It Was Just a Little One...

Right off the bat I learned that it had a burned exhaust valve, and a good friend (and at that time, coworker) got me started on DIY auto repair. "Don't be scared," He said.

Over the course of six or eight months, I rebuilt the top end, the transmission (which had jammed in reverse), and the carburetor. I also coped with water in the gas -- the truck had a convenient hatch in the bed to provide access to the fuel pickup and sending unit, but there was no gasket under the retaining ring and when it rained the water had to go somewhere... . I replaced the muffler, did a brake job, diagnosed intermittent electrical problems, and did some rudimentary bodywork. Every commute was an adventure, but I did learn a lot.

I finally sold the truck for $1100, which I thought was a pretty good reward for all the work I'd done.