old trucks are just that, old. they need extra care (and money) to be all they can be. just a fact of life. the hope is that the fun times still outweigh the work. and that ratio can switch in a hurry after a couple particularly bad gut punches. You just need to endure. Remember that a lot of it is in your mind. dwelling on the negative can make bad things much worse. I try to focus on the positive side by planning the next mods. Upgrades are fun. Repairs are not. oh, did my alternator die? well clearly now I need a higher output one! is my t-case toast? Well let me tally up the upgrades I can do while it's out of the truck (wider chain, bigger gears, SYE, maybe a 242 instead?) Even if I never end up doing them, my brain maintains a level of excitement that doesn't come from boring repairs.