Some chain joint paint shops use inexpensive bulk paint in your choice of 7 colors - not paint that is color-matched to your vehicle. I saw a Maaco paint job (20 years ago) where you could easily scratch the paint with your fingernail.
Having said that, if the Maaco is a well run shop, and you...
After seeing the crappy Denso radiator my brother put in his GX470, I put a TYC radiator in another Toyota. I also (as an experiment) put a TYC alternator in my 7.3 Powerstroke Ford 10 years ago.
All have held up well. Yes - TYC is Chinese, but in this case, I don't think it means its junk.
I have greatly enjoyed your thread and rehab. You have done a ton of work to the truck. My 3F-E valve train looked just like yours - light sludge from random driving and lots of time parked. Nice to see you using and enjoying the truck.
I also bought another 'ugly truck' from a neighbor, who...
Doors, fenders, and rocker panels often have either weep holes or small rubber plugs (rear fenders) that seal holes. Make sure those are clear and open. On some Toyotas, the drain holes in the doors are just channels in the stamping (of the inner and outer door panel) and may also be hidden...
Helping a buddy. He has a '93 FZJ80 with lockers. Recall the metal dust caps (true hub caps) that are a press fit into the drive plate? He was missing one, and the other was flopping around under the plastic hubcap. A cursory measurement by him showed these hubcaps to be 'too shallow' to fully...
Wild guess - the frame work (if just a pull) will be $450-550. They may give you a ballpark over the phone, but I can't believe you'll get a definitive answer.
Start at the frame shop, or you will play hell getting the body parts to line up on a truck with a bent frame. Ask me how I know - I got my old 80 back after a very minor collision, but with minor frame damage. The cowl/hood/fender gaps were a real challenge.
Based on the...
A genuine Toyota oil filter 90915-YZZD3. And if I remember the price was only 2 or3 bucks.
They are $7 at our Walmart, but nice that they are even sold there at all, vs. a Fram.
When the high-mounted stoplight on my '98 4Runner was stuck 'on' 24x7 (with the keys removed), the harness from the hatch had degraded and shorted out in the roof. I carefully spliced in new wires and all is good. You may have a similar problem.
I do have to replace the cats... Actually just going to go catless.
If you are replacing the cats due to a P0420 code, then try the spark plug anti-fouler mod on the rear oxygen sensor first. $8 and a few minutes of your time.
If you haven't owned a 3F-E powered truck, you may find that it's still a real dog when you're done with it. To me, that truck looks 'used up' rather than 'used'. I would part it, or avoid it. How many miles are on it? If you want a trail truck, as mentioned, maybe this is it, but I don't see...
Ooh dang, that sucks. You’d think with all these “modern safety features” sand and gravel would be fine.
Thank the EPA for brown cloud mitigation. To get rid of harmful dust from road sand, we now coat the roads in salt that rinses off into the watershed. Very ecologically sound!
Seems like all of the valves have little to no clearance.
If the head was milled, all the valve clearances have changed since the head is closer to the block (and pushrods). You need to fully adjust the valves (with clearance) before attempting a compression test. Doing it cold is fine, but...
We need pix!
Don't use that nasty tape repair film crap for your taillights - find some used taillights in Mud classifieds. Also, spray clear coat will not hold up on the paint, if the factory clear coat is toast. Save your effort/trouble, or at least try it for a few months in one small area...
I have seen far worse. You need to get it on a lift at an exhaust shop (or wherever) and get good photos of all of the frame and other things like brake lines, brake backing plates, etc.
You should be able to stop a lot of that rust with fluid film or Hammerite/PoR products. If you find that...