The never ending build of Daryl

[Jrgunn5150]

I have another build thread on here, same truck, thing is cursed or something.

Anyway, almost 2 years ago now I headed south on vacation and picked this thing up outside of Little Rock Arkansas.



I think I paid 3200 for it, I don't remember. It's a 79, probably not originally a step, and definitely originally a 3 on the tree truck. It's currently a 400/TH350?3.08 12 bolt.

Had sweet rallyes on it in the pic on Craigslist, but when I showed up it had these oddball American Racing wheels on it.

Like 10 minutes after I bought it with my old Trailblazer,



The previous owner/owners somewhere along the way put trailer lights on it for brake lights, had to rewire them in the hotel parking lot,



I drove it all the way home though, with the bed full of tailgates from the local pick n pull down there, made about 400 bucks on those, paid for my gas lol.



This is where I went wrong, it all seemed alright, I could tell there was a bit of a patch on the area under the seat,



Pulled the floor mat, gross, but OK,



On the drivers side door you can see the alluminum flashing they cut to make a patch,



As I dug into it, I found a softball sized hole in the inner rocker right at the cab support and floor panel.

I'm no body man, so I took it to one. He quoted 500 bucks to install everything, if I already had the panels. So I took him the truck and panels and 500 bucks.



Seemed like he was on the ball,



The whole time he was pestering me to also paint the truck, and I was waiting to see what kind of job he did on the repair before I let him cover it in Bondo and Liquid Nails. So when time came for the rust repair to be done this February, he refused unless I paid him for paint also. He claims that was the reason for the 500 dollar quote.

Anywho, I'm not about being extorted, so I picked it back up, and now it's languishing in storage while I plot my next move.

Honestly I'm pretty bummed about the whole thing since I had a driveable truck and now I have a pile of garbage,



I'm pretty sure I'll go ahead and haul it home soon and see if I can't do it myself though, I have a welder, so what's the worst that can happen right? Lol.

Anyways, thanks for looking, and if you have any suggestions about how to tackle the rust repair, I'm all ears.

[daddyjeep]

Welding sheet metal can be a bit challenging, but once you get the hang of it you will be fine. Just don't get carried away and think you can run an inch long bead. Lots and lots of tack welds. Most of what you are working on won't be visible anyway.

[Jrgunn5150]

Originally Posted by daddyjeep

Welding sheet metal can be a bit challenging, but once you get the hang of it you will be fine. Just don't get carried away and think you can run an inch long bead. Lots and lots of tack welds. Most of what you are working on won't be visible anyway.

Since I already own the patches i'll probably give it a whirl, but I'm really leaning towards just buying a rust free cab. I could have for all I've sunk into this one by now.

[Jrgunn5150]

I just realized I somehow put the same pic like nine times in the OP lol. Sorry, I can't edit it now though.

So anyway, I talked it over with my fiance, I have the entire week of the fourth off, and I already own the patch panels, so I'm going to give it a whirl welding it in myself.

Since he cut the A pillar, kick panel, inner rocker out, etc, I don't have any way to know for sure if it dropped or how much. SO I'm a little concerned about getting thing's lined up, but I guess I'll just go off the passenger side, I'm not really sure what else to do.

It's in storage right now, but it's only like three miles away, so I guess I'll haul it home, if I can get the metal together in that week, it still runs and drives lol, so I can drive it back to storage at least (I have to rent a trailer to move it, add's cost, stresses me out lol).

[Jrgunn5150]

I've decided to document everything with video, follow along if you like,

https://youtu.be/b1n2N5wfT_E

[Jrgunn5150]

More Daryl, happy father's day


https://youtu.be/7j1DUmfoans

[rusty76]

Cool truck I'll tag along.

[Jrgunn5150]

Originally Posted by rusty76

Cool truck I'll tag along.

Sweet, I'll try not to bore you to death lol

[moregrip]

Nice man! I'll be following along!

[Jrgunn5150]

Originally Posted by moregrip

Nice man! I'll be following along!

Thanks!

I went last night and got the carb tuned so it will sit and run. I need to get the brakes gutted in the rear so it will roll freely and change the oil because it looks like a milkshake (hopefully from condensation...)

[Jrgunn5150]

This week's progress, ready for the repair panels now...

https://youtu.be/V5MI4RU5Qvg

[Jrgunn5150]

Watch me do the same thing ten times lol,

https://youtu.be/8xt9MbfXLgw

[Jrgunn5150]

Happy Fourth everyone, inner rocker is in.

https://youtu.be/q9C5iZZuC3c

[Jrgunn5150]

It's getting there, I won't be working in it tomorrow, going to get an OE grille and whatever other goodies I can score.

[Sik66]

Came out pretty good!....gotta be happy with that!

[Jrgunn5150]

Originally Posted by Sik66

Came out pretty good!....gotta be happy with that!

I haven't quite finished it, but I think it'll be pretty good in the end.

I went today and picked up an OE grille with the bowtie, a windshield, and my prize score, a set of stepside tub bedrails.

[Jrgunn5150]

I'm way ahead of these videos now lol, but here's the kick panel replacement video

https://youtu.be/wV8LRMldgzw

[Jrgunn5150]

Looks like Photobucket got greedy, I'll have to move my pics somewhere else.

[Jrgunn5150]

Did an H4 bulb upgrade today,

https://youtu.be/_vB-tn-2yvE

[Jrgunn5150]

Daryl's rust repair is pretty well wrapped up, I have a few edits in between the last video and this, but nothing earthshaking.

https://youtu.be/4zawh7TQtGQ

[Jrgunn5150]

WEll photobucket got greedy, here's a current pic, he's sitting in the glass shop right now.

FB_IMG_1500905654241 by Marvin Gunn, on Flickr

[moregrip]

Originally Posted by Jrgunn5150

WEll photobucket got greedy, here's a current pic, he's sitting in the glass shop right now.

FB_IMG_1500905654241 by Marvin Gunn, on Flickr

one step closer!

[Jrgunn5150]

Originally Posted by moregrip

one step closer!

I'm running out of summer, and getting married Saturday, so I'm considering putting a plate on it and driving around like it is.

[daddyjeep]

Originally Posted by Jrgunn5150

I'm running out of summer, and getting married Saturday, so I'm considering putting a plate on it and driving around like it is.

Congrats on the wedding.

The problem with throwing a plate on it and running it is that you could spend too much time running it and never finish it. That is kind of where I am with mine at the moment. I am running mine because it need it though... it is the only thing I have that can tow.

[Jrgunn5150]

Originally Posted by daddyjeep

Congrats on the wedding.

The problem with throwing a plate on it and running it is that you could spend too much time running it and never finish it. That is kind of where I am with mine at the moment. I am running mine because it need it though... it is the only thing I have that can tow.

Thanks!

Daryl sits in storage when I'm not working on it, I'm unlikely to get him painted this year either way. So my choices are about park it and leave it for the year, or drive it down to Woodward Dream cruise and to work a few times as is before I park it lol.