Well, we just got back from a 10 hour round trip to get my parts. They are PERFECT for what I need to do, and the bed is in good enough shape. The bed is gonna need some TLC, and some attention, but its workable. The bed only needs one patch panel, best I can tell, and the floor is rotten in the rear, so I am gonna cut that out and do a wood bed floor like originally intended.

To get the bed back safely, and undamaged, we designed a wooden frame to strap the bed to, and strapped the frame to the trailer. We modeled it after the frame rails on the truck, and it worked beautifully. The bed did not move a millimeter, over the bouncy, bumpy midwestern roads. Here is a picture of the bed on the trailer, utilizing our frame:
TruckBedonTrailer.jpg?t=1269825105

 

nice

 

i figered out a good way to move bed if u have same truck. stick wood blocks in the bed pockets and stick new bed on top of the stakes. sorta looks like a bed cap then. one strap up and over and didnt move a bit.

 

Nice! My truck is still sitting with about half the cab , so we used my dad's jeep and trailer to go get it.

 

Well, I got the passenger side cab corner and rocker panel all mocked up. Its looking more like a truck from that side finally. Today has been spent running a buying tools that crap out (angle grinder), and welding up the cab corner. Right now, I am taking a break from lighting myself on fire (2x today!! Lol). I am working at building up the angle on the cab corner, that was previously 100% bondo. I have hammered and dolly'd it out as much as possible, but it was still a good 1/4"-3/8" deep, and I refuse to use THAT much bondo on it. So, I have been cutting small pieces of metal and building this up to keep the bondo to a minimum.

Its been alot of work, and alot more to come on this side.

The part I thought I was getting turned out to be the part I didn't really want, but still a part I needed. Unfortunately, it seems as though I am not getting the driver's side cab support, so we will need to finish fabricating the cab support before we can get the floor pan in. Shouldn't take too long considering dad and I working on it, one on each side.

Oh, and the back is about 90% now, just gotta test it to see if I can go back to work and make the moola!

 

Well! The back is finally about 99%, so I have been working on the truck all day today.

Thus far, I have gotten rid of all the AC equipment (free if anyone needs it, just pay shipping), and now I am working on pulling the radiator out to get the timing cover off. I need to check the KDP, so I am going to just replace all the front seals while I am at it. I also need to replace the water pump, and pull out the AC pump.

I also patched up the pass side inner fender, and took a look at the driver's side inner fender (I need one, PM me if you got one, or know of one).

The stopping point today will be getting the KDP done, and the waterpump pulled. The issue with the water pump is... it doesn't look like the right one. The truck doesn't overheat (that I know of), but the belt sits halfway on the pulley right now, so I wanna pull it and make sure its the right one.

 

Well, we have made some good progress on the truck, but its slow progress. Got the cab corner mostly bondo'd and got the driver's side floor parts all fabb'd up and ready to get welded in.

 

Sure is good to see you fixing up one of these! I think it's a terrible shame the fate many of these trucks found. It seems like 90% of the first gens I see have been beat to hell, but it shows there usefulness. Keep up the good work, it will repay you when it's done, you'll love it.

 

Thanks! Been making very slow progress lately. I picked up a new girlfriend, and have finals at school, so thats been occupying alot of time. Plus, work at the performance shop I work at for my second job is finally picking up, so I am trying to balance that and this, and the girl, and studying, and my full time job... its insanity! Luckily the girl is cool with hanging out in the garage watching me work on the truck!

 

Sounds like you found a keeper...