Sight unseen lockdown purchase unregistered and too big...
Discussion
Been looking for a cheap pickup to tow 3.5 ton which isnt a defender - never again.
They didnt really start doing this till 2012ish so cant get a old beater like with a 4x4, these can be had for sub £1k to tow that weight but I didnt fancy making my own pickup out of one like this.
Best bet was a 2013 ford ranger 3.2 manual for like 13k with 150k miles which didnt appeal for that sort of money as it is likely to get damaged and abused.
Or this for £7k, bought the trailer also sight unseen 400 miles away as sick of using the full size plant trailer when it just isnt needed.
Pickup is fresh import from texas with 220k miles and unregistered with the extremely fragile 6.4 v8 diesel and damage to every panel and interior.
2008 Ford F350 base spec, long bed which fits a 8x4 sheet lay flat if google is correct to give idea of size.
Due to be delivered tomorrow so can provide some better pictures of the extent it is abused.
Will have to swap lights and do some wiring to make it uk legal but being over 10 years old it only has to pass a regular Mot before it can be registered.
They didnt really start doing this till 2012ish so cant get a old beater like with a 4x4, these can be had for sub £1k to tow that weight but I didnt fancy making my own pickup out of one like this.
Best bet was a 2013 ford ranger 3.2 manual for like 13k with 150k miles which didnt appeal for that sort of money as it is likely to get damaged and abused.
Or this for £7k, bought the trailer also sight unseen 400 miles away as sick of using the full size plant trailer when it just isnt needed.
Pickup is fresh import from texas with 220k miles and unregistered with the extremely fragile 6.4 v8 diesel and damage to every panel and interior.
2008 Ford F350 base spec, long bed which fits a 8x4 sheet lay flat if google is correct to give idea of size.
Due to be delivered tomorrow so can provide some better pictures of the extent it is abused.
Will have to swap lights and do some wiring to make it uk legal but being over 10 years old it only has to pass a regular Mot before it can be registered.
MrBig said:
Excellent. Good to see you back and up to your old bats
t crazy shenanigans! 
Any chance we can get an update on the roller too? Even if its "I got scared of the parts prices/rust and hid it behind the barn"!
Due to moving house (well place is on sale) it’s currently on a transit chassis trailer with no floor under a cover. The roof and most the bodywork is gone from the 745i which is now also undercover elsewhere.t crazy shenanigans! Any chance we can get an update on the roller too? Even if its "I got scared of the parts prices/rust and hid it behind the barn"!
Hope to crack on with it once I have garage space for long term again.
Had a quick look over it. Much better than expected from what the seller had told me of the state of it. Was expecting something requiring much more work to make it usable.
I am planning on treating it like a defender where you can kick something straight and keep going. Big heavy duty chassis that looks brand new underneath which is all that matters - you will see why further down. Started first turn of the key without even the slightest hesitation and despite being 2wd the all terrain tyres moved it ok on the ice.
For size comparison for anyone still wondering quite how big.
Interior is what I expected from a 220k mile work truck, panels loose, seat split and general grubbyness. Got to put the front center seat back in then give it a clean and self tapping screw some stuff back together. Might have to change the radio for uk stations...
Needs both rear lights and a wing mirror cover/lens which I will order up with a full service kit and some new led front lights.
The actual bad bit and why it was so dirt cheap compared to a tidy one.
Roof is all shapes of wavey, a/b/c pillars all are straight and dent free though so I think something like a tree has previously fallen on it and has been just kicked roughly straight from inside then siliconed up at the seams. It might have even been in a slow speed rollover but the straight pillars make me question this.
Windows covered in silicon to stop it leaking, has kind of worked but will redo it anyway. Thought they were half hanging out from how it got described to me so thats a plus.
All the doors are roughly lined up for panel gaps, close and open freely so not worried about the actual cab being that bent. Not the end of the world if it was either as long as doors shut. Might try kick it straighter or just leave it alone and not worry and keep up the trend of just throwing white paint at everything to keep it presentable.
It has obviously been well used and abused but I plan to do the same to it. Hence buying the stupid thing!
I am planning on treating it like a defender where you can kick something straight and keep going. Big heavy duty chassis that looks brand new underneath which is all that matters - you will see why further down. Started first turn of the key without even the slightest hesitation and despite being 2wd the all terrain tyres moved it ok on the ice.
For size comparison for anyone still wondering quite how big.
Interior is what I expected from a 220k mile work truck, panels loose, seat split and general grubbyness. Got to put the front center seat back in then give it a clean and self tapping screw some stuff back together. Might have to change the radio for uk stations...
Needs both rear lights and a wing mirror cover/lens which I will order up with a full service kit and some new led front lights.
The actual bad bit and why it was so dirt cheap compared to a tidy one.
Roof is all shapes of wavey, a/b/c pillars all are straight and dent free though so I think something like a tree has previously fallen on it and has been just kicked roughly straight from inside then siliconed up at the seams. It might have even been in a slow speed rollover but the straight pillars make me question this.
Windows covered in silicon to stop it leaking, has kind of worked but will redo it anyway. Thought they were half hanging out from how it got described to me so thats a plus.
All the doors are roughly lined up for panel gaps, close and open freely so not worried about the actual cab being that bent. Not the end of the world if it was either as long as doors shut. Might try kick it straighter or just leave it alone and not worry and keep up the trend of just throwing white paint at everything to keep it presentable.
It has obviously been well used and abused but I plan to do the same to it. Hence buying the stupid thing!
Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff