lophat
+1y
I don't see why some guys are so afraid of a little work. Do you have a budget? do you have technical skills? painting skills? fab skills? buddies who owe you a favor?
EVERYONE has to start on a project with a realistic budget. Ass-uming you are startin on a project you love, you will stay motivated and stick with it.
So what's your budget? $10,000? $5000.00? Figure out what you want to do, how much you got to spend and go from there. Rome wasn't built in a day, stretch it out over two years. Dedicate 5 grand a year to your project, or 10 grand a year...whatever.
I wouldn't give the guy any more than a grand for that truck. Probably not any more the $800 he couldn't even get it running? You know how much gas is these days? Arm yourself for battle and don't go there all amped up and letting him know you want it. Act like you don't give a shit if you take it off his hands or not. Go there with $1000.00 bucks and not a penny more. Show him the cash, if he wants to sell it he will. If he haggles even a little say thanks but no thanks get in your car, and break the fuck out. DON'T LOOK BACK!
That truck is beat the fuck up, can it be saved?, hell ya! I've saved way worse, but I can do custom paint and body, have access to laser cutting fab, I can weld, access to a great fiberglass mould shop, powdercoating, mechanics I went to school with, tire guys, chroming, polishing, and i'm a courier so I can get the stuff sent to me overnight at rock bottom prices.
Not everyone has crazy connections, only you know what you can and can't do. What you can't do, you have to pay for...so how much will it cost?
I'd say assume the worst, figure in a motor and tranny rebuild, bags and four link etc. You'll hit ten grand real fast and you will probably still need to address the paint and interior...stereo?
What I like to do with my projects is work on the mechanical aspect FIRST Who gives a fuck how low you are, and if you drag dual gas tanks if it's stuck broken down on the side of the highway?
After the ride runs well enough to be reliable, move to suspension and tires, another big hit when talking dually if you want to step up to 22's...so stay on 16's for the first year, set the truck up for 22's and roll on 16's for now. Don't do a big stereo and interior the first year, keep it minimal, like a cd player and some 6x9's. Don't paint it, just run a DA over it (scuff it up) and shoot some flat colored base over it, and rock the bitch.
I'm selling the 16" Epics off the dually i'm working on now, and i'm going to press out stock fiberglass and widened rear flares for box duallies. Why?cause i can, and I will use the pcs from the re-pressed ones to add to the ones I want to widen, so i'll have some to cut up and give a stock look. Then when I have the moulds for stock and wide flares i'll ebay them. If anyone from the fam on here wants em' let me know and i'll PM you the special price. Dunno what i'm going to sell them for yet, but it won't be too outrageous, and it will save you a bunch or trouble cutting and piecing.
In short brother i'm not knocking you cause I don't know you, or what skills you got. But figure out your money then go look for something you can get looking/working the way you want for the amount of money you have.
There are all kinds of ways to keep yourself on budget and on track, only you can figure out if it is too much of a project for you or not...and only you have the answers to my questions, and only you can prevent forest fires....oh sorry one to many "only you can's".
Later!