Buying a J3000.....DRW

[KaiserMan]

Just agreed to buy this 1968 J3000 dually. It's a factory 161" wheel base Buick 350/T18 rig. It's rough. Really could use a cab, but the frame looks good other than typical surface rust and some light pitting. The odometer shows 24K. Pretty sure this used to be a chassis mount camper.

Truck is pretty unique. The frame rails are one stamping, it hasn't been spliced together. The flat section of the frame has been reinforced (looks factory), It has a two piece rear driveshaft and is very well optioned.

It's a Custom Cab, has a large back window, PS (pump isn't on right now), PB, bucket seats, tinted glass, Lock-O-Matic hubs and transfer case mounted parking brake.

Motor is supposed to be rebuilt and runs great. Aftermarket 4bbl intake and carb, stainless (according to the owner) headers.

It runs, drives and stops. Worst part is that a couple of the wheels are rotted.

Note the plate on the left side of the frame behind the cab. Owner says it's only on that side and the frame is rock solid behind it. No clue why it's there.

[jpcoutts]

Congrats on a great find! Welcome to the dually club! More pics please. I might have a line on a wheel if you can't find one.

[KaiserMan]

I'll snap a bunch when I'm up there (it's a 7 hour round trip for me) this weekend.

Looks nicer in the pics, but what doesn't right?

I think it needs ALL the rear wheels. At least the inners. That's going to be rough! I'll shoot you a PM if I can't end up getting some. I was thinking of getting an 8 lug wheel redrilled.

[jpcoutts]

I hope at least some of the wheels are good. They are so hard to find. I also thought about having some other wheels re-drilled but no one could(or would) do the coining needed to get the proper lock between the wheels after mounting. Coining is the raised ridge around every other bolt hole with a depression around the other holes that makes them fit together as a unit when mounted for strength I suppose.

[KaiserMan]

Could always use a pin in one and a hole in the other to lock them together like Ford (I think it's Ford) does.

Does yours have left and right hand threads on the wheel studs?

[mud89]

I am envious, congrats for this new one
As i wrote when i saw the post of the previous owner on fsjnetwork, it's one of the very last dually from the factory : one can deduce from some service bulletins from the sixties with serial numbers that only a few dozen duallies were produced in Toledo with the Buick engine and it's one of them ! Moreover this example is very well optioned according to your description and the pics.
By the way i thought that the rigs with an extended frame were special orders with the specific plate below the VIN plate, it seems that this one does'nt have the plate, maybe an aftermarket extension when converted to a chassis mounted camper ?
If you change the cab, please keep the emblems, doors panels and these great bucket seats to stay stock.

[mud89]

Some serial numbers :
Service Bulletin 918 (04/19/68) : 300 014
Parts Bulletin D315 (08/19/68) : 300 027
Service Bulletin 942 (10/04/68) : 300 026
Service Bulletin 954 (02/05/69) : 300 026
Service Bulletin 963 (03/11/69) : 300 027

It seems that the higher serial number for these duallies with the buick engine is around 300 030, so around 30 built in Toledo, all in 1968

Edited : BTW around 190 duallies (J3000s) were built with the 327 for the three years : 65, 66, 67

[KaiserMan]

I am envious, congrats for this new one
As i wrote when i saw the post of the previous owner on fsjnetwork, it's one of the very last dually from the factory : one can deduce from some service bulletins from the sixties with serial numbers that only a few dozen duallies were produced in Toledo with the Buick engine and it's one of them ! Moreover this example is very well optioned according to your description and the pics.
By the way i thought that the rigs with an extended frame were special orders with the specific plate below the VIN plate, it seems that this one does'nt have the plate, maybe an aftermarket extension when converted to a chassis mounted camper ?
If you change the cab, please keep the emblems, doors panels and these great bucket seats to stay stock.

Do you have a link to the tread on FSJN? The guy I'm buying it from didn't say anything about being a member, and he bought it from an old timer that I doubt goes on line.

It's not a aftermarket extension from what I can see. The main frame rails are all one stamping from front to back on it. I haven't seen it in person yet.

[mud89]

Link below

http://www.fsjnetwork.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=10943

I guess that he registered on fsjnetwork just for the sale

[KaiserMan]

I'm not over on FSJN much, I missed that. I found it on Craigslist.

He seems like a decent guy. He's going to use the money toward buying a J10 like his father had that's for sale locally to him.

[mud89]

ok good news, He'll probably stay on FSJN if he buys a J10
The rig is also on jeeptruck.com

[KaiserMan]

I hope at least some of the wheels are good. They are so hard to find. I also thought about having some other wheels re-drilled but no one could(or would) do the coining needed to get the proper lock between the wheels after mounting. Coining is the raised ridge around every other bolt hole with a depression around the other holes that makes them fit together as a unit when mounted for strength I suppose.

My machinist friend said it shouldn't be a problem drilling 8 lug wheels to 6. And I've got 6 free Ford wheels sitting on a dually at work that's heading to the scrap yard soon.

I'm not sure how necessary the coining is. GM dually wheels don't have anything locking them together. Ford seems to have a pin.

[joe]

Nice Thomas. Amazingly clean for an east coast rig.

[KaiserMan]

It gets less solid the closer you get Joe. It really does need a cab.

I did well with wheels today. A customer of ours has a 65 F350 dually that's been sitting for a while. He's going to let me take the outer rear wheels, then swap my bad wheels for his good ones. He only cares that he has four tires on his at the end of the day.

Two of his are single piece rims.

[jpcoutts]

Great find on the F350 wheels! Do they have the coined holes? I think most duallys of that era had them. The studs on my truck are all right hand threads. As for the single piece rims, I've only seen pictures!