Question about the PNW market and feasibility of an idea.

[Red Merle]

Thanks for all of the responses. I think I am going to just wait until while I am out there and if I see a deal that can't be passed up, I will make my decision then. I will be going from Seattle, down to the redwoods and then back through the Cascades and maybe a bit out to the high desert. If I see something along the way, I will have a plan in place. I would probably just ship it back and have a rough idea of what that might cost before I go. There are just too many variables to figure out setting up showings before I go and I am now much more aware of how tight the market is out there for clean examples.

If I could have a looser plan of when I am going, it would be easier to spot a sweet truck on CL or here and then go get it, but my girlfriend has a rigid schedule and we are going when she can go, which looks like the second half of July right now.

 

[Funner]

Go drive an $8k Fj40 for 100 miles on the interstate, that should cure the notion about owning one for the purpose you wanted it for. I love the fj40, but I think that would be a rough, noisy, slow and possible painful vehicle to drive through the mountains and across the plains. I think it would be exhausting.

 

[Red Merle]

Go drive an $8k Fj40 for 100 miles on the interstate, that should cure the notion about owning one for the purpose you wanted it for. I love the fj40, but I think that would be a rough, noisy, slow and possible painful vehicle to drive through the mountains and across the plains. I think it would be exhausting.

It would only be a one time trip, more than likely.

I knew that 40's were out of control, price wise, I just thought there may be a more sane market out there if I asked here. Now I know that the prices for what I would want are beyond my means. I just wanted to see.

I just feel like I am wasting an opportunity to bring back something worthwhile. I may re-focus my energy on 3rd gen 4Runners as I know people that will buy those tomorrow and I could turn enough of a "profit" that bringing it back here would make sense for me and my friends that want them. If I could pick up one of those that just needed a little TLC or was ready to go, I could use it to do our road trip and then go over it once I got home. I would probably do the timing belt and the trans cooler and then just let my buddy have it for what I had into it as long as he agreed to let me keep it rust free for him.

 

[Red Merle]

I get you. I have a '69 Travelall (International) - that is the '68 body b/c it was special ordered as a 3/4T 4wd. What do I use it for? -steel storage. It ran when I parked it, a good 7-8yrs ago.

Have a rust-free '68 Camaro, and Dad has a '47, '53 Willy's P/U & wagon, the wagon had rust in a gutter, but that was it. PO even had latex paint on it just so the hood & roof didn't start peeling & rotting. Ugly, but it works out here.

He's got some early 50's C/O too, and a '41-ish International truck (no VIN, had a oak skeleton) - skins were all fine, even the floorboards.

We just don't rust the undercarriages like lots of places.

I'm happy to look at a 80 if you find it - I literally tripped over the up & comer as it's a neighbor of the guy whose dock I moor at, older couple /1st owners of a nightshadow /tan '97 - we already talked plenty over the years & know I'll buy it when that day comes. I'm not greedy, I have had plenty of nice 80's & can simply keep mine now & be content.

Find one that's reasonably close to me, I'll go scout it NP. Take it wherever, if you buy it's yours. If CA got pissy over us buying all the old muscle cars there wouldn't be room for all the fancy new cars that rotate through, my POV.

Edit - Forgot Dad's bought my 1/2 & owns the '69 442 conv too - it has rust @ the rear quarters where the top folds in though, but none underside - another lifelong WA car.

Dang @LINUS, that is like a who's who of my favorite cars and trucks. Those old Internationals really don't even exist here unless they are show cars. I love the 4WD Travelall, probably near the top of a short list of trucks I would buy if money was no object. They were so utilitarian it's kinda funny when you consider the way we buy cars and trucks these days. That said, International must have the record for the rustiest trucks available at the time, I have heard reports of people that had rust issues, right off the lot. Great motors though. I had a '76 Scout Traveler. The thing still ran fine, but the body, floor, etc. was so rusty that the seats actually fell through the floor one day while I was riding in it with my sizeable friend in the passenger seat. It was just too far gone to do anything with, but I still found a farmer that wanted it for his farm. I think I sold it for $300.

 

[Funner]

It would only be a one time trip, more than likely.

I knew that 40's were out of control, price wise, I just thought there may be a more sane market out there if I asked here. Now I know that the prices for what I would want are beyond my means. I just wanted to see.

I just feel like I am wasting an opportunity to bring back something worthwhile. I may re-focus my energy on 3rd gen 4Runners as I know people that will buy those tomorrow and I could turn enough of a "profit" that bringing it back here would make sense for me and my friends that want them. If I could pick up one of those that just needed a little TLC or was ready to go, I could use it to do our road trip and then go over it once I got home. I would probably do the timing belt and the trans cooler and then just let my buddy have it for what I had into it as long as he agreed to let me keep it rust free for him.

I reread your first post and now get what you were saying. It would still suck
Let me know if you want to set up a SW 3rd gen 4Runner business, I could ship em out to you from AZ. I had a 96 before my 80, that thing was so practical and reliable, I had to sell it.

 

[Red Merle]

I reread your first post and now get what you were saying. It would still suck
Let me know if you want to set up a SW 3rd gen 4Runner business, I could ship em out to you from AZ. I had a 96 before my 80, that thing was so practical and reliable, I had to sell it.

I would definitely talk to you about a 3rd Gen business. Those trucks sell like hotcakes where I live (Twin Ports of Duluth, MN and Superior, WI. Google it. We have tons of wilderness and US Forest Service roads and other rugged roads that Toyota trucks do well on)

I like the 3.4L, but 3RZ-FE trucks would be considered if they are five speeds. If I could make $1000 off each one, I could easily sell 12 per year. I would make driving back a few of them vacations, but really, they would need to be shipped or driven back by using Craigslist or the university student travel network. All they would need to be on your end is driveable enough to hand some rando the keys and head north for two or three days. Give a person a pre-paid card for gas and expenses and make them sign a contract to deliver. I bet it would work.

 

[Red Merle]

I wouldn't mind flipping 4Runners. They made a lot more of those and it's just a good vehicle for a lot of people. I don't think there is even a way to filp Land Cruisers now within the US.