Your truck is in great shape compared to mine.
When I looked mine over before I bought it I did see the rusty floors & cab corners I just did not think they were that bad till I got into it. Same with the bed, once in to it is when I found it had wrong homemade cross braces & wood planks screwed to them.


I post as others do to help motivate others with their projects. When you think you are in over your head look at my project and say "FuzzFace has really got it bad!
And if he do it so can I!"


I have not done this (yet) but did when building my drag car.
Have a white board and write down the jobs you want to do and as you get a job done cross it off. Don't take it off and add another one just yet.
If you do, it will feel like you never get anything done as the list stays long all the time. When you get most of them crossed off then remove and put on new ones.
If you want you can put dates to have the job done by if you think that will help, I did not just the jobs I wanted to get done.


Other thing to keep you going is having the room to do the work.
I am lucky now to have a nice large well lit garage. Doors are 9ft wide, I have 2 trucks and a car inside and still have room to work.
I had a small 1 car well lit and at times I hated working in it. When I wanted to work I had to move a lot of things, work then move everything back when done.
It can be done as I built my drag car & half restore of my street car in that garage.


Just some things to think about to keep you moving with your project.
Dave ----

 

Guess it all depends on how much you love it... I was just going to clean up some of the rust.. LOL.. Seems to me like a mans truck becomes a part of him... Maybe the redneck in me but I would have to seriously consider the choice between my truck or my wife... LOL.

 

love them flaresides! Wouldn't call mine a frame off, but I did take off the bed and fenders, hood, and strip down the cab, to change color and make everything working right. Have complete new A/C, Fuel, and Brake system installed in mine. Bought all new chrome, installed new kenwood deck and speakers, carpet, and got the power windows and locks working. Even recolored the seat belts.

 

So I just wanted to throw an update into this thread. Over the last couple of months, very slowly, I have begun this. I gutted the whole interior down to bare metal, removed the bed, pulled the engine and trans, and started to repair some of the rust. I've purchased a ton of parts: Offy intake, efi exhuast manifolds, new 2 row aluminum radiator, all new hoses and belts, holley 390 cfm 4bbl carb, heat and sound dampening for the floor, djm dream beams and shocks to go along with them, new suspension bushings, whole new exhaust system, rebuilt m5od trans with all new lines master slave and clutch, New comp cams cam kit. The engine is going to be sent to the machine shop in the next couple of days. I plan on porting and polishing the head myself. So, with all this going on, I am wondering when I put everything back together, what is the number one thing I can do to make the truck the most reliable it can be? Also are there other suspension parts that will improve ride quality other than the ones I've listed above?

I am not able to post pictures right now because my phone is all messed up but they will be coming shortly after I get it fixed. I appreciate any and all input you older bullnose masters can give me.

 

also forgot dui distributor, and plan on undercoating the belly and painting the frame rails.

 

Keep going!
I do find when I'm done and its on the road, I get board, and look for something else to Frame off. (man, I must be sick......)

 

Make most reliable?, INSPECT the wiring. frayed ends, corroded contacts, high resistance, these will sour any "victory ride." New components won't function if old wiring is corroded/frayed ....

A broken shock, flat tire, loose belt, anything visual can be an easy fix.... those pain in the A** electrical gremlins have made many-a-victim paste on a For Sale sign..... Only for Ya-hoo's like me that Diagnose, Isolate, Repair and have a sweet ride, cheap!

By the way, I am in CT, but I'm constantly going up and down 287 and the turnpike, Where are you?

 

I think you are well on your way to make it reliable.
Pulling it all apart looking over every part and replacing what needs to be before being put back on the truck.


Cant help on the ride part as mine will be stock with new shocks.
I have thought of drop beams but would need to get junk yard parts that use ball joints, my truck has king pins and no drop beams for them.
The thing is the JY beams would use a smaller wheel bolt pattern and my aftermarket wheels will not fit.


Hope you get your phone fixed we want pictures!
Dave ----