zero Posted July 17, 2013 Share Posted July 17, 2013 I just got back to lower Michigan after spending a week camping and travelling around the Michigan eastern upper peninsula. Our first stop was Owald's Bear Ranch near Newberry. First thing I noticed was a 1988 Dolphin sitting in the bushes. After asking around I found out that a guy there sort of collects them. Several Dolphins are parked and used as mini rural office trailers. The owner told me he also has several Winnebagos that he likes better and uses on the road. After we left we drove through Brimley and saw a Chinook, a Minicruiser with a factory diesel, and a V6 Sunrader. A few days later while near the Mack Bridge, I saw a Toyota Minicruiser parked by the side of the road with a "for sale" sign on it. A women - I assume named Linda -had just pulled up with her truck and trailered mud-bogger truck. She was interested also. Got me thinking of the Linda on this forum - but this Linda had Michigan plates and not California. I ended up buying the Minicruiser for $1900. The seller had bought it to take to North Dakota and live in and then lost his license (alcohol related I assume). 22RE engine and auto trans with OD. Not a spot of rust anywhere. Needs some work but not too bad. Mechanically perfect except the gas gauge and cab AC is not working. Measures 20 feet end to end. My wife likes the rear bath and kitchen. Dually full floater rear and front wheels to match, along with good 8 ply rated tires. I was told that Michigan law allows a new buyer to drive for 10 days with no license plate. I'm not sure I believe it but took my chances and drove it 75 miles to my place in the lower peninsula. I was surprised at how well it handled and drove. I went around 55 MPH the whole way in OD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary_M Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 Darn good deal for $1900! Take her out and enjoy it, don't take it to the mod shop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 Well I'm honored that you would look at that nasty cool truck and think of me. Looks like something I would have if I can ever get rid of all these darn motorhomes. Her logo on the truck hits close to home for me. For a while my son-in-law and I were talking about opening a restaurant- auto shop combo business and calling it "Soup to Nuts". Figured people could eat while waiting for their car to get fixed. Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanman Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 I need a right side Dolphin 91-94 vinyl end cap. That's the part that goes into the rear bumper cover and the side skirt on newer Dolphins. Do you think he has one of those? if so I would like to buy one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waiter Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 Looks like a good deal and a good project. JOhn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zero Posted July 18, 2013 Author Share Posted July 18, 2013 so are you going to sell your other Toy now that you have modernized? No . . . not while I (we) basically live in two states with properties 800 miles apart. My Chinook stays in NY and this Minicruiser is staying in Michigan -for now. I can't use Toyota RVs for going back and forth since I'm just about always hauling heavy equipment from one place to another. My 78 Chinook is almost as "modern" as the Minicruiser. The only thing it lacks that I wish I could update is the manual steering. I changed many things on it but cannot find a good way to convert to power steering in a 78. I've had my eye open for a Toyota RV in nothern Michigan for a few years. On this last UP camping trip - we took a Ford diesel F250 with an 11' slide-on camper on the back. Averaged 12.5 MPG which is the worst it's ever gotten. I blame that partly on the newer, lower BTU diesel fuel. In most areas we were at in the UP, diesel was 20 cents more per gallon. I've been figuring a Toyota RV would be much handier and cheaper to drive for what we do and I'll just use my F250 diesel for hauling trailers. If we ever make a decision to live 100% in one place, then we'll sell the other properties and maybe get rid of many trucks,tractors, RVs,etc. I suspect the Toyotas would not be sold though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdboltdude Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 Great deal great find!! I like seeing Mini Cruiser's like mine you don't see a lot of them..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Totem Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 love that lay out; mucho bed spaces. I'd reupholster the valor pink (formerly red) in something else though. The bathroom should get treated to a nice teak floor mat. we put one in our corner bathroom looks sweet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WME Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 It seems to me that you have more than 2 Toy MH. Are you trying to keep up with Linda?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 It seems to me that you have more than 2 Toy MH. Are you trying to keep up with Linda?? Hey I only have 3. Randy in Salt lake just bought his 5th or 6th. Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zero Posted July 19, 2013 Author Share Posted July 19, 2013 It seems to me that you have more than 2 Toy MH. Are you trying to keep up with Linda?? I have three Toyota RVs, but one is just a spare parts vehicle (78 Chinook). Also has an 86 Winnebago Phasar with 2.2 gas engine, a 4WD Chevy diesel Blazer Chalet RV, a 4WD Chevy diesel Halmark RV, a 92 Dodge diesel truck with a pop-up roof Jayco truck camper, a 94 Ford diesel truck with a fixed high-roof Coachmen slide-on camper, and an 83 Chevy diesel Blazer that sometimes tows a 20' Jacyco camper trailer. I've just about given up on the diesels. Too expensive. Not too long ago when diesel fuel. was always cheaper then gas - and even heating oil could be used without much fear - it was a good deal. Not so much anymore. My Dodge with the Cummins diesel can get near 17 MPG with a pop-up roof camper on the back doing 70 MPH which is still what I consider pretty good. But my Ford diesel with the high camper only gets 12.5 MPG. My diesel Blazer pulling a 20' trailer gets 13.5 MPG. My diesel Chalet and Hallmark RVs (both with pop up roofs) get a best at around 15.5 MPG in the mountains. A bit better on flat drives. With fuel prices still on the way up and diesel becoming more of a "boutique" fuel instead of utilitarian - I'm starting to like small gas engines again. Thus my focus on the Toyotas and the Phasar. If I had money to burn (which I do not) - I'd love to get a new Ford RV based on the little Transit Connect van. Very popular in Europe for RV conversions. It's sort of the modern "Toyota" RV . 2 liter four-banger engine, 5000 lb. plus GVW, 150 amp alternator, front wheel drive, etc. By the time the little RVs or vans are old enough for me to be willing to buy - I'll be dead or 80 years old. Oh well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zero Posted July 19, 2013 Author Share Posted July 19, 2013 Well I'm honored that you would look at that nasty cool truck and think of me. Looks like something I would have if I can ever get rid of all these darn motorhomes. Her logo on the truck hits close to home for me. For a while my son-in-law and I were talking about opening a restaurant- auto shop combo business and calling it "Soup to Nuts". Figured people could eat while waiting for their car to get fixed. Linda S You obviously know more about autos/trucks/RVs then the average person of any gender, and much more then most women I've known. Not that I'm alluding to females being inferior in the tech department. It's just been a cultural thing in the US for many years. When I was a teen - boys often had chances to learn mechanics (right and wrong methods) by working in gas stations or repair shops as grunt/trainees/grease monkeys. Hard to believe that gas stations used to actually have repair shops and did more complicated repairs then many modern shops do now. First gas station I worked in had it's own in-place crank-journal grinder, valve grinding equipment, piston skirt knurler, etc. Back then with many cars being flatheads - the valve work had to be done in place. No head to pull and send out. Girls often were told to stick to "girl" things. Not all, I'm sure - but probably most. That includes my youngest daughter who just turned 30. Her mother forbid her to hang out in my repair shop when I had my own repair business. Too much smoke, foul language and grease. My daughter still learned some from me and has thanked me many times since she gets many chances to impress her friends with what little she DOES know. Now adays is seems neither boys, girls , or those "inbetweens" get much chance or desire to learn anything by hands-on experience. Most seem to think getting multiple college degrees and becoming professionals is the way to go. Linda . . . there is a nested compliment somewhere in my pontification in case you missed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted July 19, 2013 Share Posted July 19, 2013 Yes I heard the complement and I appreciate it. I just love motor vehicles and I love to be around them. Have no sons but 2 daughters who are better mechanics than me. Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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