Today I started my troop seat project

[Speddmon]

As the title says, today I started my troop seat project.

I acquired a really nice set of fiberglass troop seats a while back as the wooden ones on my truck were falling apart. My truck already had/has a new fiberglass headboard installed, so I figured I would do fiberglass all the way around. Thanks to Lex_Ordo for doing the leg work and finding the manufacturer of the troop seats and related products for the military, I was able to purchase the 4 headache rack planks I needed to complete the set. I could have bought the entire sideboard/rack assembly, but since I'm cheap and my uprights were in pretty good shape, I decided to just buy the planks and save the money.

Today I started sandblasting and re-painting the uprights for the final assembly. After I sandblasted everything down to bare metal, I hung them up and painted the lower parts (the parts hidden down inside the stake pockets) with some Ensign 395a frame and chassis paint. It's too bad that the only color they sell it in is gloss black, if they made it in a flat 383 green, I'll bet a bunch of guys would abandon the CARC and use this stuff...it's incredible stuff. Tough as nails and wears like iron. I painted the underside of my lawn mower deck with it back in the spring, and after a summer of cutting grass, and pressure washing every week, kicking up stones and scalping the uneven parts of the yard the stuff looks as good as the day I put it on. Whatever chemicals they put in this stuff bonds to and actually etches into the matal like nothing I've ever seen before.

Anyway, I figured since the lowers are hidden in the stake pockets it would be good to do them with the 395a to help protect them for years to come. I bought some good Sherwin Williams rattlecans of red oxide industrial primer/rust preverter to prime everything else with and then a topcoat of Rapco 383 green in the rattlecans is in order. That should help keep them looking good until I can get the truck ready to be repainted.

 

[drgreg]

So who is the OEM of the troop seats?

 

[Speddmon]

Stephan Wood Products Inc., in Grayling MI. You can call them or E-mail them. Frank is the guy to talk to, he seems to do best with E-mail though.


Stephan Wood Products truck and trailer parts aftermarket accessories

 

[NDT]

Isn't it amazing how much work it is to blast and paint those staves, and than all the cutting and bolting the wood/fiberglass??? Seems like it takes about a week to do a set!

 

[Speddmon]

The great thing about the fiberglass from Stephan Wood is that everything is painted with fresh green CARC and pre-drilled, ready for assembly. If someone chooses to buy a complete package from them, they will offer to ship it un-assembled with all hardware included to save on the shipping charges, since it's broken down and easier to handle.

I got very lucky and was able to have citizensoldier pick them up in Grayling and bring them along on his way through to PA last month....GOTTA LUV FREE FREIGHT!!

But yes, blasting those uprights is a PITA, I can't wait to get them done and back on the truck

 

[gunboy1656]

Much thanks for the link, I have fiberglass for the seats, but wood head board.

 

[steelandcanvas]

If I may ask, what did it cost for your headboard slats? Is it feasible $$ to do the headboard and both troopseats minus hardware and metal supports?

 

[Speddmon]

The 12 foot slats were $40 each, times 4 came to $160. Pre-drilled and painted.

Here is the thread baxter started about fiberglass bows and troop seats. It's a long one, but in it Lex takes over then starts tracking down the OEM. This is Lex's last post in that thread where he talks about the price for a complete seat set being as much as two surplus ones...I'm not sure exactly what he paid, but when I called I could have gotten the complete headache rack planks, hardware and staves for $158 per side. I chose to save the money and re-paint my staves and buy the hardware at my local Do-It center.

Shipping would be the only deal breaker as far as I'm concerned. Unless you can do like I did and get it worked out through the SS network.

I think I still have the contact info if you want it PM me.

 

[GoHot229]

The 12 foot slats were $40 each, times 4 came to $160. Pre-drilled and painted.

Here is the thread baxter started about fiberglass bows and troop seats. It's a long one, but in it Lex takes over then starts tracking down the OEM. This is Lex's last post in that thread where he talks about the price for a complete seat set being as much as two surplus ones...I'm not sure exactly what he paid, but when I called I could have gotten the complete headache rack planks, hardware and staves for $158 per side. I chose to save the money and re-paint my staves and buy the hardware at my local Do-It center.

Shipping would be the only deal breaker as far as I'm concerned. Unless you can do like I did and get it worked out through the SS network.

I think I still have the contact info if you want it PM me.

Not bad .....if ..... they are a hard-wood like the original oak. They are most visable and will really nice'up a Deuce.

 

[frodobaggins]

Not bad .....if ..... they are a hard-wood like the original oak. They are most visable and will really nice'up a Deuce.

.... they are fiberglass...

 

[Maverick1701]

subscribing!

 

[Speddmon]

And the work continues...

Well, today I continued on with my troop seat rebuild. After leaving the 395a dry for 2 days to get good and hard, today I primed all of the pieces, except for the hardware, which I still have to get. But they will be easy to prime up and paint since I only have to do the heads. I'm thinking I am going to drill an old 2 x 4 with as many holes as I'll have bolts and tap them into the board, then I can just hit them real quickly with the sandblaster to scuff the heads up real good, without damaging the threads. That will give me a good surface to paint. Unless anybody has a better idea of how to do it?

As soon as the order from Rapco comes I can get the first coat of green back on them. I think since I have nothing but time on my hands I'm going to put two coats of green on everything, then I can start assembling everything.

 

[TexAndy]

Very nice thread, thanks for pointing this company out for us!

 

[Speddmon]

After a weekend trip out of town, I come home to find a package containing the paint I ordered from Rapco Parts sitting in my garage...

So this morning I started out by drilling a board and inserting all of the bolt hardware so I could sandblast the heads to scuff the surfaces for good paint adhesion. That being done, I primed the heads and set them aside to dry. While they were drying, I went ahead checked out my ether start system, and installed the new ether canister I purchased last week for my deuce.

Now since that is done, I started putting the first coat of paint on all of the troop seat parts. After they dry overnight, I'll put on the second coat and mount everything up.

More pics to follow about the final install.

 

[drgreg]

Where did you pick-up your ether canister? How much was it?

 

[Speddmon]

Greg,

I had a local truck repair shop order it for me. NAPA can get them, but they are somewhere in the neighborhood of $40. Mine cost me $27. I'll go out tomorrow and look at who made it, I have the part number but I doubt that will do you any good without a manufacturer to go with it.

 

[Speddmon]

Greg,

I looked this morning at the new ether cylinder and here is the information for you.

It's an 18 oz. cylinder, 1"-20 thread, manufacturer is Zerostart, Zerostart part number is 8200327. I would talk to a truck repair shop around you that does a lot of business and see if they can order you one from one of their suppliers. Like I said, they told me their cost was $23 and I had to pay $27 for it. Also, the part number for the cork gasket if you are interested in it is 8203903. It does not come with the cylinder.

 

[chgofiveo]

Great thread...Gives me motivation to do mine now!!
Thanks

 

[Speddmon]

They are finally done!!!!!!!!!

Well, today I finally was able to finish my troop seat project. Between taking a trip out of town for pleasure (visiting family) and taking another trip out of town for pleasure (Driving Mahdey's Deuce back for him) I was able to get back to it.

My seats were NOS fiberglass seats that were going to be tossed away, so I can't complain about the price. They were already painted with CARC in the 3 color camo pattern, but I just did the uprights and my new planks (factory CARC green) in solid 383 green. They don't have to look perfect, but I just didn't want the old wooden ones falling apart all over the truck (looked like crap).

This wasn't meant to be a perfect restoration project, I just wanted to get the seats looking better, and have them hold up for aonther year or two until I can get the whole truck re-painted. Then I'll have everything done in a nice 3 color camo pattern. Enjoy the finished product...I do!!!!!

 

[BKubu]

Great job. You should be applauded for tracking down the OEM for the side boards. I love your work and I think it is worthy of a true restoration.

Perhaps, you thought of this...you can buy complete fiberglass troop seats for $150 per side. I have purchased over 10 sets over the past decade from more than one seller...always for the same price. I am sure they are starting to dry up with all the guys owning deuces, but that is what I paid as recently as six months ago. Heck, I just purchased two sets of fiberglass troop seats for an M814 (eight sections in all...each truck requires four individual troop seats) AND 16 complete bows for $600...all from a fellow SSer. I realize the troop seats for an M814 are more or less valuable than those for a deuce. It all depends upon who is looking for them. I only offer this as an option to rebuilding your troop seats.