Driving Restoration

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swank60

swank60

10 Year 15 Year 20 Year OG
Joined
Aug 26, 2002
Threads
58
Messages
1,500
Location
One of Four Presidential Flying Saucers
I've been debating keeping my 60 and upgrading to an 80, but have come to decide that switching vehicles just doesn't make sense. If I were to spend $5k on a new 80, I'd wind up with a high milage vehicle that is 15 instead of 20+ years old, and would wind up having to re-learn everything anyway. Too much trouble, really, and I prefer the 60 anyway.

So here's what I'm thinking; why not just spend $3-4k on what I've already got instead of replacing it with something I'd wind up putting thousands into anyway?

What I need help with is a PM list - things I should work on before they get a chance to fail.

Here's the skinny on the truck:
213k miles, needs paint.

The good:
• 2 year old OEM smog pump
• 1 year old rebuilt carb (and another one in the garage)
• newly rebuilt clutch slave cyl.
• head was re-done @ approx 150k
• knuckles rebuilt @ approx 175k
• 4k miles on new BFG ATs
• approx 135psi compression on all cyls.
• 2 year old radiator

The Bad:
• still loosing oil @ approx 1qt per 250-300 miles. Depends on city or hwy driving. I've covered all of the leaks, and because there's no oily residue on the plugs, but there's a lot of dry buildup on the plugs, I'm starting to think that I have leaky valve seals.
• the paint is shot, and a recent ding in the door has revealed that it's on it's 4th paint job. I want to strip the paint down to bare metal, but I'm not sure what kind of trouble I could get mself into by doing that. (Or, should I bag it, sand it down and LineX the whole thing?)
• seal between the t-case and trans is shot, but I have the oil crossfeed kit, just need to put it in.
• weak electrical system - mostly the fault of the low output alt
• PS pump is starting to leak a little - rebuild or go whole-hog ($350) and buy a new one?

My existing to-do list:
• new clutch master cyl
• new brake master cyl
• SS brake lines
• new front seats (Pilot, Volvo, Saab, Avalon - whatever)
• new carpet, but not OEM. Is it expensive/dificult to customize the carpet kit for something like this? I'd like to use something thicker, and lay down some sort of good insulation. Any suggestions?

Questions:
• Should I redo the brake cyls and calipers? Should I consider the 4Runner calipers up front, or even rear disks? Seems like a lot of work on a system that really isn't that bad in the first place...

• What sort of method/trouble can I expect from stripping the paint to the bare metal? I figure I'd do it in sections, not all at once - and I probably won't remove the glass or the inside junk (door jams, etc) - also, what wheeling I do is usually expedition stuff, and I wind up scratching the hell out of my paint (trees) - should that have any bearing on my decission to paint/LineX? - I only wheel it maybe once a month...

• I'm thinking about the CS144 GM alt upgrade. Would that do it, or should I consider dual batts, also? I'm not expecting to run a winch or a thumping sound system - I just want to run what I've got reliably.

• Should I mess with the rear axle at all, even though it seems to be fine? (bearings, seals, etc?

• I don't know what shape my rear springs are in - they're partially held up by those crappy coil/shock combo things...are OEM rear springs available? I may put a bull bar upfront, too - if I do, can I keep my factory springs? I don't want to do an OME susp. lift or anything. can I get away with an addd-a-leaf?

Any other suggestions on what else to mess with? Do I seem like I'm on the right track?

Big enough post for you? Maybe I should put it into book form and tour the country with it?
 
thank goodness dude, you've come to your senses...

change the Alt.,P.S. pump for a new one(oem)along with water and fan clutch (oem). if ya dont have smog in your, welll, where ever the hell ya live. just run a pulley instead of the smog pump. change all hoses and belts...all new hydros( CMC,BMC,SL) find where the hell your burning your oil. fix the rust. sand the bitch with 320 and do all prep work and ge tit painted by a local shop for cheap.

and you still would be slighty under 2k.....much better than any 80 :)
 
oh screw the SS lines...get NAPA, just as good but cheaper. oh and long as your not leaking to bad from the cas and tranny. just put the tranny hose contraption on. I just over fill my t-case :)

Don't re-build the brakes..just get 4 runners..after all they bolt right up. New wheel cylinders too.
 
will you marry me?
my wife whines when i put GAS in my 84!
i have to call in sick to do repairs, so she doesnt see me working on my rig.
after all, 400 a month in car payments ( hers) does make more sense, dont it?
 
I'm thinking that my whole "Maybe I should buy an 80" crap was little more than a set up for the better half, subconsiously. If I spend $300 a month on the 60, she'd have a s***-fit. Now, however, after looking at prices of decent 80s and really threatening to get rid of the 60, she's come around to it. Spending $3-4k on the 60 is resonable compaired to $5-10k on a new(er) vehicle altogether. (She even commented that she'd be sad to see the 60 to go.)

Al - you really think the 4runner callipers are worth it? They just bolt right up? (and I forgot to mention that it's got a new alt - but I want to go bigger, new belts, but not new hoses - I think I'll add new hoses to the list - also have a new motor mount to go into it, and bushings for the rear springs, and new OEM rear shocks)

I know the running joke is that the Lexus guys all have pink panties, but I kind of think that the 80s come with pink panties, too.
 
lowtideride said:
oh screw the SS lines...get NAPA, just as good but cheaper. oh and long as your not leaking to bad from the cas and tranny. just put the tranny hose contraption on. I just over fill my t-case :)

Don't re-build the brakes..just get 4 runners..after all they bolt right up. New wheel cylinders too.
Click to expand...

I think the NAPA lines are $80, and the SS lines from MAF are $100. ;)





Also want to note, I don't want to mod the snot out of this thing. I want a reliable, realativly fail-safe truck that I can drive to NM, CO, VA - or where ever I feel like going without some random failure (like having the clutch slave crap-out in Abilene, TX)
 
As long as you don't have rust cancer on the body it's worth puting a bit of money into it. Definately do the 4-runner upgrade, It's so cheap, and so dramatic (from what I hear) it's hard to not justify it.

Get some sliders, an ARB, a winch, a lift, etc.... set it UP.
 
Doc said:
Get some sliders, an ARB, a winch, a lift, etc.... set it UP.
Click to expand...

that's exactly what I don't want to mess with. See the last two posts here and you'll see the extent of the wheeling we do. I need distance and reliability over articulation. (Though I do want an ARB bullbar - and maybe clothes lines like what Al has on his for the trees)
 
I'd think that for expedition type wheelin' you'd want the body protection, and self recovery aspects of what I posted. If you don't like my advice I'm going to pack up my stuff and go home!

:(

Ok, maybe the sliders were too much. But I'd bet you'd use the lift/bumper/winch. You certainly wouldn't want to put a winch and ARB on old OEM springs anyway.

I think most of the items we typically associate with rock wheelin' would be ideal for expedition wheelin'. Basic items, self recovery, body protection, etc..

It's what I'd do to the tank if it's body were worth saving.
 
Brotha...do what i said man..

I drove my truck all the way to tellico wheeled for a whole week and drove back, then got up and went to work on monday. then waited 3 weeks and went for another wheeling trip...an oil change is coming up along with a valve job, but besides that all i did was wash it... relpace most of it with toyota stuff. i want to replace my rad, water pump soon before somthing happens because im sure they are as old as the truck slone with the alt....preventetive maintence brotha...

replace all the crap i said it will take ya from here to the moon.
 
for what its worth, which ain't much, i think you are making the right call.

i agree with doc regarding some mods even for expedition. a set up similar to docB's makes sense to me, even if you aren't planning on crawling rocks.

alot of what you are doing and planning on doing is on my list too, but i know my timeline is probably farther off than yours.

i haven't even fixed my belt/squealing problem yet. :o
 
lowtideride said:
questions to swanky and patty..

are your trucks the same color? :D

Stoked you are keeping the 60...so are you tards coming to GSMTR next year?
Click to expand...

you are SOOO funny lil' man.... :flipoff2:

hell i'm just shooting to make it to something local like the LSLC roundup next year. at this rate, i'll be lucky if i make it to that. with all this moving stuff going on, my rig has taken a back seat and is collecting dust.

i want to really hit it this fall though and have it running and ready for 2006....who am i kidding?
 
If it ain't broke, please...
Why repaint so you can scrape it off?
The disappearing oil is the biggest worry to me.
Alts are simple to rebuild - only parts are bearings, brushes, & diodes.
When properly set up, the brakes are more than adequate for "normal" use.
 
My brakes are getting a little soft, and the last time I pulled the wheels, the brake lines were looking rough, and I've got some fluid loss going on there, too - that's why the brakes are on my list.

I was thinking about it all this morning a little, and I have that typical leak at the speedo cable - is that a fix I can do from under the truck? Is it a seal that I can get to without pulling a bunch of stuff apart?

I would like to do the OME lift, but the issue here is cost. $2k for suspension that would be nice instead of necessary is a lot of the budget money, and as Tinker pointed out, I've got a disappearing oil problem that I need to get fixed first and foremost. Anyone ever change their valve seals with the head still on the truck? Also, will a leak-down test tell me if it's the seals? If so, where can I find good instructions for doing it? I've searched here, know it's been discussed before, but I couldn't find it.

Here's an oil pressure related question - I'm having to run heavier oils now to keep my pressure up 15-40 in the winter and 20-50 in the summer; would a new oil pump fix that, or are there other issues that contribute to lower oil pressure?

Doc - I guess what you mentioned is pretty much standard issue gear, I just have to worry about the priorities. The bull bar etc isn't going to do me much good if I can't confidently throw my family into the truck and leave the state. I've got to get there, first. Someday...someday...

Patty - we're making the round-up next year, freakshow. Even if I have to come down and help you fix your junk. :D
 
I think you can replace the seals, someone did a write up about it, I think it involves rotating each piston up to TDC as you do it.

If you find it, let me know. I have good compression, but am losing some oil there as well I think. (1qt/tank of gas)....
 
There's actually a write up in the haynes manual on how to do it. Two methods - one uses compressed air and the other uses nylon rope to stuff the cyl and keep the valves in place.

I'm not looking forward to that job at all - but if it'll quit loosing the oil, it'll be worth it.
 
For alt issue, look at replacing the fusible links. Also may want to run a heavier gauge wire through a heavy duty fuse straight to the battery (on my list). You might want to start at checking the output voltage of the alt. at idle and 1500rpms to make sure you are getting 13.5-14volts out of it before just replacing it.

My 0.02
 
Wow, I skip reading for a day or two and get ssooooo far behind!

Swank, you're on the right path, dance with the one what brung ya and avoid the dark side--the 80s are just a fad--they'll never last... :cool:

Leaking ps pump will kill your smog pump, if you can't desmog, replace ps pump w/ OEM. Nail down the oil loss, replace all belts and hoses. Listen to Al, da brudda knows....I want to do my water pump too--it's one of those things that stops you dead if it fails.

If you're talking long distance trips, think about Dynamat under the
carpet--lowers the heat and noise--I really want to do that to mine.
(Addicted to my Sirius.) Can't say much about carpet--mine's in great shape.

As far as the paint job, that's one thing that will make you love your truck all over again--I just had a POS Dakota repainted, and it looks awesome now--almost makes me forget how much i hate it. But I can't suggest doing it yourself--I struck a deal to do the prep and have a pro shoot the color, and it wasn't worth it--I should have let him do the whole thing. It's a TON of work.

And finally.... next year is the 15th anniversary of GSMTR--time for a WAGON TRAIN!! :cheers: All you 60s posers pack up your fat assed rigs and let's tackle TELLICO! Show em what these wagons can do! It's a blast!*

* As long you're lifted, armored and locked, or don't mind body damage, or want to wheel the easy trails and party. I'll be back, but Betty will be armored. But go anyway--it's a BLAST!
 
betty did great on the trails....i'll be stoked to see it next year...

My cruiser will hopefully packed with a ton more goodies...my goal is to make it thru lower 2 with out winching but it prob wont happen......ya never know though ;) ......mmm ram asist.....front locker...
 
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