Thanks everyone! Most of you have builds that are way cooler than mine, I'm just trying to keep up!
It's been a few weeks since I've posted an update, and it will be a few weeks before I get a chance to do any more significant work to the truck, so I figured I'd post this update even though it's somewhat mundane.
Over the past three weeks I've been getting the bedsides ready for some paint. The sides were in overall great shape, except for some pitting on the bed rails from a camper top in their past life. Also, somewhere along the way, someone thought it would be cool to fill in the stake pockets and marker lights. Since I'm trying to make these look like they are original to the truck, I had to open those holes back up. Then it was on to "selective" repair. I know it seems ridiculous to pick and choose what I was going to fix and/or fill on the sides, but they couldn't be perfect or else they would not match the rest of the truck. Ultimately, I decided to fill all the pitting while leaving all the small dents and dings. After the sides are painted, I will go back and basically damage the new paint in those areas to make it look more authentic, instead of just a painted dent. I also have a plan to match the overall look and sheen of the new paint to the original paint, but I will save that process for the next update. I promise, it will look consistent when it's done and I'm sorry to any of you who prefer shiny new paint since what I'm doing is sacrilege.
I also ran into my first bit of trouble with the truck after one year of ownership. As you may recall from my original post, when I originally went to go look at and test drive the truck it was exactly what I wanted, except the radiator cracked while I was testing the truck and was leaking everywhere. Well, the owner JD was kind enough to put in a replacement for me right then and there and I was on my way. Well, that radiator finally decided to join the original in the scrap pile. I was on my way to our local dragstrip this past weekend and started smelling coolant, so I had to ditch that plan and head back home.
After searching around, I decided to try out a Spectra CU369 radiator. It's pretty much the only "direct fit" replacement radiator you can find these days at the parts stores. It's aluminum with plastic side tanks which I was hesitant about, but I was desperate enough to try it. If it doesn't work out, I will take it as a loss and find a brass/copper replacement. The only thing I don't like about it so far is that it's not really a "direct" replacement. The mounting brackets and rubber mounts need to be modified slightly to fit the frame of this radiator and the overall fitment is very snug, so hopefully there are no issues with vibrations. Anyway, now I get extra cool points for having an aluminum radiator right? I'm going to paint it black eventually... My daughter wanted to help by eating her snack and honking the horn at me while I worked.
My next update should include painted bedsides. That's it for now!