Buying first CUCV. Does this look like a good deal?

[gixxsta04]

(UPDATE: Offered $2500 and we settled at $3150. Going to pick the truck up this week. How'd I do?)

Guy is wanting $3500(was originally asking $4000). Comes with a Banks turbo kit installed, aftermarket leather seat, and extra mint fenders/doors/hood. Supposedly the gears were changed to 3.73. Has secondary fuel tank. I don't mind doing a little bodywork and paint, but the bed is kinda rough. Looks to be caved in at the front like someone strapped a motorcycle in to tight or something. He says it has 18k on the clock but I'd imagine its 118k? Does this seem like a decent price? Looks like the turbo kit is $2300 alone.

 

[SouthernSteel]

Looks like a decent truck and to start out with a turbo,mileage is probably right these trucks are usually low mileage.Have you drivin it yet,If it runs good and the transfercase/4wd works sounds like a good start.I would keep on him and see what his bottom dollar would be but all in all a good start.

 

[wheelspinner]

My Opinion

Guy is wanting $3500. Comes with a Banks turbo kit installed, aftermarket leather seat, and extra mint fenders/doors/hood. Supposedly the gears were changed to 3.73. Has secondary fuel tank. I don't mind doing a little bodywork and paint, but the bed is kinda rough. Looks to be caved in at the front like someone strapped a motorcycle in to tight or something. He says it has 18k on the clock but I'd imagine its 118k? Does this seem like a decent price? Looks like the turbo kit is $2300 alone.

If it runs and drives nice, IMHO looks like a good deal. I would jump on it in a second up here in rusty NY.

 

[Skinny]

Looks OK but I would probably would not want to spend over $2800. Yes it has a turbo kit, that is really the only thing going for it. Yeah it has leather seats but it looks like the driver side is starting to become unstitched. The radio installation sucks, lots of poor quality interior and exterior parts. It still has an old box fuel filter so that tells me no one has probably done anything recent to it because 99% of owners switch to a spin on IMO.

 

[joediveguy]

MWTC, Mountain Warfare Training Center... Been there, Done that!

Cosmetic stuff can be fixed. As long as the drivetrain is good, I would go for it. Try to talk him down, of course, but it looks like a solid deal.

 

[Recovry4x4]

I like the rugged haggered look of it. As long as no serious rot, I see no issue with the price. The seat is certainly not a selling point. I would make dang certain that the gears were done right. If someone swapped axles you may have lost the rear locker and I can't tell for certain that the front is still the Dana 60. I have seen a few truck sold with an 8 lug 44 or 10 bolt in the front. Buyer beware.

Skinny, how can you tell the radio installation sucks? Also, as far as fuel filters, assuming no one services the truck because it still has the factory fuel filter system might be far fetched. I would be surprised if even half the CUCV owners switched to the spin on. All of my 6.2 trucks have retained the Stanadyne 80 system with no issues.

 

[Warthog]

The answer is....it depends.

Is the truck local? Need to be shipped? etc.

You need to provide a little more info on what you want the truck for, what you mechanical ablity is, have you ever worked on a diesel, etc.

$3500 isn't a bad price. I have seen some fetch $8K+. Some of the auction trucks are bringing more than the asking price and they can't have a test drive.

And by the way....Welcome to SteelSoldiers

 

[Stonepicker1]

My eyes might be bad, but it looks like you only have one alt(drivers side missing). Is it a 12 volt system now? Two batteries or just one now?

Price is fair if it gets you from point A to point B in 2wd or 4wd with no problems. Make sure you drive it in 4wd in the dirt to make sure the axles are correct and work as they should.

 

[Skinny]

Skinny, how can you tell the radio installation sucks? Also, as far as fuel filters, assuming no one services the truck because it still has the factory fuel filter system might be far fetched. I would be surprised if even half the CUCV owners switched to the spin on. All of my 6.2 trucks have retained the Stanadyne 80 system with no issues.

The radio installation sucks because it looks like someone hacked a rectangle in the dash pad and jammed a junk radio in it. If I am spending that kind of coin, I either want one installed in a nice center console or in the factory location. Maybe in a junk $500 woods truck that would be fine but it reaks of hackery all over it.

All of the CUCV trucks are getting 28+ years old. That means that the majority of people with the original box filter fight cracks, non-functioning components, or o-ring leaks. Every CUCV could use a spin on upgrade to increase reliability. Just my two cents but if the truck has the original box filter, to me that represents that someone hasn't spent a lot of money on it. Most people do a spin on as one of the first mods due to the problems with the box. That is why there are so many threads on spin on upgrades.

I'm not trying to single anyone out for having a good functioning box filter or a radio in the dash pad but nothing I see represents a well taken care of and cleanly modified rig for what they are asking.

 

[MarcusOReallyus]

Skinny, how can you tell the radio installation sucks?

Here's how:

1. First, it's in the wrong place. It was hacked into the dash instead of being installed in the correct location. Probably had a radio laying around, and since it won't fit in the stock location (because GM uses that stupid style), he cut into the dash.
2. It's a sloppy job. Look just above the radio. Nasty.
3. It's not supported correctly in the back. Look at the face of the radio - it's not perpendicular.
4. While those issues don't tell us anything directly about the electrical work (which is critical), given how sloppy the rest of the work is, there's not a lot of reason to have confidence in that part.

 

[Recovry4x4]

All of the CUCV trucks are getting 28+ years old. That means that the majority of people with the original box filter fight cracks, non-functioning components, or o-ring leaks. Every CUCV could use a spin on upgrade to increase reliability. Just my two cents but if the truck has the original box filter, to me that represents that someone hasn't spent a lot of money on it. Most people do a spin on as one of the first mods due to the problems with the box. That is why there are so many threads on spin on upgrades.

.

We are just going to have to agree to disagree on this one. With nearly 400,000 miles worth of Stanadyne 80 stuff in the driveway, our experience differs. My own experience goes back to the early 90's with civilian 6.2s and I've owned one sort of CUCV or another for the last 10 years. Of all the folks I know with CUCVs, the filter issue was far from the majority.

 

[gixxsta04]

Well, I'm getting the truck for $3150.

 

[Skinny]

We are just going to have to agree to disagree on this one. With nearly 400,000 miles worth of Stanadyne 80 stuff in the driveway, our experience differs. My own experience goes back to the early 90's with civilian 6.2s and I've owned one sort of CUCV or another for the last 10 years. Of all the folks I know with CUCVs, the filter issue was far from the majority.

I actually like the bleed on the Stanadyne 80 because you can do it with a clear tube instead of like my FM100 which just pisses everywhere and you have no idea how much air comes out of it. I still like a newer style spin on because I know Napa will have a filter and that a 30 year old box filter system won't leave me stranded. Plus that rig doesn't exactly have a nice shiny new one or a date written on it which means it is probably a few years old and neglected.

I'm just saying original box filter, one missing alternator, lots of wiring hanging under the dash, radio hacked into the pad...this says that someone has been sacrificing maintenance for costs. My intentions were not to get into a debate on which filter assembly is better, they both have pros and cons.

 

[jeeplvr247]

I love the BFGs on it. That's an extra $500 in your favor for those nice tires.

 

[maddawg308]

I think it's a good deal on that truck. The Bubba radio install is a minor thing, don't let that dissuade you from saving this truck...

 

[Recovry4x4]

Skinny, gotcha! I do buy the 80 filters by the case. From the decades of owning deuces, guess I'm accustomed to the mindset that "if it's not on my shelf, it's not available."

 

[Skinny]

My local Napa stocks a replacement filter for the FM100 but not the 80 which adds to the convenience factor. But you can also buy a case of 80 filters on fleebay for cheap money.

I really do like the 80 filter. I first changed mine when I got the truck and it is such a clean job because of the drain and bleed setup. But mine also had a bad water in fuel sensor and started to leak which just pushed me to bringing it into the 21st century. Plus the FM100 offers more selection of microns and canister lengths.

But I'm not looking forward to spilling diesel everywhere the next time I change it

 

[gixxsta04]

Looks OK but I would probably would not want to spend over $2800. Yes it has a turbo kit, that is really the only thing going for it. Yeah it has leather seats but it looks like the driver side is starting to become unstitched. The radio installation sucks, lots of poor quality interior and exterior parts. It still has an old box fuel filter so that tells me no one has probably done anything recent to it because 99% of owners switch to a spin on IMO.

I was pretty disappointed with the radio install. What will have to be replaced to patch the hole up? The seat isn't really a selling point but at least its not ripped on the drivers side like most CUCV's.

 

[gixxsta04]

The answer is....it depends.

Is the truck local? Need to be shipped? etc.

You need to provide a little more info on what you want the truck for, what you mechanical ablity is, have you ever worked on a diesel, etc.

$3500 isn't a bad price. I have seen some fetch $8K+. Some of the auction trucks are bringing more than the asking price and they can't have a test drive.

And by the way....Welcome to SteelSoldiers

Truck is 7 hrs away. I plan on driving a 4 cylinder car out to pick it up and driving the truck home. The truck will be used as a secondary daily driver/spare vehicle. I like the idea of having a vehicle around that could possibly survive an EMP blast and runs on multiple fuels that can be stored for long periods of time. I plan on putting a 6" suspension lift and a set of 37" Humvee tires/wheels on it. I'm sure it will see its share of recreational offroading. I will also be using it for hunting/fishing/shooting/camping as well as everyday hauling such as motorcycles and dirtbikes. I don't own a trailer so I probably wont pull much. My mechanical ability is very high. This thing doesn't look much more complicated than a SBC, so it shouldn't be an issue. I have helped paint a few cars/bikes in my day and own the equipment to do so. I will probably just slap the new body parts on it along with a rust free bed(if I can find one), then shoot it with some OD green or maybe CUCV style camo. I've never been much for restorations. I am buying the truck solely for the drivetrain/fuel economy. Having a proper military vehicle isn't important, but I would like to maintain the military look.

 

[Skinny]

I was pretty disappointed with the radio install. What will have to be replaced to patch the hole up?

You could probably just install a CUCV radio bracket over top of it. You will have to cut the trim insert anyway to do so. As long as they didn't hack the original bracket under the dash pad which is used to bolt the radio bracket to. Either way, you could probably make it work easily and hide that abortion. I wouldn't sweat it but certainly use it as a price bargaining chip!

Truck is 7 hrs away. I plan on driving a 4 cylinder car out to pick it up and driving the truck home. The truck will be used as a secondary daily driver/spare vehicle. I plan on putting a 6" suspension lift and a set of 37" Humvee tires/wheels on it. I'm sure it will see its share of recreational offroading. I will also be using it for hunting/fishing/shooting/camping as well as everyday hauling such as motorcycles and dirtbikes. I don't own a trailer so I probably wont pull much. My mechanical ability is very high. This thing doesn't look much more complicated than a SBC, so it shouldn't be an issue. I have helped paint a few cars/bikes in my day and own the equipment to do so. I will probably just slap the new body parts on it along with a rust free bed(if I can find one), then shoot it with some OD green or maybe CUCV style camo. I've never been much for restorations. I am buying the truck solely for the drivetrain/fuel economy. Having a cool military vehicle is secondary to me.

It sounds like you are looking to do a pretty "classic" setup with a lift and hummer tires. First, I would recommend a slightly shorter lift. Second, if you are doing the 37's then the stock 4.56 gears would be a better choice. Third, the 6.2 is cake to work on if you can read. So many people have issues with glow plugs or IP's. Don't jump to doing a 12v conversion or a gas 350 because you cannot learn the 24v 6.2 diesel setup. It works great for what it is. Fourth, good luck with your purchase. CUCV's rock!