What little mistakes did you make?

[71threequarterton]

Originally Posted by weim55

Always purchase the absolute best-solid rust free and complete truck you can afford. If you can't afford it, take some time save more $$ and be patient for the right one. Travel states away for the right truck if you have to. Rust is evil. Huge time and $$ in repairs. Missing parts add up to major $$ and time chasing 'em.

Don't compromise on getting what you really want (year, style etc.), most of these trucks were made in large numbers, they are out there. Just keep looking......

I've broken the above rules many times..... ouch!! Learn from my mistakes...

Steve weim55 Colorado

I very much agree with all of this!

I have to admit that I was in a bit too much of a hurry to get a truck.

I had a couple out of state trucks inspected by those services that produce a full report and pictures and that starts to add up fast. Both trucks I was interested in had a lot of rust and were pretty pricey.

I REALLY wanted to get a 4x4 but I ended up rationalizing why I didn't need one:

I already have a 4x4 truck, I haven't gone 4x4'n in a long time so not worth the extra maintenance, the truck I bought is still really cool and has a pretty solid body, I could buy my current truck and own it outright where I would have had to finance the 4x4 I wanted, yada yada yada - I talked myself out of it.

In the end, I really dig the truck I have and it will be a great learning experience for me so if I ever DO get a 4x4 67-72 I should be pretty familiar with how to work on it.

Not to mention, after seeing so many killer lowered SWB trucks on this forum, I'm starting to like those now too. Maybe if I'm lucky I'll end up with a couple more trucks someday

It helps to have a clear idea of what you want and the patience to wait for it.

[MYOUNG]

Bought a rusty truck and figured I would just fix or replace panels as needed. Looking back I would have rather bought a rust free truck with no engine and trans over a rusty truck with a new engine and good trans. Bolting in a motor and trans is 1000% easier then repairing rockers, corners, doors, bed floor and fenders.

Don't make the classic mechanics folly of buying a project truck over one that has no major issues unless you get the project truck for a song and even then just assume your going to spend 2x what ever you figured it would cost to fix its issues.

Lots of previous posts mentioned that having a plan is important and I could not agree more. I would have saved at least 1000$ already if I would have decided what I wanted to do up front.

[bhemingson]

I am still planning my latest redo but from prior vehicles the main thing is to have a plan. I have seen way too many projects ripped apart for no reason
If you have a decent truck you don't need a frame off. Divide your truck into systems and tackle one at a time. If you need to fix a bed side don't go pulling the motor.

[kx57]

Originally Posted by MYOUNG

Bought a rusty truck and figured I would just fix or replace panels as needed. Looking back I would have rather bought a rust free truck with no engine and trans over a rusty truck with a new engine and good trans. Bolting in a motor and trans is 1000% easier then repairing rockers, corners, doors, bed floor and fenders.

Don't make the classic mechanics folly of buying a project truck over one that has no major issues unless you get the project truck for a song and even then just assume your going to spend 2x what ever you figured it would cost to fix its issues.

Lots of previous posts mentioned that having a plan is important and I could not agree more. I would have saved at least 1000$ already if I would have decided what I wanted to do up front.

Makes me think of the phrase "what is your time worth"

Guess it depends on if you want the practice/learning experience as well.

But if you just want a truck I definitely agree it's better to buy a clean cab/box.

[kx57]

Another little mistake:

Didn't replace the spring clip on my clutch fork. Slightly bent old one won't stay on. Now I have to remove the trans again to fix it. $5 part...oops

At least it's still out of the truck

[Already Gone]

Any more tips anyone ?

[hamjet]

many years ago, (I was 18) I changed the oil in my car, starting it up I was waiting for the oil pressure to come up, but didn't. then the old light bulb went off in my head, I forgot to put the oil plug back in and dumped all the new oil on the ground..

[volksworld]

when i shot the interior the basecoat (metallic blue dupont) had sat around too long...even though i stirred and strained it when i shot it , it looked like you used a pepper shaker on it ...from then on i brought the paint back to the store and had them put it on the power shaker before i used it....wetsanding a headliner isnt fun

[custom10nut]

Originally Posted by custom10nut

I would have to say putting varnish on my otherwise near perfect bed wood. This was 24 years ago, when I bought my truck.
Now I have a mushroom farm underneath my bed and a few holes.
Bottom line here is that I'm replcing the wood this year.

I'd have to say that buying shorty headers, based on a mag article, before doing anymore research, was another mistake. I just ended up frustrated beyond words, and just took them off and gave them away. I went back to the same headers I had before. Lesson learned

[In The Ten Ring]

I spent the last two days fixing something on my new-to-me core support I should have fixed three years ago BEFORE I had it painted.

One radiator bracket was installed incorrectly at the factory and the other was bent. I should have done then what I did just now, remove those rivets and bolt those brackets in before I had the thing blasted and epoxy primed. Fortunately it wasn't hard to grind off the rivet bottoms and punch out the rivets and brackets. I do wish I had done that before I ordered two new brackets! Oh well......lesson learned.

[dmjlambert]

Originally Posted by weim55

Always purchase the absolute best-solid rust free and complete truck you can afford. If you can't afford it, take some time save more $$ and be patient for the right one. Travel states away for the right truck if you have to. Rust is evil. Huge time and $$ in repairs. Missing parts add up to major $$ and time chasing 'em.

Don't compromise on getting what you really want (year, style etc.), most of these trucks were made in large numbers, they are out there. Just keep looking......

I've broken the above rules many times..... ouch!! Learn from my mistakes...

Steve weim55 Colorado

This makes sense, that is true, and best strategy. I have only bought this one classic truck, and I really didn't buy it as much as "saved" it from a field. I put out the word to a friend that I wanted an old truck to play with, and my only requirements were it has all the parts and original paint job. He called me a week or two later with "here's your truck."

So, one mistake is saving any old truck from a field. $5000 Engine and transmission rebuild and assorted other work later, and I'm driving a truck worth $1500. :-)

Another mistake is doing everything twice, which is what I do when I do something cheap to get it going long enough to pass inspection or to get it moving again, and then re-do the work later with a quality part. Part of the problem is not knowing enough to make suitable choices, or even knowing choices are an option for certain repairs. That is why my truck journey has been a learning journey. I'm not disappointed or alarmed, I just consider this tuition and fees for my education.

[mike16]

None of my mistakes were little. starting with buying the truck. it just escalates from there.