my project started before christmas to replace the output seal on the 4 spd. now in its 4th( + or -) week i fixed the intake oil leak, rebuild a holley 4bbl, am replacing the dist pickup tonight, did some u joints, fixed the pto leak and need to install the cable, put the correct 5/8 heater hoses on instead of 3/4. when it done it better run like a dream. anybody else start out these small fixes and never stay that easy? or am i the only one? i keep asking myself, why can't anything ever go easy for me?

 

When I bought my truck it had bad valve cover gasket leaks and I noticed the water pump was leaking, so while changing the pump I decided to replace the timing set, since it had 113K on the engine. While I was changing the timing set I found excessive play in the crank shaft. Turned out the crank had an 1/8" groove wore into it from the thrust bearing. After seeing that I decided to rebuild the entire engine, since I had to pull the engine to repair the bottom end. After rebuilding the engine it looked so nice I couldn't bring myself to just throw it back into that old greasy-rusty engine bay, so......I decided to do a total frame off restoration! For some reason I just can't fix what's broken and drive the vehicle, since this is not the first time I've gone down this road. It all starts simply enough doing a simple repair and then I say to myself, while I'm in there I should do this and since I have this off I should do that and before I know it I'm in the middle of a frame-off restoration! This is not my only problem, I also seem to have problems staying focused on my projects. I currently have 3 frame-off restorations going at this time and none of them are finished. Not one of these projects did I buy with the intentions of doing a full blown restoration, it just sort of happens. I sold by 55 caddy quite a few years back and I used the money to buy a 54 GMC pickup. This truck had been painted, but the drive train and engine compartment were tired and needed work, so......One thing led to another,.....Frame-off # 1. I was ~ 1 year into the 54 GMC restoration project and friend of mine with a similar automotive affliction, gave a 71 LeMans Sport. This was a big distraction to my truck project. I told myself I was just going to fix a few things and drive it around while I was working on the 54 GMC. Well you know the drill, One thing led to another,....Frame-Off #2. I worked on this project for ~ 1 year and I started thinking to myself That I really should finish one project before starting another (I'm a little slow), so I went back to my 54 GMC project. Things were going a long just fine and another friend of mine told he had a 77 F150 he was getting rid of for $250, so I just had to take a look. I ended up buying the truck as you know and was just going to fix a couple of things and then use it for hauling firewood etc, and here I am again neck deep in frame-off #3! I don't recommend anyone trying to do more than one restoration at a time, it's bad enough keeping track of the parts from one restoration, let alone three! My plan know is to finish the 77 F150 first, so I can have a truck to use, then finish my 54 GMC, and then do the 71 LeMans last. I should be done with all three frame off by the year 2012, if my friends will just stop giving/selling me vehicles. So you see Rusty7983, you're not alone and I'm sure you're feeling better about your project, since misery loves company. At least my wife knows where to find me and I'm not out chasing women. Keep on wrenchin'.

 

Lol, Cujo. Nice to know I'm not the only one.

 

I hear ya. I now have 2 in my yard in different stages of resto. The thing is, it seems you only find the good deals when you're knee deep in one.

 

Yeah...I know the feeling. Thankfully in a way? We can only do one project at a time over at my parents house. Living in an apartment with the 'rules' can stink...

S-