Thanks, and with the heart of a Mercedes it will be built better than it ever was from the factory!

True, I'm excited to see how it turns out! been following this one a lot, I love seeing new posts in here

Thank you! I love making the posts!

A couple of questions about its intended use:
 

Someone had to ask, right? Just wondering:

Are you going to use it for runs to the county dump?

"TW backed it up slowly to the edge of the pit. He got out and walked to the back of the truck and unhooked the tailgate. It banged down with a rusty screech. A huge flock of surprised, angry seagulls flew up into the sky with furious shrieks and began wheeling and circling around in the sky overhead, above the dump. He hoisted the filthy, stinking mattresses from the bed, and flung them one by one into the garbage pit. When the first one hit, several surprised squealing rats scattered in all directions."

And,


Are you going to put one of those stickers on the back, like the one that says:


YES. it's my truck.

NO, I won't help you move.

Maybe....right after you use your mercury cougar for hauling hogs to market!

And the winner is..... Tom W !!!!:D

:D

Incidentally what is the bed length Tom? The rear end ratio you are using?

Are you going to operate the vacuum wipers from the diesel vacuum pump or convert them to electric? At least the vacuum pump may provide pretty steady vacuum if it is up to the task. Although I never read anywhere the vacuum level it could maintain in cubic feet per minute. I also guess they could be run from an electric vacuum pump these days as well.

. One important upside is they would not slow down or stop on hills as gas engine manifold vaccum declines. I still have the vacuum wipers on the 327 and they are not too bad. The small wiper blades are a product of another time though. I do miss the intermittent sweep function . Spoiled I guess.

I also keep seeing this vehicle of yours with 49 plymouth bumpers for some reason. You remember the ones that have multipal scallops. Perhaps I am the odd man out as I like the spare in the front fender well for some reason. Perhaps just because it is so uncommon today I suppose.

7' bed I believe...350 diff should make the engine rpm vs car speed about the same as a benz with the 307 considering tire height. I am not against the vac wipers but may use wipers from the benz donor car. It will depend on what Michael thinks. Yeah, the vac pump would offer good steady vacuum. My wipers are tiny too...about 6 or 8" at most.;)

One of the components of a car where you can really see the progress over the years.
Model T used a manually operated wiper--if it had one at all. ( of course they were driving at 40mph or less---sometimes way less.) then vacuum, then electric, and multi speed with variable delay. Blade length has grown 6" or so to over 20".
Wipers on the rear, and even headlights, too.

Having driven cars with vacuum wipers--which stop when you accelerate--I am thankful for this progress.

I also keep seeing the front seat mount. Unless the seat easily lifts there is some waste space there. I was thinking a drawer could be engineered into the front or side of it for a little out of sight storage. I doubt it is deep enough for a jack but might be. For all I know that area might have been the original storage space for the jack anyways.

I'll look but It won't be very easy to get any storage there I don't think. There is a raised sill about 2.5 " tall around the seat so it may be possible to build a drawer there or put some control buttons. I plan to build a shelf above the windshield for storage, radio and compass etc.

My father once owned a '59 Ford with vacuum-driven wipers. Really did not like the way they slowed down whenever a large throttle opening was required, such as driving uphill.

Yep. I remember riding with my mom in our 51 studebaker and that happening when she went out to pass a car.

My old '58 Pontiac Super Chief did that going up hills too.

But then going DOWN hills the windshield wipers flicked back and forth REALLY fast !!!