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'84 Dolphin Questions


davidtan

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Hi Guys,

I am thinking of buying an 84' Toyota Dolphin. 22R engine . Manual. Looks like its has the upgraded rear axles already. Everything kinda works I think. Any suggestions or comments appreciated. Best

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If you do a site search, you will find a checklist that goes through all of the things that you need to check out. One major item would be making sure the axle has been upgraded. The one ton axle will have 6 lug nuts on it. Post a photo and we can tell if it was changed.

Check for water damage, frame rust, tire age, condition of airbags if they are present, do all of the appliances work-especially the refrigerator, check the plumbing out, check the waste tanks, If you can't find the prepurchase checklist here, there are several available on the internet.

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Hi Guys,

So I went to look ans test drive it.It drove good . I got it to 65 -70 on the freeway but it liked running at 60. Chassis is straight . Brakes are good. Tires are so so. Axle has been upgraded , 5 lugs in front and 6 in the rear. No signs of water leak or molds . Maybe 95 to 98 percent original. He hooked it up to a power outlet and the fridge and AC ran. There was no propane or water so I could not tell if any of that worked. I assume there was no water leaks under or visible because there was no water in it. It has not passed smog and he is trying to get it to pass. He wants 4,800. What is the best way to test everything. Load it up with water & propane and then turn everything on ? Attached are some pics. Your 2'cs appreciated . Best

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Hi Guys,

So I went to look ans test drive it.It drove good . I got it to 65 -70 on the freeway but it liked running at 60. Chassis is straight . Brakes are good. Tires are so so. Axle has been upgraded , 5 lugs in front and 6 in the rear. No signs of water leak or molds . Maybe 95 to 98 percent original. He hooked it up to a power outlet and the fridge and AC ran. There was no propane or water so I could not tell if any of that worked. I assume there was no water leaks under or visible because there was no water in it. It has not passed smog and he is trying to get it to pass. He wants 4,800. What is the best way to test everything. Load it up with water & propane and then turn everything on ? Attached are some pics. Your 2'cs appreciated . Best

The seller should be willing to put in some propane and water. Be suspicious if he is not willing to do so. Appliances are budget busters so you need to know if they work.

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sure looks like a recent sloppy repaint , tires have silver paint, under the hood has overpaint of both white & black on hoses, brake master cylinder,power steering reservoir,rad saddle,firewall at fender rust damage etc...maybe I'm 2 suspicious but I'd check 4 more structural damage.

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Isn't that structural damage next to the hood hinge in the pict showing the battery isolator which has a bare lug crimped wire just hanging near the isolator coil connection? I would go over it from underneath with a flashlight very carefully.

I'm no expert on prices for that one, but sounds high unless condition is very good. Condition on these is everything reguardless of age.

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I live in the north east where rust is an everyday reality but mine is comparatively very clean. The physical damage you highlight could likely blossom into a fair amount of work. In order to not be completely negative, I do however like the matching seat and door panels.

If I had to do it again, I would have passed on the one I purchased and been much more careful on what I did decide. The RV that is in better shape is likely to turn into a better deal than the fixer upper.

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Hi Guys,

So I went to look ans test drive it.It drove good . I got it to 65 -70 on the freeway but it liked running at 60. Chassis is straight . Brakes are good. Tires are so so. Axle has been upgraded , 5 lugs in front and 6 in the rear. No signs of water leak or molds . Maybe 95 to 98 percent original. He hooked it up to a power outlet and the fridge and AC ran. There was no propane or water so I could not tell if any of that worked. I assume there was no water leaks under or visible because there was no water in it. It has not passed smog and he is trying to get it to pass. He wants 4,800. What is the best way to test everything. Load it up with water & propane and then turn everything on ? Attached are some pics. Your 2'cs appreciated . Best

That would be a $1200-$1800 RV where I live in MIchigan. $4800 is absurd. You should of bought my 1984 Datsun I sold a few days ago. Absolutely NO rust anywhere. FF rear, etc. I paid $1800 and sold it for $3200 and it was in MUCH better shape then the Dolphin in your photos. There's an 83 Dolphin for sale by me right now for $800 that has less rust. Built on a Chevy S10 chassis and has a 2.8 V6, along with four-speed automatic trans with OD and lockup converter (700R4).

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The price is a little high for this rig and the spray can paint job makes it look like the owner is trying to hide something. Get him to turn on the propane refrigerator and get the water system up and running. If the owner doesn't want to do those things, walk away from this deal or get him to lower the price to $3,000 or less.

John

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The rust on the cooling unit for the frig makes it suspect. Have them plug in and turn that on overnight to be sure it cools. It takes several hours at least for the frig to cool down. Put a thermometer inside to check the temp. Also, the rust in there makes one wonder about weather exposure and water damage overall. These things live outside for years and it takes a toll. You might want to pass on this and keep looking. It could be better to pay more for something in better shape. The bucks can really start to flow if you have to replace appliances, repair water damage, etc. Also, look at the water heater. Check for rest and signs of leakage.

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I agree with Derek, there is just too much rust to be a California vehicle. I own an 89 Dolphin and I am very familiar with water leaks. This one appears to me to have that problem. From my experience, I would pass on this one and also look for a 6 cyl. if you are going to climb mountains. Good luck!

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I see very bad rust damage all over that next to hood hinge very bad . not worth what he want for it .the tires are I think car tires junk. a frige is a grand or more.if californa maybe salt or rain coast. or Oregon or west Washington st. wet climate or lot of salt.

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I paid $3700 for my identical 84 Dolphin with 22r & manual tranny, 10 years ago. No rust on my Minnesota Toyhome. I keep mine inside 8 months out of the year. I put on new tires, fridge & awning in mine, but it was well worth it. Check it over carefully and get them to reduce the price.

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It's rusted in the spots they rust in not unusual. I would not call it super clean and the price is high for what it is. Frankly I would not buy it. I think you can do a good bit better for that kind of money.

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