well iam going back to square one i am going tear the truck down and start fresh.patch jobs are not working for me i would like to have a nice clean truck and thats the only way i can do it fresh start.now i have to map out a plan right now i dont have a time line when the truck would be finished its been over 5 years that i have owned the truck and its still a patch job time to do it right.1st plan was to store the truck at my in-laws garage and wait till i had the cash and have someone build the truck for me. 2nd was sell the truck. i think i have a small case of burn out.
No Burnout, I like a clean truck, but want to do all the work myself. I am not a profectionest, however I can make sure it runs and is safe. Take your time, know what you want, you got two big things acomplished, you own a neat truck no matter how you look at it, you got some great people here on the internet. Just go to the basics, don't tear it down and never put it back together, good luck, great looking truck as it is...
Don't sell it LaTroca, Just walk away for awhile. If it isn't your DD, this shouldn't be an issue. If all you ever do is come home from work and work some more (meaning the truck has ceased being fun), then you need a break from it. If you sell it, you'll likely regret it as soon as you cash the check. Sellers remorse. I have (too) many projects going all at once, and when one stops being 'fun' and starts being 'work' I just step away from it for a while, and tackle another. Then, when I do resume on the job I put on hold, I have a fresh set of eyes to look at the task. Good Luck
Robert ; Burnout occurs to everyone ~ I've seen you do so much good works I'd hate for you to quit now . What is your final goal ? . Hot Rod ? . Decent Daily Driver with primer ? . Figuring out where you want to end , makes the road there easier .
I agree with that. My 50 3600 was going on 1.5 years and was getting frustrated with the bed sides. The colder weather was not helping either. I put it on hold and bought a '93 B7100 Kubota tractor that I just finished fixing and new paint. The other day was warm and I hung the rear fenders on the truck. It felt good working on it again. Now all I neeed is warmer weather to get going again. I have a completed lawn mower to cut grass between working on the 8-Ball
Robert, You have completed items on that truck of yours that no one else has. Let it sit and look at getting that Grille-Guard on the front of it Chromed. then after having it bolted back on, have the truck painted a different color of primer no one else has used. But hang in there Friend. Charles
Don't do it, Robert! Hell, mine's going on 8 YEARS since I blew it apart. It still looks pretty much like it did 5 years ago! The thing is, I have a nice seat in it and a killer sound system so that means I have a place to go and chill to some tunes. The steering wheel's in it so I can imagine some day looking back out over the hood and fender of the driver's side and toolin' down the road. The thing is, I have no time line either. Mainly because that is tied heavily to $$$, of which extra is hard to come by. But there is a thousand little things that I can do that don't cost much. Like grind down the little bits and pieces and get them ready to paint. Then there are those days when a pocket of money hits and you get some more major items done. It looks like my beloved boat will be with a new owner this afternoon, so this weekend I will celebrate by buying that Colorado rear end! Then by the time schools out~ I should be working the engine over again and who knows? Maybe by the time school starts, I will be able to drive it, even though the bed won't be on it. Just don't give up on it. I have so enjoyed seeing others on here get their rigs finished and then post a frickin video of them driving it! Someday, that will be you. Just take it easy and be patient. It can/will happen with time.
Make a plan and try to stick to it. Gather the major parts before you start, sheetmetal, drivetrain, wiring harness, wheels, etc. With the big ticket items on deck, finances will not slow you down as much. Get some friends over to do the teardown, jump in with both feet. Trade services with someone who can do what you need. Plan ahead and get the interior shop on line paint and body, etc. As you get a panel done, get it to the body shop to do final prep. Do the sheetmetal first, get it to paint, do the frame and suspension, have it ready for the cab to come back. Get the cab and doors finished first, mount to the frame, install weatherstriping and start wiring harness. Mount remaining sheetmetal, do the finish work, go do a nasty burnout. The 53 took me 3 1/2 years, most of the time was waiting on the body shop, always the slowest part of the build. I also had many busy spells with my mural painting business. The 62 Unibody was built in 9 months with an assistant, paint still took a lot of time. I have all the sheetmetal collected that I need for mine, but I don't want to take it off of the road to do it.......I have a new engine almost ready to go in, built by the high school auto shop, another resource. Around here, they only charge for parts, no labor. They may be a good contact to get some things done on the cheap when you don't have time.
Hang in there... you have developed some good skills. It took me well over 6 years to "complete" my truck. But to tell you the truth, I miss the project experience some and without a doubt, it is much more rewarding than spending time watching a crappy TV show. I am still occasionally tinkering with it (and another Old 4wd Toyota) that keeps me in the Garage and away from just sitting on my rump. Cheers
Stick with it, Robert. You'll be glad you did in the long run. Follow the advice of the more experienced guys on here like Russ. Come up with plan, attainable goals, and execute the steps as you can. You'll be surprised at how quickly you'll see results. Damon
the end of the tunnel.......or oasis... I am 95 percent their,or so I thought, only to find out the motor I paid some clown to rebuild has a rod knock or wrist pin issue (who is the clown now). GOD HELPS THOSE WHO HELP THEMSELVES.......I just can't believe i am this close. So now I have to remove the motor and open it up myself to investigate it. It is so disappointing, but if it was easy, everyone would be doing it! I have literally done all the work myself, except the motor.....lesson learned, the hard way!
