GONE my rusty FJ 94 GONE (1 Viewer)

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Joined
Dec 11, 2016
Threads
3
Messages
45
Location
Ohio
EDIT Solved truck is gone I gave it away after pulling some parts please don't PM me it's gone!!! EDIT


Well, sorry if this is posted in the wrong area, to be honest I'd like advice what to do with a rusty 94 FJ I have sitting in my back yard. For starters, I will proclaim I have title in my name and have owned it for 15+ years, it's not hot. But I need to keep the title and numbers for a second truck (I'll share details to the new owner). I'm not swapping VINs, that would be felony but I just use it to get plates, wrong plates is just a traffic ticket. (Both green FJ's) SO I can't give up the paperwork on 94 rusty.

Back in the spring I confirmed what I had always feared, my 169k mile 94 cruiser had a very rusty frame. The interior etc was great but the frame. Then I found truck #2, Arizona clean but no title, had been sitting baked paint, baked leather interior etc. Lifted on 33s and clean rims, a dream come true to save my rust bucket. I swapped interiors, dash, some doors etc but made one real nice lifted truck. I have exactly 1 complete leftover 94 land cruiser, runs and drives, but rusty frame and basically all of the take off parts from 2 trucks. And NO title to give away with it. Yes, I know there are laws out there that make some of this shady and I'm not looking for an accomplice. I don't have the space to take on a part out project right now, but I'd bet there is a thousand in good parts there considering the engine, trans and transfer case are all there and working. The body is good too, only visible rust is FR corner bottom of the fender. As it sits, the rusty truck is disassembled dash and interior. I will probably remove the VIN tag before I let the truck go.
Before this sounds too much like a classified advert, here are a few of my ideas:

A> Give the truck to an honorable guy with a handshake deal who promises to pay me 33% (+/-?) of his parts income as he strips it.

B>Spend hundreds of $$ and lots of hours to get a title on the AZ truck (not likely) Then sell it local legit parts truck on CL

C>Cherry pick the best parts (bumper, trim, etc) and give away the rest to someone who needs a FZFE driveline

D>sell it cheap to someone who will use it as a runabout in a campground or farm where plates and frame rigidity are not an issue.

Anyway, she was a great truck to us and I hate to see it go. Climbing up into the new one is quite a change!
Oh yea, pics.. The tall one is the keeper. (oh yea, she's locked!)

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It's not so much that I am afraid it is going to break in half, the actual frame rails are still all there despite 25 years in Cleveland's salty winters. I sure would not tow with it and it's just a huge pain in the butt trying to fight rusty bolts on every job.
 
If you don't have time to part it out yourself, put it on craigslist auto parts section for $1500 and hope for the best. That's really all you can do with no title and that level of rust.

Honorable guy giving you royalties on parts would be awesome, but it's a pipe dream if you don't already have someone in mind.
 
File for a lost title on the AZ truck. The DMV in AZ will contact the former owner and confirm it was not stolen. Or communicate with the former owner and ask them to file for a lost title and give them a bit of $$ for their trouble. A lost title is a bit of a pain, but I've dealt with it a few times. It cost $25 last time I had to do it. Good luck.
 
Heck-
I agree with your assessment 100%, and I was thinking if there was an FJ guy who had a Ih8mud reputation to protect the pipe dream might work for both of us. I took your advice.. /snip/advert deleted truck given away for free.
 
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lz-
The title I seek has two names on it, one is a really mad ex wife according to the seller. The more I would ask about getting her to sign off on it the more he told long stories about how crazy she is. I pretty much took the rust free truck for $2500 and decided to work with the tools I had.... and thats how I got where I am now!
 
Keep it behind that shed with a cover on it. You will be glad you have the parts available to your for the new one. It is worth $1000 tops for parts.
 
Get a title. research the various ways. lost title- mechanics lien- receipt from state that doesn't use titles on vehicles so old. You'll be glad you did that one time a cop chks it while parked or if you ever have to sell- make an insurance claim etc. Get in a wreck it's not insured.
 
I'd consider swapping the hood and would find a way to keep some/all of the rusty one for parts if they are both '94s? or both run the pre-odb2 FZ and a442f trans.

I assume that the engine/trans alone justify keeping the second truck for parts. Since it runs you can put gas in it and run it up to temp a few times a year pretty easily, etc. or fog it / cover it / etc. for long term storage. There are so many little parts there that you may need and it's all in one neat easy to store package :) I'd consider spraying it down with diesel/fluid film/similar to slow the rust as well, especially around the drivetrain components.

I'd also pursue the title on the AZ truck. You should at least try and the ex wife may have mellowed or be a lot less crazy than the ex husband says. I've gotten titles when the previous owners had left the country, etc. It wasn't that big of a deal or that expensive. I'd start by talking to the local official at the DMV/Courthouse/Wherever that actually knows how to do it. Write out a checklist of the steps and then just work the whole process through that same person one step at a time. I've found that different officials may have a different process so just sticking with one makes it much more linear.
 
lz-
The title I seek has two names on it, one is a really mad ex wife according to the seller. The more I would ask about getting her to sign off on it the more he told long stories about how crazy she is. I pretty much took the rust free truck for $2500 and decided to work with the tools I had.... and thats how I got where I am now!

Huh......

Are you single? If so, totally, totally, talk to this ex-wife.......
 
I appreciate the concerns but I think I'm OK there. The truck with no real title on the road is insured, as is any vehicle I get in and drive. My agent has the actual VIN of the truck I'm driving on the policy. He said it does not matter who owns the truck if I insured it and I am driving it. It is only collision coverage anyway. The cops can run any VIN they find on both trucks, none are stolen so I'm not sure why they would care. If they ask why the VIN does not match the plates I'll say I moved the plates over from my other truck, he can give me a ticket for that if he wants. I figured if I show the VIN on the door matches the VIN on the plates, it might get me a little closer to legit.
It is really not worth it to get a title just to get in the gate of the junkyard, I'd hope there are ways around it. This is probably how cars end up in the bottom of lakes but I won't do that.

Get a title. research the various ways. lost title- mechanics lien- receipt from state that doesn't use titles on vehicles so old. You'll be glad you did that one time a cop chks it while parked or if you ever have to sell- make an insurance claim etc. Get in a wreck it's not insured.
 
I appreciate the concerns but I think I'm OK there. The truck with no real title on the road is insured, as is any vehicle I get in and drive. My agent has the actual VIN of the truck I'm driving on the policy. He said it does not matter who owns the truck if I insured it and I am driving it. It is only collision coverage anyway. The cops can run any VIN they find on both trucks, none are stolen so I'm not sure why they would care. If they ask why the VIN does not match the plates I'll say I moved the plates over from my other truck, he can give me a ticket for that if he wants. I figured if I show the VIN on the door matches the VIN on the plates, it might get me a little closer to legit.
It is really not worth it to get a title just to get in the gate of the junkyard, I'd hope there are ways around it. This is probably how cars end up in the bottom of lakes but I won't do that.


Getting a title isn’t about liability. It’s about value. If you have a clean titled FZJ80 with a rusty frame that runs.

That’s worth a lot to a person who has an extra frame from a part out or theft salvage. The number of clean FZJ80 titles is dropping by the day.
 
You seem to have your mind made up already about it. I gotta ask, have you even tried/looked into getting a new title? If it costs less than $100, it would be worth the peace of mind if it was me in your situation. Especially important if you ever sell the truck.
 
Taco, I agree the title would add value but I'm willing to take a lot less (free?) to just get rid of it. lzeloz, guilty as charged, I've thought about the options a lot and I'm pretty sure the title route won't work. I have paid VT $750 for a registration for a 66 VW before, I know how the title game can be played but in Ohio it's not worth going in front of a judge for a court ordered title just to get rid of a rusty hulk. Nevada would not allow me to request prior owner info on the VIN because I do not have a Nevada state ID license. I did have a policeman run the VIN in OH to see if it was stolen and he said it was not listed as stolen.
Keeping it behind the shed until I need parts is a great plan and would work if I didn't have a bunch of other projects. She's gotta go.
My last possibility and likely outcome is I take it to the junkyard with a copy of the title, tell them to keep the scrap $$ but tear up the title info once the truck is in schmushed. I guess I'm dreaming anyone would want it for an off road / campground /junkyard runaround. Thanks for the ideas guys, perhaps my C/L will get a response beyond the usual scammers.
 
Taco, I agree the title would add value but I'm willing to take a lot less (free?) to just get rid of it. lzeloz, guilty as charged, I've thought about the options a lot and I'm pretty sure the title route won't work. I have paid VT $750 for a registration for a 66 VW before, I know how the title game can be played but in Ohio it's not worth going in front of a judge for a court ordered title just to get rid of a rusty hulk. Nevada would not allow me to request prior owner info on the VIN because I do not have a Nevada state ID license. I did have a policeman run the VIN in OH to see if it was stolen and he said it was not listed as stolen.
Keeping it behind the shed until I need parts is a great plan and would work if I didn't have a bunch of other projects. She's gotta go.
My last possibility and likely outcome is I take it to the junkyard with a copy of the title, tell them to keep the scrap $$ but tear up the title info once the truck is in schmushed. I guess I'm dreaming anyone would want it for an off road / campground /junkyard runaround. Thanks for the ideas guys, perhaps my C/L will get a response beyond the usual scammers.

100% irrelevant. I just want to read about your first date with the crazy ex-wife.

Amateur tip: Tell her that you robbed her ex blind or took advantage of him somehow.
 
Any time. This would make me cry, but you can donate it to a tank museum with running tanks or firing range, preferably one with a minigun or .50 cal.
 
To fuel the fantasy, the story is a the ex wife is a USPS mail carrier in California. The couple was in Nevada, divorced, he ended up in Cleveland, she in CA. Having met the scrubby hubby there ain't no way his old lady is worth the fantasy. The handwriting on my bill of sale is so shakey I had my helper re-write the whole thing and let him sign it. Even if the bill of sale is worthless having a witness and pics goes a long way.
Seriously though, I surmised since she is a USPS employee she might actually still get mail from the AZ DMV when I went for the abandoned approach.
If a ih8mud guy said "I'll take it for free" ---after I pull of some shiny bits---- we would have a deal.
 
Any time. This would make me cry, but you can donate it to a tank museum with running tanks or firing range, preferably one with a minigun or .50 cal.

Holy smokes that would be great, especially if they let me ride in a tank or pop some 50's at it!!!! Now that's what I call an idea. Would you believe I already have a pic of her sitting in a long range gun range?
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