New Member intro

[DanTCook]

Hello All,

I've been afflicted with pig fever for a while and was FINALLY able to confirm my sickness with the purchase of a couple of 55's. They just arrived in Salida this week!

It was a package deal......the primer'd one is a 1971 and is 97% rust free. The red & white is a '69 and is currently about 90% complete.....just some wiring, plumbing and fixin' to do. It will be getting dressed up as an around-the-world overland rig (Alaska to Ushuaia in 2022, then who knows....). The Alu-cab RTT/awning/shower cube, Renogy batteries, Luna fridge and LRA 55 ga tank have been purchased and are awaiting installation. I'll create a build thread to document the progress....if anyone is interested (in assisting from afar).

I haven't had a chance to go through the primer'd rig yet, but it has all doors, glass, fenders and a ton of extra parts. Once I have documented the condition of everything, I'll be posting it for sale. It's a terrific candidate for a ground-up resto. Unfortunately, I don't have the time to tackle a project of that magnitude and, let's face it, only a select few have the wallet!

I am far from a expert on anything mechanical, but do have some knowledge of overland travel......I drove around the world in 2006-2008 in a 70 series (www.flyfishingtheglobe.net). I humbly request any assistance fellow Preservation Members can provide when I stumble across challenges--which will certainly occur with irritating frequency.

Cheers & happy holidays!

Dan

 

[greenbeast]

Wow, congrats. I would love to stop and see em next time we go see our son in Gunnison. Welcome to the club!

 

[onemanarmy]

Awesome! Where did they come from?

Everyone is interested in a detailed build thread.

 

[DanTCook]

Thank you for the welcomes. These came from CT. I was fortunate enough to find a terrific transporter who brought them here much sooner than I imagined. If anyone needs transport, let me know and I'll send his info along.

 

[Rix 45]

Oh boy! You in deep! Welcome!

 

[bobm]

Yup. Deep. Take the Smartass comments with a grain of Salt , we like to have fun. Plenty of help here. Congrats on your purchase.

 

[NikP]

Welcome. I'm just over the pass in Durango and plan to get that way a few times next year to kayak and raft. Last time I made the trip it was with my FJ55 serving as the raft shuttle and I plan on many more trips with it.

I started with two. That's the advice I give most people. "If you're going to put together one good 55 to drive start with two of them."

 

[bobm]

My 02! I think he has 2 good Pigs that can be saved. If we keep cutting em Up the #s gonna be ZERO PIGS. Thats the last option you should think about.

 

[RUSH55]

Congrats Dan! Looks like you’re in to contribute some serious entertainment value! The great thing about having two decent rigs to begin with is that one can be your expedition 55 to build how you see fit and the other one can be the stocker resto to satisfy the period correct purist in all of us! Cheers

 

[landcruisnman]

Your screwed.

 

[Lifelong40Fan]

Congratulations! Looks like 2 great pigs. Looking forward to following along.

 

[scrapdaddy]

Welcome Dan and looking forward to see your progress. Jumping the gun here, but what drivetrain are you planning? Crazy thought, but maybe sell the red one for bigger bucks and build the 71 the way you need it. Stock 71 and 69 drivetrains might not be the best for world travel. Three speed on the column with vacuum 4wd controls, drum brakes, etc. will make a tough journey even tougher. Just spitballing here. Either way it would be a blast going with you.

 

[PabloCruise]

Hello All,

I've been afflicted with pig fever for a while and was FINALLY able to confirm my sickness with the purchase of a couple of 55's. They just arrived in Salida this week!

It was a package deal......the primer'd one is a 1971 and is 97% rust free. The red & white is a '69 and is currently about 90% complete.....just some wiring, plumbing and fixin' to do. It will be getting dressed up as an around-the-world overland rig (Alaska to Ushuaia in 2022, then who knows....). The Alu-cab RTT/awning/shower cube, Renogy batteries, Luna fridge and LRA 55 ga tank have been purchased and are awaiting installation. I'll create a build thread to document the progress....if anyone is interested (in assisting from afar).

I haven't had a chance to go through the primer'd rig yet, but it has all doors, glass, fenders and a ton of extra parts. Once I have documented the condition of everything, I'll be posting it for sale. It's a terrific candidate for a ground-up resto. Unfortunately, I don't have the time to tackle a project of that magnitude and, let's face it, only a select few have the wallet!

I am far from a expert on anything mechanical, but do have some knowledge of overland travel......I drove around the world in 2006-2008 in a 70 series (www.flyfishingtheglobe.net). I humbly request any assistance fellow Preservation Members can provide when I stumble across challenges--which will certainly occur with irritating frequency.

Cheers & happy holidays!

Dan

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Welcome Dan!
You are just down the road from me.
I hope we can catch up next time I am in Salida…

 

[Hank Tank]

Congrats Dan. Looks like two great specimens there. Can’t wait to hear about the build as it gets going.

Cheers!

 

[J Mack]

Just spitballing here.

And this is exactly how it starts.....

 

[RUSH55]

Yup

 

[DanTCook]

Hello folks!

It's been a little while since I posted, so I wanted to follow up with an update.

As scrapdaddy suggested....and after much deliberation on how to spend as much money as humanly possible (ha!), we are building the '71 from scratch. Doug DeLong at Well Sorted Automotive up the road in Buena Vista is coordinating the build. The rig is getting power steering, discs on all 4 corners, a R2.8/H55f/split TC with 60 axles with all the chromoly upgrades. The body will be repaired and prepped for paint by Jason Burge at The Rust Doctor in Grand Junction. The frame is heading to Pueblo for sand blasting and powder coat. Paint (grey/white 2 tone) will be done in Ohio. Doug will get the rig back for the transplant and upgrades and then we will take it to the finish (hardware, glass, battery & wiring, overland goodies).

We now have a website for our project! Please check out www.overlandnomads.net. It's a work-in-progress and provides the reader with a general idea of our travel plans and the 2 initiatives we have created. The map is our general direction.....we will be making plenty of detours and diversions. We are also kicking ideas around on how to organize and promote some of our community improvement projects so that other overland travelers can meet up and lend a hand. Ideas are welcome!

We were originally going to depart in November 2022, but have pushed it back till mid- to late-2023. This will allow us to test the rig, make improvements and, importantly, provide a more extensive domestic travel schedule to support and represent our sponsors (at Overland Expos, pig-specific rendezvous, Moab, etc.).

Once we make some more progress, I'll be posting photo updates.

Lastly, the 1969 red/white 55 will be up for sale soon....upgrades include a 2F (018282) engine and a 4 speed. I'll provide details in the classified ad.

Thanks to all for your interest in our project and, as always, if you have ideas and/or suggestions, feel free to post or message.

Cheers!

Dan

 

[scrapdaddy]

Now we're talk'n! I'm not aware of anyone using the 2.8 in a 55, something I'd love to try. Looking forward to this one.

 

[greenbeast]

Long time no talk Dan, looking forward to this. Gonna be tough not to stop in Buena Vista on way to Gunnison and drool a little over your rig.

 

[PabloCruise]

...Paint (grey/white 2 tone) will be done in Ohio...

That seems like quite a detour for paint!!!