Bargaining Help

[NickDawson]

I like the idea of a project truck, but I would like to enjoy it for awhile and get accustomed to it before I jump into any major overhauls. Plus I have a hard time pulling the trigger on something like that when I can't crawl around on it and see what it really needs.

Sounds a lot like some of the first posts I made on this board

As the kids on the internet say, "learn from my fail".

Your passion, motivation and interest is spot on. You're going to love Rover Ownership. Just don't pull the trigger on the wrong one. I had the exact same goals and challenges - balancing budget, excitement, availability of trucks, etc. Ultimately, against the good advice of many on this board, I chose to import a truck sight unseen. Truthfully, I wouldn't change a thing about the experience, I love my truck. But if I had known then what I know now, I would likely have keept looking here.

Which leads to part of the challenge - evaluating the right truck. I'm not sure, even if I had found a truck in the US, I would have made a smart purchase. Simply because, unless you have history and experience with Series Rovers, it's hard to know how to really evaluate them. That's easily confounded by aesthetic - a nice paint job on a rusty truck fools our brains into like it more than faded heap in great mechanical shape.

What's your comfort level with mechanical systems? Could you look at brake lines, wheel cylinders, drums, etc and make a fair evaluation of their condition - or for any other major system? For me, looking for a learning project, it would have helped to find someone to take with me who had that expertise (several here offered).

Finally, to the point others have made, where do you want to put your time and money? For instance, for me a paint job seemed like a $3-4K endeavor on a beat up truck. But, if I totaled up all the parts I've put into fixing system problems on my shiny truck, it's probably more than a paint job. I'm using paint as an example here, but it could just as easily be the frame, motor, etc.

Today, I might rather drive around a mechanically sound work in progress, and slowly add money to the fun things as opposed to making a poor buying decision and having to pour money into keeping it going.

As for the wife thing, if you think she'll love it, then she probably will. Mine loves our series, although I can't ever get her interested in driving it. To her, it's our weekend ride with room for the dog, it takes us camping... what's not to love? When it comes to budgeting for it, we treat it like anything else. I subtract about 50% from costs when I tell her about them and she subtracts about 50% of costs when she tells me about the shoes she buys and we both live blissfully ignorant.

[o2batsea]

It's not hard to figure out. Don't buy one that's all rusty, and don't pay more than you can get away with. With very few exceptions, you can more or less build anything Series Rover from parts. A bulkhead here, a tub there and a chassis from this dude and some Range Rover axles from that dude and, well, you get the idea. Maybe even for less than it would cost to buy a whole truck. Hard to say.
I bet I could source everything that ex MOD truck has for less than that seven large. Oh wait I'm cheating cz I already have enough chit laying around to make at least one truck, and maybe two.
Hey wanna come over to the barn and do some shopping?
Priced to move: 109 SW rolling chassis in good nick with mods for V8, 109 wagon tub, 3.9 engine, 4.6 engine, RRC for parts with good axles, brakes wheels etc, windshields, and lots of "smalls"

[Sputnic81]

I am new to Rovers, but not to old cars. I grew up under the hood of old VW's and Beamers. I was that weird kid that took everything apart just to see how it worked and if I could put it back together and have it still work.
The truck I am looking at on here looks and is advertised as being very solid structurally and mechanically... What turns the wife off is that it is not shiny and "pretty". I keep trying to tell her that paint is an easy fix. Plus I like the 'patina' as many others have put it- like character marks on a trusted hunting rifle. As I get closer to sealing a deal I will definitely enlist some assistance in assessing my prospect-especially since it is a 23 hour drive from me. Again thanks for all the help... If owning a Series is as muc fun as shopping for one, this is gonna be great!

[o2batsea]

I grew up under the hood of old VW's and Beamers. I was that weird kid that took everything apart just to see how it worked and if I could put it back together and have it still work.

You, my friend, are we.