Cheers for sharing your repairs here, mate! I've never had to repair a car to this extent before, so it's quite an interesting thing to read. Even though the paint doesn't exactly match in its shininess, that bumper looked pretty great. But your removal of all that loose rust is even more amazing. Very well done! I don't know what model pickup that is, but damn that mileage is pretty high :-O
Thanks so much for checking my post out! I appreciate it!
I started small many years ago with my car repairs and DIY work. Most people I know start with just learning how to change their oil, add some fluids and that kind of stuff. I did the same and it grew from there. I then changed my own brakes, rotated tires and really enjoyed all of it. That’s not to say I didn’t make mistakes or have difficult moments, I certainly did! Once you keep doing it though, like anything, you get more confidence and you’re willing to try to do more. Building slowly on the progress we make is important!
Ah that truck was such a solid vehicle, it was a 2003 Ford Ranger extended cab. I had plenty of space in it for me and my stuff if we were taking trips and I also had a nice sized bed if we needed to haul stuff. It was crucial to moving out of my parents house then moving out of my apartment years later. Someday I will get my hands on another one and do what I can to keep it running! It was also really easy to fix, which is so nice. Lots of room to work, unlike the smaller cars where you’re practically breaking a finger to undo a bolt near the engine.
Wow, pretty great to hear your story, mate! As with everything, there's always a first time, and it starts out small. First, you're simply pouring a new bottle of coolant, and the next thing, you're rotating tyres... Wonderful! Making mistakes is a process of learning, and that's goes for everything. Sooner rather than later, you start to gain confidence, and that's when you get the hand of things.
Those pickups are certainly very robust machines, and there's quite a few Rangers here in Malaysia, too. Not sure if your Ranger and ours is the same, as we're not a fan of big pickups here. Or at least, our roads are way too tiny for those American-sized monsters! Easy to run, easy to fix, and loads of things to carry! Cheers, and have a great day :-D