Due to the hard work and perseverance of a handful of YouTubers who decided to do something besides record themselves playing a video game, reviving old, battered and forlorn vehicles has become a thing. And that’s a great thing…with tons upon tons of vintage iron still out there for the picking of various vintages, now is the time to go find a project that speaks to you. We’re one of many who will say that picking up an old truck is the way to go if you want something simple, straightforward and a solid investment of time and money. We mean that…it might be beaten up, it might be rusty, but any old pickup truck you want to tackle is going to be a bucket of fun so long as the frame isn’t broken in half.
In one of their rare get-togethers, three YouTubers that I’ve shown you for a while got together for a big project. This 1977 Dodge has only been sitting for twelve years…all three have dredged up worse than this. Sure, it’s rusty…the Minnesota license plate attached to the front-mounted spare tire tells you everything you need to know there. When new, this was a beauty: the upscale Adventurer package, the 360 (but the two-barrel to keep mileage in check), deluxe interior and that neat two-tone green paint job. Now? It’s a tetanus shot and a spare fuel tank. And WFO drifting in the field next to the house because once it comes to life (kicking and screaming, for sure) it really comes to life. At least, until the rear axle starts making noises that sound like pure death…
Doing the same right now… 1969 C10 with a small block and a three speed, hasn’t been driven in over ten years. These old trucks are great teachers simply because they force the person to work on and revive the basics. And no matter how nice the new stuff is there is nothing like bombing around in an old beater that you have revived and experiencing all the sights, smells and sounds of it while you drive.