Dirt, Moisture, and their friend

Working on this truck, I was expecting to learn, I don't know, about this truck and how things are put together. In my quest to keep my hands and the back of my head clean, I am still working on the interior this week, so along the lines of learning, I learned the interior sucks. Give me a frame with brake lines, strange brackets that go no where, and grease and dirt and rust.

So much easier to get in and out without doors

Instead this week I found dirt, which was expected and discussed previously, but I didn't really think about Dirt's best friend - Moisture. When Dirt and Moisture get together bad things happen - Dirt pulls out his own tooth and gets married, meanwhile Moisture locks his buddy on a roof and steals a tiger - weird things. I know that when Dirt and Moisture hang around too long they invite their mutual friend Rust and Rust does not like to leave parties. Rust likes to close the place down. Rust likes to make everything about him. It's all about Rust. Damnit. Dirt and Moisture are manageable, but Rust - I don't care too much for Rust, in fact I hate him.

Finding Rust on certain locations on my, now bare, floorboard confirmed a suspicion that has been waking me up this week well before my alarm. I've been fighting the thought as I pull and catalog each little trim piece with its oh-so-loseable-screws. I've been telling myself that this project is just that, a project and it's supposed to take time. Projects are supposed to be challenging. Projects are supposed to keep you thinking. Projects are supposed to be rewarding.

This past week, I talked to a company about putting a motor and transmission in my truck. I was excited. The company was very responsive and willing to brainstorm with me on directions for my truck. I like this company. I got an estimate for the work I want done - OM617 Mercedes diesel with NV4500 transmission. I saw the total, thought - 'yep we're doing it', texted the wife. All is cool, until I scroll down the spreadsheet and learn that the total I had seen was the subtotal, before labor was factored - all is not cool. What am I going to do? I refuse to let this project be that expensive.

Go back and wrench on the truck. Give it time. Think.

I got the interior bare. I started on the front seat then back seat area. All the seat belts are out. I was able to use a wire brush to get all the carpet padding off the floorboard. Nice. It took time to get it vacuumed and padding removed, but 'ok there's a reward for me'. Good let's move to the cargo area... Hey wait a second, it was sunny and now it's all cloudy - strange.

Alright, gotta pull the rear seat backrest, seems easy enough. Remove a screw here and there and it's out. Nice. Things are going well. Geez, it looks like it's going to storm any second.

Hey, what's that on the wheel well and why is it on both sides and in the same spot on both sides? Rust!

Finding Rust made me realize that which I have been avoiding. I think my truck is conspiring to kill me! I can handle surface rust here and there, but not this, I can't handle this rust. Give it time. Think.

Evidence found of my truck's conspiracy to kill me