Rebuild or Sell/Buy Used? (1 Viewer)

[Red Beard]

I posted a couple years ago when this happened. Since then, the hit-and-run driver has gotten away with it. No one could track him down. It was some trucking company out of Indiana that wouldn't answer the phone.

I don't drive much, I work from home in Philadelphia. Currently DD a Mini Cooper that I love, but I miss driving an 80. With winter around the corner, I've been thinking about how to get back to driving one!

Options I can think of:

1. Sell it, buy a used FZJ, put money into that to get maintenance up to date
2. Rebuild it from the ground up, fix the body, then overhaul the engine and get the drivetrain good to go.

Which option costs less money and pain?

 

[jfz80]

That stinks there was no resolution. I remember your post about the incident. Your ins was no help in solving the incident through subrogation? Sorry man


I vote sell and buy new. Parting out if you have time space and patience. Just scored a rust 40th with 136k miles here in nc for 5500. Some say high priced but I felt a decent deal for a low mile no rust well cared for unit. Old man owned, just needed some baselining and paint on the hood.

There's a 91 here with no headliner and broken sunroof for 2k for comparison.

I think you'll spend lots of money rebuilding that one there. A body swap is probably best option vs fixing that with patching and painting

Only rebuild I'd do of that unit of yours would be a ute/pickup conversion or tucked and bobbed wheeling rig.

 

[Heckraiser]

buying one that is already good to go will be a lot cheaper, IMO. Body work is expensive, and if the truck needs a mechanical refresh as well, I really don't see the point of hanging on to it.

 

[08720]

Swap out your rear windows and keep the stickers. A little piece of your old truck will remain without the hassle of the additional work involved in restoring it.

 

[bloc]

To add to what everyone else is saying, it appears there may be quite a bit of rust on the chassis?

If so, definitely don't bother repairing/rebuilding. Do what you need to to find a relatively rust-free rig that needs some basic work or baselining and drive on.

I do like @08720 idea of keeping your windows though..

 

[Red Beard]

Yeah, I really like @08720's idea! That would mean i'd have to get the new 80 before selling the old... hm..

Problem is finding a rust-free cruiser in my area. I'd have to search in places where I couldn't just quickly drive out there and check it out before buying. But I'd imagine that's the state of used-80's sales right now.

Best case ontario I find a daily driven, locked, FZJ with minimal miles on it. Buy it, do a maintenance update probably including HG, then go on my merry way.