Atempting to plan a recovery from Tampa, FL to Upstate, NY

[lefty]

Atempting to plan a find & recover from Tampa, FL to Upstate, NY

I am going to be flying down to Tampa for work for 1 week starting the 24th. My plan as of right now is to buy a round trip ticket, but hope to find a CUCV pickup to drive home instead.

Right now I only have one lead, its about 1.5 hours drive from where I'll be staying in Tampa, over near Orlando. The owner of the m1008 says the tires are old (no problem I'll put on new rubber and keep one for a spare), and the tail lights don't work, which is a bigger issue...

The only other "lead" I have (not really a lead at all) is a military truck outfit near Dallas TX that has a nice dually m1028 but the price is right at my max and there's no way I could make that work for this trip.

I've been posting want ads and scouring CL looking for other leads but the pickins seem slim.

I'm starting to think I will need that ticket for the return trip home

 

[Recovry4x4]

You may want to have a looksee at the Treasure Coast CL.

 

[lefty]

Thanks for the HU, I'm trying to stick to below $5000, and even less if possible.

 

[Recovry4x4]

Thanks for the HU, I'm trying to stick to below $5000, and even less if possible.

Gotcha. Could be tough with a dually but possible for sure. Might be worth making an offer.
http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?114599-just-bought-a-M1028a2-dually&highlight=dually

 

[lefty]

You are a wealth of information. I shall see what I can do...

 

[lefty]

I had just read that thread a few days ago too, I'm surprised it's not listed FS on here!

 

[lefty]

Unfortunately it doesn't seem that a visit to the Treasure Coast is in my near future, the hunt is still on!

 

[lefty]

I got a pretty good lead from my CL wanted ad. This truck is a 1985 m1008, it looks pretty solid, We just need to come together on a price, he is asking $5500, which seems a bit high to me, and doesnt leave me any wiggle room for the return trip home..

(he included a picture of the brand new radiator he just bought for it, and still needs to install)

 

[lefty]

Here is what I consider option #2, it's a 1986 m1008 which has been parked a long while. the owner says it could use new tires, has a bad front u-joint (could mean bent drive shaft?), and the tail lights don't currently work, at all... (electrical demon!) But the price is more in line with what I am thinking. it's listed for $3800, I could probably get it a little less.

 

[porkysplace]

By the time you put new tires and fix the rest of things on truck #2 the prices will end up pretty close to the same.
If it has been sitting a long time more things will pop up as it goes.

 

[lefty]

I was thinking the same thing, the first truck has been sitting about 3 months due to the radiator, but before that he says he drove it daily for 3 years. There's likely to be a lot less wrong with it. Plus it doesn't look quite as beat up. The 2nd truck has bent bumpers and dents in the gate, missing pintle hook. It all adds up.

 

[lefty]

I think I've come to an agreement with the guy selling truck #1, he's planning on installing the radiator this weekend, and I'm most likely going to fly down monday the 24th to purchase the m1008, then I will work the rest of the week at my FL office, spend a little time with some family, and drive it home Saturday the 29th and Sunday the 30th.

I should have room in the bed if anyone needs me to bring anything up the coast!

 

[Recovry4x4]

What part of NY are you headed to? Glad your search appears to be coming to fruition.

 

[lefty]

What part of NY are you headed to? Glad your search appears to be coming to fruition.

Just outside Elmira, NY, barely across the NY/PA border. Thanks! I just hope I have an uneventful trip...

I'll probably stop by Harbor Freight before I head out to buy some cheap tools for the trip home.

I figure a socket set, pair of vice grips, screwdrivers, multimeter, maybe a spool of electric wire and connectors and a crimping tool should be good to have. Oh and zip ties, gotta have zip ties!

 

[phil2968]

Just outside Elmira, NY, barely across the NY/PA border. Thanks! I just hope I have an uneventful trip...

I'll probably stop by Harbor Freight before I head out to buy some cheap tools for the trip home.

I figure a socket set, pair of vice grips, screwdrivers, multimeter, maybe a spool of electric wire and connectors and a crimping tool should be good to have. Oh and zip ties, gotta have zip ties!

Don't forget the "duct tape"! I recommend the Gorilla brand if you can find it. It sticks like glue and is thick.

 

[lefty]

Duct Tape is a given!!

Maybe I'll grab a can of "fix-a-flat" too.. The more prepared I am, the less likely something bad will happen!

 

[lefty]

Just got done looking at the truck, and to be honest, I'm a bit torn. Bodywise it is in great shape. It seems to run down the road fine too, but at idle there is a bit of a missfire and surging that makes me leery of the drive home. I am not sure if there's a bad injector or something along those lines..

 

[lefty]

2nd truck isnt going to work either, if I was buying them close to home it would be different, but to hop in and drive 1,000 miles, I'm not confident in either of them. I am now just looking for a civvy truck to obuy, and maybe flip after I get up north. Thanks for the help in this thread, but I guess this is not going to happen this time.