So here we go. I'll be posting some pics. This truck is pretty rough. Makes for good pics. So, I'll be posting some pics real soon. And I'm sure y'all have seen worse...I'll just say that before I start.

The basic plan is to start with brakes, wheels and tires. I'm thinking the engine will last a little while, but wheel see. Next we'll do the interior fluff and buff as the windows are falling out. So, stay tune.

 

i will stay tune for some pic

 

sounds as good as my truck when i got it rough but my interior was cherry. lookin forward to pics keep us updated

 

Try this link

 

im jealous of your bucket seats with the center console. mine was basically in the same condition but less mildew on the outside just pressure wash it and your good to go again. whats with the 21RU? And i wish i had a long bed

 

I think the seats are out of a Celica. And as far as I can gather, the 21RU is one of those Japanese recycled engines. I'm not sure how much of it is similar to the 21R engine. The truck was supposed to have and 20R when it was stock. But that's how it came.

 

We got the wheels off and the truck up on stands. Doing brakes all the way around as well as wheel bearings. We did fix a little electrical problem from coil to distributor. Now it has full power and about to exceed the speed limit in 5th gear. I have pics, but haven't uploaded to Picasa yet. Will do shortly. Happy Thanksgiving.

 

Japanese domestic market gave a tax break for engines with 2 liters or less. The 21R is actually a step backwards from the 20R. They were brought over to swap out 20R's that died, so yours has been replaced. It should run just fine, but it will be a bit slower than a 20R and get slightly better fuel mileage.

Your seats are definitely from a newer vehicle too.

Good luck with your build! I have a '76 longbed too and it has been a blast to work with. These old trucks are soooo simple to wrench on. The only tough thing is finding the parts you need....

 

So, we got the back brakes on and getting the front hubs and disks on. We are replacing the whole brake system with the exception of the lines. The lines look O.K. It should be an awesome little truck. The engine is strong, just had a severely frayed ignition wire. Amazing what a new connection will do for horsepower.

 

And things are moving real slow. Working a lot leaves little time for the fun stuff. We should have some extra pics to post in a little bit.

 

Looks rough, but I say keep it that way, its got alot of history.

 

Slowly working on the 76. No pictures worth showing unless y'all like to see head-banging-against-garage-floor pics. But getting the brakes done. We ended up upsizing the bolts in the front/right hub because the threads had the cancer. Drill bit was too long for the bench-top drill press so I cut it down. Could not find my DrillDoctor, so I ground the 27/64 bit down using my 4" grinder...yes by hand. Worked great. Got threads in it today. Tomorrow, we just clean the threads on the left side and then fit up the rotors.

Master cylilnder is in, back brakes on, and who knows, might get the brakes bled tomorrow as well.

I'll get some shots of the new holes and post them soon.

Today was a little frustrating as we went to a couple of salvage yards and were required to pay a $1 entrance fee each. Who carries cash these days? Not me. So, we'll have to go back Monday. I found a nice front windshield as long as a '78 will match up.

Pics to come. Still early in the build, so, to me, pictures of the little stuff is futile.

 

We did get the brakes done. Good news is, the brakes work nice. Bad news is, the head is warped beyond repair. A closer look at it says the water ports don't line up with the block. Pretty bad match. Here is a funny video on removing the head...took 3 years for us to get to it:

Engine

The guy doing the video is my son and a very green mechanic. Sure you will get a kick out of it. No flaming please.