i just joined the site for the transportation discussions and kind of skimmed through this thread. Great build by the way!! Where did you get the box you used as an in-bed tool box? Also what are its rough dimensions?

Sweet ride you have going!

I got the box from Sportsmans Guide. Its 4 feet wide and 12in x12in roughly. When I got it there was a bunch of hard foam supports for a rocket or something in it, so I had to cut that stuff out.

Well, I traded the S10 off for the 89 Dodge. I'll get pics of it later this weekend. Hopefully it won't be raining and cloudy...

I had to add a muffler to the "new" Dodge so I could drive it a little more comfortably. Unfortunately that took time away from body work on the 79. Hopefully this next week will be nicer, then its back to the body filler and sanding.

The weather has gotten rough lately, snow and rain so I'm stuck with the bodywork. I have also been working on my 89 lately, its been running a little rough. At least it looks decent this next week so I might be able to get on the black truck and get it ready for winter.

heres pics of the white one...

Looks like it's in good shape. I think the motor is going out in my RC. Looks like I'll have to do a swap before winter.

That sucks about the motor. When I traded my S10 for this truck, the kid I swapped with blew the S10 motor in less than a week. I would have never seen that coming and feel bad for him. Although, he did say he has blown the motor in every car/truck he has owned except the white Dodge...

Sounds like operator error and not equipment malfunction. I'd look over that Dodge really good though, coming from an owner like that.

Fortunately, he never drove it much. So far so good, oil pressure is good, runs cool, doesn't smoke abnormally. In all fairness, the S10 did have some troubles, I never figured the motor would go though...

Good looking war wagon your putting together........

Thanks! Its pretty much a low $ sort of deal. I would love to spend more time and money on it but I don't have much of either one at this point...

I've got to decide what to work on tomorrow, the black trucks fenders or the white trucks bedliner. I need to finish up the fenders so its not rusting this winter. The white truck has a drop in plastic liner that I hate and want to pull it out and use a roll on, like the black truck. Either way, the temps here are a little low for paint or body filler.

I bet it's cold in Minnosota still in the 80's down on the gulf coast. You have some good body work skills. That truck is coming together nicely.

thanks Night Owl, I try...

I ended up just working on the bedliner in the 89 yesterday. I probably could have used filler on the black one and made some progress but I really wanted to get the 89 taken care of. I wish I had time to work on it today, its actually supposed to be about 63 degrees and that would be warm enough. If I just had one nice full day to work I'd be able to nearly finish with the fenders. I really don't want the fenders sitting half done all winter...

I'll get a pic of the finished bedliner later on...

I actually got a little time Monday to work on the fender. I didn't get a lot done but at least got some filler in. Hopefully I will be able to get some time this weekend to work on it again. At least since I am not doing a restoration, I can cut some corners that save me some time.

I also picked up a little something for the truck (black one). I'm not going to tell what it is just yet but I will say it involves OD canvas...

I started building myself a toneau cover for the black truck today. I'll get pics one of these days. I am using treated lumber (plywood) that I will seal with the bedliner paint that I used in the white truck. (I don't like that stuff...plastic liner is going back in) I knew I should have stuck with the paint I used on the black trucks box...

Anyway, once the plywood is as dry as it will get, I'm painting the whole thing with the roll on liner, then covering it with the OD canvas tarp I got on the 'bay. Hopefully it will hold up decent, I've never tried anything like this before. Mostly its purpose is to keep the snow and leaves out of the box, this truck sits outside and I'm tired of having a lake in the box. I'll move my toolbox thing to the back of the box, just inside the tailgate when I'm ready to be done with it. I figure I never really use the box on the truck and I have another I can use if I need a hauler.

Edit: figured I would add a couple pics, otherwise I won't think of it and all I'll have is final product pics... Its already pitch black outside so the pictures aren't the best.

So its been an eventful last few weeks with my trucks. I finally got the white 89 running decent. It had been slowly starting to run worse and worse over a couple week long period. Turned out to be the fuel pressure regulator. Fixed that and it runs great, even starts great now (even in the sub-zero MN weather). Then the other day, I was driving the 79 and I blew a brake line. Not a problem, I was only 1/2 a block from home. Had the local shop fix that yesterday...-4 degrees outside and no heated or insulated garage...not going to get into that mess.

Basically I'm done with working on any projects for the winter...its just too cold. I'll only be working on things like oil changes when I need to. I did manage to get the bed cover made. Its not exactly like I wanted it to be but it will help keep the crap out. I'll put a pic up in a few days, I'm pretty busy until after Xmas. I also got the fender cuts mostly finished and mudded on the drivers side. I think I'm going to cut a few corners up there, its not a decent fender and I don't think I could totally stop the rust.

Lookin good man, I haven't been around lately. I need to link my RCC build thread here. I got some more work done on mine. We don't have the MN winter weather, so I can get a jump on you, lol.

Yeah, I haven't done anything at all on the truck for about 2 months now. I need a new battery, good thing Napa should give me a new one, nothing like an 18 mo. free replacement warranty. I'm hoping I don't have bigger issues, the darn thing won't take a charge anymore. I have had this trouble before, I don't drive it enough and the winter cold kills it.

Needless to say, the 79 hasn't moved in a month and a 1/2. My dad is giving me his old Durango (he got a 2008 Hemi truck), thats making me wonder what to do with both my trucks. I'm hoping to sell the 89 but I don't even really want to do that. I like these old trucks...

I'd say sell the 89, keep the Durango stock and put the money from the 89 into the black truck.

try those little 500mA solar panels that sit on your dash and plug into your lighter socket, they keep my in-storage vehicles batteries topped up and keep them from dieing from being drained for an extended time.

if you boost it to start it, then remove the negative battery clamp (so that it's running off the alternator, not hte battery), does it stay running or die? If it dies, it's probably not the battery. If you suspect the alternator, it's easy to remove the brushes and look at them and the slip rings (it's really the only part of an alternator other than the bearings that wear out, 90% of alternator problems are brushes, and brushes cost a whole $7). I hate automotive electrical...

A-freakin-men!

What I would like to do would be make the 89 a 4x4 using the 79 parts. This won't happen since I don't have the time or space to do it. I would put the entire body, engine, and electrical onto the 79 frame/suspension. The 89s frame is not as nice so simply swapping the 4x4 gear wouldn't make sense.

Is the body on the 89 that much nicer? Swapping bodies wouldn't be that hard if you had a few friends to help. If you get all the wiring and connections undone beforehand, you and 3 buddies could move everything in probably an hour.

The body on the 79 is mudded up pretty good. The 89 was a former gov. truck and then was owned by an old timer for a lot of years.

A lot of my frustration is that the 79 would be nice with the TBI stuff from the 89. Its nice having the truck start even at -10... Its warmer out today so I may go out and try to give the 79 a jump and see if I can't get it running again. I did charge the battery so I'll cross my fingers.

I should mention that part of the deal with the Durango is that I don't mess with it. Its supposed to be my "good" vehicle. I can live with that.

Edit: Went out and jumped the 79. It would have been up and running if it wasn't for the carb flooding. I'm guessing I need a rebuild. It would literally pour gas out of the float area. Maybe it just needs some adjusting, I know it had issues in the past.

Sounds like the float is stuck or just way out of adjustment.