Warning: long and somewhat sappy post with lots of words. I know most of ya’ll can’t read though, so you’ll just have to skip over this one and wait for future posts with pics.
Now that I’ve had a chance to get a good look at this truck, I want to take a step back here for a second and say that it is evident Tim took really good care of this thing. I know I ragged on it a bit, but in all fairness this thing is in really good shape in general…not just for its age or mileage, but in overall condition.
The condition of the carpet is typical of a 36 year old truck with 349k miles, and was most likely well on its way to its current condition when he originally bought it. Same with the arm rest. Other than some mild staining of the upholstery, everything else inside is solid. I have no doubt that my gf will science the shit out of the seats and interior trim, and they will truly highlight this truck’s actual condition. I think the exterior pics speak for themselves. It will need new weatherstripping and window gaskets at some point, but that’s really it. If I’m feeling froggy, maybe it’ll get a light wet sanding and an unprofessional clear coat jobber. Definitely keeping the hood patina!
Sure, it had some stuff inside it, but that comes with the territory when you’re dealing with ANY vehicle that has sat for a while. The vast majority of the items in it were being used daily right up until it got parked. A lot of the tools and parts and consumables were for things that were actively being maintained or in the process of being repaired. Little things like replacement bulbs, relays, interior trim pieces and fluids for routine service items. And other things like a new fuel pump, new drive belts, spring packs for a solid axle swap, a new clutch kit and flywheel for a manual transmission swap.
Other items he already has for it that I still have to get out of his way include:
Complete and matching set of FJ80 axles
Front spring hanger cross member
5-speed manual transmission
A mostly complete tcase that we recently robbed a couple parts from to fix the case in his black truck (previously pictured)
A spare hard top with good glass (just in case I do something irresponsible)
Brand new aluminum radiator
Probably some other things that I’m forgetting about, or I don’t even know he has for it
Tim had big plans for this thing but not enough hours in the day, days in the week, weeks in the month, or months in the year to do it all. If my memory serves me correctly, I think this truck drove its last mile right about the time he started his own surveying company. I got nothing but love and mad respect for my brother from another mother. As guys, I don't think we tell our dude friends how much they mean to us (or maybe its just me). For me, this truck is an opportunity to take a long walk down memory lane to a time chalked full of late nights and long weekends of wrenching with the hardest working, most solid give-you-the-shirt-off-his-back dude I’ve ever known. Words can’t accurately describe how excited I am to work on this truck and turn Tim’s vision into a reality.
The next time you all load up your rigs and head out on the trail, throw an extra beer in your cooler (preferably a yeungling) just in case you cross paths with
@DieselToyPullr.
) for a company that makes household cleaning formulas. So I’m putting her in charge of the upcoming cleaning of all interior stuffs. 
nc4x4.com
