Any advice when buying a Pete?

Cab lights, horns and visor mounting holes can all leak, and will leak into the fuse box and corrode it. Some people get lazy and don't use the rope putty when they put in new windshields, which will also leak, badly, not specifically on the fuse box, but all over the cab. There are also sensors on the floorboards that will corrode, causing you grimlens. That's actually an upcoming project for me, Both sealing up the water entry points and fixing the damage that has been done.

Check out the mounting holes for the interior panels, at least on my 378 the lower ones are cracked pretty badly, some with only one bolt still actually holding them. The dash screws will strip out, you can replace the little rivet in nuts, or I just said eff it and used a bunch of lag bolts.

If air lines to the brake valve and air switches on the dash have not been routed perfectly, they will rub on the windshield wipers, and they snake way back around and down through the dash to get to the manifold / bulkhead. Not too much fun, but are any air leaks?

 

No one has mentioned the bottom bumper bolts. If the truck has hit a deer or a small accident the bottom ears on that bracket will break.

Thats one quick thing to check when buying a pete.

 

Yep, I've done that too, almost forgot about it. Cast aluminum ain't too tough. To fix that you've got to get a frame horn, used mine was like 200 or so iirc. Looked like it was going to be such a pain to put on I ended up having the Pete dealer do it when I had my front structure resealed. Sets between the steering box and the frame, also where the front spring shackle is, and the front radiator cross member. Fun stuff.

Had a 'small accident' with a concrete retaining wall, dang thing hid under my hood while I was watching some powerlines behind me, got clear, dumped the clutch and boom! Man was I pissed at myself!

 

Don't beat yourself too badly as you have lots of company. Some of us get lucky in that no one happened to see us when we screwed up. Others tattle on themselves.

 

Check to make sure the hood hinges are good I have to replace both hinges and the lower grille piece on my 99