I'm curious about how much progress is too much. I have had an 83 dl for a year and a half and I'm impressed. Impressed enough that I want to look for the ideal of the older generation. I recently was quoted $300 to replace a bad pick-up coil that equates to a few bucks for a set of points on an older car. What is the consensus? What year and model would be the ideal?

This all depends: What is your application? Do you want good highway mileage? Off-Road-ability?

 

What are you best with? (Fuel Injected vs. Carberated)

 

There are a million questions.

The pick up coil is just that. These do not have points. You can get a used pick up or distributor from the junk yard and that would probably solve your problems.

 

If you want a new/different vehicle you need to weigh what you do with your vehicle. Then give us a few details and we can try to help you.

Ha! I'm still driving my '83 DL. I have put about 130,000 miles on it since I last posted to this thread. Maybe I have found my ideal.

 

My main problem is staying ahead of the rust here in PA. I've already welded new rockers (made from Astro van rockers) and did a major floor board replacement. Also serious frame rot behind rear wheels both sides... repaired. But there is always more. Also fabricated lower parts of rear fenders etc. Fun stuff.

if you ever need to replace, getting one from out west or down south is awesome. no rust.

Yes, I have a fantasy about driving my rust bucket out of the rust belt, dropping the engine into a rust free wagon and driving back home.

We still have quite a few out here.

 

Curious - what was your solution to the pickup coil? Those are only about $30 on Amazon and take a whole 10 minutes to replace. $300 in '05 was a really steep quote. Those guys still in business?

 

GD

I bought a spare engine for $50 and used the one on that. Yeah, I think they are in business. Pretty sure it was Subaru, lol.

If it's a Hitachi distributor - the pickup is the same as used on some 80's Honda's - if you lookup the part number on rockauto then put it into Amazon they come up really cheap. Worth having an extra in the glove box. You just pry off the reluctor with a couple screwdrivers and bolt in the new pickup. Very simple.

 

GD

Thanks. Hey since I have your attention. I think I just posted a question about the pipes coming off the heads, but I didn't see it show up yet.

 

Heads are at machine shop. I could not get the pipes off and neither can they. Sorry for temporary ignorance about what they are for. They are about 1 inch in diameter and they are about to be busted I fear.

 

Do I need them or are they environmental add ons. Recommendation PLEASE.