Truckdoza Turbo Diesel Build Thread (Looooong)

[Darth Garry]

Just if anyone had a few hours, figured I'd post up all my build pics.

How I found the Truckdoza

It's a funny story. I was doing a lot with my band and I knew that I wanted a bigger car, something that I could easily fit my drum kit into. I was thinking about a fox, quantum, or passat wagon, because that's about all that was available at the time. Then I remembered about the pickup truck. Now, up until this point I've been driving my automatic Jetta(gas) for 6 years.

My Dad called me up at work one day and told me that he found someone who had a truck for sale, so I left work early, drove to Hudson Falls to check this baby out. What we found wasn't very good - it was rusted out all underneath. The floor pans and everything were toasted. It wasn't running - in other words as my Dad put it "This thing's a load". So while we were checking it out he told me that there was another truck he saw in fishkill on the side of the road for sale, and he even wrote the number down.

We called the guy, and he was there. He said he was asking 1500, my dad asked if he'd to 1200, which he agreed. It turns out the truck was for sale for only 2 days - and then the guy was moving out to Massachusets, so we never would have found it then.

So that weekend we had to go out to an airport in Ghent, NY to check it out. The guy was going to put his motorcycle in the back and drive the bike home. So, we checked it out and my old man found a bunch more stuff wrong with it. He agreed to take 1100 for the truck, and we drove it home!

After that we did all that work on it, and one problem remained - it was a standard! And a diesel! I didn't know how to drive it! I registred the car and everything but then it sat for a while. Finally one day when no one was home I just got in it and started driving around. It was real rough at first and I'm glad my dad wasn't watching! But I didn't do too bad.

So after that I drove out to Masachusets and the seller also threw in a cap for it and a set of snow tires. It soon became my daily driver and I sold the Jetta for $375 to my Uncle John. My brother says he still sees the Jetta tooling all over Saratoga.

That winter was rough on the truck, it was my only car so I needed to drive it in the salt and snow, which hurt me, but oh well. Luckily we had the parking garage at work that I kept it in as much as I could.

After that I wanted a better cap and bought one on ebay for $86. But it was in Florida. So 5 days before we left, I find out the injection pump is leaking like a sieve. We had to tear it out one night and bring it to D&W to have it resealed. What an ordeal that was. Then put it back in 2 days before getting it up to florida. Then the antifreeze started leaking, but we couldn't figure out where.

Anyways, me and Adam drove it to Florida without any major issues. On the way back we blew a radiator hose which sucked a lot, but we fixed it with a ton of Duct tape. It turns out the other Antifreeze was leaking from the headgasket (ewwww).

So after we got back since we had the head off, we just rebuilt the whole engine, top to bottom. New seals and everything. It was leaking transmission fluid so we resealed that as well and did a new clutch. Then, Jaime and I drove it across the country. It was the coolest thing I've ever done. Ever.

So after that I knew I needed another truck before winter and found the Sport Truck. I put the 'Doza in storage, and that's where it is right now. But I took the engine out of the jetta, so very soon I will begin work in earnest.

Cross country trip (2002):
http://www.notinteresting.com/travel/crosscountry/index.htm

Donor Car (2003!):  http://www.notinteresting.com/studio/vw/death/84jetta1/jet1.htm

Engine Teardown (yes this is the same motor you saw last week):  http://www.notinteresting.com/studio/vw/truckdoza/031127engineteardown/index.htm

The Shop my dad and I built:
http://www.notinteresting.com/photoalbum/031125barninsulation/PB230023.JPG

Truckdoza:  Liberated (2004)
http://www.notinteresting.com/photoalbum/040425truckliberation/liberationday.htm

Truckdoza:  Week 2 - Engine Out
http://www.notinteresting.com/photoalbum/040501truckdoza/truckdoza.htm

Truckdoza:  Week 3 - Interior Stripping
http://www.notinteresting.com/photoalbum/040515truckdoza/truckdoza.htm

Truckdoza:  Finishing the stripping (photos near the bottom) - going to paint
http://www.notinteresting.com/photoalbum/040606bandbarnphotos/index.htm

Truckdoza:  Back from paint shop! (username starwars, password volkswagen)
http://www.notinteresting.com/private/040704truckdoza_marygrad/index.htm

Truckdoza:  DYNOMAT!!! BEST STUFF EVER
http://www.notinteresting.com/photoalbum/040711truckdoza/index.htm

Truckdoza: Getting the floorpans/carpet, starting the dash install
http://www.notinteresting.com/photoalbum/040717truckdoza/index.htm

Truckdoza:  Door Cards, bottom end, head work
http://www.notinteresting.com/photoalbum/040801truckdoza/index.htm

Truckdoza:  More head work/ our old dog
http://www.notinteresting.com/photoalbum/040815rooftruck/blank.htm

Truckdoza:  Clean up transmission and build engine
http://www.notinteresting.com/photoalbum/040828truckdoza/blank.htm

Truckdoza:  Turbo'd!!!
http://www.notinteresting.com/photoalbum/040927turbo/blank.htm

Truckdoza:  Engine Install (September 2004 by this time) (after all the crazy party pics)
http://www.notinteresting.com/photoalbum/041024truckdozahalloween/blank.htm

Sportruck goes for its final ride.  A sad day.
http://www.notinteresting.com/photoalbum/041031sportruck/blank.htm

Sportruck:  parting out
http://www.notinteresting.com/photoalbum/041106couplapics/blank.htm

Truckdoza:  Injection Pump, Timing, all that good stuff.
http://www.notinteresting.com/photoalbum/050101truckdoza/truckdoza.htm

Truckdoza:  Misc engine accessories
http://www.notinteresting.com/photoalbum/050115truckdoza/truckdoza.htm

Truckdoza:  Getting close (engine and interior work)
http://www.notinteresting.com/photoalbum/050320truckdoza/blank.htm

Truckdoza:  IGNITION!!!!
http://www.notinteresting.com/photoalbum/050327truckdoza/truckdoza.htm

Truckdoza:  Making it drivable!
http://www.notinteresting.com/photoalbum/050410truckdoza/blank.htm

Truckdoza:  2005, 9800 mile road trip
http://www.notinteresting.com/travel/2005tripzilla/tripzilla.htm

After this, I took a 2 year haiatus from truckdozaing, while I was buying a house and getting married.

But in 2007 we were back at it!  It started off as quite a mess.
http://www.notinteresting.com/photoalbum/070505_doza/blank.htm

Truckdoza:  Operation Re-Awesome step 1
http://www.notinteresting.com/photoalbum/070704_Doza/blank.htm

Truckdoza:  Waterfest, 2007
http://www.notinteresting.com/photoalbum/070723_waterfest/blank.htm

Truckdoza:  Operation Re-Awesome step 2 (2008)
http://www.notinteresting.com/photoalbum/080403_Truckdoza/blank.htm

Truckdoza:  2008 mods stage 2
http://www.notinteresting.com/photoalbum/080417_Truckdoza/blank.htm

Litchfield Bug-In
http://www.notinteresting.com/photoalbum/080615_Bug_In/blank.htm

The end!  As you can see, the Truckdoza and I have quite a history together, and much more to go!

Garry

[zukgod1]

Awesome post man!!!

Good work in keeping it alive and on the road. I commend you.

[CoolAirVw]

Thanks for posting that up. You get a thumbs up!

I just wasted two hours of my life looking at all that!  But I got nothing better to do since I'm off work with a sprained ankle .

Fyi: that was a 21 window bus, not a 23, at the Litchfield bug in.

[DieselKraut]

I love the dead deer hangin in the backround in the fourth pic of third link. AWESOME!

[rabbid79]

Your truck looks great, very clean!  I noticed in one of the engine pics that you have one of those large oil pressure senders on the back of the head.  Does it also have a special brass adapter for converting the threads?  I have one of those large senders too, but it doesn't mate properly, and leaks oil.

[shegel]

im lovin the pics mang good job i wish my dad was as helpfull as yours is(im only 19(im still learinging))

[Darth Garry]

Yeah there is an adapter.  No leaks so far.  My old man said the threads weren't a perfect match but were "pipey" enough to not leak.  So far, so good (25,000 miles).

The gauge recently crapped out though, gotta do some testing.  It was literally like $15 from JC whitney.  I'm going to invest in Auto-Meter as soon as I get some cashola.

Garry

[CoolAirVw]

I love the dead deer hangin in the backround in the fourth pic of third link. AWESOME!

You got some sharp eyes.  That was a dark pic.

[Darth Garry]

Here's some more updates to the build.


Truckdoza: 2009 Undercarriage Restoration I
http://www.notinteresting.com/photoalbum/090313_truckdoza/blank.htm

Truckdoza: 2009 Undercarriage Restoration II
http://www.notinteresting.com/photoalbum/090319_Truckdoza_Suspension/blank.htm

Hitch, Headliner, Misc Junk (And Cats)
http://www.notinteresting.com/photoalbum/090418_Truckdoza_Recording_Cats/blank.htm

Undercarriage restoration Complete & Home
http://www.notinteresting.com/photoalbum/090616_Truckdoza/blank.htm

Headliner & Litchfield Bug-In
http://www.notinteresting.com/photoalbum/090622_Lichfield/blank.htm

2009 MK1 Madness
http://www.notinteresting.com/photoalbum/090727_Truckdoza/blank.htm

That is all. For now!

Garry

[burn_your_money]

It's nice to see all this in one place.

With all that sound deadening how quiet is it? Your carpet must not have fit very well eh?

[Darth Garry]

It's nice to see all this in one place.

With all that sound deadening how quiet is it? Your carpet must not have fit very well eh?

It is quieter, a lot quieter.  I can't say how many DB's, but quite a few.  It took the engine and road noise from dangerously loud to fairly quiet inside.

Yes, the carpet took some goofing around with but it fit okay, had to just take my time and get it laid in right.  The dynoliner and dynomat probably added 1/2" to the thickness.

Garry

[burn_your_money]

Right on, thanks. I'm considering my options for my caddy, hopefully it turns out at least half as nice as yours

[Darth Garry]

Right on, thanks. I'm considering my options for my caddy, hopefully it turns out at least half as nice as yours

Thanks for the compliment, Burn_your_money.

I keep saying over and over, it's not the amount of skill you have or the amount of money you have, but how dedicated you are to the build.  It took tremendous patience to get my truck to where it is, I have been planning and executing this build since 2001, and many things are on their second or third version of improvement.  Just stick with it, and stick with it, and stick with it, and stick with it and it will turn out awesome.