Where do I start?

[Preems14]

I bought my truck just a few months ago and havent managed to do anything i planned to it. It is rusty but mechanically it is okay only having 50000 kms on a new motor. I have a steady income for a high school student and i dont know where to start. I was thinking fix the rust for sure but that means i wont be able to buy lift kit and new rims. Anyone else opinion on where to start would be awesome

 

[tonkadoctor]

I have a steady income for a high school student and i dont know where to start. I was thinking fix the rust for sure but that means i wont be able to buy lift kit and new rims. Anyone else opinion on where to start would be awesome

Save yer money for College so you CAN afford all 3 later...... or Fix the rust, skip the lift & rims.


If you can't afford one because you are doing the other...... You ain't gonna be able to afford the $1.35 per liter diesel up there after you lift it to the sky, put big meats under it and it loses about 3 - 4 mpg.

 

[Michael Fowler]

A rusty truck with pretty rims and tires is still a rusty truck.
Fix the rust first--even if it means no rims and tires.
Look at the tech articles at the top of this page. Change all your fluids. Take care of the important stuff--let the tricked out stuff slide.

 

[lotzagoodstuff]

Make this one your rusty but trusty and worry about a nice rig down the road. Touch up all the rust with POR15 or Extend so it doesn't get any worse, drive it and it should tell you what mechanical things to work on as you go. The lift isn't going to get you anywhere except a trip to Broke City.

 

[69dieselfreak]

like every one says
CHROME DONT GET U HOME
and neither does fixing the rust either
figure out what the truck needs mechanically and fix those issues first so that it is road worthy

 

[subway]

where is the rust, if it a cab mount or something major take care of it now. dont stretch yourself to thin and short yourself on college. trust me you will regrete it later.

otherwise mechanical first, then rust and fun stuff if you really do have some extra dough.

i do have rims though
http://www.oilburners.net/forums/showthread.php?t=23773

BTW you can do a cheep hockey puck body lift.

 

[cleithau]

Just curious, doesn't the gov't pay for college in Canada? They pay for health care. Be nice if they did, leave you more money to fix the truck up.

I agree with everyone.....change all the fluids and make it reliable 1st, then fix the rust.

What works better POR15 or Extend? I want to clean up my frame and keep it rust free, its from Oregon and is now in Michigan and a couple winters have made the frame covered in surface rust. Except where a tranny line blew and rust proofed my frame for me, that area looks good as new.

 

[Agnem]

Check the 4 cab mounts and the 2 radiator core support mounts, and address them before you do any body rust fixing. You need a firm foundation on which to build.... Change all the filters and fluids as stated.

 

[Pipeliner_86]

Rust proofing a truck in Michigan is like kicking a dead horse. I've accepted the fact that my truck is going to rust, and has been rusting for 22 years. That said, it doesn't look too bad for 22 years of MI weather. I need to start replacing floor pans though, I can see my carpet from under the truck in some spots. My plan was to clean the bad spots and fiberglass over the holes. May not be the best answer, but its a cheap fix for now.

 

[7.3IDIDSL]

Save yer money for College so you CAN afford all 3 later...... or Fix the rust, skip the lift & rims.


If you can't afford one because you are doing the other...... You ain't gonna be able to afford the $1.35 per liter diesel up there after you lift it to the sky, put big meats under it and it loses about 3 - 4 mpg.

wait a second...where do you find the $1.35 diesel up here? In British Columbia its almost $1.50!!

about your truck. im kinda in the same position as you. im a college student with a steady but very very low income. (No cleithau the gov't doesnt pay for college, so far its cost me $4500 to take a heavy duty mechanic course) when i got my truck it was rusty and i went ahead and started fixing the rust any buying things like clear front lights, bigger tires, gauges, turning up fuel pump and i quickly found out that none of that stuff is going to make it easier for the tow truck to tow you home when your truck breaks down. i would drive the truck for abit to see what needs to be fixed cause something is bound to pop up. then once you are sure the truck is really mechanically stable go big or go home with a lift and tires and anything else you want.

 

[Preems14]

Well my income isnt low I make 140 a day. And I forgot to add my truck had a new motor clutch and transmisson 56000 km's ago. I have over $30000 in receipts from the previous owner . So mechanically it is fine. I wanted to try to get some performance but from what ive read on other forums it would be to costly so im gonna go for looks i think. Im getting boost and pyrometer gauges next paycheck along with more body panels. A tutorial on hooking up these gauges would be sweet. And thanks for the help so far, i like this forum more and more everday.

 

[7.3IDIDSL]

Well my income isnt low I make 140 a day. And I forgot to add my truck had a new motor clutch and transmisson 56000 km's ago. I have over $30000 in receipts from the previous owner . So mechanically it is fine. I wanted to try to get some performance but from what ive read on other forums it would be to costly so im gonna go for looks i thi nk. Im getting boost and pyrometer gauges next paycheck along with more body panels. A tutorial on hooking up these gauges would be sweet. And thanks for the help so far, i like this forum more and more everday.

I make around $140 a day too but i only work 1 day a week haha. Hooking up gauges isnt hard depending on the type of gauge. Theres mechanical and electrical gauges. Most gauges need to be connected to whatever they measure like boost line, or exhaust manifold for pyro. Then a 12V wire that switched on with ignition and ground for light. Once you decide on the gauges your getting im sure we can help you get them installed. In my 1993 ive got a pyro, water and boost for that turbo i was suppose to buy like 8 months ago haha all mounted on the A-pillar. and i would like to buy one of those dash mounts or above mirror mounts for the newer trucks and mod it to fit our trucks so i can buy more gauges. i would like to get a fuel pressure, oil temp or pressure, and air pressure for my air tank that runs my air bags and train horn. and any other gauges i might need....gauges make your truck cooler and so much faster

 

[LCAM-01XA]

Rust proofing a truck in Michigan is like kicking a dead horse. I've accepted the fact that my truck is going to rust, and has been rusting for 22 years. That said, it doesn't look too bad for 22 years of MI weather. I need to start replacing floor pans though, I can see my carpet from under the truck in some spots. My plan was to clean the bad spots and fiberglass over the holes. May not be the best answer, but its a cheap fix for now.

Jeremy, there are plenty of street signs around your area, some placed in very interesting locations too - why bother with fiberglass, with all that scrap aluminum just laying around? I actually got the same problem, haven't decided yet if I wanna cut and weld, or just cut and rivet new sheetmetal. Jake should be picking up a welder soon, we'll try fixing up the floors of the 3/4-ton, and then we'll move on to mine.

 

[Diesel JD]

You already have a very good platform for upgrades with the factory turbo motor. Your best bet is to see if you can do something about that crushed downpipe Ford gave the factory turbo motors. Switching out the exhaust flange and going with a true 3" downpipe is a great fix but expensive, and sometimes the gains have not justified the costs. You could find some other way to get a 3" downpipe adapted to that turbo or buy a Banks downpipe for the IDI if any are still available... this has all been beat to death beofre...then a 3.5 inch or bigger straight or mandrel bent exhaust and a cold air intake is about all you can do without getting into big time and money like an intercooler and a Moose Pump or equivalent.

 

[Preems14]

Who makes a cold air intake for the factory turbo's?