Here is some more history on my truck. Neither the engine nor the paint were original, but it ran decently. One unique feature was the glove box, which had a big rectangular hole cut out around the door. See picture below.
After driving it for a few years, I took it to a local mechanic in Austin (who will remain unidentified) who worked only on Cruisers and had him install OME springs and shocks and do a little work on the carb, which had a linkage from an 1862 Conestoga wagon, I think. ;p
Anyway, he kept the truck for a
very long time, to the point where I had to demand my truck back. When I drove it home, it overheated, and I mean badly. Engine lost power, yada yada. I didn't want to take it back to the guy because he hadn't done a sterling job, so I limped it home and tore into it myself. Long story short, the mechanic had painted the engine but had left the plugs exposed. So the plugs were painted; imagine the conductivity of a plug-to-plug-wire contact with the plug painted. Suspecting burnt valves, I pulled the head and had it magnafluxed. Two cylinders had forests of cracks around the exhaust valves, one cylinder had one big crack. See below for a shot of the engine with the head just sitting on it. Notice the header, which was altered to fit the exhaust port configuration. It had a glass pack, too.
So it seemed like a good time to have the frame and body restored with some updating of critical systems. I found CCOT to be responsive but only willing to purchase the truck and then sell me a restored one. I called and emailed TLC4x4 with some details of what I wanted; they never responded. Finally I had some very pleasant email and phone traffic with Proffitts and we agreed on a frame-off with the following: blasted and powder-coated frame, RamJet350 crate engine, TH700R4, Orion 4:1, aluminum radiator, ceramic headers, fine-spline diffs, ARB air lockers front and rear, Saginaw PS with GM pump, 4-wheel discs, 35" tires on alloys, Bilsteins, some shackle beef for the OMEs, liner in and under bed and cab, locking console with Pioneer radio/CD/MP3 player, Corbeau racing seats with 4-point harnesses, Grant GT marine steering wheel, A/C, Warn winch, new front bumper, DeeCee tool box, receiver hitch, and a few other odds and ends I'm forgetting. Oh yeah, my son would never let me forget the paint; he picked the codes for rosso corsa and biance niva (that's Ferrari red and Ferrari snow white). A pic of the rolling frame is below. I'll post others in separate postings.
Cheers.
