Let the AZ Crew know if we can be of assistance.

John B.

Sorry for the problems you had. I'm going to be driving my 91 to NC to drop it off and look for a house in a few weeks. Wish me luck...going to really go through that cooling system first with a fine tooth comb..especially after your drama. Let me know if you need me to do anything to assist on my drive through Armarillo, since I'll be taking the same route most likely...If they scrap it let me know too....I'll stop and get some parts for me self...

Sounds like it would be worth calling the Amarillo shop, and asking for an estimate on parts/labor to replace the head gasket(s), then get it shipped back here to CA. I can replace the radiator, t-stat, and hoses here, so if replacing the head gasket(s) might get it road-worthy again, that might be something worth pursuing.

If the truck starts up and runs fine besides the exhaust flowing into the cooling system causing an eventual overheating, then I would figure that the bottom end is still fine and the rings are not damaged. Definitely something worth fixing. Plus, the 3.0 can take a lot of abuse. My brother drove my Raiders original engine without coolant for about 3 hours until rings welded themselves to the cylinder wall making the crank snap into 3 pieces. Yea, these things are definitely tough. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/mrt.gif" alt="" />

If you are going to have it shipped home,I wouldn't fix it out of state.If they do a crappy job,will you ship it back to make them fix it correctly? probably not.
I say ship it home as-is and have a shop locally do the maintenance on it, so if you have a warranty,at least it would be local.

Thanks for all the feedback, it's appreciated. I was looking thru the local Craig's List, and there's a 1987 Raider for sale the next town over, asking price is $2000. Doesn't say how many miles, but it's the 4-cyl with 5-speed, and looks to be in pretty good shape.

I've received a handful of shipping quotes to haul the LWB from Amarillo (TX) to Camarillo (CA), and the cheapest one is $750. So I'd be out at least $750 just to get it moved here, then whatever it would cost in parts/labor to replace the head gasket, at a minimum, to try and get it up and running again. Might be cheaper to cut my losses and send it to the salvage yard in Amarillo, and get this Raider?

I REALLY like my LWB, as does my daughter, but I have to figure out what the best option is money-wise. The LWB has close to 280K, not sure how many miles are on this Raider but I'll ask. Also, the reason why I'm considering letting this shop fix it, is because their labor rate is only $65 an hour. No way I could beat that rate here in So Cal!

Still juggling my options at this point, but appreciate the feedback, suggestions, recommendations, condolences, etc!

$750 to ship, plus the heads being repaired will still be cheaper than buying that 4cyl Raider and making it pass Cali smog. Just from what I have read at least. Plus, if you want more power, your only options are either turbo swap or 4.3, and I am not sure how easy that is in Cali... In the end I still see shipping and fixing your LWB the wiser choice. Sorry if I sound like a broken record. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />

My suggestion would be to have it shipped as-is to you in Kali. Then let us walk you thru fixing it with your daughter acting as tool-girl. It doesn't take any real skill to work on these vehicles, just the ability to follow our instructions. Hell, I'll even PM you my phone number so you can call if you get stuck. You've done alot to this truck already and your daughter has gotten attached. Pay the $750 to get it to you and then save money on labor by doing it yourself. The sense of accomplishment and satisfaction when it's complete will be priceless and you'll have spent some quality time with your daughter to boot...

If you decide to give it up, I might be able to match a price and I'll drive up there to get it.

And look what I saw in the parking lot outside the local Trader Joe's (I was going into the O'Reilly Auto Parts Store next door):





I peeked inside, and it's as clean as the outside. It's a 5-speed, but not sure if it's got the 2.6 or 3.0 engine. I left a note on the windshield, asking if they'd be interested in selling it...