LUVTruck.com

Hello all,

As of yesterday, I purchased a 1978 Luv ($150, can't beat that!). It has some decent frame rust damage, and other parts of it are pretty beat up -- but it fires right up, and runs well.

I'm hoping to do a full restoration on this over the summer of '09. Right now it's a little hard with the nearly 2' of snow we have on the ground (Chicago)...

As I promised in a previous post, I took a few pictures and will post them here. I took them with my phone until the snow clears up a bit and I can get some clearer shots.





Regards,
Bob

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Welcome aboard...

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If you think no one cares, try missing a couple of payments...



FIAA!

SFPP!

Welcome to the site. You got a good buy there.

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Life is a DRAG RACE!!!
I like my Luv WILD!!!

Sometimes too much to drink isn't enough!!
Kinky is using a feather. Perverted is using the whole chicken.
http://www.wildluvracing.com

It looks a little "sad" out there in the snow -- hopefully I can get it lookin' new (ish) by summer.

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Many of us started with far worse then that.

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Certified pilots, looking down on people since 1903.

How much for a scoop.

not bad looking for $150.00.. I'm going to be geting my sixthed luvtruck sometime soon found one out onthe east coast for$1,200 with a rebilt motor waiting for pic then i will deside witch one of the two I want I live in noth cental wisconsin it snows uphere too need 4x4 bad
have fun with your luv and keep a truckin

It looks like a good start. Keep us updated on the progress.

Perhaps a late reply, but I guess late is better than never.

I have been doing some major parts-pulling from this thing. The entire drivetrain seems excellent, it starts right up, drives, etc.

I have yanked off one of the fenders already, and noticed that it is aftermarket. The reason it was yanked is that rust ate through the entire front of it. Then, moving towards the back of the truck, I went to replace the bushings on the door, but the bolts on the hinges are so rusted out that they just free-spin in the body...Since I think this is the only part of the truck that has a VIN number, I don't even think I can replace just the door without a ton of extra work (legal wise). The bed (where the wheel wells are welded to the sides) are starting to rust to the point where I took a sawzall to remove the rust, and then grinded, sandblasted, and primed the resultant holes until it gets a little warmer out for the paint to cure.

It looks like I had a shade tree mechanic working on it before, because there was RTV where BOND-O should have been used as body filler (lol).

Yesterday, a friend and I removed the bed, taillights, wiring, and fuel filler neck. I examined the frame for more damage. The passenger side has at least 3 Feet (1 Meter for INTL reasons) of a rust hole in it -- It looks like somebody already welded plate over this hole, and the rust pretty much just started at their weld.

The drivers side has about 6 Feet of the same problem (2 Meters)...

I'm starting to think I'm in well over my head with this. I really wonder if an S-10 frame would work, or if there is some way to stop the rust and fill this in...Mind you I'm on a rather limited budget like everybody else these days. At least if I get the frame fixed, then I'll have good reason to put in some floor boards

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The VIN is also imprinted in the cab, under the grille between the windshield and hood.(under the wipers) But you could also just drill out and re-pop rivot the your tag onto a new door.

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

As for the frame rot, I saw a thread of a rebuild on a rolled 4x4 that a high school kid in PA. did that was FAR worse than what you are describing. He got it done, and it looks good. Clean thouroughly, remove any rust, replate, and treat it with a corrosion preventative such as POR 15 if you are going to try it...

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If you think no one cares, try missing a couple of payments...



FIAA!

SFPP!

Again, another update.

Now that summer has hit, and so have layoffs, I have had nothing but time to work on the truck.

I must say, I really am impressed by the reliability of the engine / trans in this thing.

Well, first I have a humorous story for you guys.

I brought it up to a car show out here (mind you, it's in rough shape -- but all respectable cars there started that way), and somebody told me he thought none of these existed anymore. I thought that was neat.

But on the way back, me unknowing of this problem, I was tailed by the local cops. I was pulled over and the Sergent explained to me that the tail lights do a "funky dance" when I hit the brakes. He was right, turns out when I hit the brakes, the left brake light and reverse come on, and the right hand side turn lamp comes on, but the right brake lamp goes out...I figure probably carbon in the connectors -- and a few crossed wires. I'll look at it later.

The cop comes back to my truck and asks me "Do you know what 'L.U.V.' stands for?" I told him "Light Utility Vehicle" -- He told me that he was surprised, that not many people knew about this. I can thank this site for that tidbit of information, because even when I bought it I didn't know.

So, where it is now:
- Frame is still rotted, but I put the bed and other parts back on, and got plates for it.
- Engine at a "cold" start bogs if I stomp on it, but once it's been running for a few, it runs like a champ. I think I have a problem with the choke.
- I've been driving it with the carbon canister removed lately.
- I made a wood bench in the back for the 4th of July.
- I'm replacing the old sidemarkers with newer LED ones, because the old sockets were rusted out. Anybody interested in the brackets and wiring, I'd be glad to sketch up a few diagrams for you.


I have heard that somebody out here put a Luv body on a Jeep frame -- Impossible? I don't know myself, but I'd like to consider that option if I can -- instead of trying to find an unrusted frame.

Keep on rockin'

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the luv has a fully boxed frame it is difficult if not impossible to beat that type. i agree with mytmouz, remove the rust, sand blast frame, plate the hole, and then coat twice with por 15, its expensive stuff but it is well worth the price. the frame wont last forever this way but it may just outlast the rest of the truck.

i lived on an island in southeast alaska for 30 years and with all the salt air stuff rusted away very quickly, if we didnt want something to rot away this is what we did to it

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zyanug
75 luv stepside... Work in progress
76 fleetside 350hp 1968 327cu
"No replacement for displacement!"
___/__l____
[_@l__l__@_]***

and by the way if ya really need a frame i got 1 right here in the desert waitin for ya, its even a 78

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zyanug
75 luv stepside... Work in progress
76 fleetside 350hp 1968 327cu
"No replacement for displacement!"
___/__l____
[_@l__l__@_]***

Yea, I agree -- the boxed frame is nice...But, to be honest, this thing is bad. Somebody had already welded on plate to it in spots, and even this has rotted through.

I'm actually rather worried about something just giving way on the truck (in the form of a leaf spring knuckle, a control arm, etc). I just sold my stick welder recently, in hopes of maybe getting a MIG welder -- if I can get that, then hope will be restored.

I will have to do some looking into the truck, see how hard it would be to remove the cab and bed again, while leaving the engine, trans, driveshaft, rearend, etc, all intact. If it wasn't for the poor frame condition, I would be doing all kinds of cool stuff with this. I do have a hand sand blaster, I wonder if I can find a shop that I can have blast it up...The one I have would take months to clean up. A friends dad told me that he's seen people use two angle brackets (two "L" shaped pieces) to box in a frame, I may also do that too...All these ideas, but a lack of time and cash to do them

I do appreciate all your replies too everybody.

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...

Hmm...That is extremely tempting. What kind of details can you give me, price, condition, location?

I'm right near Chicago, so any chance of me getting it is slim, but it would save me so much effort and time if I could get a decent frame

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viewtopic.php?f=8&t=18197&start=0

here are some pics
and its in roswell, nm
price is neg but we can discuss that later over pm if you are interested

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zyanug
75 luv stepside... Work in progress
76 fleetside 350hp 1968 327cu
"No replacement for displacement!"
___/__l____
[_@l__l__@_]***

We may have to do that. Not sure what is typical, and that is one heck of a haul for me.

One question for you -- are those mirrors original on that truck? Mine are quite a bit smaller.

I am looking for a drivers-side window crank too, checked many auto parts stores, and all of the are too big or the splines are too coarse.

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the mirrors are origional as far as i know. i only got the truck about 8 months ago so im not sure. and i only got it to "help a brotha out" as i needed nothing off it.
there is only a few small things gone off it, and both window crank and whole assemblies are still there

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zyanug
75 luv stepside... Work in progress
76 fleetside 350hp 1968 327cu
"No replacement for displacement!"
___/__l____
[_@l__l__@_]***