Now for the outro.
After back and forth, I decided to sell my Cruiser- money was needed to deal with bills and maybe a move, and since I have a wife and five children it was time to be responsible and prioritize.
I would estimate it would be about $7k-$10k to get it really into the condition I wanted, and that is with me doing almost all the work (Ironman Lift, body rust repair, front end/steering rack overhaul, interior detail, AC fix, roof rack install, brakes, other preventative/routine maintenance, et. al) except for frame welding, which I would have done by Lance at Iron Pig Offroad in Fredericksburg, VA, new tires from a local tire place and a new windscreen installed.
For that price I could theoretically find an already well sorted out in better shape and less rust 100.
Aside from moving it around the back yard/work area, I hadn't driven it in almost seven months (June 7th actually, coming back from Lake Anna Virginia- had driven it from Bealeton, VA to Manassas, VA to Fairfax, Va back to Manassas and hten down to Lake Anna. It was almost 100 degrees that day in the sun. Had my youngest daughter who was 9 mos at the time in it for part of the drive and she wasn't happy with the windows down the whole time even with a bottle full of ice water).
I was emotionally over it. Yeah we had a couple fun rides in it with the kids, but Carvana offered me $2,700 and it was in the following condition:
-Inspection was almost three years expired
-Windshield had a big crack
-Missing the passenger front turn signal assembly
-Acres of rust all over frame and body
-Exhaust had a bunch of holes in it
-High beams stopped working on my drive to Carvana
-The radio randomly made a loud screeching sound in tandem with the RPMs.
Bought it with 294,xxx and sold it with just about 316,980 or so.
I paid $3k for it in Feb 2020 and was in it maybe $2k over the time I owned it.
$1k truck at best, at least that is what I would pay for one in the same condition so I took the money and waddled, running isn't a thing at the moment.
Had it almost five years exactly, and was all in it maybe $5k.
That being said, I have been scouring FBMP like a fiend with a roll of stolen copper wire for some other old rusty contraption to take its place (diesel Mercedes? Or a not so rusty Land Rover of some type or 1st Tundra) however my wife made it Caribbean blue water clear that jalopies do not follow me home until bills are caught up.
Why does she have to be right?
'til the next time...