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Index > Trucks for Sale > Thread: Latest Ebay Offering
Thread: Latest Ebay Offering [' This thread is 2 pages long: (1) 2 ']
rotormunky


Redlining
Orlando, Florida
Posts: 424
posted December 19, 2003 02:03 AM

Latest Ebay Offering

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2449537944&sspagename=ADME%3AB%3ASS%3AUS%3A1

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nwaco


Redlining
Posts: 407
posted December 19, 2003 02:52 AM

Now Don't you all be bummed.......

that it's in my neck of the woods....again. Looks like a nice ride. But I don't think he'll let her go for super cheap.

Rest assured, it will probably be way out of my average price range. But if one of you is serious and wants her. I'll help you look it over or secure it for travel.

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Rotary_Pickup


Hauling
Posts: 117
posted December 19, 2003 08:41 AM

I might take you up on your offer. I'm currently bidding on it. on eBay I'm TeamHog_Computers from Liberty Missouri (but work in Albuquerque New Mexico).

       
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Klaus43


Rotorhead
Posts: 1259
posted December 19, 2003 12:01 PM

That's a nice looking '77 !

If I get a wild hair to 'trade up', I just might have to enter the bidding fray myself... in which case, I'd sure be obliged, Ken! Who wants to fund my insanity by purchasing which of my '74's, perhaps?
I've emailed rotorracer with a few questions... we'll see!

       
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Klaus43


Rotorhead
Posts: 1259
posted December 20, 2003 03:34 PM

Hey there Rotary Pickup--

Are you prepared to spend around 2K on this baby prior to making the trip to Seattle and back? The reserve's gonna be up there, it would seem... Technically, I'm far enough in debt already... Just thought I'd check in with ya.

       
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Rotary_Pickup


Hauling
Posts: 117
posted December 20, 2003 07:08 PM

Yes I am. I have the plane ticket in hand.
____________
KansasCityREPU on RX-7Club.com
85 GSL
77 REPU (1/1/2004)
75 REPU (7/10/2004)

       
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Klaus43


Rotorhead
Posts: 1259
posted December 21, 2003 09:55 AM

Perhaps...

...you'll beat my personal record enroute to ABQ... I once spent 18 hours straight behind the wheel of my Ford van, starting with little sleep from the rest stop just south of Stockton, CA. ...
Can't imagine the trip would be any easier in a REPU, just lots more fun! You'll be very glad it's a '77 cab...

       
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Klaus43


Rotorhead
Posts: 1259
posted December 21, 2003 10:51 AM

Thanks for the reality check, CJ !

I myself became familiar with the differences between pic clarity/owner assertions per long distance, re: ebaymotors REPU's a while back... somehow this media does seem to lend itself to showing things in their best light, eh? Not that I'd start by dissing rotorracer... he did respond to my email queries, and his ebay rating is excellent... 'but'! You're quite right that there's always a big potential 'fudge factor' out there... and, perhaps, you do have some more pertinent info....?
Things I noticed from the pics: outer two rear lenses appear possibly non-stock(?)... so hard to tell from the photos... No pic of the motor/underhood. Why? Hard to say what nuances/highlights in the body are tricks of light, vs. slight imperfections/dings/minor dents (look between passenger side front wheel well and door to see what I mean...) No close-up of the area surrounding the windshield... No valance (obviously). "Engine appears stock", says seller... "stock intake, stock exhaust--no header."
Waiting to hear more details of engine mileage, etc. --in keeping with research needed on previous owner/work done, does sound like a more recent accquisition...
Still looks nice, though!
(But so did a certain other REPU that was far rustier than pics had revealed, and smoked like a banshee, when the claim had been "just a little", etc., etc., etc. ...)

       
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Rotary_Pickup


Hauling
Posts: 117
posted December 21, 2003 04:07 PM

I appreciate all the information/advice everyone has given. I had a similar experience with a fellow REPU owner. Everything looks so much better in the pictures. I believe part of this has to do with wishful thinking and the excitement of a possible REPU purchase. When I went to look at his truck I did not think it was worth the asking price but looking at the picture you would think differently. In this case I rented a car and drive back home. I'm going to move cautiously on this one. I'm waiting on some more pictures and recommendations from a fellow site member who has offered to look at the truck for me. The only good thing I can say at this point is that the reserve wasn't that high and that I'm not the high bidder.

If anyone out there has a nice REPU in the $2000+/- range let me know. I live in Missouri but work in New Mexico and have accumulated a few Southwest round trip tickets so travel is not a problem.
____________
KansasCityREPU on RX-7Club.com
85 GSL
77 REPU (1/1/2004)
75 REPU (7/10/2004)

       
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scalliwag


Revvin Up
Posts: 69
posted December 21, 2003 04:23 PM

I haven't done it with REPU's but I have checked out a couple local RX7's sold on Ebay for members on the club forum. In one case I already knew the car but gave it a closer look over anyway. In both cases the cars were as described or better. Fortunately neither were too far either.
It is always a good thing if you can get someone to be your eyes for you in a situation like this. A fair and honest second party opinion can mean alot when you are 1000 miles away.

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scalliwag


Revvin Up
Posts: 69
posted December 21, 2003 08:07 PM

At an hour away $20 is pretty cheap. It would have to be no more than about 25 miles or some place where I would be in the area for something like that. No hour trips though.

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Lil_Rhody


Newbie
Posts: 8
posted December 22, 2003 05:17 AM

Greetings all, As the current high bidder on the ebay REPU,the advice on this thread has given me pause. If someone could go up and more rigorously inspect it for me, I'd really apreciate it. As I would fly out and drive it home to the right coast, I need it to be mechanicaly sound.
I grudgingly have my wife's support on this, but if it turns into a money pit....

       
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scalliwag


Revvin Up
Posts: 69
posted December 22, 2003 08:42 AM

There is no way I would plan on driving it home unless you can plan on being down on the way home. Mainly because it is an old truck and even if it checks out now does not mean it won't take a crap somewhere along the way.
I am sure you have already thought about that but still.
If you do get it go to a pawn shop and an auto supply once you are there and get every tool you may need, a light, and all the belts/hoses. Put a new thermostat on before you even take off.
How many miles are you? Good luck. Surely with all the REPU guys there someone is nearby.

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Rotary_Pickup


Hauling
Posts: 117
posted December 22, 2003 09:04 AM
Edited By: Rotary_Pickup on 22 Dec 2003 09:04

After nwaco checked the truck out for me and giving a great narative on the condition and suppling pictures, I have to say I'm out of the race.

I do want to thank nwaco for the great work and honest evaluation.

I do want an REPU pretty bad, but common since does come first.
____________
KansasCityREPU on RX-7Club.com
85 GSL
77 REPU (1/1/2004)
75 REPU (7/10/2004)

       
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rotormunky


Redlining
Orlando, Florida
Posts: 424
posted December 22, 2003 09:35 AM

quote:
After nwaco checked the truck out for me and giving a great narative on the condition and suppling pictures, I have to say I'm out of the race.

I do want to thank nwaco for the great work and honest evaluation.

I do want an REPU pretty bad, but common since does come first.


Hey Ken, do you think you could share the intelligence report with the group at large?


____________
-Martin
Orlando, Florida

http://www.themonkeyhouse.org/REPU

'77 REPU (Some assembly required :)
'91 Cabrio (Battered and bruised, but she's still my baby.)

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scalliwag


Revvin Up
Posts: 69
posted December 22, 2003 09:39 AM

I would like to know what the underside of this truck looks like. The paint does not look too old and with the way the rust boiled through in that one area in one tells me that it was not prepped properly. More of those are probably eating towards the surface as we speak.
I'd plan for the worst on that and expect to do a body off, sandblast, POR-15 (for rust), cut out and properly patch any rust through ad undercoat it.
Boil the paint off the body on a warm day with some aviation stripper is part of that as well.
Notice there are no pictures in the hood compartment. You know that yellow fenderwell/firewall contrasted to the new color is not too appealling. It is also a very tell-tale sign that there was a lot or work scimpage on this paint job.

This is all just my opinion. REPU's are new to me but car restoration is not. I have many more questions than answers on this truck myself.

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nwaco


Redlining
Posts: 407
posted December 22, 2003 10:42 AM
Edited By: nwaco on 22 Dec 2003 10:46

Ok, for what it's worth.......

Hi all,

I added a few more comments for this note than I sent to the few who have requested it. Apologies all around as I want to be fair and nuetral.

I looked over the truck. It is the same one mentioned on this forum a few months ago that was for sale. Some confused the owner Ken, for me. I talked to a Rotary Dealer about a few months earlier. His name is also Ken, at Mazda n More, sold this truck to the present seller. Ken mentioned he had put the engine in 7 years earlier, and the guy hardly drove it.

The present owner, has recently acquired it, and as a private vintage mazda "broker", he is selling it, and I find him a very pleasant and IMO honest person. He wants to make a bit of money, and that is his fair right. We drove the truck, and he was truly a bit unknowing about the truck operation, so I believe him to be accurate in his descriptions as much as he knew or thought when listed.

He has a few receipts for general maintenance, but it reveals little other than some tire, cooling system replacement and a tune-up or two. Not much for a 30 year truck.

Although I looked at the truck in the darks by flashlight, the truck does look nice. The body looks nice and straight, with only a ding visible from something inside the bed that dented the rear drivers side. The cab is in fabulous condition in my book, I have two 77 trucks, and the cab floor on this one is in great shape. Hardly a bit of rust anywhere. Under is dirty, but shows great condition as well. Looks like it got new windshield glass and rubber.

The truck fired up good, choke wouldn't stay out, ran decent and strong, but backfired on down throttle. It looks like the exhaust system is basically shot. It has cat and bypass pipe. It has stock thermal reactor hooked to a large muffler that is split, and was shooting a few flames so It needs an exhaust system. The engine bay was fairly dirty, engine needs a good cleaning. Bay is still original yellow color as is the rear and floor of cab. Engine looks stock, has all emissions intact, and the oil was dark, but smelled sweet. The underside of the hood has the undercoat rubber sprayed on as does the shelf forward of the cab. I think the PO sprayed the stuff everywhere to improve appearance, but it could also mask rust or corrosion, but I have no evidence of that. A mouse nest was on the shelf indicating the truck sat for a while.

The truck has 126,000 miles, and it is unknown how many miles are on the engine. I would have to trust Ken (Mazda n More) and assume less than about 15K on engine.
Truck handled tight and stable, didn't squeak or rattle. Has nice tires and wheels. Paint is pretty good for a basic paint job with a run or two and a few smears. It looks like it could buff up nice. It has nicer paint than any of mine. The tail lights on outer most lenses are not stock, but the buckets behind them are the originals, indicating the lenses were broken. Tailgate is there, works and looks good, except it is primer. Seller has the paint to finish the tailgate.

The bed has a do-it-yourself bedliner, that looks ok, but under the bed a bit of rust is taking hold, I couldn't see any real bad, but it appears that the bedliner may have been put over a bed in less than perfect or ready condition. The under truck looks original and not clean. Could use a good pressure washing to verify condition. I suspect is not in bad shape. It was just covered in undercoat, and dirt.

The grill has a few small cracks at mounting tabs, not super serious, front bumper has tow bar attaches drilled through, no valance, and the pass front fender has the lower rust hole from the shit that fills up behind it.

Over all, I think the truck is a very decent platform for a very nice truck. It looks straight, mostly rust free, and generally intact. Interior dash is pretty good, I didn't see any dash cracks, no carpet which I credit for the floors great condition since the floor could dry out. It is sitting at $1900.00 now, about $1300 more than I have ever paid for a truck, but this one has decent paint, wheels, rims, a fairly nice interior, glass, and trim. It needs exhaust, a couple of lenses, some carpet, tlc, and the motor probably needs a tune-up. I think that after having seen 15 or so trucks and owning 9, this ranks in the top three in condition of my trucks, with a few better features than mine. My 77 interior is nicer than this one, this exterior is nicer than mine. My motor is cleaner and smoother with a better exhaust, and I paid less than $500. for my truck.

I don't know your expectations on a truck, but at 27 years, and $2000 - $2500 it is somewhere in fair market value to me. I figure without tricking or concoursing, you still have a $500 - $700 min. in exhaust and licensing on top of purchase, plus travel and return. That would put the truck in the 4K range and I would call that pretty steep.
It does have the best condition cab I have ever seen in a 77 less one of mine, and the 77 is THE BEST cab in all of them. Remember though, 77's are the rarest of the trucks, less the 76's and parts such as beds and cabs are tough to find, They had updated wiring and many of the parts are not necessarily interchangeable.

I think this will be the best deal for someone who wants a great start, and is close to lower the acquisition cost.

I have some pics, and if you want them I will send them with. Many of your emails won't accept my pics.

It is your call, good luck.

Ken

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Lil_Rhody


Newbie
Posts: 8
posted December 22, 2003 10:46 AM

Well now I've gone from having vague misgivings to big alarm bells. Am seriously contemplating folding, but am going to wait just a bit longer. If I don't bail, I will have it shipped. Good reality check from scalliwag. Must have forgotten about it being winter and all.

       
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scalliwag


Revvin Up
Posts: 69
posted December 22, 2003 11:22 AM

I would actually feel a little better about this now than before if I was you. NWaco checked this out pretty thorough and it came back better than I expected.
The reality to me is that there are not many of these trucks out there and ones that look nice are really rare. This one sounds like a pretty good starting point. Even the $2000 does not seem bad to me if this is what you are wanting. Of course getting it home is another story.
If that cab is solid and only the bed is suspect even that is workable or expendable if you find a better one.
If you plan on keeping the truck and you are patient enough to fix it up right not only will you have a very rare truck but a very above average specimen in the end.
If you don't mind doing your own work that will make all the difference. This sounds much more like a labor restore as opposed to money.
With a low mile engine and as NWaco said it felt tight and was not squeeking you can get by with normal maintenance and plan a restore as money and time permits.
Plus you will be able to drive it up until you have everything you need.

Weigh that out and see what you come up with. But it does not look nearly as bleek to me as it did.



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Klaus43


Rotorhead
Posts: 1259
posted December 22, 2003 12:10 PM

Definitely.

Appreciate Nwaco's thorough (though flashlight) evaluation! Seller just emailed me an underhood pic... does look undercoat/dirty, though not unusual for it's age... Given that any rotaries that have sat for 'some time', nevermind unanswered specifics about past work/maintenance, are somewhat of a crap shoot, this still looks like a decend buy at the current price. Remember, nwaco's scoring a 'better' engine'd REPU for less in the past is likely better luck than par for the course...
And a shot exhaust system's not that unusual, either--and not that tough to replace with a RB header, etc.--just time and $$$.
Comes down to whether or not it's 'the one' for you. I wouldn't drive it cross-country, let alone this time of year, without some time spent on maintenance and repair...
I think I've come to my senses about 'trading up'--but I wouldn't discount nwaco's assessment of the overall niceness of this REPU's cab. Sounds like a fair enough deal at the 'around 2K' price!
A great starting point for a well-funded, motivated rotorhead desirous of a '77...

       
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