Talk Me Out Of This (My Vehicle Search Thread)

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Explorer4Hire

Explorer4Hire

10 Year
Joined
Aug 25, 2015
Threads
80
Messages
1,385
Location
Northern Virginia
I figured I would post up here on a separate thread instead if mucking up the other ones with my search..... As previously stated I have been looking for a new rig. I have been looking at minitrucks mostly because I can fit one into my garage with my wife's car, but also because I'm comfortable with the 22R and the like. I have torn down a couple and find them easy to work on. I am also considering any decent condition FJ55 because I have always wanted one and it was the vehicle that first made me love classic Toyotas. My wife is fine with parking outside when I need the garage for a few days, but if I get a 55 it most likely will live in my driveway and at my friend's garage at times. I will be building a run in regardless this spring so that is a plus. I MAY be able to squeeze an FJ in the garage... but it would be tight. The F series motor is a mystery to me compared to the 22R.

The minitruck I was looking at was at the top of my budget... over with shipping... but it looks like it is probably being sold tomorrow.....

The other contender so far is this pig. I need to be talked out of this:

www.facebook.com

1972 Toyota land cruiser fj55

This FJ55 is a sweetheart of a rig. I have both front fender patch panels and front disc brakes, that I have yet to get installed. She starts right up and the three speed transmission is so smooth. I...
www.facebook.com www.facebook.com

1972 FJ55. - F155(I think) and 3 speed
Runs and drives good. I was sent a video of it running with 0 issues.
Rear window motor works but the plastic gear is stripped (easy fix)
The seller is providing new front fender patch panels, new rocker panels, disk brake conversion kit
All gauges work other than odometer...
Frame is solid... the pictures below he sent he states represent general condition. Nothing worse anywhere else.
Body mounts will need attention
I would need to do some additional fabbing/welding in the rear panels and wheel wells
He claims he loves driving it, but is moving to the mountains and has the only truck he needs now.
Pictures....

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Pretty cool...and if it's what you are after, not a bad start for the $$
 
onemanarmy said:
that rear lower fender will be a HUGE pain to get back to stock looks
Click to expand...
yea... I would probably need to cut that section from a doner and weld it in.... she is a bit beat up.... good frame, good motor... inside is serviceable.. the front wouldn't be too hard... the rear gonna be a PITA .... for me at least. If it was cheaper of corse, those are things you can live with and work on.... It is interesting... but I'm not too sure at the moment...

I'm still considering the blue pickup in the classifieds section... I have a bunch of pictures of it. It's been sitting... It does have AC.... Frame is decent. I'll post some pictures of it tomorrow.
 
the truck in the classifieds...


Sold rear window :cry:

the passenger door is FUBAR... minor rocker damage.. still opens and shuts.... 2 extra doors come with it. 5 speed tranny dropped in. 20R. AC compressor is there. Inside is meh.... I already found a few bench seats on FB. Frame is ok. Not a diamond in the rough but not bad... I would grade it the same as the pig. Everything works.. bed full of extra parts... Has been sitting. He is sending a startup video this weekend.

pics

door damage

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extra doors

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frame

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More....

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Overall I still keep looking at a couple pigs.... I need to snap out of it... This is closer and cheaper... positives... solid window which I hate and door being banged up are negatives... also the pig has been driven regularly.... this has been sitting in a parking lot.
 
Explorer4Hire said:
More....

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Overall I still keep looking at a couple pigs.... I need to snap out of it... This is closer and cheaper... positives... solid window which I hate and door being banged up are negatives... also the pig has been driven regularly.... this has been sitting in a parking lot.
Click to expand...
Have you asked what is in the diffs? Triple drilled flanges, Spicer drive shaft parts (Tom Woods maybe) Might have a nice surprise in there.

TG cover on t-case? might have gears inside? 4 or 5 speed tranny? could have had either. SR5 truck with that gauge cluster. and remote gauges. chances are a 5 spd.
 
matzell said:
Have you asked what is in the diffs? Triple drilled flanges, Spicer drive shaft parts (Tom Woods maybe) Might have a nice surprise in there.

TG cover on t-case? might have gears inside? 4 or 5 speed tranny? could have had either. SR5 truck with that gauge cluster. and remote gauges. chances are a 5 spd.
Click to expand...
diffs.. unknown from seller... stock as far as he knows. He put a 5 speed in it and added power steering. He has the cover plate (side note). The story he got when he acquired it was that it was owned by a company who used it as a mining truck... the cart hooks are welded somewhere on it.. Supposedly that is all it was ever used for. He got it for his daughter and put the power steering in and 5 speed but she never would learn the manual transmission so it sat... someone hit the door in his shop.
 
Chamba said:
That's Colorado rust. You take that to Virginia and leave it outside it'll turn to dust in a few years.
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Yea... rust stinks.. old stuff is hard here. Gotta be liberal with the woolwax and keep everything clean...My 86 4runner was a Denver truck.. I used fluid film... did great.. preserved everything. I will use wool wax on the next rig because it smells better..haha
 
Chamba said:
That's Colorado rust. You take that to Virginia and leave it outside it'll turn to dust in a few years.
Click to expand...
But I get what your saying.. The mini truck would have a designated home in the garage... The 55 would be subject to a run in most of the time when my bud has his projects in his garage...
 
Explorer4Hire said:
diffs.. unknown from seller... stock as far as he knows. He put a 5 speed in it and added power steering. He has the cover plate (side note). The story he got when he acquired it was that it was owned by a company who used it as a mining truck... the cart hooks are welded somewhere on it.. Supposedly that is all it was ever used for. He got it for his daughter and put the power steering in and 5 speed but she never would learn the manual transmission so it sat... someone hit the door in his shop.
Click to expand...
My money is on the fact is has traction devices and maybe gears in there, lots of low speed stuff in mines.
 
I have a few texts in to him... He isn't a fast responder and its the Hollidays so maybe he knows some more

Here are some more rust pics.... looks like elbow grease and wool wax can handle everything underneath... The bed will need attention.. most of it is good but he sent me all the hot spots...

I have to remember I am hunting for unique deal and not a 14K truck... Something I can drive for fun and patch up here and there... I could conceivably haggle a bit and get some cheaper shipping. I will say he raves about how well it drove when last driven... but... you know. Easy to say. That rear window would be getting swapped out with a split ASAP... found some parts trucks on FB.

I'm still not sure... This checks a lot of boxes... in budget, runs, SFA, carbureted, can fit in garage, never had a 79-83, parts trucks are out there, rust is deal-with-able.... not great. Patina is preservable.... would survive EMP attack. I don't like that the door is folded in... solid window on a pickup (boooooo), not crazy about the color (my 4runner was blue),

meh on the interior, but its small so not too much to replace : ) cool shift knob.

It has a cool story...

I could throw on some OME or Dobinsons springs, 33s+, E-lock the rear, tube bumper from marlin or the like on the back and have fun and tinker it up to a respectable truck.


Some rust bubbling through bed...

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Worst of the rust... she would be getting new springs anyway and the hanger area still looks ok after a wire wheeling....

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I love minitrucks... but 55s are just so cool... Parts are out there for both.... more for the pickups of course. Again, I wouldn't say no to an 84 or 85 mini or 4runner.... but I love the older body style.

The pig owner drives it and loves it... I feel pretty confident it's a good driver just from talking to him. The owner of this minitruck is closing his shop I guess... I will say he did't seem as knowledgable for a guy with a shop as I was expecting... nice guy.... but looking at the engine bay he was real proud of seemed odd... it was ok. I mentioned it was desmogged and he was unsure. Like.. yea man... look at it... lol. I don't know how reliable what's been done is. Maybe thats a bad read...

pig owner says his currently lives outside... roof/rails are great.. 0 leaks.

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Explorer4Hire said:
I love minitrucks... but 55s are just so cool... Parts are out there for both.... more for the pickups of course. Again, I wouldn't say no to an 84 or 85 mini or 4runner.... but I love the older body style.

The pig owner drives it and loves it... I feel pretty confident it's a good driver just from talking to him. The owner of this minitruck is closing his shop I guess... I will say he did't seem as knowledgable for a guy with a shop as I was expecting... nice guy.... but looking at the engine bay he was real proud of seemed odd... it was ok. I mentioned it was desmogged and he was unsure. Like.. yea man... look at it... lol. I don't know how reliable what's been done is. Maybe thats a bad read...

pig owner says his currently lives outside... roof/rails are great.. 0 leaks.

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Well, it has a new Weber carb. Those really wake up a 22R.
 
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