How I roll, kinda

[patternmakerbob]

HI guys and a few girls (where were you when I was single?). I have visited this site many times in the past but didn't become a member because I didn't have a truck. I have had (4) 67-72 chevy trucks in the past and now I do again.

First off NEVER buy anything off ebay without going through ebay. Most of you understand what I am saying. I found my truck on ebay and asked if there was a "buy it now price" I was told there was and I was excited. He called me and told me he couldn't change it the auction to "buy it now" because he had less than 10 feed backs. I found out later that this was bullsh#t. I made the deal anyways.

71 Chevy hugger orange, white top, longbed. 454 3 speed on the floor . Power steering.

The seller told me he would drive it from Gentry AR to Joplin, MO and it could make it the rest of the way home to STL with no problem.

I met him at the flying J in Joplin and had the cash. I noticed he trailered it but was just not thinking after 6 hours of driving with the kids. They were hungry and the wife just wanted the deal over so we could eat.

We started it and took it for a test drive. I put on the emergency brake and the seller had to get under it with a hammer to get the wheel loose. He told me "we don't use that much". OK no big deal, just the E brake sticks right?

He had brought his wife and she was very nice. They seemed like honest people and boasted how she drove the truck frequently, rrrright. The collectors on the headers were leaking and he told me about "open header night" when they close off main st. and the cops let you cruise with open headers and do burnouts. "As long as you don't get too crazy" UHHH OK where DO they draw the line for safety in Arkansas? I soon found out.


I drove it to the hotel Saturday night and knew there was going to be some work ahead of me.

None of the guages worked! even though the seller told me the fuel and temp did work. I got under them to see nothing hooked up. OH boy. I went to Orieley's in Joplin at 9 am. and was going to put a temp guage in so I could monitor it on the way home. I also fixed the shock on the left rear that was hanging and replaced the top radiator hose, neck and thermostat.

I noticed the tires were chunked out on the rear and dry rotted on the front, no spare. I took it to Firestone in Joplin for a set of new tires for the drive home. When they removed the wheels all hell broke loose. The master cylinder was not holding fluid in the rear reservoir, so it was replaced. When they tried to bleed the brakes the rear drive wheel had a brake line that was cut and crimped (guess for burn out night.?? Way to go, thanks for telling me, I could have rear ended my own family on the way home, dumb*ss) Tried to bleed them again and the wheel cylinders leaked. The drums were taken off and on the passenger side the parts literally fell to the floor (uhh burn out night was fun??)
So I had the back brakes replaced. The kid doing the work, Josh was really good. He noticed the rubber fuel lines were dry rotted and leaking. So they were replaced along with the fuel filter. I also had them change the oil since I was going to drive it 300 miles home. They couldn't complete the work on Sunday night so we had to stay in the hotel again. This meant my kids would miss school on Monday. That's when you are a redneck. Your kids miss school because of an old chevy truck purchase.

Total Cost at Firestone $698 , very fair in my opinion for all that work and new tires! Truck was ready to roll on Monday around noon.

I drove it to Springfield and realized the rear end was going to have to be changed. It is way too low, 4/11, 4/10??. The truck would run ok but back fire occasionally.

I stopped in Orieleys in springfield, mo and bought a timing light. To my surprise, not, it was way off. I timed it and it ran much better.

We got on the highway and came up on an 18 wheeler. I had to hit the gas a little hard to pass and it started backfiring really bad. So bad in fact that it blew the hoses off the quadrajunk. I put the hoses back on but it ran horrible.

Quadrajunk 0, backfire 1.

We stopped in St. Roberts and found an autozone. I bought an edelbrock 600 with electric choke and put it on in the parking lot, 48 minutes flat thank you.

We ate at taco bell and got back on the highway around 9 pm. The truck backfired very bad and died on the highway. I made it maybe 10 miles to dolittle, Mo and called for a tow. I was done, nothing else was open. Guess the wires were crossfiring.??

The tow cost me $250 and we got home at 1 am Tuesday.
All toll it cost me over $2000 to get it home, but at least I have some new parts.

Wife is freaking p*ssed. It still isn't running but I have some work to get finished before I mess with it again.

First will be a compression test and if that is good then complete tune up and new ignition.

Going to put in Oriely guages and make a nice cluster out of Cherry. It will be awesome and at a fraction of the cost.
HOpe the pictures are attached. If not let me know how I can paste them and I will.

Wow I typed alot.
Bob

[Canadian694x4]

Welcome To The Boards From The Great White North! That's Quite The Ordeal Ya Went Thru. Hope The Wife Forgives Ya

[1LoC10]

wow, sounds like a hell of a trip... trucks looks clean though, I would keep it and work it all out

[krue]

What's wrong with living in a trailer.

[patternmakerbob]

Nothing, but can't afford the house and the truck restored.

This was a suggestion to my wife during the "what the f*ck were you thinking" *****n I was recieving after we got home. I was already in trouble so might as well have some fun.

[jsbgump]

Welcome to the board

[red4wd]

Nice looking truck....I would get it where it will start and drive to the parts store, that should quiet some of the "wtf where you thinking" comments.

[Dadsredwagon]

same thing with my wife the heck ,now the home owners assoc is telling me to get rid of my junk .... but nothing like getiing in her and driving around the neighbor hood, brings back sooo many good memories, worth all the crap ya go through

[shaneschevys]

Welcome from FT Worth TX.

[mtndewmaniac66]

WOW! What an ordeal! I'm sure we all would have done the same thing though. My level of excitement sometimes overshadows my common sense at times. Just hope that your project makes up for the inconvenience that your family endured.

[CAL 58 GMC]

Welcome to the board!

[86swb]

Wow, that was terrible. Thank God for credit cards (I guess) At least the wife did now try to kill you. (did she?) Yep, I think you learned your lesson. Anyway, welcome to the truck board from Western Kentucky.

[71SWBChevy]

to the board from KY!

[bskylerj]

Welcome from Washington State. I would take the trailer option as I am sure you are already sleeping with one eye open after pissing her off. I say we all go find this guy

[Hoods69BadBowTie]

Yeah I never have bought a truck with out seeing it and driving it first. Welcome to the board from Montana. I would keep it and fix it up. That suxs about your ebay dealing though.

[FleetsidePaul]

You got a really cool truck....keep it.

you're being too hard on yourself. every used vehicle is a gamble.

And at least from my experience...women never understand that fact.

[Roland]

Very interesting! But just think about how 10 years down the road after everything's fixed up perfectly and the wife and kiddies are helping wax "the truck", and someone starts telling war stories about things they've done as a family. Your tale will take the prize! All the "used to" stuff we enjoy tellin' was no fun at all while it was happening.

Welcome to the boards.

[FRENCHBLUE72]

Welcome to the board from southern oregon..

[LUV2XCLR8]

Voted my $0.02

[BOSS]

Welcome to the board from Missouri and thanx for joining up She will eventually get over it when it is done,then you both can laugh about its first trip home.....lol

[desertrat]

Sorry to here about youre bad experiance, I wish I could say "now you know and it wont happen again" but I have had my share of bad sellers and for some dumb reason I seem to fall for another trap (like my last "IMCA" deal). I wish I could give you addvise but I can never seem make that decision either. Good luck with youre truck and maybe buy youre wife some flowers .

[Rollie396]

I'd like to read the negative feedback that fella is gonna get .
It really amazes me that someone could be okay with putting your life and others at risk just to sell a truck.Sad really...
Welcome to the board and glad that you and your family made it home save!

[Longhorn Man]

I say y9u are in it for too much money already, and you'd never get your money out of it without being dishonest... which would make you...the evil seller.
Is there a way to park it for 6 months and not spend any money on it? I'm sure you can find a million things you could do that are labor only items... or nickle and dime items at least.

[Ron 586]

Welcome from West Tennessee.