Need some help so I can rebuild my truck.

[379redneck]

In June I got my first truck, my 87 sierra 2500 4x4 with a 350 tbi that I bought from a friend for 1000 with only 85k miles. When I got the truck it only needed rear shocks, a gas tank, front brakes, tires, and an exhaust. Since I bought I have fixed all of these problems, just to have new ones come up once I fixed something. So far I have changed all the shocks, new tires, fuel filter, gas tank, module, distributor, power steering pump, front brakes, taillights, exhaust, door latches, and speedo cable. I have plans to rebuild the truck. The body needs new rockers, cab corners, passenger side door(stupid tree), drivers side door patch panels, rear lower drivers side bed panel, front bed panel, and of course lots of chrome and paint. Most of the interior needs to be replaced. The cost for parts so far will cost about $4000. The readiator is also leaking and the drivers side shock mount on the axle broke off so the guy that "rebuilt" it before made one that doesnt line up right, and I have single shock on the drivers side and the factory style dualls on the passenger side. The truck runs good now its a lot of fun to drive.

My problem is that im only 18 so I still live with my parents. They have been against me getting this truck the entire time. I finally made my plans for what I plan on doing to it, and my dad keeps tellin me that the truck is just gonna get run into the ground and thats it and that I cant fix it and that I got ripped off. They dont see the potential in it or the fact that im learning a lot from it. I need help convincing them that the truck is worth fixing and it wont "die" in two years like they think. I know this truck isnt as abd as they are sayin and I have always wanted to rebuild a vehicle and I already love this truck. I figured this would be the best place to get advise. Is this truck definately worth rebuilding? Any advise would be great.

I know this seems like a stupid thing to be asking for help with but I realy want to make this truck awsome.
Thanks

These are the only pics I have of it now. When I get more I will post them.

[allengator]

Hang in there...
push the "education" aspect of it and remind them that time spent in the garage is time spent out of trouble !

[drunkbus]

Tell them if you sell the truck that you will spend all the money on drugs. Then ask them if they would rather have their son working on his truck doing something productive or sitting on the couch smoking pot and playing video games.

[379redneck]

Allengator, that will usually work for a few seconds until they get back on their "waist of money" thing, it is funny to see them go from -this is how it is- to -yeah, but, that, it- until they bring up the money pit crap again...

Drunkbus, I might give that a shot, telling them not actually doing it. lol

[psuedopimp]

your 18 and still live with them. they are the boss until you move out, sorry but you have to listen to their crap until you move out.
maybe they see this as a distraction from what you should be doing, and that is going to college, trade school whatever, but getting a formal education.
if it is their money then they definately can have a beef with it.

i wish/hope that both my daughter and son want to get a beater and fix it up. i think you can and do learn a bunch from them. i just think that there may be some underlying issues that aren't being communicated between you and your parents.

and what's up with your dad not wanting to help you?? ask for his guidance and get him on your team!

[379redneck]

I am going to pay for everything I do the truck and I bought it, thats part of the reason its so agrivating. Since im going to be rebuilding it in the summer, it wont be distracting me from college. My dad isnt realy into doing this that much, but he thinks he is. He wont take a chance and try new things, or trust anything I have to say about how to do something or what needs to get fixed or bought. He wants the finished product, I want to build it, but he doesnt think I have any clue of what im doing. I asked if I could get a welder and start practicing how to weld so I can do more of the work myself and they thought I was joking, when I said I was serious they imediatly said "no, you have almost no experience welding", even though I wanted when I did so I get better at it.
As far as there being something that isnt being communicated you are proboly right since they always feel the need to do that, but they dont have any good reasons other than they dont want me to spend all of my money on it.
Thanks for the replies

[Clyde65]

I would go to your local tradesmen there and ask them to train you ( providing there isnt a Community College close). then when you have the $ you can go get the welder and have at it. I would think if you pursue the knowledge, get the knowledge and then practice the knowledge, that would make them proud of you even more than they are.

Like said before, go to college!

[drunkbus]

Some people just have no mechanical aptitude or understanding. They just see it as a waste of time and money but don't realize other people enjoy these things and it's a hobby to them. Does your dad have a hobby? Try to explain to them that they have their hobbies that I'm sure cost money and this is yours and it's no different. Sounds like your dad is like my girlfriend's dad when it comes to cars. He'll drive a new car for a year, put about 30,000 miles on it and then trade it in because it needs new tires. I just laugh to myself everytime I see him pull up in another new car.

[lilpoindexter]

"Is this truck definately worth rebuilding?"

DUDE...everyone on this forum is going to say it's worth rebuilding...

I got the suspension/ brakes dialed in on my truck...got it all lowered...put in a new bench seat...and now the fuel tank is leaking, and the headlight connectors don't stay connected...It difficult to depend on an old vehicle as a daily driver, unless you have some other POS to drive when one takes a dump.

[wklink]

I am going to ask you to look at this from your parent's perspective, at least a little bit.

First off, I own and restore cars as a hobby. I have put literally thousands upon thousands of dollars into several old T-birds, my 65 Fairlane and other assorted toys through the years.

While the truck truly does have potential and would be a very nice once it is done your folks are looking at this thing as a value for the bucks you will have to spend. At best, an 87 3/4 ton will bring maybe five grand (short of being pristine). This truck will be far from pristine, even with the money you have to put into it. The honest truth is, for the money you are spending you could probably have a more economical, nice running car that will be much more practical in college.

When I was 19 I found this beautiful 1966 Ford Thunderbird Convertible that a guy was selling for dirt cheap (1500 dollars). This thing was a great 'potential' car but had been sitting for years and was going to need probably 5-8 grand in just parts just to get her in decent daily driver condition. The stock 428 was going to need rebuilt, I'm sure the C6 would too, the car was faded, left sitting in a garage with the top down so the car would need a new top, new hydraulics and knowing my luck a lot of electical work.

I was 19 and a PFC in the Army. I lived in the barracks. I could have bought it and spent my weekends and my limited salary buying and fixing her up but I had no storage and the car would have eaten much of my time and all of my treasure. In 1986 a 66 Thunderbird Convertible was worth maybe 8 grand, in next to mint condition. I had to set that car aside knowing that it just wasn't going to be worth it at that point of my life.

Now I'm 43, I own a 1962 Thunderbird hardtop and am doing a restoration right now on an extremely rare 1963 T-bird Sports Roadster (very rare car-less than 100 still exist). I have the time and the money and more importantly the space to do the projects that I want.

The nice thing about your truck is that 5-10 years from now there will still be one around, maybe in better shape than what you have now. At that point you will be set as far as a job and will have the ability to do what you want without worrying about where to put it or what kind of things you will sacrifice for it.

Delaying gratification is painful sometimes but if you really want to do up a truck like that then the opportunity will still be available. You just may want to wait and look for something that will really be worth your while.

[kanuck]

I find lots of them on craigslist all the time with "spent $15,000 on her, will let it go for $8500" and they still sit there for a month or two till they sell.
Easier to buy done then to start from scratch even though I'm in the middle of a frame of on a 2wd shorty......LOL.....We never learn.....

[wklink]

Originally Posted by kanuck

I find lots of them on craigslist all the time with "spent $15,000 on her, will let it go for $8500" and they still sit there for a month or two till they sell.
Easier to buy done then to start from scratch even though I'm in the middle of a frame of on a 2wd shorty......LOL.....We never learn.....

I understand that. The first thing I did before I started with these cars was ask myself if I really wanted them long term. I will never get what I paid for them out of them.

The problem with any of these projects is that if you don't pay attention you can quickly drop a TON of money into them.



These are two examples of doing it right and wrong. The red thunderbird in front is worth about what I put into it. The guy that owned it before me had almost all of the major engine and suspension work done. I bought the car when he lost interest. I planned on only a certain amount of money and kept myself to that total. She looks very nice but isn't a show car.

The maroon Fairlane behind it is a perfect example of not doing it right. I bought the car as a fixer upper project and have spent probably twice what the car is worth in repairs and upgrades. Even doing the work myself I have found this thing just nickle and dimeing me to death. I love the car and don't plan on selling her in my lifetime so ultimately it is worth it to me but the inherent danger of getting into a project is the sucking of most of your free cash into a project that just isn't worth the outlay.

As I said, the squarebody truck is common enough that a good, well equipped and excellent condition example can be bought for the cost of what you are doing to that truck of yours. Unless there is a personal attachment to a vehicle (it was your dad's, was a rare submodel, it is just like the one you had in HS) then you can find yourself learning to hate the very thing you want to love.

[379redneck]

Wklink, nice cars. I biught the truck to fix it up. I already have a limit on how much I will spend on it. You do have a good point about being patient. One of the reasons I dont want to stop with it is because I already put a few hundred into it and would hate to see it wasted. The reason I bought it was to fix it and have fun with it, but I see what your saying.

Kanuck, you are right about nice trucks being for sale for cheap, but I would like to do the work and make it nice myself. Its an easy way to get away from everything and I have been wanting to do this for a few years, and you never know how many things are wrong with it that were just covered up. I learned that the hard way when I pulled about 10 pounds of bondo off the quarter panel of my camaro, I though the worst rot was on the fenders but I realized I was very wrong when I accidentaly put my foot through the rocker panel.

I have already made a list of everything I plan on doing to the truck and added up the cost. For parts it going to be about 4000 not including paint and a few other things that im not sure about yet. The most I would put in is about 6000-7000. I plan on keeping it for a long time, hopefuly forever.

I sat down and talked to my mom about it and after a good talk she said she doesnt mind me doing it, I just need to find somewhere to do it and she wants me to get good at welding before I try it on the truck so I dont have to redo parts of it in a few years. I was gonna use my grandmas garae but I dont think it would fit if she would even let me. I just need to talk to my dad tomarow and hopefully it will work.

This is my goal for the truck. I know it has a long way to go but I dont plan doing any engine or tranny work so I can save some money scince it runs good now.






Thanks a lot for the help. It was very helpful so far. I will be sure to post pics if I get the ok to do it.

[joe231]

dang man!
you cut up my dream crew cab

[379redneck]

dang man!
you cut up my dream crew cab

I didnt cut it up that bad, just a little cab surgery. You would cry if you saw it the first time I tried it.

[mongoose]

you're paying for it.. you can do w/e you want..

that being said.... I would do all the mods that you can take out and put into another truck right now, and in the mean time look for a cleaner truck so you can either steal those parts or just swap the mods to the new one.

[379redneck]

Theres no mods I did to it, what I spent so far was to keep it running and fix a few little things that didnt work right. Its hard to find a cleaner truck up here for a good price that isnt already built. The ones that are around are mostly used for plowing or are rotted so bad they look like they will fall apart if you hit a good pot hole, which there are plenty of, or there in the junk yard.

[joe231]

Originally Posted by 379redneck

I didnt cut it up that bad, just a little cab surgery. You would cry if you saw it the first time I tried it.

[joe1982]

I'm sorry about how your folks feel about your truck man, but from what i see it looks like a sollid ride. Just my 2.00, if i were you i would leave the paint and body work last. As it is prolly the most expensive.I would start with the interior first as it is the cheapest and a little elbow grease can take you a long way. Start by prowling your local pick your parts, look for panels in good condition and paint them. N2TRUX had a great write up on here on how to do it, try and find a carpet that looks semi clean and in good condition and take to a car wash. Take the pressure washer and degreaser to it, youll be surprised how much that will spruce up your ride.

[379redneck]

It looks better in the pics. Theres not a lot of rust, but where there is rust theres lots of it. The cab corners are gone and the inner fenders are ready to fall out. those are the worst and will probobly get fixed first.

I was actually thinking about doing what you are sayin for the interior with some parts. I just repainted my door pannel to see if it would look good and it actually looks brand new, so im prob just gonna paint them instead of replacing them. The worst part is the seat, I would just gen an old one thats decent but the people that go to the junk yard dont feel the need to close the doors on the trucks, so everything in them get ruined.

One of the reasons I want to do the body over the summer is because I have change my radiator and the timing cover gasket. I figure it be a lot easier to do that with the front end off, and then just it back togethre with hte new parts. I also want to get the frame grinded and painted as soon as I can.