1977 FJ-40 on the market soon…any pricing advice?

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gaap master

gaap master

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10 Year
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A guy that I work with has a 1977 FJ-40 that he’d like to sell. It's located in Winston-Salem. I went to look at it today and took some pictures. He’d prefer to sell it locally, but is unsure about the value.

Here’s the backstory: It’s been in the family for years. His dad had it freshened up (not restored) mechanically and cosmetically about 5 years ago in preparation for the younger sister to drive it. She drove it for four years, but now they’ve decided to let it go. The work done 5 years ago included a repaint, but didn’t adequately address the rusty areas, and now the rust has progressed further.

As far as he knows, the drivetrain is stock. It cranked fine while I was there. Here are some of the pics I took. I was specifically trying to get pics of all of the rusty areas. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to get any pics of the underside.

Any opinions about a fair price?

If anybody’s interested in it, let me know and I can put you in contact with the owner. I remember a thread recently about a guy in Charlotte looking for a 40, but don’t know if he found one yet.

Thanks.

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It may not be fair but I'd give him 2k tomorrow for it. :D


I believe "guy in clt" David secured his purchase a few weekends ago.

Without seeing more a fair price might be around 6500. More detailed shots may reveal 4500 but not to say a month on eBay wouldn't bring 8-9500. Looks like some new rubber pieces and an interesting set of diamond plate flares. The details and true condition will ball determine a price. Condition of interior? Mechanical condition? Any receipts or recollection of new parts and or services performed.

I passed on a much nicer specimen years ago for 5 and kick myself anychance I get for it but times (and prices) have changed since then.
 
Things were not looking so bad until that last round of pics. Starting to look a bit rough now. No definitive number but I believe sub $5k (sale price, not asking price)
 
The amount of rust on this one puts it sub $5K for me as well.
 
Nothing some sheet metal and a lot of time under the hood and grinder in hand wont fix. I estimate 3,465,874 tack welds :)
 
gaap master said:
Any ballpark estimates of the cost to repair this much rust?
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Repairs like this are not something that's "in the book". It's all custom work, charged at the hourly rate. Quotes are going to be guesses unless you go to a shop that has done this exact repair before.

I'd guess at least 200 hours of labor, maybe more, to repair everything that you see.

The repair would likely cost more than the truck is currently worth.
 
I'm no expert but I can't imagine the cancer underneath with it blistering that much on so many places.

Your friend needs to assess what he wants to invest. Best route, find a better/fresh tub, finish the restoration, investing $4-5k and sell it for double that, maybe more, depending on the level of the restoration and current market. Easiest/smartest route, let it go for the best price he can as it sits. Get it running, wash/clean and sell.

Running, $3.5-4k, as it sits, others have offered more than I'd pay.
 
gaap master said:
Thanks for all the feedback.

Any ballpark estimates of the cost to repair this much rust?
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If someone ELSE does it? Lawd, $15k would be considered a bargain. I would not call Johnny's 200 hour estimate far off and with materials that's closer to $20k.
 
GLTHFJ60 said:
Repairs like this are not something that's "in the book". It's all custom work, charged at the hourly rate. Quotes are going to be guesses unless you go to a shop that has done this exact repair before.

I'd guess at least 200 hours of labor, maybe more, to repair everything that you see.

The repair would likely cost more than the truck is currently worth.
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Its hard to say for sure without getting underneath her to see how bad the rust is, but I have to agree completely with Johnny on this. The labor alone would kill you.

As long as the frame is good, IMO, she looks like a perfect candidate for a aluminum tub swap. Tub itself will be around 3200-3500 not including install. That's just my .02 and for the record I HATE rust so I like to take care of things in a way that I don't have to worry about it ever again. Some would just keep driving her as she is now. To each their own.
 
I'd rather pay to have the tub swapped than pay to fix what I can see in the photos. You know there's more:worms:
 
LockedNLoaded said:
As long as the frame is good, IMO, she looks like a perfect candidate for a aluminum tub swap. Tub itself will be around 3200-3500 not including install. That's just my .02 and for the record I HATE rust so I like to take care of things in a way that I don't have to worry about it ever again. Some would just keep driving her as she is now. To each their own.
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Completely agreed!! Aluminum tubs are awesome :D
 
GLTHFJ60 said:
Completely agreed!! Aluminum tubs are awesome :D
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Except for having to be careful about galvanic corrosion .... Installed correctly, an aluminum tub would be great. Installed without consideration for galvanic corrosion is a whole other can of worms ...
 
elkaholic said:
Except for having to be careful about galvanic corrosion .... Installed correctly, an aluminum tub would be great. Installed without consideration for galvanic corrosion is a whole other can of worms ...
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Absolutely, but the considerations aren't any different than for aluminum heads (1FZ) or aluminum radiators.

It'd be cheaper than paying someone to repair the old rusty steel tub!!
 
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