^^^^Wow, that's a serious amount of work on a beater. I'm glad my truck is as rust free as a 19 year old truck can be.
I took Red to Pep boys and got the Hankooks installed. Ride and handling improved immensely!
I wouldn't call my truck a beater....but anywho....
This truck has earned every right to receive some maintenance as I bought it for $400 off a customer of mine who bought it new and used it as his personal truck for its first 5 years before putting a plow on it and giving it to his guys to use at his golf course....
Despite pushing snow for 10 years it has been the most reliable truck I've had to date, having never once left me stranded. I've put over 55k on it in 2 years and it's never missed a beat.
I'm just now replacing the original front end at 187k.
Damn! I got rid of a truck ('94) that had rust similar to that, all the way down the sides. Kudos to you and another example of why I need a welder.
When I bought this truck I just wanted something for the winter and to haul my trailer. I first replaced the wheel lips on the box and the rear bumper. Then tacked new door bottoms on. I drove it for 2 years like that. Now I have rust free fenders painted and ready for it. I'm working on these doors and my buddy will paint them, and I also have another better front bumper and and new cab corners for it.
At the end of the day the truck owes me nothing and takes any and all abuse I give it.
At this point it has new tires (2 months ago), new pads and rotors (3 months ago), new shoes and I machined the drums (4 months ago),
New intake gaskets, rad hoses, thermostat, thermostat water neck, bypass hose, water pump, cap, rotor, plugs, wires (5 months ago)
New Pinion seal and rear service, new front service, new rear u-joints (6 months ago)
New-used T case (upgraded to a 3/4 ton 241D), new sway bar links, new-used exhaust manifolds, new-used steering box, new pitman arm, new-used steering shaft, Rancho shocks, skyjacker dual steering stablizer kit, both front hub/bearings (8 months ago)
New-used 46 RE (bought used, but turned out to be a rebuilt), new Cupro-nickel trans lines, trans service.
I've also changed the oil every 2k kms or 2 months since the day I bought it.
And I'm just finishing replacing the following; wheel cylinders, calipers, brake lines, brake hoses, front differential u-joints, all 4 tie-rods, sway bar bushings, Track bar, brake adjuster kits, brake hardware, parking brake cables. And I'll put the new fenders on too.
Nick