[suzukikid]

Hey all im after another sierra....

I have gottin on to one thats in peices...for $500 with no motor or gear box...Tin top that has been sprayed(body not on chassis)....

By the time i buy a motor and box and put it all together am i better off gettin one off ebay for $1500 that needs a few things?

After your opinion.........GO!

[mondo]

depends on your end result and what you want, do you want a car to just drive and modify?
or do you want one for a building platform, if this is as tidy as it sounds it would be a good base, throw a bigger motor and box in and go from there

[Damo]

What's the tin top body like? No rust? If it's good i'd buy it and chop the back off it, just to piss off Scrawn

as you say you might be better off with a $1500 ebay job, if you can get one for that price. IMO i'd be looking for something with a solid body. Mechanicals etc are easy, but bodywork is a PITA. Especially if there is rust in the double skinned parts.

[shakes]

I'm with mondo. If you planned on doing an engine swap etc do it now.

If you have patience you can get a stock engine and box for a couple of hundred. But how much is your time worth? Can you be bothered building it or do you enjoy tinkering and taking your time to get it right?

[Gwagensteve]

Buy a car that runs. If you buy an incomplete, unassembled car you've bought an unfinished project. Odds are, it will get sold in 12 months as a slightly more finished unfinished project, or you'll score some "free" hilux diffs, decide to run the 35's off the patrol... cut the back off of it one weekend.... and the whole lot will go down the tip in 12 months, never having been driven.

It takes MASSIVE commitment (and money) to complete a project build.

Buy a runner. fic it up for a RWC, run some basic mods that allow you to keep it running (i.e not a body off build) , and enjoy all that's good about a sierra.

If you want to do a build, don't sell your patrol before you start the sierra or you'll lose hope and it will never get finished.

Steve.

[steak_knife]

Damo wrote:

What's the tin top body like? No rust? If it's good i'd buy it and chop the back off it, just to piss off Scrawn

as you say you might be better off with a $1500 ebay job, if you can get one for that price. IMO i'd be looking for something with a solid body. Mechanicals etc are easy, but bodywork is a PITA. Especially if there is rust in the double skinned parts.

x2 on the lot.....

[zooky08]

Like gwagon said
Buy a completed running car
It takes alot of work and commitment and plenty of money spent to rebuild a car

ATM I've just started my complete ground up build
I've striped it to just a chassis on wheels
I think I'm very commited and have patience to do this
But have got not much time To work on it

[xedent]

I am just finishing my ground up rebuild, something that was going to take a month or two easily doubles, and the money that you say something will cost in the end is easy double.

But then again it depends what you want it for, might be better to save and buy one that already has a rwc then you can just drive!

[steak_knife]

xedent wrote:

I am just finishing my ground up rebuild, something that was going to take a month or two easily doubles, and the money that you say something will cost in the end is easy double.

But then again it depends what you want it for, might be better to save and buy one that already has a rwc then you can just drive!

But you now know that car upside down, won't get that with a bought one....

[suzukikid]

The missus has answerd the question any way!ha ha it went something like ''Im not havin sh!t loads of parts layin around for a year and it wont ever get done!''

So looks like im goin a cheap one!

The body is straight as....been painted bright yellow......

Ill try get one for 2 pour 3 into it(Ya say that now!) and possibly sell the patrol and have a few grand left over!

So another question...
My last one had RUF and what ever it had in the rear, f and rear lockers, rockhopper gears and just a bull bar winch and roll cage and 33's...

I would love that set up again!

Ihave been out of the scene for a while is this still a good set up? Used to drive everything i pointed it at.....or had a lay down!

[shakes]

I'll argue the naysayers on the money part. Sierra's are cheap! If you build something with big plans of course it will cost.

If you build something back to runable with basic mod's it wont cost you much at all if your patient and can wait until parts etc show up at the right price.

My sierra cost $400 Delivered to my front door. not running.

Couple of days of nutting it out, a head gasket later and it's running.

- $80 later I have upgraded the headlights have an aux fuse box under the dash and 2 power sockets in the back.
- $50 I got some NEW front discs and pads
- Another forum buy got me some gears and worn 31's
- $100 got me some tail light len's and a pair of front seats to replace my tatty ones
-Some metal from the scrap bin and a couple of hours on the mig and my rusty floor was fixed up.
- $200 got it fully sericed
- secondhand backkyard spring pack off a mate for a sixxer, still have to nut out shocks.

Will be doing a major virtual lift when I have a regular income and can afford to hire a gas bottle for a few weeks.

All I need to do to it is spring bushes and wheel bearings. easily under $500

So on the Happy side of $2000 I'll have a cheap sierra that's capable of doing most of the tracks around here. It's only when you go down the engine conversion, air locker, cromo axle, custom parts route that things with sierra's get expensive.

You do have to be patient though. If you walk into autobarn with a shopping list of course it will get expensive.

[xedent]

steak_knife wrote:

xedent wrote:

I am just finishing my ground up rebuild, something that was going to take a month or two easily doubles, and the money that you say something will cost in the end is easy double.

But then again it depends what you want it for, might be better to save and buy one that already has a rwc then you can just drive!

But you now know that car upside down, won't get that with a bought one....

Good point

[BlueSuzy]

xedent wrote:

steak_knife wrote:

xedent wrote:

I am just finishing my ground up rebuild, something that was going to take a month or two easily doubles, and the money that you say something will cost in the end is easy double.

But then again it depends what you want it for, might be better to save and buy one that already has a rwc then you can just drive!

But you now know that car upside down, won't get that with a bought one....

Good point

Thats the best part of a car that was rebuilt by yourself, 2nd is pride.

[skyman]

I'll probably cop a hiding for saying this but....

My advice is to look for one that is built the way you want it. First take a look at a mates Sierra, and try to get together with someone from the forum and find out just what it is you want.

When you go looking for a rig, take someone with you that knows sierra' really well (unless you know what to look for yourself). Make sure you get one that was done right, and ha the proper paper work if it needs it.

Even though i bought one that was well..not modified nicely, I came out ahead on the money parts he had put into it. He put in t-case gears, a spool, a high compression engine, and a winch. That put me to saving $800 on the winch, and $600 on the gears right from the start.

9 out of10 times guys sell their built 4x4 at a loss. Just make sure you get one that was done right, and has the "money parts" you are going to buy anyways.

Use the money you save to get out wheelin and camping, rather than hiding in the garage for a year installing parts that cost you a ton.

i wish I would have bought a more complete Zook. I would have been on the trail a year earlier.

[suzukikid]

Cheers everyone!

I have had 2 zooks so i know what there like and what to look for....If its the same as few years ago!

Im leanin towards one i can get rwc for and then do it up....in vic there startin to target 4x4's...

When i do up a 4x4 its gotta drive what i chuck in front of it! like i said my sierra was unreal outdrove everything i should never got rid of it....my vit on 33's was comfy but i didnt like it off road and the patrol i have now is on 35's and all done up....So when i build a 4b i ussually go to town on it but all i do this time is lockers lift and gearing...hopefully! mrs has put a 8 grand limit on it (not like her!) but im hopin i spend a few grand under that!

Any way keep ya comments comin!