Figured it would be a smart idea to put the happenings of this truck into a singular thread.
So this sad truck came into my possession from the daughter of the original owner. That said, her father is still around and apparently as I've learned third hand was not very happy I bought his old truck!
Regardless, because my friend who directed me to the truck is also a co-worker to the daughter who owned it, he gives her periodic updates and she's just glad the truck didn't get crushed and is being repaired. She was essentially stuck with either scrapping it or selling it once the county apparently made a fuss there was a vehicle with lapsed registration that had been sitting in the driveway for several years. It got parked effectively when the TorqueFlite originally gave up. Her husband was driving it, and one day it just decided to quit going forwards. Well her father "knew a guy" who could "fix it", and well the hackass he was cut a hole in the floor, setting the carpet on fire, and frying a bunch of soft stuff behind the dash. He also physically destroyed the original TorqueFlite. In the entire course, the hack tried to get the title so he "could determine what transmission it needed". Eventually the daughter had the truck brought back and shoved up the driveway to its resting place for many years.
Fast forwards to late last year and that's when everything came together. Scrap man offered $250, I said I'll give them $400 and haul it away. My friend (her co-worker) also bought the trailer that was directly behind it for $300. Boom, cleaned out the driveway, easy right?
Some of y'all might recognize the truck from the "What Are You Working On?" thread...
Overall a proper bucket with 112K miles. But hey, the body is straight and there's no rust, and especially in the current market, a 360 V8 Dodge D-150 might fetch at least $5.26 and a ham sandwich if it runs (at some point).
With no transmission to worry about, the driveshaft was quickly relocated to the bed, and the truck coasted down the driveway onto a dolly...
...so I could pull it with the Marquis.
Also, the aforementioned trailer for the lulz. That did receive a new set of tires and we repacked the bearings before I pulled everything out to Waynesboro, GA. Very useful trailer since the sprayer equipment was removed.
Anyway, after yoinking the dolly from underneath the truck, figured the easiest way to get it into the warehouse was to just pop the parking brake, give it a shove, and jump into the cab and steering it home while coasting down a hill.
And thus far has been the home for the truck. In the rather uninteresting interim period that occurred in the following months, I took a trip to upstate South Carolina to get a $100 A727 TorqueFlite since I needed a quality rebuildable candidate. The one I grabbed was perfect as it was already a long tailshaft unit. I also happened across a W-150 in the junkyard which provided all the dash vents, dash duct work, A/C control cables, and entire HVAC box; all parts that were damaged beyond repair from the floor fire.
Work was done to pull the dash back and drop the old HVAC box out. The junkyard replacement got a new evaporator core and heater core installed. This is also when I found that I'd have to replace the entire A/C system because the original equipment used only threaded fittings while all the replacement components use block fittings. Ka-ching! Quickly spent effectively the purchase price and then some on hard parts.
Oh well, I figured that'd would be quickly passed anyway given the fact so much is needed to get the truck roadworthy again.
While I had not planned on addressing the floor as early as I did, I quickly committed some crimes against humanity and graduated from the Tractor Supply School of Body Work and made a horrific patch panel over the gash in the transmission tunnel after trying to beat the transmission tunnel into shape. It was so badly beaten out of shape the accelerator pedal could not be depressed.
Not a proud moment.
What the **** is that? Coated sheet metal semi-beaten into form, pop riveted to the floor, and slathered with some sealer. Proper? No. Did it happen? Yes. $400 truck, lets keep our expectations there.
And that's where we pretty much got to until today, when the replacement HVAC box went in, sound deadner was applied to the forward section of the floors, rebuilt carburetor was installed, and I pulled the wiper cowl to get the linkages out so I can install new bushings since they're 100% gone on this truck.
(What floor patch?)
Also, one of the old tires finally let go sitting. A new set was already planned before it ever sees the road, but I'll need to figure out a spare so I can roll it over to the lift.
Overall, I've got a pile of tune up and A/C parts sitting out there presently. I've got to order up brakes and shocks since that'll happen after I verify how it runs once the transmission goes in. Hopefully maybe next time or the time after I head out there I'll get started getting the TorqueFlite in. I also do plan on taking the bench out and installing a new vinyl floor liner since I do expect this truck to do truck work, and I don't find carpet very nice where dirt and mud might be getting tracked in.
Anyway, that's the story so far, and eventually there will be more.
So this sad truck came into my possession from the daughter of the original owner. That said, her father is still around and apparently as I've learned third hand was not very happy I bought his old truck!
Regardless, because my friend who directed me to the truck is also a co-worker to the daughter who owned it, he gives her periodic updates and she's just glad the truck didn't get crushed and is being repaired. She was essentially stuck with either scrapping it or selling it once the county apparently made a fuss there was a vehicle with lapsed registration that had been sitting in the driveway for several years. It got parked effectively when the TorqueFlite originally gave up. Her husband was driving it, and one day it just decided to quit going forwards. Well her father "knew a guy" who could "fix it", and well the hackass he was cut a hole in the floor, setting the carpet on fire, and frying a bunch of soft stuff behind the dash. He also physically destroyed the original TorqueFlite. In the entire course, the hack tried to get the title so he "could determine what transmission it needed". Eventually the daughter had the truck brought back and shoved up the driveway to its resting place for many years.
Fast forwards to late last year and that's when everything came together. Scrap man offered $250, I said I'll give them $400 and haul it away. My friend (her co-worker) also bought the trailer that was directly behind it for $300. Boom, cleaned out the driveway, easy right?
Some of y'all might recognize the truck from the "What Are You Working On?" thread...
Overall a proper bucket with 112K miles. But hey, the body is straight and there's no rust, and especially in the current market, a 360 V8 Dodge D-150 might fetch at least $5.26 and a ham sandwich if it runs (at some point).
With no transmission to worry about, the driveshaft was quickly relocated to the bed, and the truck coasted down the driveway onto a dolly...
...so I could pull it with the Marquis.
Also, the aforementioned trailer for the lulz. That did receive a new set of tires and we repacked the bearings before I pulled everything out to Waynesboro, GA. Very useful trailer since the sprayer equipment was removed.
Anyway, after yoinking the dolly from underneath the truck, figured the easiest way to get it into the warehouse was to just pop the parking brake, give it a shove, and jump into the cab and steering it home while coasting down a hill.
And thus far has been the home for the truck. In the rather uninteresting interim period that occurred in the following months, I took a trip to upstate South Carolina to get a $100 A727 TorqueFlite since I needed a quality rebuildable candidate. The one I grabbed was perfect as it was already a long tailshaft unit. I also happened across a W-150 in the junkyard which provided all the dash vents, dash duct work, A/C control cables, and entire HVAC box; all parts that were damaged beyond repair from the floor fire.
Work was done to pull the dash back and drop the old HVAC box out. The junkyard replacement got a new evaporator core and heater core installed. This is also when I found that I'd have to replace the entire A/C system because the original equipment used only threaded fittings while all the replacement components use block fittings. Ka-ching! Quickly spent effectively the purchase price and then some on hard parts.
Oh well, I figured that'd would be quickly passed anyway given the fact so much is needed to get the truck roadworthy again. While I had not planned on addressing the floor as early as I did, I quickly committed some crimes against humanity and graduated from the Tractor Supply School of Body Work and made a horrific patch panel over the gash in the transmission tunnel after trying to beat the transmission tunnel into shape. It was so badly beaten out of shape the accelerator pedal could not be depressed.
Not a proud moment.
What the **** is that? Coated sheet metal semi-beaten into form, pop riveted to the floor, and slathered with some sealer. Proper? No. Did it happen? Yes. $400 truck, lets keep our expectations there.
And that's where we pretty much got to until today, when the replacement HVAC box went in, sound deadner was applied to the forward section of the floors, rebuilt carburetor was installed, and I pulled the wiper cowl to get the linkages out so I can install new bushings since they're 100% gone on this truck.
(What floor patch?)
Also, one of the old tires finally let go sitting. A new set was already planned before it ever sees the road, but I'll need to figure out a spare so I can roll it over to the lift.
Overall, I've got a pile of tune up and A/C parts sitting out there presently. I've got to order up brakes and shocks since that'll happen after I verify how it runs once the transmission goes in. Hopefully maybe next time or the time after I head out there I'll get started getting the TorqueFlite in. I also do plan on taking the bench out and installing a new vinyl floor liner since I do expect this truck to do truck work, and I don't find carpet very nice where dirt and mud might be getting tracked in.
Anyway, that's the story so far, and eventually there will be more.
All the bell housing bolts are MIA to boot. At least the dangling TV linkage to the carburetor looks okay.
Comment