After the mobile mechanic attached the fuel hose to my carb, I turned the ignition switch. A number of things could have happened, like nothing, or horrific sounds coming from my engine as she broke apart from a bad install.

My trip to Tampa would either be on, or I would be walking to the store from now on.

But she fired up like her old self, instantly, and sat there and purred. I've poured a bunch of my dwindling savings into that moment, and it was sweet!

The young mechanic, son of the guy who runs the shop across from the tobacco store up the street, had initially quoted me $50 for the service call and $50 for labor. I stood there in front of my engine, smiling, and handed him two fifties. He said make it $70, and with the $35 part, I made out well.

Then I jumped in my truck, shot across the highway and did a test run to the Park. Crossing Hwy 43 to the side road has been risky lately. Big trucks come roaring down the hill, building up speed to make it up the next hill into town, and I was running the risk of my truck dying on me as I stepped on the gas trying to accelerate across the highway, in front of them.

Death by giant speeding truck smashing into my drivers side, as I sit helpless in the middle of the road, is not the way I want to go...

Bottom line: Carb rebuilt, new plugs, new cap and rotor, new distributer, new tires, new shocks, a brake rebuild, a fresh oil change, and now with a new fuel pump, my truck Jill is back!