When we left you last, Stella was finally on the road and ready to shred her new Nitto tires. The engine is complete and in the break-in process. A few hundred miles of fluid movement and dust shaking revealed a couple simple issues that needed to be addressed. Loosening exhaust bolts and new rattle noises always pop up, but nothing that a day on the lift and some turns of a wrench can’t fix.
Once the break-in period is done, we will swap out the transmission fluid with a Syncromesh liquid and she will be ready to daily drive. During that process we took the opportunity to prep and paint our new metal panels. We wanted the truck to look the part, so along with the rumble from the exhaust, a cowl hood is an absolute necessity.
Removing the rear bumper is a must-do modification as well if you’re going for the true sport truck look. The all-metal roll pan from AVS on the Web fits perfect and can be temporarily bolted in while we wait for our turn in the paint booth. Finally, a new tailgate from LMC Truck will replace the beat-up factory piece. With all the new parts painted and installed, we will coat the bed floor with a DIY bedliner kit. This is going to be an amazing truck when it’s all complete, but for now we have some work to do. Stick around and follow along!
Auto Metal Direct
www.autometaldirect.com
Automotive Touchup Paint
www.automotivetouchup.com
AVS on the Web
www.avsontheweb.com
Eddie Motorsports
www.eddiemotorsports.com
LMC Truck
www.lmctruck.com
Optima Batteries
www.optimabatteries.com/en-us