Whats your thoughts?

[Cheesemaker]

Alright.  I found this rig on a local FB page.  I was thinking about it, and didn't pursue it because I thought it would be gone before I could look at it.  But according to his son, its still there, and nobody has called.  It's been listed for 2 months now. 

This is what I know. 
1984 extra cab, just needs new head.  $450.   



I plan on looking at it this week.  And really give it a once over.  I really need a backup rig, and I can't really afford it, but I could if I had to. 

On a side note, I am supposed to get a small shed full of Toyota parts including a motor.  So, I could part out what I don't need and recoup for the truck.
I would definitely pull the motor, and go thru the whole thing if I do buy it.


What do you think? 

I do know the 2wd have the higher frame rails in the front for more axle clearance. 

[knucklebuster]

 Id buy it. Im partial to blue. Damn it stop thinking about buying another truck!

Well, those where my first three thoughts.
I go back and forth alot on buying a gas saver/dd/beater. I have a fullsize truck, 250 enduro (60+mpg ) but keep looking for a cheap extra cab, wagon, diesel or 4runner for the next wallet opening, cash draining, money pit for some reason. My reasoning is better mpg than the diesel (18) or 4runner and less wear and tear.  Having sold off a couple vehicles lately, i can say my pockets are way heavier not having to pay insurance, reg, and maintenance on 5 rides. Thats the only thing that keeps me from calling the guy with the ej81 subaru and ordering up a 3" lift for it or buying that 83 300td Mercedes with the veggie kit that just needs the transmission worked on.

I feel for ya man its a hard decision. I would say go for it though, the truck looks clean, its a extra cab with a shell and if your area is anything like down here you should be able to turn a profit by just getting it running, driving it around for a while and then selling it.

I just did that with the 86 4runner i bought last year for 700. I sold it for 4500 a month ago. It was fun working on it, and driving it around, and i got all the money i put into it back and a bit more.

[Cheesemaker]

Yeah, I always am reserved about buying stuff, my money comes really hard.  But I have another son coming up and needing a vehicle to drive.  And this would be cheap on insurance. 

Supposedly, he took the head off, and the head is bad.  So, if all I did was put a basic head on, and drove it.  And then sell it, it should be a profit.  But a backup rig would be nice.  So, I don't have to borrow a rig if mine is down. 

But I will look this rig over, and I will take a floor jack to get a good look at the frame by the tank.  And around the windshield.  Then decide if it would be worth it. 

[Slabzilla]

That shot looks clean, look her over good and hand over the cash if she's clean all over.  Sweet DD.   

[jimbo74]

blown hg... that's like $100.... for $450 on the price..... you really can't go wrong... heck, it is worth that in parts

[Snowtoy]

2 months still there, looks like she has been waiting for you to pick her up.

As long as the rest of the body is in the same shape as the passengers side, I wouldn't have any issue buying it, even if you put $1k into getting it running and safe to drive, you would still be money ahead.  It would make a nice little DD/back-up until your son is ready to drive.

The last 3 I have restored have all been 2wd's, all bought for less than $500 each, the last one was my favorite so far,

I wish I had had a reason to keep it.

Well, those where my first three thoughts.
....................i can say my pockets are way heavier not having to pay insurance, reg, and maintenance on 5 rides. Thats the only thing that keeps me from calling the guy with the ej81 subaru and ordering up a 3" lift for it or buying that 83 300td Mercedes with the veggie kit that just needs the transmission worked on.............

I hear you on that, I currently have 5, and each of them have a specific use, the the others can't really take care if, if I didn't have to pay insurance on all of them all when I can only drive one at a time, I would likely have 3-4 more.   I find restoring one every 6-12 months gets the "something new bug" taken care of and generally allows enough left over to reduce the cost of owning the other 5, it sucks when you are replacing new tires for 10yr old ones that still have the nipples on them.

[knucklebuster]

I see deals like that and figure in the cost of registration, smog (tune up) and repairs(time) and parts. And ask myself is it still a good deal?
If it's nice looking like that one appears to be and has been maintained so that you aren't spending a ton of money on tires, shocks, hoses, belts, brakes and such (like i did with a tacoma) to make it reliable, I'd say do it.

I took a loss on the tacoma when I sold it, but it funded my solid axle swap on my wrecked 4runner and helped get the other one on the road, so it was worth it to me. I figured I traded something I didn't want (2wd) for something I did.

You know how the little parts add up in a motor rebuilt or rehab and if your kid is going to be driving it I'm sure you will be fixing up it to be in good shape before you throw him the keys, all that adds up.
I had around 2500 into the 4runner motor by the time i was done with my fix the headgasket and everything else adventure, that was with trading Putney a bunch of work... building his dyno room

Would I buy it? Yeah....
But like most folks around here I'm a sucker for a 80s toyota.