So considering how much work this truck needed, I am frankly amazed that A) it ran, B) it didn't burn to the ground and C) I didn't kill myself or someone else with it. It's kept me pretty busy over the last few weeks bringing it up to code. It's been down for about month but as of today, it's back up and running.

Here's a list of stuff done so far;

R/R rear axle bearings and seals

R/R center section gasket

Rebuilt rear drum brakes with all new parts including drums

Made new rear brake lines

Installed rear lowering shackles (dropped the rear about 3")

Changed booster from 4 to 2 bolt, installed new aluminum master cylinder

Made new master cylinder lines

Replaced right inner tie rod

Replaced park lamps with NOS

Replaced engine harness with NOS

Replaced distributor with reman unit, re curved, installed FBO limiter plate

Installed new cut-to-fit plug Taylor plug wires

Removed radiator for repair - soldered by rad. shop, re-installed. Had to trim frame rail flange to locate the radiator properly in order to install the rad hoses properly. Not sure how the guy did it before.

Installed new upper + lower rad hoses

Installed NOS coolant recovery tank

Re-wired starting system, made new battery cables

Replaced starter relay

Replaced the starter

Found the under dash harness was completely unwrapped and every wire was cut and spliced due to an incorrect year fuse box. Truck had no dash lights, turn signal only worked on one side, gas gauge worked intermittently, ridiculous monster tach, oil pressure and temp gauges were wired into to existing harness with quick splices, broken pin on the printed circuit board, blower motor would not turn off, connectors were cracked/destroyed, factory 8-track radio harness was completely hacked up and not working, etc.





Yanked it ALL out, attempted to repair and made it pretty far but threw in the towel when I found a complete, clean harness on Ebay that included the bulkhead connector, fuse box and instrument cluster, heater control and some other stuff. Bought It Now, done.

Relocated the ammeter wire to prevent future issues but stayed with the amp gauge for now.

Removed the monster tach, relocated the oil and temp gauges

Replaced broken heater control with good used one but it's from an A/C truck, had to mix'n'match parts from each unit to make it work

Fixed the sticky driver's side window regulator

Replaced the door latch remote with NOS part

Cleaned the interior

Freed up the heater water valve, re-secured heater hoses to inner fender

Installed electric choke for the Holley carb

Rebuilt carb

Installed AR throttle cable bracket

Replaced beat 14" Moroso air cleaner with 11 1/2" Moroso

Replaced beat, stock valve cover breather with shiny chrome one

Replaced horn

Things left to do -

change the oil (nasty lifter tick)

verify TDC mark on dampener, remove old, incorrectly installed timing tape and install new

tune with new set up, hook up vacuum advance

new valve cover gaskets

top off trans with fluid

de-gunk the engine and trans

Have a beer