So you have a little cash in your pocket and you're dying to get your hands on an old 4x4. Buying a truck or Jeep is easy if you have unlimited cashflow and loads of time. But if you're going to purchase a low-buck heap on a budget, there's a few things you need to look out for. I've always wanted an old 4x4 in the garage for no other reason than just owning it. A while back I purchased this '67 Commando for $800 and sank another $1,100 into getting it comfortable and running dependably. I never planned to fully restore it; I just wanted to have an old putter around to wheel on mild desert trails. A friend told me he had a Commando that didn't run. My automotive-detective instincts kicked in. Since the Jeep was out of state, I had him take detailed photos of specific sections of the body, engine, and drivetrain. I'm now the proud owner of a dependable trail jalopy for less than $2,000.
Assessing The Mess
The first check of a potential buy is obvious: Assess the body for rust and damage. If a rig is eaten with rust, forget it unless you plan on turning it into a buggy. Important places to look for rust are the rocker panels, fenders and fenderwells, floorpan, tailgate, and door bottoms. There are different degrees of rust, and some can easily be repaired; others will require major work. Don't let a slight haze of rust worry you; this can usually be corrected quickly and easily. Unless there are holes rusted though sheetmetal and it's not too thin, the heavier buildup of rust on panels can be fixed by neutralizing it and coating it with a rust-inhibiting paint.
Mechanical Madness
There's really no way to tell how bad a shape the mechanics of a vehicle are in unless you completely tear it down, but there are things you can do to asses if it's mechanically sound. The engine and transmission are critical unless you plan on replacing them. Drive the vehicle and listen closely for unusual knocks, grinding, and other noise. Look for smoke from the tailpipe. Check the oil. If it's clean, then either the engine is in good shape or the owner is hiding something. If the oil is black, has a haze with foamy bubbles, and smells burnt, then there may be a problem. Borrow a compression tester and check the engines compression. Climb underneath the vehicle and inspect the axles for leaks. Jiggle the driveshafts back and forth and see if there is play in the U-joints. Kick the tires, then get down close and inspect them for cracks, cuts, and minimal tread depth; basically make sure they are in good shape. New ones are expensive. If you're just getting into the hobby, take the truck to a certified repair shop or to that brand's specialist to check it out. It will usually cost you less than $100 and they may find a small or big detail you may have overlooked.
Registration Woes
Make sure the owner has the proper paperwork to transfer the title and that it's ready for signing. Don't fall for any stories. Never hand over hard-earned cash for a vehicle without getting the title. Don't forget to factor the registration fees into your budget. In most states the Department of Motor Vehicles will gladly run the vehicle identification number and tell you if there are any back registration fees. The person you are buying the vehicle from may not have a proper bill-of-sale form from the DMV. These forms can usually be downloaded from the web. In some states if the vehicle is not pre-smog, it must be smogged by the owner before the sale. Smogging a vehicle and the repairs to get it to pass can get expensive and are probably something you don't want to pay.
Cheap Fixes
Keep in mind that hoses, belts, and tune-up parts are cheap. They should be replaced on an old vehicle anyway. I paid about $70 on tune-up parts like a distributor cap, points and condenser, a fuel hose, plug wires, radiator hoses, belts, coolant, oil, and a filter. I had the Jeep running tip-top in about an hour. These parts are available at most auto parts stores or can be ordered on the Internet.
A Runner
If you shop around you may find a treasure of a jalopy that runs well or only needs minor work to get it rolling dependably in tip-top condition. I was told that this Commando didn't run before I bought it. After asking a few questions I had a few ideas why it didn't. I found that the wiring was disconnected at the ignition switch. After plugging the wires into the respective terminals, the heap of a Jeep fired right up. Since it didn't run I got a heck of a deal on the price, but I knew what may have been wrong with it and used that to negotiate a deal. Just like a poker game, don't give away your hand; use it to your advantage for negotiating the price.
Low-Budget Peace Of Mind
I bought an Optima RedTop battery and spent about $140. I don't like to worry about a dead battery when I am on the trail. I also purchased a cheap water temperature, oil pressure, and volt meter cluster. This isn't the type of vehicle you install liquid-filled, carbon-fiber gauges in. This came in kit form and cost $26 at the local auto parts store, and it seems to work. This wasn't necessary; the dummy lights on the dash work just fine. I might not have bought this gauge cluster, but the Jeep was fitted with an old broken one, and it's fun monitoring the vitals of an old engine.
Splurging
It's extremely easy to spend huge amounts of cash on things you don't need. However, certain things I really wanted on my cheapo vehicle were a nice soft top and comfortable seats. The new top ran about $700 and the seat covers another $100. This is a big chunk of money, and these parts could have been purchased used for less, but they were well worth it. This is a relatively rare Jeep and not many parts are available for it. But don't worry. If you buy an old truck, numerous vendors sell just about any restoration part you might need. As a youngster I would sit for hours reading the parts catalogs for Dennis Carpenter (www.dennis-carpenter.com) and Mac's Antique Auto Parts (macs autoparts.com). Chevy truck parts can be found at www.classicparts.com and www.old chevytrucks.com.
The Killer Of Vehicles
Rust is our enemy, but it can be stopped and corrected with a little effort. A rust-removal product and an epoxy primer cost about $125. That's not a bad price considering how the work turned out. The entire body of the Commando looked like the rusty part of the hood. However, with the right chemicals from the autobody store, I had the entire vehicle stripped of rust in 45 minutes. The driver side of the floorpan needed to be replaced, and rather than spend a fortune replacing it, I welded in some sheetmetal panels. This didn't cost anything except time; the material was lying around the garage. Whether you have a Jeep or a truck, this sort of low-budget repair will be the same. Replacement floor and body pan panels for popular models of trucks and Jeeps can be purchased for less than $100.