Guess what guys???....Sparkle is back in business. Please read the thread I started in the WANTED section. PLEASE let me know if you know of anyone selling a decent tub or any sheetmetal.
I didn't get much action here other than some smaller parts, but did ok on a few things on ebay and then I got a call from a local guy who had a bunch of 1st gen mini truck parts he'd trade for my project. Oh yeah, I bought an '81 Toyota 4x4 in January thinking I would turn it into a mild wheeler which would replace my need for a cruiser, but that hasn't happened.
Anyway, the guy with the mini parts and I must have played phone tag for well over a month and I finally lost interest in pursuing the deal and decided to put it back on CL again. The second guy who originally called me the first time it was on CL called right away after I relisted it and he came to look at what I had and we struck a deal. This is where you may start shedding a tear...............
The guy owned a resale business in Philly specializing in vintage industrial items and such as well as doing custom furniture restorations of the same type. I thought it was going to be a no brainer and this would be an easy 1,2,3 and I'm on my way to tearing down the Toyota mini for a flatbed, Lincoln lockers, RUF's/63's etc. Why wouldn't it, he's a legit "businessman". What a joke.
The dude comes to the shop and hands me half the money for the deal and convinces me to help him load all the parts I have scattered around the shop into his F250 and claims he will be back in a few days to get the '72 I did the metal work on as well as a '73 donor truck with a good motor as well. Basically, in my mind, the meat and potatoes of the sale. Why wouldn't he come back to get them? Well, he didn't come back so my guess is either he only wanted the parts I had or couldn't find room for the rigs and didn't have the heart to tell me. Either way I'm stuck in the cold holding my dork.
Right now I'm left with two carcasses which are both missing a ton of parts to even make one rig. Even though the entire situation sucks it fueled my fire in getting this going again. I am going to sell the mini in hopes of finding a donor rig or tub to get me ahead of the game in getting this back together quicker.
I don't need a title, motor or good frame, but it must have a decent tub. I also need every other piece of sheetmetal, but condition can vary. Let me know if you can help a cruiser brother out. I'm gonna go to go and cry myself to sleep now.