1973 d100 converting to w100

As some of you guys may remember, my 1973 one owner d100 was totaled when a lady pulled out in front of me.

After a couple years, I finally found a truck/frame I am comfortable using for parts. It's a 1973 cab on a 1977 frame, and is set up for a big block.

I'll be taking MY 73 cab and putting it on the frame since the 73 cab on it has its share of rust in the rockers, and the interior is rancid with rat feces....

Plan is to swap cabs/beds, drop a big block in her, and hit the trails! Although I'm tempted to swap to divorced transfer case since its married now....

that hurst to look at, gld you're bringing it back

Ouch, I had 73 D100 exactly like that. Divorced t case makes sense. Looking forward to seeing your progress!

Got the parts truck interior stripped except steering column and wiring harness. Doors came off after this pic was taken.

Later today, I may lift cab off after removing the steering column.

It's horrible. I cleaned up all the visible rat droppings and it's still rancid. I took the end caps off the rockers and it's full of rats nest. The AC box was full of rats nest. I've bleached everything, used vinegar, pressure washed the interior, took the windows and doors out, let it air out, and the smell seems to have gotten STRONGER! Haha.

Unfortunately, it sat so long with rodent urine and feces on the metal, the urine ate INTO the metal. I don't think that even sandblast or wire wheel down to bare metal will take the smell out.....

Ok, enough of that!

Next couple of days, I'll be dragging the yellow truck from the back 40 to start tear down. I'm hoping that a good degrease and pressure wash on the frame and a good scuff and spray and the yellow cab will go on with just a little bit of trimming on the tunnel....

Morbid curiosity got ahold of me and I decided to see how well the carpet could clean up. Soaked it in vinegar and hit it with the pressure washer. All kinds of disgusting junk came out. Surprisingly, there is very little rodent smell in the carpet now. It's there and faint, but it's not disgusting. I've let it bake in the sun, and I'll probably hit it again with the vinegar and pressure washer. It looks like new carpet that was installed and then the project stalled, and that's when the rodents moved in.... Thankfully, they didn't chew the carpet. Only the extra insulation that the previous owner added...I may end up using it in the yellow truck, since the original rubber mat is pretty brittle....

that cleaned up pretty good

Update long overdue on Project "Ol Yeller"

Got the bed pulled from both the parts truck, and Ol Yeller. Pulled the rear end from ol Yeller and put it in the frame that will become ol yeller.....


I still have to blast and paint the frame before I install the bed, but now it can be mobile....