“Try, try and try again” is commendable in theory. In practice, there’s a point where you have to understand that you are doing something wrong and that if you keep up with your lack of knowledge and your enthusiasm, you are going to break something, probably badly. In the case of the black 7.3L IDI-equipped mid-1990s Ford tow truck that Kevin had acquired as part of a two-truck deal, that certainly was the case. A complete virgin when it came to diesel technology, he had managed to slog his way through waking up the red twin to this truck, the one with the 7.3L Powerstroke V8 under the hood. But the black truck has not made life easy for anybody. Nothing seemed to go right. The fuel system was sketchy, the electrical system had an appetite for batteries, and it was being guarded by an army of pissed-off wasps that were not willing to relinquish their home easily.

Now, in the grand scope of things, why wake up to rotted tow trucks? One, it allows a learning experience that is going to be invaluable in Kevin’s career. Two, he’s got two workable diesel engines in two trucks that could be parted and sold. And three, it allows his friend Wyatt to shine as he gets the black truck to wake up. There’s no way in hell we’d attempt restoration without a different truck at the ready to take the engine and useful parts, but who knows…there’s an ass for every seat and maybe someone could be tempted.