What Kind of Work Involved and Reasonable Price?

[jcaark]

I guess this is the classic "what's it worth" thread, but I am more concerned about how much time and $ (mostly the $) a fix up would require. I am not really interested in the all-out rock crawler build-up, just getting the body back in order and maybe a mild lift.

On this cruiser I am a little worried about the rust. I haven't looked at it in person to check frame, etc., but the rust, especially on the back doors and the sides of the top, seem pretty bad to me. The inside is in great shape, minus the seat driver's seat being chewed up.

I can afford fair amount of time, but I can't afford much money on the repairs. I have seen some decent body panels at Cool Cruisers of Texas, but does anyone have experience installing these? I am also assuming it's pretty hard to find separate rear doors and tops for sale in good shape.

So I guess the questions are: 1.) How much work on the body; and 2.) what's a reasonable price?

Pictures should be attached, but this is my first picture post so anything could happen. Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[thecrazygreek]

hrmmm

First off, welcome to mud...

That baby is a rusty crusty 40. Lots of time, will need most body panels replaced. You say the floors are ok? If so, your looking at fenders, hood, rockers, all 4 doors, rear quarters, top, rear sill, maybe bib?

Maybe 2k in sheetmetal plus doors etc.. (wow). Thats a conservative estimate. I also assume you can do the work yourself, so you could save big $$ if you can fab your own panels.

Unless your getting this rig for a song, I would leave it alone, or part it out.

But it is good to see someone take on a project like this and get an FJ40 back on the road.

Goodluck

 

[jcaark]

Here are some inside pics to balance the badness of the outside.

Does anyone know what the round gauge might be to the left of the main dash gauges?

I have reached my upload limit, but these flickr links should work.


Also: I have always been afraid of the diamond-plate panels, and who knows what kind of rust they are hiding.


Last thing: I forgot to add that the cruiser does run and is driven relatively often, so the engine is not a problem.

photo-4 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

photo-5 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

 

[craptabulous]

the round gage is a tach , you can usually tell whats behind the diamond plate by looking on the inside of the cruiser at the seam , if the seam is showing rust there is rust under the dp .

 

[lostmarbles]

Would consume way too much time and money IMO.

My bet is you'd soon regret buying it (if you were to do so). ... Irrespective of how low the price was.

 

[weez440]

wow that thing must have been driven alot in the winter on salty roads. i live way up in the rust belt and i think mine was luckily put away and not driven in the winter time cause mine just has a lil rust in the sill area in the back and thats it. you deffinately took on a big project but let me ask you this. are you gonna use it as a daily driver, restore it to mint, or use it for playing offroad with? if you are gonna use it for playing i would say just leave it as is and do a little at a time.

 

[jcaark]

Thanks for the info. It will be a little daily driver, and a little playing offroad. In view of of the comments, I think I'll pass. It is a pretty good deal, but I will have to put just as much money in after purchasing it as I will to buy it. I'm not in a huge hurry to buy, I'm just waiting around for the right deal.

I have a '06 100 now and I got rid of a '97 80 series two years ago and I'm still recovering from seller's remorse.

Thanks for the info though. I'm still hanging around the 40 forum.

 

[landcrusher909]

Welcome to Mud where are you located ? you might find some local help for parts you never know

 

[jcaark]

Right now, northwest Arkansas, but I lived in Dallas for a while and I'm from northeast Texas, so that's why I'm a little familiar with the cool cruisers outfit.

 

[crushr]

Unless you are a welder, and have lots of free time, find a different cruiser. I would bet the frame is badly rusted, too.

 

[BDSeff1fitty]

i paid $500 for my rust free doors and hard top.

also check out IPOR for their body panels. i think their a tad cheaper and their rear quarters have the wheel wells already i think

 

[AlaskanWheeler]

Seeing that top rail with so much damage would be a deal breaker for me. Thats going to make for a lot of work that even most rusty cruiser's don't require repairing. The top rail being what the hard top is resting on.

 

[Gusb]

Also: I have always been afraid of the diamond-plate panels, and who knows what kind of rust they are hiding.

Not too much of a mystery what's under that diamond plate (IMO). Hard to believe the floors are in good shape. Did you mention the price? If it's a model year you're interested in, if you have a place to store it and if you can get it for next to nothing you should grab it for parts - of course, that's a lot of "if" . You can pay around $400 for a dash pad, etc. these days.

 

[nick]

I think I'd pass on this one. Way to much work.

 

[brew8]

Get a welder and a coupla of sheets of 16 gauge and some 3/16 sheet and some 2 inch squars stock some one inch square and get after it. 400 bucks for a used mig welder and 150 for the sheet metal. get a good metal saw, have some fun. Learn to fab, cheers larry

 

[thecrazygreek]

Take a look at Coolermans build. If he can resurect that thing (no offence) than yours will be a piece of cake. He did it all himself, fabbing most of the panels.