Project: Good Enough

[92 Dime]

TL/DR: Not much of a project write-up: this will be more a log of work done to get the truck “good enough” for me to use it for a move/getting a house ready to sell. I couldn’t even tell you what color the truck is.

The whole story:
I’ve basically been truckless for the past 18 months. I sold Rusty (the ‘86 GMC), and the Dime has been waiting for me to have time and the inclination to figure out the latest engine problem. I sort of moved away from home to help out some family, so there it sat.

Earlier this summer, while I was at the old place mowing, a neighbor said he’d be interested in buying the house. Hmmm. . . . No more “3 hours on the road, mow for an hour, then 3 more hours on the road” is tempting. But first I’d have to actually move out, and for that I’d need a truck. So I started shopping.

What I wanted was a regular cab/8’ bed 2WD pickup. Chevrolet would be nice but honestly I figured for this project I wasn’t going to be picky. I figured if I got lucky I’d wind up with a W/T.

There just aren’t a lot of regular cab trucks made these days. . . and 8’ beds are kinda scarce as well. Out of 200 or so trucks I considered, only 2 or 3 were W/Ts (that surprised me). In a few moments of weakness, I even considered a ‘61 GMC and a ‘65 Chevrolet (I got a monkey on my back that whacks me with a tire iron every time I see a first-gen C/K pickup), but both were SWB.

It looked like my best choice was an ‘89 Chevrolet K1500. Engine is a 350, TBI, looks like a 700R4 transmission. RPO is GU4 so the rear end is geared 3.08. . . which works for me: I don’t want or need 4WD, but I’ll be putting ~4k miles on it this summer and fuel is expensive! I sketched up a punch list of needed repairs, got some parts prices, got some estimates, and worked up a budget.

Right off the bat, I knew it needed (in no particular order):
--new tires (broken belts in 2 of the 31x10.5x15s)
--a new gas cap
--oil change
--new battery
--new battery cable ends
--plugs/wires/cap/rotor
--new fuel filter
--air filter
--bleed brakes
--clean or replace PCV valve
--remove the side-to-side toolbox
--replace the exhaust
--get a jack/lug wrench/spare tire
--replace the driver side door hinge pins and bushings (and probably striker)

And cleaned.

Definitely cleaned.

The cost of the truck, parts, and repairs, were within budget (as long as I did all the work), so on the 6th of July I bought a truck. It should be “Good Enough” for the move. After that, maybe I’ll keep it but if I do it will need more work:

--new seat
--a decent set of instruments (what IDIOT came up with moony-gauges, and who doesn’t build a tach in a TRUCK??)
--new windshield
--flush coolant
--flush axles, etc
--replace broken tow hook (front)
--replace broken grill, re-attach P-side turn signal
--replace locks both doors
--replace door seals, window seals
--troubleshoot/fix odometer (currently DOA)
--kill switch installed
--replace CAI setup on air cleaner
--shocks
--clean lube seat belts
--replace serpentine belt
--replace brake master cylinder with NBS MC

We’ll see.