[romey]

hi fellas, just been lurkin here and really diggin all the pigs and mods...gotta say, the charm of them is getting to me!

anyway, i just wanted a quick heads up on what to look for in a pig. i've seen the faq's in the 40 section which helped me grab my 78 40 but i haven't seen much on 55's (or i've missed them completely).

is there anything specific/particular to the 55's that i should pay close attention to? i know, rust, and more rust, check it everywhere! frame, tail gate, roof, floors, and especially windshield frame...

didn't find too much here so if anyone's watchin, a quick post on the definite musts to look for/at would be awesome for this squire! (i'm nowhere near a "knight", lol). it sounds like a turn key pig, but who knows what lurks in it's history...

please and thanks!

cheers.

romey

hmmm, err, maybe it's just a dumb thing to ask since every 55 is gonna need some work no matter what! lol.

[Dave Phillips]

Hey, Romey
Stress cracks in the body around the door hinges is pretty comon, and a pain. Causes the door to sag and things to not match-up.

[romey]

ah cool, that i never thought of. great, will check that too. i can just imagine the metal work to straighten that out, yikes! thanks Dave!

[nuclearlemon]

make sure everything works, including the tailgate motor at both the dash switch and the rear key switch. the door cracks mentioned are annoying, but can be welded back up if they're not to bad. the worst thing is the rust that you already know about.

[jmylie]

You may want to check the fan / radiator / shroud. If the fan's chipped or the shroud or radiator show "contact" signs, the engine mounts may be / are shot.

Has it been desmogged or is all the emission paraphernalia intact? This may make a difference depending on the state you will register the vehicle in.

Rust and wiring, especially the gauges, unless you really like looking for electrical gremlins.

Some areas experience roof rust, some up under the dash. Shine a bright light in the engine compartment and look under the dash to see if there are any holes or rusted out areas. Same with the cowl vents by the windshield wipers.

There are fresh air vents, these also rust out.

Oh yeah, did anyone mention rust?

[romey]

thanks fellas! was told that the tailgate works (but will dble check if both switches work). electrical gremlins, i do not like! was told the gauges/lights also work...
will check the nook and crannies around the dash for the brown stuff!

on another note....how are ya'lls explaining your cruiser addictions to the 's! lol. i already convinced the wifey to take over the 80 (she's lovin it and for the baby it's perfect! the tercel was hers and now it's my dd and it's great on gas) my tentative plan is to replace the tercel with this thing ( i know, maybe not the best idea IFFF the 55's is not turn key and needs other work, in which case, i may pass on it)... i commute to work about 80% of the time but the 55 will get DD driving time (the 40's for the bush and it'll come off full insurance over the winter to save $$)... i wanted to keep the tercel for those times i can't justify spending extra gas money, but the wifey wants ONE vehicle out! she's got the 80, the 40 will be in the garage and then the tercel...OR the pig!

the cruiser bug has infected me, the pig will be perfect for the winter coming up, but i don't want it to turn into a crazy money black hole (and realistically i know i should expect a couple grand later on into it)

it'll all boils down to how she presents herself wen i see her this afternoon. kept bone stock by a cruiserhead, i'm told the motor and tranny are doin well, lights/gauges work, frame is clean, and it should require minimal work to certify.... IFFFF it's turn key and i can insure the piggy and get it on the road....good plan or what?!

(but who knows, if it all falls through tonight.... well, thanks again for the tips anyway!)

. . . i know silly to even consider replacing a nice reliable tercel with a 31 year old gas guzzler! wtf am i thinking?!!! i think these are one of the clear signs and symptoms of the cruise-1N1 virus!

[toddslater]

Tell the mrs. that as soon as the pig proves itself reliable, than you'll send the Tercel down the road. After a year or so she'll not notice the Tercel anymore. Good luck and hope you bag that pig

[romegadave]

Bear in mind the rubber ie door/window/tailgate.......we all know how diffiicult it is to get it for these rare rides......still though life would just be empty without a pig

[romey]

well, i saw the pig, it started and it iddled. had to be shut down shortly afta cuz there wasn't enough rad fluid in the newly installed rad (so he says) anyway, it was already dark and i did my best lookin under and over and around it...the 2f on my 40 sounded much healthier though...

- tailgate went up and it went down (albeit a little slow) don't think the key switch worked and not sure if the owner knew that that worked as well..?
- hinges were all solid and the doors slammed shut with precision, like an old benz door
- passenger side rear door rubber seal was loose but it was fairly knew
- a little messy inside and there were signs of electrical gremlin hunting, wires everywhere
- frame looked solid (saw a couple tiny holes on the drivers side main fram rail), i've seen much much worse here, looked decent overall
- exhaust was custom made, looked fine
- engine bay looked clean, usual sweat under the oil pan/t-case, maybe a mild drip even
- all lights worked except right headlight and front left turn signal, minor (reverse/brake were fine)
- wipers and washer worked
- hood latch loose and it wiggles a little
- minor rust along edges of roof, has been painted before
- bad part. 3 " hole in driver side rocker, and a hole in the driver side floor pan, rusty on passenger sides and all the rest, back floor is clean, sides are clean
- makeshift wood covers/panels for back door and sides of the rear, vinyls panels on some doors removed, window rollers are all off (typical) but windows went up and down
- couldn't test drive it, wasn't insured and no coolant....but it did start
- no roof liner, minor rust underneath
- the rest of the body was actually decent, didn't have a magnet to check for bondo though

needs some work to put on the road, work/tools/know-how that would take me a while to learn and tackle, considering it a big job for me, but easy peasy for you gearheads that do complete frame offs...
- so, say, strip the interior out, see how bad the rust is on the floor (add metal as necessary), tidy up the wires, give the engine a once over and see if it's solid/reliable (didn't have enough time/expertise to assess the condition of it)
- not gonna replace the tercel any time soon, lol, silly me!

. . . thinking....discussing with the wife.....gotta be realistic....40 still needs some minor work....etc...

[Eric Ellis]

how deep are the pockets? how much time do you have? patience? Other projects ?
Me I am still sitting on my 55 mostly and my 40 is a little neglected...but that is just me, and I am fighting uphill with a 1940's house at the same time. Can you say Masochist

Sounds like a very OK 55 though? Price? poke at that rust. I have nearly pristine floors but a screw driver went through the area where the body mount is.

Opps sorry not ment to frighten...I did not mean motor mount but rather body mount to floor.

[romey]

yup, all very valid points, pockets? i think they have holes as it is, lol. gotta be realistic, it'd be scary to see more holes and the bottom shot. tryin to remember if i saw scuffs on the tips of the rad fan blades, no shroud, new rad so it's all open...hmmm...engine bolts..yikes. well there's a lot of what if's and it could go a not so good direction...

other projects, well the 40 is ongoing, it's on the road but still needs attention...we have a 10 month old, wifey returns to work soon...time will be tight too. i was silly to expect this to be "turn key". if i had acreage or a barn, this would be doable if it had to sit on it and learn slowly.... but 2 projects, a tercel, and an 80 in the garage/driveway won't happen.

[Eric Ellis]

I am el stupido...did not mean motor ment floor mount...sorry.

[Eric Ellis]

The barn thing is relatively cool, but I have 1650 sq ft of garage and a tractor shed...AND I am everyones U-STOREIT it would seem...so my 55 is out in the rain as we speak.

I keep getting parts though.

[PabloCruise]

What year 55 is this?

What part of the country are you in?

[hicruise55]

Keep in mind that a "turn key" or FJ55 in great shape is going to cost a GREAT amount of money...

[eventhough]

Holes in frame does not = solid frame.

The rust on a Pig is always worse than it looks. I found much more on mine than I thought was there after I pulled all floor mats and poked around.