the DSRTRDR is getting some TLC . . .

[DSRTRDR]

I got my truck in late 2004 in Arizona - during Christmas break that year, we installed disk brakes in the front and putzed around the desert a bit (see pic with the two oldest nephews, and the pic from the same day that got me into Henry Brimmer's LandCruiser calendar ) until the spring of 2005 - when we took it to Nebraska to work on it over during the summer

attended Easter Jeep Safari 2005 on the way - wheeled my first-ever Moab trail, Poison Spider, in rain turning to sleet and finally to snow - seriously, first time out there, in a manual truck with manual steering, following Blazers . . . "hey guys, the weather is getting worse, you really think I can make it out of here ?" "sure, you'll be fine" -

 

[DSRTRDR]

proof of the snow, and we did Metal Masher the next day

from Moab, the truck got loaded onto an 18-wheeler on which friends from Omaha had brought their trucks to Moab, having left a spot open for my 40 for the ride back

over the summer of 2005, we went through the truck, removing the shagadelic deep pile carpet and hacked up wiring, putting in a more comfortable seat for me and making it a reliable wheeler

 

[DSRTRDR]

and we drove both trucks back to Arizona in the fall of 2005 - ChaseTruck in the Blazer and I drove the 40 (some good stories involved, to be told another time) - attended Blazer Bash '05 in Moab - got me into a 4x4 magazine - and then onto Arizona, where the truck has lived ever since

 

[DSRTRDR]

fast forward past many wheeling outings over the years (most pics in the CSC forum) . . .

and plenty a quality mangleage mostly of frame and suspension - when I get to it, I'll put links in here

https://forum.ih8mud.com/az-copper-...putable-shop-do-frame-repair-east-valley.html talk about leaving your truck with someone you just met once before
https://forum.ih8mud.com/40-55-series-tech/127110-oem-bumper-no-match.html
https://forum.ih8mud.com/40-55-series-tech/382945-i-am-so-done-greasable-spring-pins.html managed to do in at least 3 of those by now
https://forum.ih8mud.com/40-55-series-tech/463853-yes-i-managed-mangle-again.html

. . . to yesterday, when the truck entered the "LandCruiser Spa and Emporium" for much deserved and much needed love and care - links to their other 40 projects will appear here soon

given that I am as much of a control freak as anyone here on MUD, this was not without considerable anxiety

 

[DSRTRDR]

two pics for reference - recent action in the wild

 

[DSRTRDR]

since then, I have sold off the rear ConFer bench (since there's never been a rear passenger in my time with this truck )

and the front bumper (acquired after a rock jumped at me - now affectionately named Claudia's rock link to the story https://forum.ih8mud.com/40-55-series-tech/127110-oem-bumper-no-match.html) - was supposed to accommodate the hand-me-down winch from ChaseTruck that never materialized in the 6-and-some years since (talk about a husband saving money ) - it's a 4+ Dave Gore bumper (http://www.4plusproducts.com/home.html) distinguished by a unique sticker (first pic)

but now I got one better - still a 4+ bumper (not that there is anything wrong with them, quite to the contrary to the lcwizard http://www.4plusproducts.com/home.html), with the must-have-ornament-mongo-mojo winch installed 6 weeks ago; still missing rope and fairlead . . .

 

[DSRTRDR]

so, after this lengthy introduction . . . (I feel it was justified since I never posted about the first -mild- refurbishment in 2005; and haven't had a build thread, either - so this is it )

pic shows what we started with - the square tubes in the truck's bed are samples for me to decide what I want for a replacement sill - the decision at that point was between 1/8th and 3/16th square tube

 

[DSRTRDR]

as you may remember, there was diamond plate there - which we, after reading horror stories on MUD in the summer of 2005, simply decided to ignore - and this was under it

not too bad after all

seems that the some POs ago wheeler got the quarter panels dented (not too bad, actually) and felt like they needed covering up

and, as you can see, there was no sill left whatsoever yeah, we kinda surmised as much in that summer of 2005 and just caulked/siliconed the gaps

 

[DSRTRDR]

a little bit later in the afternoon today:

pic 1: meditation in rust - - - - - yes, that's an aftermarket bolt on the body mount some PO put in

pic 2: the truck asked for overkill, apparently

story is (yeah, there's always a story around my truck, but hey, the interwebs is all about entertainment ): we went to the metal place, and -sure enough- they had every other dimension and thickness but 3x3 in 3/16th - so we went with with 1/4th

 

[DSRTRDR]

BTW, the blue spray paint is a test field for the new color on the rear

I have seen mismatched paint on other 40s and am not too thrilled by the prospect of being irked every time I see the mismatch (did I mention I can be OCD about looks just about some ) . . .

so right now, I am leaning towards using a second color - blue, of course - and this was just a test on a spot previously primered by some PO - I want something darker, I think . . .

the new paint will go just up to the boundary you see to the very very right of the bottom pic - at the same boundary where the diamond plate used to be

 

[DSRTRDR]

at the end of the day today:

sparks-a-flyin'

dueling banjos anyone I just missed the point where both were throwing sparks, dang

and - we got sill - sorta . . .

stay tuned . . .

 

[Bang Bang]

Nice tlc thread Claudia. Look forward to seeing the rest of it.

 

[PabloCruise]

Cool Claudia!

When does the H55 go in?

 

[scrapdaddy]

Claudia,

How far are you taking the redo. Frame off or just the once over.

Looks like alot of good memories.

 

[snaggletto]

Don't fix it up so much that you will be afraid to take it wheeling! Good luck.

 

[murf]

That will never happen, she will wheel anywhere - we tease her about being the three wheeled wonder because one wheel is always "levitating"!

Claudia - looks like the guys at the LS&E are fixing her up nicely! Ar they adding your new built 60 series axle also on this session?

Glad youre keeping it blue - I couldn't imagine it being anything else

 

[cruiserjunkie]

Looks like your making good progress

 

[DSRTRDR]

How far are you taking the redo. Frame off or just the once over.

Looks like alot of good memories.

current plan is:

rear sill, power steering (story to follow), H55

so many memories: priceless

When does the H55 go in?

soonish, or so

Are they adding your new built 60 series axle also on this session?

I think so

 

[nuclearlemon]

you can't go power steering! at one of the moabs many years ago, i gave my 20something buddy crap for crying about having manual steering. i told him a poor weak old woman like you can wheel circles around most with manual steering, so he better buck up

 

[Bang Bang]

current plan is:

power steering (story to follow)

There must be a story to go with this........

you can't go power steering! at one of the moabs many years ago, i gave my 20something buddy crap for crying about having manual steering. i told him a poor weak old woman like you can wheel circles around most with manual steering, so he better buck up