Advice wanted...97 40th Edition (1 Viewer)

[pwm317]

I have an opportunity to buy a 97 40th edition for $3,000

Apparently this guy bought it about 3 months ago but is selling for financial reasons due to lack of work because of COVID-19. He got it from a repair shop that had it sitting on their lot for over 8 years.

Here is brief rundown:
1. It will turn over but will not stay running.
2. Paint is horrible as you would expect but interior is okay with the exception of dirty carpet and cracked leather.
3. Body and frame are solid with no rust.
4. One fender flare is loose but still attached.
5. No title so bill of sale only

I've owned 40s, 60s and 62s but never an 80. Is this a fair deal given the condition or not?

 

[clay763]

Miles? Lockers? Why is there no title? I've had friends buy a car from a dealer (corner lot kind) only to have the police take the stolen vehicle back.

The only thing harder on a vehicle than misuse is disuse. 8 years is a long time to sit, there is a lot of rubber that has turned rock hard and brittle by this point, and one of the rubber hoses of some variety is likely the reason it won't stay running. Factor in no less than 2k in parts alone to baseline it, not to mention the value of your time.

Is it a fair deal? Maybe, depends on what is wrong with it that you can't see. It's a gamble for you.

 

[LC4LIFE]

I would be less concerned that it's a 40th and more concerned it's been sitting. 3K for just about any 80 right now is a good price, but its the work needed to bring it back to a healthy life that will decide if it's a good deal or not.

 

[Kernal]

Why did it sit for 8 years, blown head gasket with coolant/water sitting in the cylinders?? That would mean it very likely needs an engine transplant.

Need a lot more information.

 

[pwm317]

I forgot to say 200,000 miles and triple locked. I realize that I could easily spend 3x the asking price just get it up to speed...which is my main concern.

 

[Pippylongsausage]

I’ll bet that would clean up nice. As said above, plan to sink some money into it getting it in working order. If you’re up for a project and have some money to spend, $3k is a great price for a base to work from.

 

[Pippylongsausage]

Didn’t see that it is locked. I’d get it.

 

[pwm317]

According to the seller, a guy took it to the repair shop to get an O2 sensor replaced and never came and picked it up.

But it ran great when parked!

 

[70rtconv]

I would buy it but the missing title could possibly be an issue. Do you know what is the law in your state regarding missing title?

 

[RS6tofj80]

lots of questions..... love a sage 40th especially locked but..............

until you put eyes on and get a PPI from a local peep.....

 

[tacocat]

Run a VIN check to see if comes back stolen. If not, buy it.

You’d have a set of axles with a free body and parts, or a nice platform for a FJ45 clone.

 

[jpoole]

Agree with the above and can share a bit of experience from similar situations.

I've dealt with non-stolen vehicles that I purchased that didn't have a title in two other states and it wasn't a big deal though it took time here and there over the course of weeks and a few hundred bucks to sort out. Make sure it's just a missing title and not some larger issue like it being stolen or tied up in some other way and you should be able to get a title for it if you have the time and $ to work through the process. You can call and talk to the folks involved before you buy the 80 to get a sense of what is involved before you by. Likely your local county clerk / tag and title office will be the place to start, will be the most helpful and will guide you through the process if you buy this 80. You may need to purchase an indemnity bond to cover the value of the truck and also have the truck inspected to verify identification etc. before you can proceed with titling it etc.

I picked up a locked collectors edition (the other '97 special edition) for $2k in similar but likely worse condition 3 years ago. It wouldn't idle well (broken intake hose/pipe) but ran and drove (poorly) so I took the plunge. I'm now at just over 300 hours of work and $12k of spending on parts and I have a very solid driving 80 that is a bit ugly and wouldn't sell for what I have in it. It's rust free, straight and could drive anywhere but needs a full re-spray. As it is now I love the thing, drive the heck out of it and don't mind it being a bit rough on the eyes due to the paintwork though I will be repainting it at some point. From the pictures this 80 may be similar in that it may need a paint job before it would be worth top market value, even if you restored everything else completely. I mention this because if you buy this 80 and want to drive it extensively you can't cut too many corners on the mechanicals and you will be out thousands before it's reliable again, more thousands if you pay to have the work done. If you go that route and don't also spring for the cosmetic work then you could be upside down in terms of what it's worth if you needed to sell it. It does look straight and some otherwise nice 80s do sell for decent $ with eroded clearcoat but depending on your plans for this rig you may want to get some comps for similar 40th editions to help you set a purchase/repair budget that hopefully doesn't exceed resale value more than you are comfortable with.

All that said if you have the time, want to work on it a lot yourself and it's not stolen/tied up I say go for it. A locked 40th is a great find and if you are into resurrecting old cars it should be a fun project and totally worth it in the long run. Just don't forget to take pictures and share tales here for the peanut gallery

 

[studawg]

If its not stolen and you can get a title for it, Id buy it in a heartbeat.

 

[tacocat]

@jpoole has sold info there for anyone reading this.

 

[landcrshr]

You'd also be helping a guy out in a time of need too. So if $3k won't break the bank for you, that's something to consider.