Project STINKY

[darth_yota]

So I just started working for a friend at his wrecking yard doing some mechanic work and towing. Two days ago I went on a tow to pick up an old truck from an older lady. '83 yota she parked it during the winter of 05 and some pack rats moved in to the engine compartment and the interior!. VERY STINKY.







I'm going to keep it pretty mild. 35's, longs (eventually), rears up front, Chevy's in the rear, bed bob, in cab cage, a real winch, just towed a truck with a warn 8274 pulling that Monday. Probably do more stuff along the way.

[NorCalToy]

so were you able to score the truck for free? looks like alotta work but it should be a good project. good luck

[red]

nice find man

probably gonna have to replace the wireing harness because of the rats.

[darth_yota]

Yup, got it for free! I got most of the crap out yesterday, along with the factory buckets and carpet. It looks like most all of the wiring is good, yay. Steam cleaned the engine bay and cab but it still stinks a bit, not near as bad as when I got it. I'm thinkin of squirting some strong pine sol all over, or bleach. Not sure which would be best, mabey both! I'm probbly going to use some buckets from a 91 camry we have in the yard. Anyone know if the brackets are close, I'm sure there not but I had to ask.

[unclejpl4x4]

wow great find      can't wait 2 see the transformation

i would get a spray bottle of bleach  and cover the whole cab 

[topar]

  Sweet find  Good luck with the build!

[kneedownnate]

Lucky   I'd snag one of those odor bombs, the ones like a bug bomb, and unleash it.

[offroadguru Solli]

If it is free, it dosent matter if it stinks.
Could be cool if the old lady had a picture of her and the truck using the winch

Nice find

[NorCalToy]

thats awesome you got it free. for free its kind of a general rule that its gonna stink a bit. but its a great start for a project.

[darth_yota]

I've got some advice from people to use baking soda and water all over or natures miracle. I'm going to use several different treatments so I can to get the smell out. I also had someone tell me it wasn't an '83 and to be honest I never checked I just thought someone put the round eyes in. I'll have to check the year when I get to work tonight. Someone said '81 because of the round headlights and center pull tailgate.?

[darth_yota]

It is officially an April 81 truck. Sorry for the jerk-baggery.

[Motorvated]

Nice find man! 

[darth_yota]

Someone on another board said that little cute 3000lb warn winch is factory. Thats frikin awesome.

[79coyotefrg]

I'm going to keep it pretty mild. 35's, longs (eventually), rears up front, Chevy's in the rear, bed bob, in cab cage, a real winch, just towed a truck with a warn 8274 pulling that Monday. Probably do more stuff along the way.

  loose that  anchor of a rear bumper  and  fab a real bumper  dont  chop the bed    it never done nuttin to you

hey  what ya gonna do with the utility winch 

[te51levin]

Nice score - REALLY nice score.  Not that I'm jealous at all.

Steam cleaning the engine bay and cab is a great start but I'd also remove the HVAC system and make sure the rats weren't using the blower fan as a terlet.  Rodents love putting dumb things (poop, for example) where they don't belong (heater cores, for example) and all the steam and deodorizers in the world won't help if you don't find the source of the odors.  Might also check the back corners of the cab, nooks and crannies in the footwells and rockers, etc, though you've probably done that already.

Dang it dang it dang it, I'm still jealous.  The factory winch is just too bitchin'.

By the way, where in Oregon are you?  I'm in Springfield.  Dunno if there are any other MC guys right around here though...

[89toy]

Wear a dust mask.  Not sure how bad it is in Oregon, but down here you have to watch out for Hantavirus (usually in the feces).  I bought a truck like that for 150 and didn't even go near the interior without a dust mask (maybe it was just paranoia though  ).

Great find!!!!!! 

[darth_yota]

I'm in what many would refer to as the "BUNG HOLE" of Oregon. Good 'ole Klamath Falls. Actually it's not that bed. I've decided to pull everything out of the cab, dash and all. Everything will get a 3 part cleaning. 1. baking soda & vinegar, 2. Natures miracle, 3. A cap or two of bleach in a bucket of hot water. Than another steam cleaning. ( guess that would be 4 parts) I sure wish the seats could be cleaned, I'd love to keep the cab close to stock. The thing has the factory am fm radio and factory tape deck above. I will beeeping the dash 100% factory.

[te51levin]

I sure wish the seats could be cleaned, I'd love to keep the cab close to stock. The thing has the factory am fm radio and factory tape deck above. I will beeeping the dash 100% factory.

You can steam the seats out too, or even just hose them through with whatever cleaning solution you think is appropriate.  They'll dry eventually...!

Let us know how the dash turns out.  I think we should all have our dashes beeeped from time to time!

Sorry...couldn't resist...but if you really do want a factory-fresh look, you might try giving them a THOROUGH (can't stress that enough) cleaning and then recolor them.  I have used SEM vinyl dye in the past with great results.  Just make sure you clean the hell out of the plastic and vinyl (use their products for this too), and you can usually get a fresh coat of color that actually bonds with, and stays attached to, interior parts.  I freshened up my last AE86 with that stuff and it looked incredible when I was finished.

[Yoat Goat]

Right on! Looks clean as a whistle! Cant wait to see the final product!

[darth_yota]

What you've never beeeped your dash before??? haha.  Thanks for the advice on the vinyl dye.

[Plekto]

The seats are a loss - get some Corbeau or similar.  Anything that can soak up rat byproducts is a serious health hazard(hanta/plague/etc) that won't ever go away no matter how much you clean it.    Think cat pee on this one.  Never comes out completely unless you can literally soak it for half a day in a bucket of Nature's Miracle and then wash it in a washer twice.  The engine area is easier - steam clean it and replace the chewed wiring.

I'd Rhinoline(anything similar actually since it's an interior) it to be safe and put in a metal dash like I recently saw posted here. (Since you'll have to take out the entire interior to properly clean it, and vinyl is also porous...) Yeah - the rear bumper is crap.  The bed is fine, though. 

[darth_yota]

Yeah Ihave been thinking about ripping the dash out and doing something like this.




Dont think the smell will ever go away without completely guttin it.

[46&2]

Awesome score even if it does smell like !!

I was just looking at Dave's thread on Pirate and that is definitely a sweet goal to strive for the interior. Anyway good luck and you are a lucky cat to find a yota like that for FREE!!! 

[rdonley]

Had the same problem with the mice. They like to get on top of the door inside the overhead. Also crawled into the AC evap and fresh air made a nice bed. Nice lookin trk. Not many left that look that good, be a shame to butcher it to bad. But good luck and have fun!

[kneedownnate]

Let's get some updates

[Plekto]

yeah - that Rhinolined and red dash was the exact thing I was referring to.  Super nice.  Plus, yanking everything off the frame will allow for a nice frame-off restoration or close to it if you want.

[darth_yota]

Got a chance at work today to pull the dash and the heater and stuff. No time yet to slather the cab with goo (baking soda and vinegar paste). I'm wondering if I should remove all the wiring and spray oven cleaner inside? Prolly too harsh?

[79coyotefrg]

Got a chance at work today to pull the dash and the heater and stuff. No time yet to slather the cab with goo (baking soda and vinegar paste). I'm wondering if I should remove all the wiring and spray oven cleaner inside? Prolly too harsh?

i would do just that     

[Plekto]

Yeah - the thing is, you need to nearly strip it down to the metal to get the junk out. Too harsh isn't going to be in this case.  But, after all of that work, it will be all ready for paint/lining and so on.

If you want good seats for cheap, Corbeau makes nice ones, IME.  Drop in and go.(that just leaves the dash)

[darth_yota]

Tore out the headliner and took off the fenders today, I can not believe how much crap is in this truck!! I would say if I had saved it all I'd have 2 or 3 five gallon buckets full!! Steam cleaned the cab again and then sprayed oven cleaner all over, we'll see what it looks like tomorrow.