STAGE ONE: GET ONE AND THE BASICS

We've narrowed down what we can afford, plus factoring in the basic extras we want to have fairly soon and an as yet unknown repair budget. This will be a continuing post and theme on this blog, as far as what we are doing and where we are trying to scrounge and adapt parts and things to keep the costs way down.

We want this to be the working mans truck. Nice. Sturdy. Reliable (the most important, really, when in the country). Functional. Comfortable (bad storm or swarming endless skeeters means sleeping in the truck if camping). Something not just the rich can afford. We're not rich, and even if I was rich, I'd want the kind of truck we're going to plan and build here in this project.

And when I say build, we'll be mostly payin' folk more talented then ourselves to do some work, but we both have ideas easily implemented into design of the rack systems and interior layout. We'll be looking for deals and brother-in-law stuff from friends. I've got two good mechanics nearby, and a third that's a bit away but within reach for any serious engine or tranny work.

The stuff we can do ourselves, and I do have some history helping do restorations on three cars and worked as a mechanic rebuilding high performance small race car wankle engines and the rest of the cars electrical, braking, steering and other systems. I got quite good at rebuilding carberators, only to see them go by the wayside several years later with injection.

So I would rather not rebuild an engine or fit head or transmission gaskets and the like, but I can change a/c compressors and master cylinders and brakes systems and cooling systems and the like. I can do brake jobs, although more with drum than disc. I learned a lot of skills on our own as well as my job as a mechanic for these specialized cars.

That's been years ago, but I still have my tools. I've got 2 Craftsman tool cabinets. I've got a fire engine red metal portable toolbox with ancient Houston Police Department "The Badge Means You Care" bumper sticker on it. This used to be my vehicle toolbox that was carried in my restored vehicles on a daily basis, to solve whatever problems arose.

So I'm going to jump into the abyss of used car ownership. I'll have the vehicle professionally checked out before we get it. It'll at least be free of a cracked block or bad tranny or dirty tranny/transfer cases and the like. There can always be hidden problems, but again, we're scouring friends and the area, looking for neighbors with something we might want.