Well, it's been a minute since I have updated this thread!
Thanks to Peggy for moving it for me, and reminding me to keep adding to it.
Last year (2022), I didn't do much to the truck. I put plywood in the bed and drove it.
There were a few things that came to light that I planned to address over this past winter.
Brakes. These 4 wheel drum brakes, and single pot manual master work, but not like modern brakes. Kind-of lost interest over the winter and never got around to ordering parts to do power brakes.
Steering. Yikes. Replaced the drag links, ordered new style ball joints, and connecting rod (or whatever you'd Iike to call it last fall, it arrived Friday, June 9th 2023). So didn't get to that this winter either.
Gearing. I was ready to replace everything from the bellhousing back, but bought and 87 4x4 and realized keeping the torque tube has kind of a cool factor and the leaks and gearing problems were really not that bad.
I put the truck up for sale recently as it had become a catch all in my shop, gathering garbage, kids toys, recycling, and dust.
Cleaned it all out and got it back together with the old spare parts I had lying around. Insured it today, took it for one last drive, and realized, I really enjoy driving this truck and am going to keep it. But the brakes are still awful! It needs an alignment, and that steering shimmy I thought I had fixed with the new steering parts is still there. I'll have to look into that a bit further.
Today I removed the plywood from the box and replaced it with white oak i had milled. Stained with boiled linseed oil.
Over the winter I had replaced the passenger side fenders that I bought off someone local. They are in much better condition than mine were, but they are off different trucks. Passenger side fender gaps are pretty good. Drivers are all out of whack. Good enough the hood closes, but not much to look at. I had repaired the core support which had cracked around one of the radiator mounts at the base.
I'll relearn how to post pictures, and put a few updated ones on here.
Until then, maybe we'll see you at cars and coffee if Saskatoon on Sundays.
