I am looking at a 82 in horrible condition. I am willing to tackle most of the issues. However, one issue in particular is the ignition. It is missing the key hole and the entire apparatus is hanging off the steering column.
Can anyone tell me how much of a PITA it is to deal with this as well as what I need to do to get it up and running??

 

Junkyard, very easy. have a locksmith make you a new key or have the pins redone

 

hah is it stolen? cause in that case dealing with the cops when they show up on on you doorstep might be the hardest part to tackle j/k. But ya I agree look at junkyards or look for guys who are parting out their trucks who might still have what u need.

 

as far as I know its not stolen. I saw it in front of this sketch ass house all dark and dank (like a typical grow house here in Humboldt.) I finally saw a lady outside and I drove up and talked to her.
She said she would think about it and she would probably just give it to me.
I am headed back up to talk to her on Thur.
Thanks for the help!

 

if it is too much of a pita just hook it up the ign to a off/on toggle and a push button for the starter bump. but i think the ign w/ key is not too expensive at a parts store.
also look at the title to make sure it is not stolen

 

actually yes!! That is a great idea. I just read about bypassing the ignition. It seems pretty straightforward.
This truck has a straight body and frame but it is coated with rust. No rust through just medium surface rust. I wanted to pull the motor, rebuild it, upgrade the diffs and driveline and wheel it. As far as the body I don't really care.
here is the little gem

 

Hard to beat free. Here are a couple comparisons of minimal rust AZ trucks.
http://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/ctd/1108622594.html
http://phoenix.craigslist.org/wvl/cto/1107284050.html

 

wow those are nice compared to this one.
This one has a garden growing in the floorboards. The engine is a big blur of rust colored red. It is hard to tell what is what in the engine bay.
ahhahah

 

take it man, haha sand er down and olive dab it!

 

Looks like it was parked in a pond for awhile. I guess I'm lucky, my '83 has no rust. You've got alot of work ahead of you--good luck!

 

ahhaha
about a 1/4 mile from that truck is the Pacific Ocean. The Pacific Northcoast ocean. That poor little truck gets battered by salty ocean spray everyday since it was parked there.
I figure I will rebuild the underneath, take the bed off and build a cage, do the interior and leave the outside front the way it is.

 

lucky (insert incorrect YT word here) sweet deal for free. Unless the totally screwed it up it sounds like you should be able to make a decent wheeler out of it.
if you decide not to work on it I can be down next monday with a trailer and $100

did she get you a title too?