ATV The Big Green Monster

JeremieBaker submitted a new Garage Item:

The Big Green Monster

This truck was my late father's (cancer - three years or so ago now). It was the first new vehicle he ever bought for himself. He used it to tow the tractor and equipment around for odds and end jobs. It has less than 60,000 actual miles on it. It gets terrible gas mileage. It is 4WD. It is a manual transmission (5 speed with 5 being an overdrive). It is the 8 foot bed. It still has the AM only factory radio in it. AC is achieved by manually cranking down the windows. It doesn't have a cup holder. The color is terrible. The suspension is so stiff that a pebble feels like a speed bump and a real bump feels like a 18" drop off. It is completely impractical. It has a little rust around the rear fender wells.

And most importantly - it made me happy as hell to pick up from my Mom's and drive home this past weekend as "MY" truck (knowing full well it will always be Dad's truck) with a flood of memories keeping me company for the trip.


No real vision for it yet as the project it will become. My build budget is less than $45,000 (essentially the cost of something I would have bought new). I have no intention to replace motor or anything until it is mechanically necessary. I don't do bodywork, but I will be having it done in time (or replacing fenders/bed if it is more cost effective).

Completed so far
Replaced all brakes and inspected repaired lines and such as required
Freshly undercoated the frame and body after some clean up and inspection
New battery

Near future
A solid wash and wax
Four new tires for it and a new one for the spare too.
Replace cracked driver side mirror
Replace rearview mirror that has fallen off
Replace license plate light bulbs (Figure out wiring issue if that doesn't light up the plate)
Replace head lights (Figure out wiring issue if that doesn't fix the high beams)
Figure out the speedo "jumping" some at speeds above 50 mph or so

More distant future
Inspect/Repair/Replace rear gas tank
Body work
Pick a paint color (which will never ever be red because as I much as I would like it my Dad would never so it will never. lol) Honestly, considering black or some shade of blue.
An FM radio with bluetooth (probably)
Air conditioning and if that doesn't pan out then just a rear slider window.

A few photos to get things started
View attachment 76340 View attachment 76341 View attachment 76342 View attachment 76343 View attachment 76344

Read more about this showcase item here...

 

[NTCPrezJB]

I would have tagged it as my Toy Hauler, but that wasn't an option. So, I went with ATV as it definitely isn't a pioneer and I suppose it could qualify as an All Terrain Vehicle so long as that terrain doesn't get too crazy.

 

[ohanacreek]

Try a new speedo cable, I think those still had cables.

 

[NTCPrezJB]

Try a new speedo cable, I think those still had cables.

Yeah, I'm suspecting that. I also read that there is a ring in the rear end that is known to make the speedo start failing with a skip of the speedo here and there and it gets progressively worse until the speedo doesn't move off of zero.

The truck has sat a lot over the last 5-10 years so I know I'm going to run into little things like that. I will be keeping it local here for a while trying to use it at least once a week for some errand to get the gremlins to show their heads before they ruin a riding trip.

For something 23 years old now it is in great shape.

I had a 1955 F100 (yep no typo there) that I had bought to restore with my Dad and my son right before he got sick. Goal being for my son to want to take it to prom. It had the original motor that ran good, but plans change. We never got started on it and I couldn't stand to look at it and sold it for peanuts after losing Dad. Don't really regret selling it. This truck is way more special now then that one could ever become at that point.

 

[NTCPrezJB]

Hauled a new mower home for my Aunt and Uncle
Hauled the rototiller back to my Aunt and Uncle's for storage
Fresh tank of gas in the beast
Enjoying having the truck.
Replacement driver side mirror is ordered.

Considering these for it...
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003ZIKY32/?tag=sxsweb24-20

 

[NTCPrezJB]

Returned the old battery for the core charge.
Got the cab cleaned out.
Replaced the dome light bulb. (New bulb was in the glove box...which made me chuckle)
Replaced the cracked driver said mirror. It was damaged by hail in a storm back when I was in high school.

One small step at a time.

Finding a lack of tie down options in the bed. Debating mounting some track. Anyone have opinions on the best option...E track?...L track?...something else?