The Restoration

We knew when we purchased a 30-year-old truck that it would require a bit of effort to turn it into an Overland Truck.

Initially we thought we’d give it a fresh coat of paint and a ‘major’ service. However, on our first two drives we broke down with what was almost certainly fuel supply issues. This is a known age-related issue with these trucks, and the fix could be as simple as installing new fuel lines. After paying $350 for the tow-truck I decided to rip out the fuel lines and replace the fuel\water filter before venturing out again.

This started an ever-increasing strip down and rebuild. Partly because there was nothing better to do during the pandemic, partly because it was fun and partly because this is how I tackle projects like this!

Brake System

Before I start - I made friends a diesel mechanic (who made friends with an x-military mechanic) he helped me with all the brakes work to ensure it was done correctly. When everything is done, I have found a local truck repair company who will be giving everything a once…

Wheels and Tires

Engine Upgrades

The Cummins 6BT 5.9 12v is capable of significantly power more than the 145bhp that it was built with. We wanted to give the truck a little more ooph, especially when going up-hill and to improve the fuel efficiency. When going down-hill we wanted to take the stress off the…

Engine Maintenance

To ensure the engine was as reliable as possible, we replaced various components, gaskets and seals. In theory, none of these upgraded the engine in anyway, but by replacing potentially 30-years old ones we could be more confident in the reliability of the engine in general.

Painting The Engine

Having gone to all the effort to paint the chassis it seems silly to not also paint the engine! Initially, we planned to paint the engine satin black to match the chassis, but we were advised to use a lighter color. This makes it easier to spot an oil leak. …

Chassis

Eva's chassis was in pretty good condition, no major rust but plenty of layers of paint. So, our aim was to strip off all the unnecessary parts (flat bed, lockers, spare tire, etc.), paint it and generally get it ready for installation of the new sub-frame\habitat.

Cab Exterior

The first step in getting cab exterior ready was to paint the undercarriage.

Electronics

One of the advantages and reasons to buy a 30-year-old truck is how simply the electronics are. The engine only requires electricity to turn over the starter motor, which means the electronics are primarily for monitoring the truck and lighting.