Topic: Is This a Good Deal? 1981 4wd and 1980 2wd for parts, $1500

[cloudsrest]

I found a guy a few miles away who is selling a 1981 4wd pickup and a 1980 2wd pickup for $1500 for the pair both with titles and free delivery, he won't sell them separately. Neither has been driven in several years not counting driving it onto a trailer. Both are complete, manuals, 22r enignes, odometers rolled over (sounds like they're both around 140k based on vehicle history), the 2wd runs well, the 4wd was ticking and only runs when pouring gas in the carb because the tank is gummed up.

2wd has a rusty (beyond saving) bed, mostly it's just for parts the guy said, mainly the engine, nice door panels, tailgate, and nice hood. Rust on the 4wd is minimal except for a body mount that needs to be fixed and a few spots on the tailgate. Is this a good deal? I've been building Jeeps and Jeep engines my whole life and thought I would try something new, I just don't know Toyotas very well.

[83_P/U_4x4]

    It seems like it is a great deal but always double check. The frame is something I would look at religiously. I’m not a welder so if I found any holes I would need someone else to patch it, someone else that cost extra money. Same goes for the bed, though finding a perfect bed is rare so I wouldn’t care too much about that. Plus I would drive the 4x4 using as many gears as possible, it would suck to buy it only to find out that the transfer case is stuck in 2H or an axle brakes under a slight load/incline (it’s not too hard to fix it’s just that the parts can be costly)
    I would also look at your needs. There are bound to be a few more problems that you’ll find on the trucks and they could be benign or malignant. So if you NEED a daily driver, I would suggest moving on; but, if you want something fun to work on, these trucks fit that mold quite well (if I do say so myself)


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[RUGER]

agree seems like a good deal.

the tick in the motor could be a broken timing chain guild but could also be other stuff to.
seafoam worked to clean the varnish out my fuel tank. you could also drop tank and pressure wash it out or put lengths of chain and let them slide around. just be sure to count how many you put in so you get that many out.

there is a lot of good info here and are more then willing to give you info. heck someone might help you wrench on stuff.

happy trails
RUGER

[79coyotefrg]

   Get r done

[cloudsrest [OP]]

Thanks everyone! I’m going to buy them this weekend. I expect I’ll be posting more as I find things that need fixing. I’ve always had a fondness for these old straight axle Toyota’s, not sure why...

[Snowtoy]

If you don't live in the rust-belt, the frames shouldn't be an issue, if you do, I am sure you know what to look for.  If the frames are good, and the only rust issue is the one body mount, $1500 is a good deal, maybe be able to put together a good daily driver 4x4, and turn around and sell the 2wd as a beater.

[cloudsrest [OP]]

Whelp, things got a little more complicated. The seller is floating both titles, and the sale date of the 2wd is 1996...I was a little kid in a different state then, pretty sure the DMV is going to raise an eyebrow at that, laid back as they may be out here. The 4wd can't be driven, brakes and clutch both don't work, and there is some rot on the frame in front of one of the rear leaf springs. Both engines do run at least (when pouring gas in the carbs), but I'm not sure I want to deal with this for the price he's asking. Time will tell, but odds are I'll keep looking. It's disappointing though, these solid axle rigs are getting hard to find.

[Snowtoy]

"Floating" the title shouldn't be an issue as long as there is a clear chain of ownership from the last registered owner to the current seller.  I bought a rig a few years ago here in over regulated CA, that hadn't been registered in about 10yrs, the bill of sale was a napkin from the original owner through the 5 next owners to me.  The rust would be more of an issue than the title would be.  If you can't make one complete rig out of the two, the value good deal at $1500 starts to diminish if you don't have the ability or friends to deal with the rust issue for the cost of materials/consumables.

[Sn12Hilux]

Great deal for sure