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| Author |
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glenntwo
Newbie
Posts:4
Registered Users
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| 04/18/2008 9:35 AM |
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I am looking at buying a 1975 model 270. The interior will need some work but the mechanicals all seem to be in good working order, with the exception of the brake system. I was going to have it towed to a local shop and have the brakes worked on, and I was wondering if anyone had a general idea of the cost. Evidently it has drum brakes all around, and at least one is frozen, so I'm assuming that a major overhaul of the system is in order. I hope that's not too vague, but I am just looking for a worst case scenario price. I'm temporarily on a budget, but I need to get her up and running so I can transport her home and start the other work. Any ideas or help would be greatly appreciated. I have no clue what I'm getting into here, so I'm trying to avoid making the wife mad by spending a lot of money. Thanks.
[script removed] |
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rnr42005
Classic Camper
Posts:105
Registered Users
melbourne, fl.
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| 04/19/2008 11:05 AM |
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your profile is not complete. where are you? where is the unit? how much is TOO much? how much will the towing bill be?
more info please! we just love being nosey!(LOL)
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1986 Fleetwood Pace Arrow
Me, Wife, Daughter and two dogs
EVERYTHING IN MODERATION...INCLUDING MODERATION |
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glenntwo
Newbie
Posts:4
Registered Users
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| 04/20/2008 10:39 AM |
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Well I'm still finding out more about the vehicle as we speak. I've looked her over once and I'm going back to look again. Evidently, a total overhaul of the brake system is going to be about $1800. I suspect it won't need that, but I was looking at a max of about $1000 to get her up and running safely. If I do buy her, and at this time it's still a fairly big if, I plan on putting probably 5-6k into her anyway, maybe more if I have to do a drivetrain rebuild next year.
The vehicle is in the northeast, and what I plan on doing is using it for my job up here during the summer, then I will drive it home to Texas in the winter, where it will serve as the beach cottage, for me, the wife, dog and cats. Then, next spring, it's back on the road again for my job. I figure I'll probably put 10K on her a year, what with the two or three long drives, and a 130 mile trip every ten days or so between two cities I work in.
The vehicle itself is pretty scruffy, but so far, it appears that the major mechanical stuff is in good order, except for the brake problem. since I will be up here until October, I plan on doing some refurb work myself while I'm here, and then let the wife loose on the interior decorating in the fall. Once I get this brake problem resolved and get her on the road, I'm going to rip out al the old carpet and lad down new tile, since carpeting and beach sand don't mix. I can take care of the little stuff like plumbing and electrical on the fly up here, and leave the upholstering and fine touches until I get to Texas. The vehicle has never leaked, and has no significant cracks or blistering on the exterior, so a good cleaning inside and out will serve me until I get her home.
I was really looking for a much newer vehicle, but the wife wanted older and funky, so I guess it's gonna be the family project for the forseeable future. One nice thing about my job is that I have four months a year where I'm off, and I am fairly handy with vehicles, so I can do a lot of things myself. My main concern is for the major stuff hold up for another five months or so until I get her home. Don't really want to have to drop a rebuilt engine or trans into her until I get home, but shes only got about 80,000 miles on her, so I figure that with a little TLC, I can get her to her new home by the gulf in good shape.
I'm sure I'll be back here badgering people for info and hints, so I would like to thank everyone, in advance, for their help. I've never owned one of these things before, so it should be somewhat of an adventure. I figure that even if I have to drop a few extra thousand into her, it'll still save me thousands in motel bills in the future, as well as being the beach house in the ff-season. |
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COOPERHAWK
Moderator
Expert
Posts:843
Administrators
East Central Minnesota
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| 04/20/2008 11:57 AM |
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| Sounds like a pretty good plan, however it always costs more than we anticipate to rebuild these old lovlies. We have lived inour 345 for six to eight weeks at a time with no problem at all. Just takes some getting used to is all. |
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1985 Airstream 345 Turbo-Diesel
VFW,Legion, NRA
FAA Air Traffic Control Supervisor (Retired)
http://www.cooperhawk.net
mailto:jimcooper@cooperhawk.net
"People are okay in ones and twos. After that number they tend to choose up sides and wear arm bands and berets." |
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glenntwo
Newbie
Posts:4
Registered Users
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| 04/20/2008 12:06 PM |
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| I'm sure we'll love it. Whatever we buy will be doing double-duty as a work and leisure vehicle, but I'm not too concerned about the dollars involved. Like I said, I wanted to go much newer, bigger and pricey, but I can live with a project. It's just a matter of getting my hands either on this particular unit, or another in need be, and starting to work on it. I have a pretty unique job, where I am on the road for a long time, but I generally work only three hours a day, so I have time to play around and get what I want done. I figure that even if it has to go into a shop for a few days, I'll just stay at my usual motels and wait til shes ready to go. BTW, the motor and trans seem to have been well maintained. With it at around 85,000 miles right now, how much more life can I expect to get out of them? |
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glenntwo
Newbie
Posts:4
Registered Users
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| 04/20/2008 12:10 PM |
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| Oh, sorry. It's either a Dodge 360 or a 440 with a torqueflight trans. I'm waiting for confirmation on the displacement right now. Either way I know that parts are readily available for both, and they're pretty simple for me to do maintenance on, so that's another plus. |
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