BlackCoffee
Full Access Members
When I rebuilt the engine and transmission, replaced a few air conditioner parts, and did a lot of updating it ran about $5K with my own labor. Just a couple of things I worry about. First, just because you live in the south doesn't mean you don't have rust. Most of the rust is from water that does not drain after a rainy drive. The radiator support rusts because it allows water to pool near the mounts. The inner and outer rockers rust because water gets inside and sits there. Same thing with the square cross members. I would really inspect for rust, got to get it up on a rack and do a real good look at things. The second concern is that one day, a part will fail and no replacement exists. I was lucky enough to get a few things at the junk yard that weren't available anywhere else. I don't worry about the drivetrain, that is in good shape and you can get most parts associated with the engine, transmission, axles, wheels, brakes, and steering. It is the 2nd gen electronics that will cause problems.