I thought i would tell everyone about how my truck is coming along since im pretty much done working on it until spring. Well if i going to tell you everything i may as well start at the beginning.
It was the just a couple weeks into my summer vacation when i decided i wanted a truck. So i got one of those clear plastic cups and put it in my room and declared it my "Truck Fund" cup. All the money i earned throughout the summer would go in that cup to save up and eventually buy a truck. It was nearing about a month or so of summer left and i totaled 600 dollars in my cup. Throughout this time i was searching Craigslist for a decent truck for under $1000. The first truck i came across was a 1984 4x4 short bed. He wanted 500 for it if i remember right, we got there and looked it over and he told us that one engine went out in it and the one that was in it was already knocking. So we decided to keep looking. Next truck we cam across was a 1984 1/2 ton 2wd long bed with a straight 6. He wanted $600 for it. Looked this one over and the rear shocks were torn out of the frame. Kept looking. Finally found a 1986 4x4 1/2 ton long bed up in Wyandotte Michigan. He wanted $1000 for it and my dad said he would throw in 200 so i now had $800. We drove up there on a Saturday and he said he would take $800 for it. Finally found a good one. Not too much rust, a lot less than we expected for it being a Michigan truck. Had a bad fuel pump and no brakes. Had been sitting for about 2 years. So we decided to get it, didn't have a trailer so we had to wait until Monday to go up there and get it. My dad, his friend and myself drove about 2 1/2 hours back up there with a car hauler to pick it up. We dropped the trailer and used my dads truck to pull it out to the trailer. This bring me to my first picture.
This is just after we pulled it out to the trailer.
So finally having out and ready to be loaded we strap on to the tow hooks and attempt to pull it onto the trailer. Now this is when we realized that the front end was wider and it wouldn't fit.
So we left the truck sit there, turned the trailer around and backed up to the rear of the truck and started to pull it onto the trailer.
Now having it partially onto the trailer we realized the trailer was too small. So now not knowing what to do, we were trying to come up with ideas to get it onto the trailer without having to come back and pick it up another day. By now we have had many people watching us. I swear we were that days entertainment. Had a guy sit in his truck watching us pretty much the whole time. So 4 hours later with many ideas talked about, we finally decided to take the left rear tire off, put a jack under the shock mount and pull it back that way and once it cleared the wheels of the trailer put the tire back on. This was a good idea and it did work, with a little help from a fork lift helping us pull it onto the trailer. So having it on the trailer strapped down and ready to head home we notice the the trailer tires are really squatting. So we back up to their shop and pump up the tires and we are ready to go.
But our "fun" wasn't quite over yet. As were heading out of the little town of Wyandotte Michigan we come up to a traffic light. Only option is to go straight or turn right. We had to go left to get onto 75. So we crossed into the intersection and made an illegal turn left. A couple of pissed off people later and one who was so inclined to flick us off we were finally on our way back to Fremont Ohio. We got onto 75 speeding up, we get to about 45mph and the trailer starts to fish tail. So we did 45mph quite a ways down 75 with semis barreling down us. We got off the last exit before the big construction zone and took back roads all the way through Toledo back to Fremont. We took my truck out to my dads friends mothers place so we could work on it out there. Our "fun" still not over for the day, we were getting ready to unload the truck. So we just redid what we did to get it onto the trailer. Put a jack under the shock mount and took the tire off and began to walk it down the trailer with ratchet straps. About the 3rd time we did it the ratchet straps let go and the truck with the jack acting as the 4th wheel went down the trailer. We were really surprised to see that the jack didn't kick out until the truck was off the trailer. So a broken jack and one screwed up day came to an end. I had finally got my truck home AND in one piece, couldn't say the same about the jack though lol.
The next day we started on the brakes.
With all new brakes on the truck we put the new fuel pump in.
Now we took out the two 16 gallon gas tanks and put in two 20 gallon gas tanks.
Both gas tanks are in.
Got a "new" tailgate put on to replace mine witch was rusting out at the bottom.
Now with some of the major projects were out of the way, we started to clean out the bed. As we were taking all the wood pieces out of the back, i discovered many replacement buried up in the front. Cab corners, rockers, new front fender and some replacement panels for the bed. So glad the owner forgot they were up there or he would have charged us extra. Took the bed cap off and took out the bed liner.
Still having no brakes we started on the brake lines.
Even replaced the master cylinder.
Now onto repairing the rust around the windshield and getting a new windshield put in.
We had Safelight put in the window and he broke the first one.
Got the new dash painted and put in, new windshield is finally in plus new wipers for winter.
While in the process of doing that we did some other odd and end jobs.
Like replacing the headlight.
New license plate lights.
Painted the tailgate.
New cargo light.
New Boston Acoustic dash speakers.
Now its time for a tune up.
Update: December 24, 2010
Opened one of my Christmas presents early and decided to try it out!
(Before) This was the original radio that came with the truck, worked when it wanted to and did what it wanted to.
(After) New Sony CDX-GT700HD Radio!
Couple pictures of the truck as it sits now.
Update: December 26, 2010
The rest of my Christmas present,
Diamond plate bed rails and tailgate cap
Diamond plate aluminum Kobalt toolbox
Bed mat
Hitch and accessories
6x9 S95 Boston Acoustic speakers
6x9 Speaker brackets from bigblock73 (thanks)
couldn't wait to put them on the truck so we went out the day after Christmas to install all of them accept for the hitch and the speakers.
Also installed the CB antennas and brackets. One of the antennas broke so we are going to have to order some more.
If your curious, there's 13 washers on the top and 12 on the bottom.
I will continue to update this as we continue to do things on my truck.
1
