Bud came up this weekend and we got a lot done on the truck. Last time he was here (January 17-19) we put in a new fuel pump and Bud removed the fuel tank and got it cleaned up, painted and ready to put back in. The seat was removed and I tore out a lot of the bed. Using a hack saw to cut through the bolts just wasn't working so I waited until we had access to a reciprocating saw. That sure made the job a lot easier! Before he left we made a list of the things that we needed for the engine and I got everything ordered so it would be here when he came up over President's Day weekend. To start, he put in the new fuel pump and alternator and I sanded and painted the bell housing and fan. When we put all of that back on it sure looked nice. A new fan belt and we were done with that part. Bud then took out the radiator and fan shroud. We took the radiator down to Inlet Connection, a local radiator shop and the guy is going to take a look at it. He has two old chevy trucks in his shop, a couple of years older than mine. Hopefully he can rebuild it, otherwise we will buy a new one. They're spendy! After Bud cut all of the bolts, we lifted off the bed of the truck. It gives us a lot more room to work and it will help when we re-wire. I put in new shocks to replace the old air shocks that were there but had seized up. Bud tore apart the old steering column to see if he could fix it but he ended up installing the old one that I had on hand. The process went real smooth and the new column is much more stable. Just need to get it painted to match and get the old GMC steering wheel back on until a new one can be ordered. The old one is kinda beat up! The carburetor that Bud picked up to replace the old one has an electric choke, but when we went to put it on, we found out it will not work. The linkage doesn't line up. We are still hoping to find one that fits that has either an automatic or electric choke, but so far no luck. A manual choke isn't that bad, but on cold mornings . . . I am having the time of my life with this truck. I am learning as I go and finding out that I can do more than I thought. My hands hurt and I have grease under my fingernails, but when I go out into the garage and I see how much we have got done, none of that matters. I feel a great sense of satisfaction for what has been accomplished and excitement for what still needs to be done. I am amazed at what we have got done so far, in what seems like a short amount of time. I am looking forward to when I can start it up and take it for a drive. It's not all about the truck, but it is all about having a goal and doing what it takes to accomplish that goal. A dream, an adventure, a journey. Just like life. Taking the time to make it better. Investing, learning, and having the confidence to try to do something that I have never done before. It's invigorating! Stay tuned . . . the next major step is to install the new wiring harness and get the new bed installed. We will also install the fuel tank, the seat, the new carburetor and the radiator. Click on the link above to see some pictures. I will take more on Tuesday of the work that was completed on Monday.