I think there really are two types of people for this type of stuff...
- those that will do the "while you're in there" items just because it is an ease of access type thing. And
- those that will say "eh, it looks fine." and go about their business.
As someone that truly does not understand the concept of most people in the world purchasing a BRAND NEW vehicle (really what's the point unless you got money burning a hole in your pocket) I always purchase used vehicles with the mindset that it will always be mine and run into the ground. Thus, replace everything as needed and use the highest quality parts that you can afford. Maybe that is the analytics and Project Management side of me, but really I live by the adage of "If you don't have the time/money to do it right the first time. You better have the time/money to do it a 2nd, 3rd or however many times until you do it right."
Yes sometimes there are certain things that are cost prohibitive. Like for instance, I just purchased my truck, spent pretty much my entire wad on it that I made from the sale of my 60. As I am going through the truck and doing my own baseline of the vehicle I am coming more and more to the conclusion that the PO I purchased from really just had it sit in his driveway and MAYBE took it out once a month. Things were handled as they came up but he really never used the vehicle. I am also of the opinion that he thought he was going to be all for the whole overlanding/4wheeling/offroading thing and really was not (call it being a city boy if you like). So while the truck in functional and mechanically sound for the most part I am finding things that were neglected.
Like:
- Heater T's have never been replaced. So that is $200 for that kit and fluid and a few hours of time.
- Been a long time since the driveshafts and u-joints were greased, so that is an hours worth of time and a few buck in grease and a needle head for the grease gun to get to all the nipples.
- Has the normal R-D clunk indicative of the front diff bushings being shot. That is another $200 is parts plus what looks like a good few hours to remove.
- Lift was installed but no diff drop. Since it is only a 1.5" lift, the diff drop isn't necessary but would save the axles some grief (more on that). That is an optional $250 plus an hour of my time.
- Upper ball joints are shot, boots torn, etc. That is $120 for the kit (both upper and lower, both sides) plus probably a good 4hrs. of time.
- Starter has intermittent dead spot meaning needs to be replaced or pulled and brushes replaced. Depending on which way I go with that, I am looking at $130 for a Denso reman'd starter and 4-6hrs. of time. Local shop quotes are right around $700 for everything. (new brushes kit is like $45)
- Headlights were replaced at some point by him (handed me an ebay HID kit that he said he purchased, tried to install and realized he did not purchase all the proper ignitors and everything to do the install) and installed improperly so lights were pointing at the ground, brackets on the back were deformed because he just jammed them in and one was so misshapen by the force used to try and get it in that I almost had to cut out. That was $75 for new high and low beam lamps.
- Now because of the above lift and no diff drop, CV Axles were installed in 2018 with cheapo replacements. Guess what is making noise now and groaning once I hit about 60mph on the freeway. Yup, so on top of that I don't believe they were installed properly by the shop so the diff side is weeping (PS is bad enough that the diff is wet). Both axles will need to be replaced in the near future, depending on which way I go, decent quality aftermarkets are going to be $100/ea. (Cardone HD axles) to $385 (CVJ Reman'd Toyotas with HD boots) or at least $400 for OEM. Then that will be 4-8hrs of time for me to replace.
- On top of the CV Axle fun, the other clunk that is happening is the hub flanges being warn and not replaced when the axles were done. So for all the parts that are needed for that and the hope that the splines are not destroyed on the current axles because I don't have the scratch to replace everything at once (axles and hub flanges), I am looking at $200 for the parts and a good few hours of time and greasing everything again (because I doubt the shop did it properly).
So just in things that NEED to be handled soon here, I am looking at over $1000 worth of stuff, me doing all of it because the PO decided he wanted to cheap out and not handle the "while you're in there" stuff or treat the vehicle as a long term investment. Judging from this guys "new" vehicle, what his wife drives and everything else, there was no lack of having the funds to handle the stuff, it was more he just didn't want to. So now I am stuck with the bill for a vehicle that was supposed to be in great condition only to reveal its true colors the deeper I went. Now, I get to spend money on this stuff instead of doing fun things like putting in a new stereo system, searching for new rims that I like, or doing other fun stuff with it. Instead I somehow picked up another project vehicle.
And oh yeah, timing belt will probably be thrown in there in about a year or so. Can't find documentation showing when it was last done and radiator seems to be new Denso so stickers are gone. That kinda of cost was accounted for but now I get to handle all that other garbage first as that is a bit more pressing (do have documentation that belts were replaced in 2016 on Toyota, but they didn't say WHAT belts).
