40 I found

[fordoford]

Hey everyone! Long story short I'm at app state, and was at a buddies house that he and his friends are renting in Boone, and they tell me they have an old land cruiser in the garage under the house. I go down there to find a 40 series that looks pretty rough and has apparently been sitting there for the past 18 years (the last year it was registered was in '02). They said I could probably buy it for like 500-1000 dollars, potentially cheaper if the owner knows I want to fix it up. Anyways, I'll attach some pictures of it and I'd love to know if it's worth my time. Ideally, I'd love to fix it up myself over the next few years.

 

[mtweller]

Oh definitely if you can get it at that price. Get it running and safe and beat the hell out of it

 

[jfz80]

Yup. Buy it at that price. Fix and drive.
Lot of work but that one doesn’t look too bad actually. Early rig. 3 on the tree. Most all the switches there with no extras. All a plus.

 

[jynx]

Heck yeah. Looks like late 60s truck. Appears to be bone stock, so no real surprises. Looks like an awesome project.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Buy buy buy. Mothball it till you graduate if you have to, but buy it.

 

[S4Cruiser]

Looks like a ‘68. I’d buy it for that price and I don’t even want another project.

 

[fordoford]

Will it be worth putting money into to get it run with all the rust it has? The actual body doesn't look terrible but the frame is pretty rusted as the pictures show. Does anyone have a ballpark estimate of how much it would cost to get something like this on the road?

 

[AJR]

Terrible idea, but please pass their contact info my way.

 

[AJR]

Oh I have a frame for it too by the way if you need one, it would be really really cheap

 

[roadstr6]

Assuming the engine isn't locked up and all it needs is soft parts (hoses, belts, tires, brake lines, fluids, carb rebuild) $1,500 in addition to your purchase price would get you riding down the road in relative safety and reliability. Of course that is if YOU do the work and not a shop. Pressure wash it, remove the tank and have it cleaned (if it needs it). Coat the rust with Penetrol or Fluid Film, embrace the "patina" and call it good.

Some good ideas for old paint here: Preserving Patina - How To Tips and Tricks

 

[JohnVee]

Buy it. Hard to believe that you wouldn't get your money back if it sat another year before you sold it off for whatever reason.

Or do the @joyRidaz thing and learn to weld so you can cut in patch panels based on how much rust you just cut out, knowing that there's way more!

But seriously, talk to @AJR about his frame if that one really looks like toast.

 

[fordoford]

Assuming the engine isn't locked up and all it needs is soft parts (hoses, belts, tires, brake lines, fluids, carb rebuild) $1,500 in addition to your purchase price would get you riding down the road in relative safety and reliability. Of course that is if YOU do the work and not a shop. Pressure wash it, remove the tank and have it cleaned (if it needs it). Coat the rust with Penetrol or Fluid Film, embrace the "patina" and call it good.

Some good ideas for old paint here: Preserving Patina - How To Tips and Tricks

1500 is a lot less than I would have guessed. I can definitely spend that much or more over the next year or so getting it fixed up. I'm planning to do all the work myself, or at least all that I can do. Definitely keeping the paint as is.

 

[fordoford]

Buy it. Hard to believe that you wouldn't get your money back if it sat another year before you sold it off for whatever reason.

Or do the @joyRidaz thing and learn to weld so you can cut in patch panels based on how much rust you just cut out, knowing that there's way more!

But seriously, talk to @AJR about his frame if that one really looks like toast.

Well it didn't take much convincing but buying it is now the plan. I agree, if all else fails I can always get my money back and sell it to someone here who could fix it up as it deserves. I was planning on saving up for a 60 but this just fell in my lap and I've always loved 40s, just never thought I could get one for anywhere in my budget. Once I get time to really check it out in the daytime I'll see how bad the frame is and move forward from there.

 

[JohnVee]

@fordoford

Don't forget to ask here if you need parts. Many of us have things we'll probably never use...although some of them might be our trail spares. Still handy to have when needed on a budget.

 

[roadstr6]

Well it didn't take much convincing but buying it is now the plan. I agree, if all else fails I can always get my money back and sell it to someone here who could fix it up as it deserves. I was planning on saving up for a 60 but this just fell in my lap and I've always loved 40s, just never thought I could get one for anywhere in my budget. Once I get time to really check it out in the daytime I'll see how bad the frame is and move forward from there.

$1,500 on parts is on the conservative side, but it is possible. To stay under that, you'll have to be laser focused on ONLY doing what has to be done to get it driveable. It's the "might-as-wells" that kill the budget. For example, that truck has a single circuit brake master cylinder and hard to find 9mm brake fittings. It is not an ideal setup. If you end up trying to change the brakes to a dual circuit and if you wring off a rusty brake fitting, you'll spend more. Same with things like the gas tank. If it is crusty and leaking, you'll spend $300 on a repair or $500 on another tank. Head gasket? Who knows? There are folks who are specifically looking for these early trucks (not me, thank God). As folks have said, buy it cheap and either sit on it or put just the bare minimum into it and see how it goes. If it gets outside of your comfort zone, sell it.

 

[jamesurq]

Shouldn't be too hard to get it back on the road, I have a guy that can restore it fully for you in about 2 weeks....

 

[stevezero]

In case you havent noticed, you're surrounded by enablers, just an FYI



on that note

 

[uzj100]

do it. great find.

 

[jynx]

Well it didn't take much convincing but buying it is now the plan. I agree, if all else fails I can always get my money back and sell it to someone here who could fix it up as it deserves. I was planning on saving up for a 60 but this just fell in my lap and I've always loved 40s, just never thought I could get one for anywhere in my budget. Once I get time to really check it out in the daytime I'll see how bad the frame is and move forward from there.

So new plan. buy it, get it running and driving, preserve the Patina. Once you have it all sorted and running, sell or trade it for the 60 that you want.

40 stupid is >>> than 60 stupid currently, so you should be able to make that happen.

 

[Comet]

As stated before, run away from it and give ME the contact info. I’m only looking for a body. Haha. Good luck on the hunt, I hope it works out.