Colombia

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Ha,

Ramon....even better...if you want to take care of it while I'm deployed to Afghanistan you can drive it all you want...just don't crash it ;)

I talked to the fellow who is helping me out and it was a miscommunication. Everything as was stated before. So it looks like it is still on. The very last hicup is I have to get the documents from the DMV today and ship them as quick as possible to the orginal owner. He will have to fingerprint them sign them and send them directly to the company that is going to be doing the shipping for me. I hope to get those back and in the companies hands by the 23rd. It is going to take some busting ass and DHL or the mail service to hurry up those documents. That gives me about 3-4 days fudge room to get the company paid, get them to come here and get the vehicle out there, and set up all of the last minute contact information.

From the time the company gets the car it should be about 3 weeks before it gets to the states.

I should be paying the back taxes on the vehicle today or tomorrow. So the first real dough is going down today. Luckily I can pay the owner when I get back to the states as that is one less thing to worry about.

All that and I need to try and get it running between now and th 23rd. Think I'm just going to have it towed to replace all the fuel in the tank, replace the fuel lines, and work on the carb. Labor is cheap and there are shops just down the street so towing shouldn't be bad.

Hopefully more to follow tomorrow. I have to go actually do the work I was sent down here for right now.

Wish me luck.

Ohh and I'm serious about taking care of it while I'm gone Ramon. Keep the fluids moving. Poor thing has been sitting to long and my 56 Ford will be in the garage while I'm gone.

Jason
 
I'd be willing to help however I can Jason. I am excited for you dude. Stay safe and God Bless for what you are doing and all the other service men and women.
 
What what a day.

I dropped my first $500 on the car today paying all of the back taxes. Tomorrow I have to go back and get all of the paperwork. Just a small hole in the wall place but had quite the operation going on.

Of course after that the Embassy told me unless the owner was present they would not notarize the permisso (power of attorney) for the car. Well that is the whole point.

So I think I found a way around it. Luckily I can e-mail the paperwork to the owner for him to sign and fingerprint. Then I can have him 2nd day it down here to the Embassy. At that point (which seems like every point) I know somebody who knows somebody. This time it is someone that will notarize the paperwork even though the owner is not present. I mean it is not like it is completly shady. The guy is consenting and it is his signature and fingerprint. So it shouldn't be a big deal.

Then at that point (hopefully next Thursday) I will meet with a rep of the shipping company to get the last of title work taken care of and then schedule them to pick up the truck that Friday the 19th. That leaves me 1 week fudge room that I hope I don't need. Hopefully shipping down here thru FEDEX is super duper quick. I'm hoping the owner of the car will sign and fingerprint and get out to FEDEX on saturday if they are open.

Well that is all I have for now. really starting to stress over it now that I have dropped the first 500 I'm committed.

Again wish me luck I'm going to need it.
 
Sweet find. If I knew two years ago, what I know now, I would have found an FJ43 for my build. I love the 45 and love the 40, but they both have their flaws. Having just a bit of the extra length in a 40 would be very sweet. As long as the body is in good structural shape, the rest of it really doesn't matter.
 
One step closer.

This evening I met with with Juan who is a fellow Mudder who has been helping me with the exportation documents for this FJ43. He lives down here in Colombia. I couldn't have done it without him. Hopefully he can make it up to North Carolina and we can take him for a spin in Uwharrie.

He provided me with most of the documents I need and as long as things go well at the DMV tomorrow the deal will be about done. The Power of Attorney is suppossed to arrive tomorrow afternoon and as long as it works I just have to pay the company and schedule pick up of the car. This is the only part that I have any doubt about now. If it doesn't work I will just have to find a way to make it work.

I also hope to have it running. One of the Embassy mechanics is going to work on it on the side and I hope he has it running by this weekend or Monday. We will see how fast he works.

More to follow tomorrow or Friday.
 
No word from the owner today. Kinda stressed about it. If I don't get it tomorrow might get pissed off as I can not reach him.

Always using a day to move forward though. Had a mechanic that works on the embassy get some tools and drain the fuel tank. I gave him some money to go buy a new battery fuel line and 2 filters. I have 2 gallons of fuel in it but I'm going to fill it up with a couple more gallons today and let him tinker with it. Thinking the jets are clogged.

Getting closer.
 
Well I got it running. The carb was caked in gunk. It still isn't running right though. This local mechanic on the embassy sucked. He was trying to tell me the fuel pump was no good when I knew it was. After 20 minutes of proving it to him 10 times we moved to the carb. The bowl was caked with varnish, the plunger and spring was crusted, and every jet and passage was completely closed. I cleaned them all out with a paperclip and some keyboard air cleaner and gas. Got them good enough to open up the primary but I can't get the secondary to open up. I cleaned it good the same as the other but still nothing flowing. So it takes a bit of skill to drive the thing and keep it running. But I drove it around the embassy and it shifted well thru all gears, the clutch was firm and great, and the 4WD and Low range worked fine. Brakes darn near threw me thru the window. Alignment is good and everything but the horn seems to work. Much smoother ride and quiet compared to the last 40. But still needs some softer shocks.

Love the 4.9 first gear. Thing crawls great in Lo range.

Just as I got it running today a guy rolled in with another red 40 and said he had a mechanic that did a ton of work to his include rebuilding the carb in 1 day and for like 35 bucks including parts. So I'm going to try and drive it over there Tuesday and see if he can get it running good. Cost an arm and a leg just to have the carb rebuilt in the US.

Still no papework. My grandparents sent a card with 41 cents and it got here in 10 days. Tuesday when the country opens back up it will be 9 days and we paid 63 bucks for 2-3 day shipping....:censor: Crooks.

4 days to get this thing done...looks like I'm going to have to have someone else finish it up for me after I leave unless something drastically changes Tuesday.
 
GRRR

The owner didn't ship out the letter until Thursday Night. I just got the tracking number from him. He was suppossed to do it Monday.

So the paperwork arrived here in Bogota late Friday night. Even if I would have known that I could have stopped by on Satruday and picked it up. Now nothing is open until Tuesday due to a Holiday...I'm ticked off. I didnt' ask for something to be shipped next day air and pay 60 bucks so you could sit on it for a week and then send it and have it arrive a day to late anyway.

It says it is not going to be shipped until Wednesday so that means I have to find the FEDEX and drive and pick it up Tuesday. I now only have 3 days to get it thru (hope it works) and then arrange for pick up for shipping. Steaming right now....I sure hope this works out. Not like I have a lot of time these 3 days either as I'm getting ready to push out.

We will see.
 
That sucks about the delay, just keep pushing and things will work out, and it will be well worth it in the long run.:cheers:
 
I am so incredibly jealous and amazed as well. Glad to hear you are in the final stages of getting it back to the US. that will be something you will hold onto forever and it has a great story behind it as well. Cant wait to see that thing in person on a trail ride hopefully.
 
Almost there. I don't want to pop the chapagne bottle yet becuase it is not in my driveway and US titled but I was able to get all of the final paperwork done in order to get the title of the FJ transfered over to the shipping company. I should have it back Monday from the DMV. I don't know if all of the paperwork will be done and finalized but a realalistic goal is for it to leave port here on the 14th of April. That puts it home the weekend of the OBX. So it doesn't look like I will be making that. I might have to travel down and pick it up that weekend or be waiting for it to arrive. But we will see. I guess I will know when I know. Even if it did arrive in time I can't get it titled in time...(maybe a temp pass but I doubt it). So an OBX is unlikely this year :frown:

But I have 2 months after that to get it running good and out and enjoy it before I head to krapistan.
 
A few pictures I took today. Really just needs a tune up and a paint job. Is in better shape than it looks.
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