LUVTruck.com

Hi everyone! just bought a 1980 Luv today from a local rancher, cleaned out the past 31 years of dirt in the cab and will be restoring the rest as i can. bought the truck for 500$ cash runs well and looks decent on the body. i will try and get some pictures up here and show progress and i bet i will be on here often looking up how others solved their dilemas.

Welcome to the site Matt!

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1978 LUV Mikado - all stock with automatic/AC

Yeah it's like an AA meeting in here, but ya gotta start things out like this:


first YOU say,
"Hi,,, my names Matt"
Next we say, Chorus from all board members
"HI MATT!"
then you say,
"I have a problem,,, , , , , , , , , , , I drive a Luv"
We say " Good luck Matt, but we will help you"
Then you say "I realize I'm powerless to fix the Luv by myself,,,,"

So welcome to the board hope you find as much help as I have.

SRAD

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My Wife is faster than you think you are

Welcome to the site. You will enjoy your LUV.

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In life there is the "Way things should be" and then "There's the way they are".

2005 Silverado 3/4T Crew Cab
1981 Luv 2WD
1979 Luv 4x4 Currently going through Open Heart and Cosmetic surgery
1995 Roughneck JetBoat
1981 Luv parts trk

Ok this is for SRADkneedragger...
Hi, My name is Matt and i am a luv-oholic.
so continuing the clean up on the luv i have pulled the air ducting hoses, blew them out and washed em up nice and pretty. pulled the vents and cleaned them up. removed the steering column cover to try to get the turn signals working. right only working and the hazards turn on only the right... found out the brake lights will work but i had to order a stop lamp switch since the original had rusted the plunger off.
Waiting for that part i decided to move from in the cab to the engine area. Pulled the air cleaner housing. noticed i had some horrible looking vacuum lines and my PCV hose was totally broken and the previous owner had electrical taped it together. replaced the PCV hose with bulk hose since they can't get the hose. replaced 4 or 5 short vacuum lines. pulled the cam cover off to get the oil slick off of it. that took a good hour or two of degreaser, dawn dish soap and scrubbing. let the cover dry out a while and replaced it for now. I will be getting an entire gasket set sometime and doing the whole rebuild but till then i am using it as a daily driver.

Now i am looking for a replacement lens for the front left parking lamp. I will also do a fuse box overhaul and clean some corrosion off of that. I have never really done much engine wrenching but i did follow some advice on here that kept popping up and got a haynes manual for a penny on ebay and i also got the shop manual for the truck.

On a less factual and more humorous note my next big purchase for the truck is 4 matching tires. between the 4 tires on it and the spare there is not 2 that are the same. on is an all terrain, another is highway tread etc...

Any advice on thing to check/fix soon let me know.... yeah i know a "Weber" but that is gonna be down the road a bit.

Matt
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(witty signature sign off thingy)

You are a unusual newbie. You bought a manual, did several searchs, and looks like you are starting in the correct problem area repairs.

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Certified pilots, looking down on people since 1903.

Matt

At 50 yrs of age I remember when the Luv's came out. I thought they were cool then, they're still cool now. Owning a Luv is a funny thing, people either instantly get it(cool factor) or they don't, merely seeing it as an old truck. Those that do get it will make you glad your driving it. In the month or so since I bought my Luv I have had 4 or 5 offers to buy it! Hahahah good luck looking forward to seeing some pics.

SRAD

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My Wife is faster than you think you are

another question but what format do pictures need to be in to load? i keep getting told they are invalid....

I think you needed to have at least 5 posts first. I see that you are there now. Maybe try again.

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OK, I'm over it. Where's the beer?

Still saying its invalid but i followed the herd and loaded several to photo bucket... so

http://s1097.photobucket.com/albums/g35 ... air046.jpg

http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/g35 ... air045.jpg

http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/g35 ... air044.jpg

http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/g35 ... air043.jpg

Welcome to the forum . Looks like a good tstart . I always thought the 80 4x4 had the coolest graphics . As for these trucks , They have the last of the swoopy 70's lines before going to the S-10 box . Enjoy the truck cause you will get to hear lots of stories , my uncle had a...., my buddy had one that...., Back in high school we...... My truck kinda became famous around the area i was just lucky enough to own it .

Welcome to the addiction, and I predict another Luv in your future... It seems many have more than one Luv sooner or later. Good Luck with yours.

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Three Amigos

Welcome to your new home! Like the color for some reason. And like Hotrod80 said your going to get a TON of comments! Ever since I put the graphics on the truck I get twice as many comments!

SRAD

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My Wife is faster than you think you are

Hey guys, replaced my speedometer cable yesterday so now i can actually see how fast i may or may not be going. Need to clean engine of (hopefully) old oil build up and hope its from the hoses i already repaired. I have wire wheeled and put a rust stopping product on the floor pans. May replace the bench seat with a racing seat while i repair the bench and do all the interior work. Need to buff and polish the truck to see what is up with the paint etc...i will post a picture of the dash off now, since it was so messed up i just removed it and will work on ideas for a new one. If anyone may be interested in the stereo/ 8 track player let me know. I don't know if it still works but the speaker would click when it was turned on but i couldn't tune any stations in and never tried the 8 track player. its amazing how much fun i have just driving around the town in my little luv!

we need to give this guy some props
hasnt asked the usual questions and is figuring it out himself just fine how many can say that? i cant

and i cant agree more LUV's are great little drivers, i take mine everywhere i can just to be in it lol its like driving a full sized go cart

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Luvless
1980 Mikado-Sold.

1993 Lexus SC400 my Daily
2004 Yamaha WR250F my new love in life
2016 Toyota Camry my girls ride

ahh someone already did

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Luvless
1980 Mikado-Sold.

1993 Lexus SC400 my Daily
2004 Yamaha WR250F my new love in life
2016 Toyota Camry my girls ride

So yesterday I took the Luv Banana to the car wash, spray on the engine degreaser, waited a bit and brush some I the heavy stuff, then sprayed the engine bay down. Got alot more out not nearly all of it. While under the good I noticed my fan belt was a bit ragged looking so when I ran to Walmart for some items I stopped at Oreillys and got a new belt. On my way home... About 3 miles... The gen light lot up and the truck died. I used the long downhills to my every advantage. Was able to start the engine and get about ten seconds of juice from the battery and make it up he several steep hills... Except the last one where I had to play the "let's use all three pedals at once" game.
Gold I had the belt, put it on the morning and while doing so cleaned alot more grease and oil from under the smog pump and on the alternator. I am going to replace the valve cover gasket soon. Do you all lik felpro rubber cork gaskets or did I read they dry out? Do I need the gasket sealer for that gasket too?

When you next have the valve cover off make sure you check the head torque & rocker arm torque and set the valve lash.

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'78 Chevy LUV,1.9,4sp,headers,31's,SAS Dana 30,Dana 20,SOA rear w/Aussie Locker, rough body, bought new 12/4/78.
'87 Trooper,2.3,5sp,headers,31's,ball joint flip & spacer,Aussie Locker rear,Superwinch hubs,brush guard w/5.5K winch,more to come.

Awesome! i don't know how to do that...yet. but i will look into it. And i will have to get a torque bar...Harbor freight Black Friday sale! Bet i get more then just that bar... maybe some spray undercoating and more

Got the Valve cover gakget. Went with Fel-pro since that was the one that came with the bolt gasket do-ma-hitchies. and i got a feeler gauge so i will check the valve lash etc... it snowed a bit and its frigid outside so with no garage i may do this at work tomorrow. i will just leave a fire truck parked outside while i tinker. i will let you know how that all goes.