From the photos the overall condition of the truck does not suggest that it has had another million miles stuck on it. These trucks were built to last.
Aussie LCs are 12 volt but that will not present a problem for parts. For the rest of the world they were mostly 24 volt but as over 10% of all LCs went to Oz, it's not a problem.
Let us know how you get on after your visit.
Regards,
Rodger
Some issues with it - see below. Now quite undecided. Dead battery such a basic thing to fix!From the photos the overall condition of the truck does not suggest that it has had another million miles stuck on it. These trucks were built to last.
Aussie LCs are 12 volt but that will not present a problem for parts. For the rest of the world they were mostly 24 volt but as over 10% of all LCs went to Oz, it's not a problem.
Let us know how you get on after your visit.
Regards,
Rodger
Very weird - had 2 batteries installed. One read 9V the other 16v. How is 16v even possible? Unless it wasn’t a 12v battery. Anyway I had a bad gut feeling about it and have headed back home to think about it. It’s a beast - not used much for several years. The chassis did seem ok, no cracks above the front axel, fwd did work, big warn winch on the front. The seats had all been moved around and so there weren’t 4 belted seats which is a basic requirement for me. The body work was troubling though - very strange old layer of filler or something everywhere. Looks original but how can it be? Basically looks too complicated for me to take on I think,....Head is taking over now....
I’ll definitely need to sleep on it - but a question about the body work: normally paint would have applied in layers to metal at the time of manufacture? Would there be any filler used at all?Although the price to buy it is reasonable and the impression I get is that many of the areas that need addressing are not things that you have the time or the knowledge to address so they are going to cost. It's a 38 year old truck and standing idle for a time will also create lots of small problems - seals that shrink, etc., so it is not a truck that you can use without having time/money spent on it first.
It is in many areas a sound truck but IMO you are probably going to have to spend the purchase price again to get the truck completely reliable and the way you would obviously like it.
It looks to me as if the person who was doing the work ran out of time/money/knowledge or enthusiasm so to correct much of what they were attempting has to be undone first. Its advantage is that it looks to be complete but there could be other aspects to it that need addressing - as with any old vehicle.
There are people who have the skills to sort it but, obviously, their time costs but Troopies are rare and as with most 40s their value is increasing.
Regards,
Rodger
Yes it’s maybe hard to see on the photos. I didn’t see evidence of welds or joins looking up the inside of the side panels. The owner said he’d been digging down through ‘spackel’ (translates as filler) and it may be easier to see on the photo below. Shiny metal top left that looks like he’s been grinding away, then the pink coloured filler, cracked in places, then grey undercoat maybe and finally bottom left the top light brown paint.Filler would not be used at the factory under normal circumstances. I think, although you have seen it, that the cut edges are metal - badly cut. The metal used then was considerably thicker than that used in vehicle nowadays. e.g. I can stand on the bonnet of my 40 without it denting or deforming (Don't try it on a modern car!). In the pictures one can see the primer and top coat applied on top of the metal.
You're welcome.
Regards,
Rodger
Yes that could explain it - what do you think about the “Land Cruiser” decals along the side? Do they look original to you?I don't suppose it could have been originally done as a show vehicle so all the panels were completely fair.
So I guess that's what it comes down to. Do you love the truck enough for it to be worth that much to you - not to sell but to have it in your life. Difficult, and only you know the answer to that. It's like Warren Beatty said in McCabe & Mrs Miller - Money and pain, money & pain. He was talking about women, but cars are the same.IMO you are probably going to have to spend the purchase price again to get the truck completely reliable and the way you would obviously like it.
That’s a very good observation - you are right it the rusty almost oily surface does seem to extend under the filler - then places the dude with the grinder has removed that to expose metal. If it was factory applied filler then there surely would be clean metal directly under the filler.Hi LegoCruiser,
.....Looking at your photos the rust on exposed bare metal seems to extend under the filler in many places. It looks like you would have to chip off a lot more filler to find good sound painted metal all around before you could treat it and start building back again. What we can see is only surface rust, not rot, but it looks like it could be extensive. And who knows what lies hidden beneath.
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