I HAVE AN UPDATE!!

[gandalf]

For who? Her or the girls? Maybe both?

Basic answer, whoever needs them. Don't forget the husband. We husbands, as a group, seldom know nor understand what is happening.

 

[Dirtleg]

I'm thinking about retiring so I have time to finish something.

I retired last July. Since then I have,
Brought a Dodge Ram 1500 sitting for 8 years back into service, and made it reliable-ish.
Replaced the rear tank on the 93'F350 and needle scaled the frame behind the cab, primed and painted it while the bed was off.
Bought a 95' F350 dump truck and am in the process of a frame and cab swap to get rid of the rust. Did final coat of primer on frame yesterday. Putting on paint today.

That is in addition to building my wife a display cabinet for Christmas and excavating out at our property.

Picture of cabinet. 1st time building such a thing and I am proud of it.

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[nelstomlinson]

I have 9 pickups that could be good runners, plus a couple of parts trucks that aren't in the signature. That's several years of projects right there. Probably going to tell management if they don't change their ways I'm leaving in July.

 

[Danielle]

Two daughters starting on their teenage years! I remember it well! My initial suggestion would be to stock up on tranquilizers. There will be times...

I believe it is YOU that need tranquilizers. I recall someone being a lumberjack of the largest tree breed in the US and painting the exterior second story of a building....?

Today it's not much progress but I got the center row out (third row has been gone haha)

I also got the table for transmission rebuild project cleared off and all my bolt cups ready

Next is get front seats out so I can take out carpet and get body mounts off.

I looked up 2 videos on this to try to figure out location of rear ones, and the videos showed completely rust free trucks and the kid taking the body mount bolts out by hand with a 3/8 ratchet. I am assuming - for me - there will be air chiseling, rust flying, torches and tears.

 

[Danielle]

I have 9 pickups that could be good runners, plus a couple of parts trucks that aren't in the signature. That's several years of projects right there. Probably going to tell management if they don't change their ways I'm leaving in July.

Next time my husband looks like he's counting my collection I will tell him "it could be nine!" haha But one of mine is a bus, so maybe I'll keep my mouth absolutely shut

 

[Danielle]

Here's what I'm starting with. Have cut most of the rear tub away. I have a donor shell for these curvy parts and a good piece for the floor that was donated (someone left it here for years haha)
I am probably going to remake the inner wheel wells not round since I don't have that skill yet. They will probably be unattractive but I hope they look ok after bed liner heehee

 

[Danielle]

I miss free Photobucket, was a lot easier haha

 

[IDIBRONCO]

I'm still amazed at rust pictures like that. Our stuff will rust around here, but not like that. This isn't the snow belt. I have found out a couple of things about vehicle rust though. 1) when looking for a vehicle around here such as one of our wonderful IDI powered trucks, ones from Nebraska, Iowa, and Missouri are usually pretty rusty. It's better to buy one from Colorado, Wyoming, or South Dakota. Those have WAY less rust. 2) the newer, thinner, "high strength steel" that's used on newer vehicles rusts away a lot faster than the old fashioned, thicker steel that our trucks were made from. Here's an example that I saw a few weeks back in a grocery store parking lot. I didn't see the front end, but going off of the fenders, this Dodge is a 2003 at the oldest. The other side is just as bad as the driver's side. My 1985 isn't rusted any worse than this was.

 

[ihc1470]

Well do not feel to bad. I have had this restoring project going for way to many years twenty two or more. I bought the car new in 1974. The one on the right is the one I am restoring. The one on the left is a parts car that lived it's life about 5 miles from the house. It supplied the engine as mine has 230k on it and has a burnt valve. Someday I may rebuild it, for now I just get to get it back on the road.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

I have to admit that I have a soft spot for Pintos. Especially the wagons. My first and second cars were 1973 Pinto wagons in the late 80s. Later, around 2002/2003, I was driving my 1984 Mustang and the transmission was making a odd grinding type of noise in gear at a stop. I couldn't afford to drive my Dent side with a 460 100+ miles to work each day. I found a 1979 Pinto wagon for sale for $250 so I bought it. If I was to come across another one, and if I wanted a project car, I'd either put a warmed over 302/351W in it or a flathead V8 just to make people wonder.

 

[Danielle]

My first car I remember as a kid was a yellow pinto! We lived in Massachusetts and the floor was rotted so we just had plywood there haha. As a toddler I was always into our cars, we always had the worst s-boxes so we went through cars a lot. I used to name them and cry when we would abandon them forever where they died for the last time (before DMV was computerized hahaha)

 

[IDIBRONCO]

the floor was rotted so we just had plywood there haha.

I was told that road signs make the best floor repair materials because they hold up to the elements the best. I haven't tried to test that theory though.

 

[Danielle]

Tonight got last seat unbolted, for now it's flipped backwards so it's out of the way, then I hope scrap guy takes it

My plan is to eventually install 3 rows of some kind of GM seats with built in seat belts and infant latch system

Got 3 of the 4 interior body bolts out. The last one I'm going to try hammering on smaller socket. It's pretty soft

Transmission pan off. Got some components off but I I'm going to take off tail to reduce some weight on the stand before I rotate it upside down so I don't lose my balls!!

Edit to add that the SMELL of this atf is still so strong. It's so burned up. My dad told me he had completed the annihilation of the transmission getting it stuck in the woods at his place using it to pull logs. He said he had kept trying after it was puking and smoking. The whole shop smells like burnt atf now. It's crazy. My dad breaks everything haha

I want to pull this transmission apart to see how many upgrade kits I'll need, it was supposedly "upgraded" by previous owner, but it's been puking out the pump since I've had it, so he might have been scammed, or maybe the cool upgrades weren't invented yet.

Also I think it's time for a new filter for the shop furnace?

 

[Nero]

Those seats look like they're in great shape, I'd clean them and use em in my samurai!

Sorry to hear about the burned atf smell, thats ons that lingers... Only topped by burnt supercharger oil, and possibly burnt gear oil.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

My plan is to eventually install 3 rows of some kind of GM seats with built in seat belts and infant latch system

What? Are you planning to be a grandma before this is finished?