It would be unfair to call it a restoration. Rather, the work I have been doing on my 25-year-old pickup is just about getting the truck back on the road for dump runs and hauling surfboards around. With help from YouTube, I, and an untold number of other shade tree mechanics (or driveway or city street or even a pull-off along the Belt Parkway mechanics) solve problems with our vehicles by ourselves, albeit often very, very slowly.
Much of the stalling is because we have other things to do. In my case, the excuses range from not having enough free time to the weather — I don’t like to mess with the truck when it is under 40 or over 80 degrees. My solution to hot days is to park under one of two giant pines at my sister’s place. It’s walking distance from the office, so I can steal an hour here or there.
At the moment, I am about to replace the head gaskets after putting in a new starter. To date, completed jobs include a fresh catalytic converter and all the oxygen sensors, new front and back bumpers, and a front left wheel bearing. I replaced the front brakes, too.
The thing is, because of a recall on early Toyota Tundras, the truck has a new, rust-free frame and, with only about 225,000 miles on it, the engine could last for years more. These add up to a siren song to keep it running but not put too much money into doing so. Its exterior is another matter.
As with boats and do-it-yourselfers, the rule is to deal with safety and technical issues before aesthetic ones. That may be so, but I can’t see taking the truck on the road as it is, peppered by lichen, dust, and pine sap. So-called barn finds may be hip, but mine is not quite old enough to be desirable. Of course, by the time I get around to the gasket job, enough time might have gone by for it to become cool again. When I’ll take it to a real mechanic for inspection is anybody’s guess.