Thank you for all your advice and info. I think I have made up my mind. I did something else also. I bought an other :D
http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin...2017#post72017
Its going to cost time and money, it sure will. But I would rather tinker with both these gals and keep them running for an other 15-20 years.
Screw new cars, they not worth what I would have to pay for one, dealer used cars usually are no better. I like the older square like cars better anyway instead of all these rounded way too futuristic luxury boxes on wheels.
If I am to drive a car, I want to drive it. Standard drive ( Stick shift, manual transmission ), ohh year.
Not have it tell me I left a door open while I am loading groceries or some other crappy alarms they all have today. Hate my wife her 2006 Taurus for all the dings and dongs it gives you, cant even have the radio play with the doors open without you being annoyed by the constant beeps.....

Meh, I can rant and rave on for days about all the crap technology today is doing to us all. That is however not the purpose of this forum neither my intend at this time. Happy thoughts, let go back to cars.


I will be spending time and other resources to at least keep either of these gals running for me. I will focus on the Macro for now to change out the inmediate need so she passed inspection here in Texas and conforms to my requirements for driving around.
That will give me the possibility to take the engine out of my little single and do a full job here. New seals, gaskets. Maybe bearings and hopefully not find anything that can not be repairs or fixed.
When the engine is out I also will have easier access to the front where the radiator mounts to straighten that all out again. Rudolf did a bad hit and bent the whole front when I further inspected it last time. It is also noticeable at night as both head light not aim to the right.
I go have an other reason to pull the engine also. The original altenator, umm. Burned out. quite literly. I now know why all the altenator wires where toast when I first looked into it. I changed part of it out with #0 copper and now seem to have burned out the main copper line inside the altenator. For now I stole the altenator from the Macro to keep going and bought a 75A for Macro to get her running again.
I found grills online, they are still easy enough to find. The bumber, well. I was going to try and take the dents out. I may also redo the whole bumber and put a nice bull bar bumber on it. Custom made as I seem not to be able to find these at all for these little trucks. I do have to be more careful of the living critters around here but that would protect the whole front of the truck. Aside from the dents to the plate work, the right most I beam took most of the bump and it is still intact and straight.

Here are some more day light shots of the damage, made on the same day but with my actual camera instead of the phone.

DSC04284.jpgDSC04285.jpgDSC04286.jpgDSC04288.jpgDSC04289.jpg

Good thing I like tinkering and such. I just need to make sure to keep something around that I can drive with that is not the wife her car