takes to get one of these to this point. If you want to take a look here is the link. 1961shastacompactrestoration.shutterfly.com/pictures/8I also use photobucket because it is easier to post the kind of pictures I show here. Again, thanks for the input, I appreciate it.
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tiajannet
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Post by tiajannet on Jul 14, 2013 16:09:19 GMT -8
My PO who restored my 69 compact put a 6" wide wood bumper on. I wouldn't want to be without a bumper. It protects the rear end. Plus I'm designing a rack to carry my folding lawn chairs. It looks good to me. Don't some states require bumpers???
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iowagal
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Post by iowagal on Jul 14, 2013 18:59:32 GMT -8
I have seen a brochure for the 1961 compact, having one myself, and it didn't show a bumper so if it had one, it must have been an option. Mine doesn't have one and I'd kind of like to have a hollow one to store the awning poles and give a little protection.
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61 Shasta
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Post by 61 Shasta on Sept 23, 2013 15:58:50 GMT -8
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mobiltec
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Post by mobiltec on Sept 23, 2013 16:13:32 GMT -8
I LOVE IT!
Question on the skin. Did you have a choice of it being white on one side and bare on the other or is yours all bare? And what thickness skin did you use? I also noticed you went ahead and folded the front and rear skin over the sides and went with all J Rail. Some of the earlier years have that cap rail on butted corners.
Those baggage doors are easy to disassemble and rebuild. Just get another little piece of skin bent to match the breaks on the main body and you are in there. Very simple. You may want to replace the wooden frame inside. Just 4 pieces. I put one in the middle for added strength....
Nice job on the Bumper install.
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61 Shasta
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Post by 61 Shasta on Sept 23, 2013 18:02:59 GMT -8
Mobiltec, I wanted to go with the same thickness but the shop that did it for me used 26 as opposed to 28. It made things a bit difficult when folding over the front and rear but we "got-er-done". I used bare aluminum as opposed to the white/bare stuff. They gave me my choice. I like your thoughts on the baggage door. I was looking at the old door today and was wondering how it would work to do it like you say. I have plenty of metal left from the vendor. They made some mistakes on the front and rear panels and when I returned them they made new ones and told me to just keep the old ones so they have the breaks already in them although they are reversed to what the sides would be but since they are bare I suppose I could just use the backside of them. I talked to the sheetmetal shop today and they want about $85 to make a new one. $75 of that is labor as they figured about 1 hour. If I had a bending break I would have no problem doing it myself but without one, the time to set up a mock break just don't seem a good choice. I'm still deciding.
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mobiltec
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Post by mobiltec on Sept 23, 2013 20:02:53 GMT -8
Hey for something that small you should look up the "Wooden Hand Break" on You Tube. I don't have a link to it I don't think but that search should get you there. Shows you how to make your own hand break for small projects like the baggage door.
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Post by bigbill on Sept 24, 2013 1:36:47 GMT -8
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mobiltec
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Post by mobiltec on Sept 24, 2013 5:35:23 GMT -8
Oh wow! Thanks for that Bill. I have a 12 foot brake but most people must look around for a sheet metal shop to get this done. So after all this time it's spelled BRAKE? I always thought it was BREAK... LOL. The English language isn't so easy is it?
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61 Shasta
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Post by 61 Shasta on Sept 24, 2013 6:43:12 GMT -8
Wow! I will defiantly build one, I have most of the material on hand and just the other day I picked up a 6ft piano hinge from a yard/farm sale. thanks Bill for the correct spelling of brake. I had sheetmetal folks in my crew at one time and probably new that then but somehow the age related degradation of my memory banks kicked in. Moving right along...............
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mobiltec
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Post by mobiltec on Sept 24, 2013 15:30:55 GMT -8
We really like having Bill around. I think he may have been around during the beginning of the industrial age because he knows everything about everything and has been there and done that. I gotta buy you a beer or what every you drink when we meet up Bill. You are the real answer man around here.
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Post by bigbill on Sept 24, 2013 16:50:58 GMT -8
Larry I don't know every thing I just been doing this since the forties starting with my Dad and Mom. When you have made as many mistakes as I have you learn a lot and all my life I have loved to figure out better ways to do things with less effort. I have built almost everything but Aircraft and I never felt rich enough to try that. Also I was never dumb enough to jump out of a perfectly good airplane. And as for the beer if you ever get in this part of the country I will buy you a beer. When you was in Colorado on I70 just another couple of thousand miles east would have put you here.
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