I’m digging the work that Dylan McCool has been performing on this 1972 Dodge D100 stepside, and I’m honestly marveling at just how little a truck that was left to rot outside for over a decade truly needs in order to be up and moving. The orange rig, which McCool has nicknamed “Rump” (short for “Rusty Pumpkin”…don’t ask, we don’t get it either) is a 318, three-speed rig that came right to life when McCool first started messing with it last month. Whether you believe that vehicles want to live or not, you can’t deny that this Dodge was certainly not dead enough to warrant a nap in a junkyard for so long. This is the ideal kind of low dollar input, high reward kind of project that a first-timer should be looking for if they want to build something memorable, and watching the truck take shape from the moment it’s driven out of the tall grass until now should prove that it’s worth the time and effort.

That’s not to say that Rump hasn’t had it’s share of problems. The fuel tank is questionable (and is going to be a pain, since 1972 still had the tank behind the seat), the brakes needed a serious go-through, but critical to street driving is that the clutch has been nice and chattery. Getting the Dodge to move wasn’t difficult, but getting it to love being moved has required all of the work you’ll see in the video. A shot throwout bearing, worn clutch, and various other maladies have come together in the past to make the old Dodge a pain to drive around. The overall task is really not that painful, as McCool will explain, and isn’t out of the reach of the typical backyard wrench. Hopefully, if you’ve been on the fence about doing a repair more in-depth than changing a tire, this will help you make that leap and dig a little deeper into your ride.

Oh, and Dylan…personal note, man: Thanks for making me want a 1970s Dodge now. I owe you one!