Retired from full time work 10 years ago I wanted a daily driver and did not want the big payments and insurance hassle. I decided to build a D50 out of several trucks that I had at the time. One was a 4WD stick rust bucket with a nice 4WD drivetrain but the frame was shot (looked like it sat in a swamp) the other was a clean 2WD that had a solid body on it, a ranch vehicle no rust. SD is easy on truck bodies with limited use of salt outside the bigger cities.
I located a good frame in ID and had a U ship hauler bring it to SD and plopped it in the driveway, for the next 3 months I took the 2 trucks and built one good truck on the ID frame. The 2WD cab needed the A/T hump modified but that was no big deal really. Brake lines needed some modifications also clutch pedals added to it. I had the ring and pinion put on the posi unit the 4WD truck had in it even had to switch out the differential housing it was that rusted. Lucky they are all the same so I used the 2WD housing. Axles seem to be the same also.
I put new everything on it that I could find I mean everything I figured I had over $5,000 into it but I got that back having a dependable ride and no payments and crazy insurance premiums. Added an extra leaf to the rear springs and man it could haul the firewood in low no problem and I trap 7 months out of the year and my gear is heavy.
Long story made short I had a coal from the boiler start a wood pile on fire in some hurricane winds we get at times that the truck was caught in, it burned the back off my fur shed and most of the “Tank” was destroyed. The engine and trans both fresh rebuilds look like they will be OK maybe because the truck body burnt rather than the ground underneath the truck. I started to get it ready to move into the shop I’ll pull the bed and body off since they are scrap now for a closer look.
Mods if this belongs in the blog section then you can move it no problem. Thanks
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