Old Yeller 4x4 upgrade

[jjzepplin]

So I found this forum late in my build and never thought to start a thread on it.
A bit late but I am still working on it so I will start documenting upgrades as I go.
A bit about the truck-
It was a fire truck originally from California and was purchased from the city of San Leandro from my buddy Keenan. Ever since he bought it everyone I know tried to buy it from him. Must have been tiresome saying NO. That was back in 1986. I asked him too but let it go for 24 more years and lost touch with him.(bought the Blazer instead) Ran into him one day and asked him if I could do some laundry at his house-I was homeless.
I ended up staying with him for a while and we got real chummy and his parents called me their second son. I still send them Christmas cards.
Anyway-I go outside to get the mail as Ruger the hunting dog is making a fuss and Remington is right behind him.
I notice in the mail there is a bill from a storage facility and I asked him why he had storage as he owned his home and there was plenty of room. He said it was Old Yeller and he was not going to pay the bill this time. Well I had a job and asked him if I payed the bill could I buy the truck? He said sure. WOW! I bought it sight unseen for $600. Had a camper on it (should have bought that too) That he wanted to keep maybe. So he got the camper and I got the truck. I brought it home-Long drive with a bad U-joint and a trans that jumped out of gear and bald separated tires and IFFY brakes and a big 44caliber hole in the windshield. (glued up with some shoe-goo.)
So I don't have much money but decide I am moving to Florida-and so I leave the truck with him for a year or so and it sits in his backyard.
I Wreck my Blazer and got some insurance $ so I sent for the truck and had it shipped from Cali. New life to begin soon. This is when I got her home.