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View Full Version : Series IIa I MIGHT purchase



mlp141
09-14-2006, 07:34 PM
A while back I mentioned to some members that I was "looking" into purchasing a 1965 IIa 88" from the uncle of a friend in Iowa.

Anyway, I was finally able to see some photos, but because the truck is so far away, I have not yet seen it in person.

Here is a link to some pix: http://www.sportsshooter.com/mpalmieri/series/index.html

Anyway, Tom, Sean, Bill, Jeff, et al, what do you think from the photos? The bulkhead looks OK to me, the rear cross member needs some help, the rest looks so-so.

You are all far more Series savy than I am, so your thoughts and advice are much appreciated.

--Michael

jason
09-14-2006, 09:17 PM
Does it run? Does it have a title? Do you have bags of money pre-soaking in gasoline?

crazyfish
09-15-2006, 01:59 AM
How much is it?

mlp141
09-15-2006, 03:55 AM
Have not finalized a price, but in and around $750.

According to the owner, it ran 10 years ago before he "retired" it to his gaage.

rvrsrvc
09-17-2006, 09:49 AM
From a mechanical point of view, and if I were to play out the "worst case" scenario, after not running for 10 years, I would assume/budget for this stuff possibly being an issue:
Does the engine turn over?
Is the clutch stuck?
Everything rubber-brake seals, tyres, brake hoses, radiator hoses should be considered unusable.
How many rodents made 'er their home?
Are the axle housings themselves rusty?

To me, any rust issues are more of the deciding factor than the mechanical bits, and at $750 it's probably not the biggest mistake one could make.

How would you get it here?

Either way, it looks like fun!

Trevor

mlp141
09-17-2006, 11:56 PM
The truck has been in a garage (attached to the house) and to the best of my knowledge no rodents.

I did not ask about the clutch, but they rolled the truck out of the garage and into the driveway to take some photos. I put together a little gallery of what was sent to me: Check these out:

http://www.sportsshooter.com/mpalmieri/series/

Getting it here -- two thoughts. I found a car shipper online that quoted me $800. Otherwise a roadtrip and towing adventure. Although, with gas and all, I figure it'd cost me $600+ anyway. So, for an extra $200, a carrier seems like a nice idea.

Frank84
09-18-2006, 03:19 PM
Looks like this could be a big project - if you have the time and $$$ go for it

The cross member has taken a big hit off-road and ripped open the frame a little

crazyfish
09-18-2006, 03:35 PM
hell, that's alot of parts for $750. My goal was to have something drivable that i could "fix" on weekends - and that pretty much worked out. This is a long project. My quick guess - $3,000 to get it to a point where you would drive it more than 5 miles from home and not feel to worried.

peter reed had the same problem with the cross member. local welder fixed it up with a new removable one, cheap too as i remember.

mlp141
09-19-2006, 09:02 AM
Peter -- can you share your experiences with that trans cross member and frame tear? How bad is it to get repaired. I'm not friendly with any local welders. In fact, I don't know any.

And how tough is it to replace (or repair?) the rear cross member?

I have been playing phone tag with the seller, but hope to touch base with him tonight.

Peter
09-19-2006, 02:57 PM
Bent the old one beyond repair on some rocks.

Bought a removable galvanized crossmember from RDS for $100 +/-. Droppped the truck off at the welder Tuesday and Wed. it was done. Cost from welder was $150+/-. They removed the old crossmember, welded tabs for new one and bolted everything back together. Could not be happier.


Peter -- can you share your experiences with that trans cross member and frame tear? How bad is it to get repaired. I'm not friendly with any local welders. In fact, I don't know any.

And how tough is it to replace (or repair?) the rear cross member?

I have been playing phone tag with the seller, but hope to touch base with him tonight.

mlp141
09-20-2006, 08:59 AM
Well, neither the title nor the money has yet to change hands, but a deal was struck last night.

I called the owner and we spoke at length, discussing a variety of things, including some of my concerns. After examining the photos and asking questions directly drawn from them, I felt confident that this is a solid buy.

Points that came to light through our conversation: The engine turns over – he used the hand crank and turned it over several times after unearthing the truck from his garage. The trans works fine and is able to enter/exit the four forward gears as well as reverse. The bulkhead is solid, the body panels (with the exception of the right fender) are straight. The hood and rear door are in great shape and there is a newish galvanized front bumper. He noted that the frame was undercoated and that it is pretty solid, although it is not void of some typical rust spots; the rear cross member will need replacing as will that trans cross member. The glass is all clean and the windshield glass was replaced after a baseball incident. The roof is solid and straight, but has a few small holes from where antennae were mounted. The gas tank is also in need of replacement – he said it was pretty banged up and rusty. The floor pans are stainless steel but the over-the-tunnel panel was not changed over to SS.

There are/were no critters living in it; the seats need new coverings, as do the inner door panel pockets. Some spare parts to be included are the original carb, a clutch assembly (a new clutch was installed shortly before the truck began to sit), new distributor cap with wading spark plug covers and some other bits and bobs.

So, that’s the bulk of it. Seemed fair for the $750 we agreed upon. Like Sean said, it could easily be parted out for that $750, but I have no intention of doing so.

Once it arrives I will share the story and the photos of her arrival. Naturally I’ll be in the market for some parts (right hand wing, gas tank, cross members, its missing some lenses, etc.) and plenty of advice. I bought the Green bible and it will be here today. We are soon to build a 40x30 garage on my property which will become home to the Rover, so by winter break I anticipate playing host to a shop day. Stay tuned.

Thanks for all of your help.

--Michael

crazyfish
09-21-2006, 10:50 PM
awesome! it really is a wonderful love hate relationship with your knuckles and your wallet. Get Rovers Down South bookmarked and make friends with george, that's the man that will make your series happy.

mlp141
09-22-2006, 10:50 AM
Yes, another fool thinking he can conquer rust, Lucas electronics and the like …

But alas, I am ever so excited about getting this truck. I arranged the details with a shipping company last evening – a company from California. Anyway, they offered me a very fair deal, and I think a bargain to ship the truck from Iowa to NJ. It should arrive by next weekend at the latest!

I will soon be building a 30’x40’ garage on my property and hopefully it will be up be up and running by Thanksgiving, end of the year at the latest. Thereafter, I plan to play host to my first shop day and get some “free” advice and labor from our Series gurus.

I plan to put a section on my website to chronicle the work and development of my 88” and hope that it will serve as a source of inspiration for some other fool to buy a Series ;-)

With any luck, things will come together quickly and it’ll at the very least run and drive before too long. It has been sitting for several years, but ran prior to being retired. Mission number one is to replace the gas tank (anyone got one?) and maybe the fuel lines, then I’ll get a battery and try to get her started.

I can’t wait to start wrenching!

--Michael