Posted by dave horvath on Monday, September 23, 2002 at 6:04PM :
In Reply to: I'm a Father! posted by Ryan McNabb on Monday, September 23, 2002 at 2:36PM :
Congratulations Ryan! Glad to see you finally found one near you. Here are some random thoughts based on my experience:
1. Thoroughly assess the condition of the truck and establish some goals. Do you want to restore to original or rebuild? This will influence alot of decisions about engine, tires, drivetrain, paint, interior, etc.
2. Get some good resource books. Don Bunn's Dodge Pickup History & Restoration Guide; Gordon Maney's Repair Guide, and reproduction parts manual and shop manual.
3. Work at your own pace. You can focus on the mechanical first or tear into a bunch of stuff at once so you always have work that can be done. My approach has been to completely strip the truck from the frame, sandblast, and build up from there. Of course, it's been five years and I'm not don yet, so....
4. For me, half the fun was/is chasing parts. I got a NOS carb and oil filter on ebay. The throttle linkage came from Oregon. Tons of other parts from all over the country.
5. Enjoy the people and the hobby!