Hold My Pipe....

Looks good man! Congrats!

 

The lowdown on the truck:

It's a 2007. 100,000 miles. 2.7L. 4x4. Manual Trans. Salvaged title. Picked it up for $6500.

Is not much of a looker. Plenty of dents and dings and ugly spots. Biggest issue was, it is salvaged, it was hit in the rear. It's not the best situation, but it's not completely jacked either. Some uglies on the very rear of the frame. Certainly nothing that looks unsafe, at all. My thought is, hopefully can possibly get the frame replaced for rust. Saw a dealer who had a lot of old frames lined up in the back lot, sort of a "frame replacement friendly" dealership maybe.

The absolute worst is...the bed is cracked. But even there, I am honestly not freaking out about it or anything. Plenty of options from newly used bed to flatbed.

Has a cheap lift on it. Front spacers and rear blocks. Rides like dog shit. Fix that up soon enough.

Does have Pro Comp Rims and Federal Coruigajadlfj MTs. Tires in pretty decent shape. Good enough shape that I don't have to worry about tires right away.

 

Got at it already:

Inner fender liners. Gone
Flares. Gone (Going to PD the flare area. I do like the color offset, but flares get ripped off easy enough wheeling so....)

The rear bumper and rear tail lights were replaced, I assume due to the salvage topic. Tails and bumpers on this truck are in better shape than what is on the green truck, so I will be swapping those around.

 

If this is a trail rig, then don't sweat the paint/body. Fix the frame, though.
Take off the cracked bed. Swap for flat bed or cage it like Levi.
You already have a much better suspension setup for it, so that's good. And wheels and tires already on it.

You're over halfway there man!

 

Frame dosent really need "fixed". Its plenty alright for all purposes. Just thinking long term/future more than anything.

 

I think it's awesome man!

 

Looks like you found what you were looking for. Congrats. I’m excited to see you wheel it.

 

Always had a thing for single cab trucks. Just says "Truck". The stance this truck has with even the crap spacer lift is awesome.

I have driven it 3 times. Once on the maiden voyage home about 30 mins. Took it over to the school parking lot and then ran out to IGA a bit ago.

I am alright when I get moving. I am getting the hang of taking off in 1st without looking stupid and the shift to 2nd still has me about 50/50 on smooth/crap. In a parking lot and in actual traffic/streets are 2 different things though, think I am just more nervous than anything when pulling out onto streets.

I am confident enough to bring it to LBL. We will see how confident I feel about attempting to wheel in a stick 2 weeks after having my first manual trans vehicle ever. Easy trails if anything.

 

It's fuckin' ugly but wait til you see this thing.

 

i think levi has a bed laying around that might fit if he's inclined to sell... @Robertocritser

 

My bed is in far worse shape than the one on it Lol

 

If it's legal and licensed, drive it every day until the meet. Teach yourself if no one is teaching you.
Best advice I can give ya Chris.

Also, try and find some hills to take off uphill

 

That, and the fast and the furious is not a good way to study clutch work

 

Definitely doesn't apply to the real world

 

With practice you get the hang out it. I love having a manual. Its second nature

 

285/75/16

 

I'll have to take care of the BMV stuff/Temp Tags on Monday. Used the front plate off the green truck and threw it on the back of the Single cab to get home.

All self taught. I ended up texting with Gid a good bit yesterday afternoon. Learn via text somewhat. I've been shifting at way to low of RPM, so you know how that ends up. Did notice bringing it home, and Gid confirmed that shifting is much better around 2500 RPMs

 

Played musical tail lights and bumpers today.

The SC had better tail lights and a better shape rear bumper than what was on the DC. Swapped tail light assemblies, both sides. DC driver was full of water, passenger has a cracked lens at the bottom.

Swapped rear bumpers as well. Took the bumper off the SC, which was a color matched MGM, and put it on the DC. No rear bumper on the SC right now.

Took the center console out to clean it. Sorta like it without the console.

All inner fender liners were removed. Removing fender flares as well. They'll just rip off anyway wheeling. Would like to derp the area where the flares were, why the blue tape is there. I like the color offset. To cold for derping today though, was all runny.

The Harley sticker will go too. Blech.

 

LBL in 10 days, going to wait to put the lift on until after.

- No rear shocks
- Want to get used to driving it and how it behaves before putting the lift on.
- Would just be a rush job to get it on really. This truck is about good times and enjoying myself. Rush jobs are no fun.
- LBL is plenty friendly from stock on up.

- The bed has to go. Replace it or flat bed. I prefer to replace it and go with a high clearance cut. No plans on extreme bed use, so I'll roll with it for awhile, keep my eye on it.

- I don't like the rims. Chrome is not my style. Also prefer steel rims opposed to the alloy. Pick up some aftermarket steelies, swap tires to em and sell the Pro Comps. I knew this before I bought the truck and saw the rims as a opportunity to sell and make a few bucks back/put money towards something new.

- At some point I will attempt to find a "frame replacement due to rust friendly" dealer and try and talk my way into a new frame. Frame will be fine for intended uses, but it has been damaged. I mean, why the hell not try. Worst I get is a "no". Best I get is a new frame.

- Play with trucks during the day, then go out and practice for about 1/2 hour. Getting better. All I can ask, improvement each time I go out. I focus mainly on the stop/starting/2nd stuff. Once I get going I am fine. I am also self teaching downshifting.

- Yeah. Fuck that Harley sticker. Right in the way of trying to see when backing up.

 

So the green truck has a MGM bumper now and the gold truck has black?