Would you buy this and for how much possibly? Used Fiberglass Tonneau

Went to order a fiberglass Tonneau for my truck today and it was to come up to $1250 total. After I put down a deposit to order, I was told that someone had ordered one 3 yrs ago and never returned to get it. Upon looking at it, it is exactly the one I was to order, same color of my truck and everything. The guy said he would take 500 for it. I guess it was sitting out there 3 yrs and feeling some of it, for what I could reach because it was under a cover type thing, the area I felt it felt as though it was sort of roughlike. I guess like a car that hasn't been waxed in awhile or something. I didn't get chance to stop by my boy who is a Body repairman, will stop by him tomorrow and show him pics and see what he says about possibly being able to bring back the smoothness and get that color shining. I'm thinking if I decide to go with it, I will offer 400 after taxes because I saw some of the bolts under the cover I guess that holds the hinge and shocks hardware, had evidence of rust at least on the heads. I will definitely want either new bolts or those cleaned up or something. So I'm pondering saving potentially 7-800 bucks but might cost me 1-200 to bring it back to looking new which is still a good savings.

I told the lady to tell the guy to wash it for me today so I could really see how it looked but he was busy in the back. It is older people who work there too by the way. She made it seem like he would only was it if he knew I was going to buy it lol, lazy as hell. They must not know it might persuade someone easier to buy the thang lmao. I guess old schooler's sometimes don't have their thinking cap on. I told her one day next week when I'm going back that side I will call her and let her know which day so he can at the least have the forklift and lift the cover up so I can wash it myself and see how it looks and how much that algae and stuff has set in....

Thoughts..................

 

2 more pics

 

If you don't buy it, I will. Where is it? Lol

 

myrtle beach. I will let you know something by next weekend. Remind me

 

i bought that exact tonneau off Craigslist for 250 dollars. i would talk him down or wait. Looks rough because it's been sitting. I would make sure the shocks still hold it open. sitting so long the probably blew the seals.

 

$250 painted?

did you put any money into it and how old was it? How long before you had to put any money into it if any?

 

never put any money into it. Not nearly as rusted as that one. Mine was originally silver but i rattle canned it to flat black to match my flares. My truck is probably the exact color of that tonneau cover. i have an 02 ext cab maroon. I like the black accents of my flares and now my tonneau. I can take pics in the morning. I watched craigslist for a year before i found the A.R.E. I wanted. For 500 you can get a nice topper up here with the racks on top made by the same company. I would ask him to let you try and open it like you would if it was installed on your truck. If you have to hold the thing up then the shocks are shot. I know they run about 35 a piece if you replace them yourself. I wouldn't worry about the surface rust on the inside. But it will help you get a better price.

 

ok great info. I doubt I can wait a year though lol.
did your gas mileage increase as a result of the tonneau? I want one for that alone.

I will search craigslist though and see what I may find.

And I tell ya what man sort of skeptical of craigslist with all the people getting robbed and even shot with scams.......................SMDH

 

Rusted Smusted. A good power washer will take all that off.

 

Here is what my truck looks like with mine rattle canned black. If you do get it just take some emery cloth and clean up the metal hinge lifts and shocks and rattle can them with some black paint. My fuel mileage didn't change at all. Mythbusters tested fuel mileage of trucks with different scenarios and found that a truck with no tonneau and tailgate up was best because it created a rolling ball of air in the box that kept air coming over the cab out of the box and didn't add any weight like a tonneau would. but the weight you add doesn't really affect it. I have a four banger and my mileage stayed the same.

 

smusted lol?

take all that off but the rough paint/non smoothness will have to be at least buffed and waxed to try and bring back the smoothness.

talked to my friend who is a body repair guy and he said at the very least it might can be , well just what i just said or wet sanded or something to that effect.

 

gotcha,
cool

 

I bought my ARE new..$1300. If I had a do over I would buy a folding lockable cover.

 

yeah i must admit I love the look of the painted fiberglass one more and I will have a utility trailer if i need to carry something that won't fit in the bed

 

Man I believe I would pass, I am amazed how often these covers pop up on Craigslist, $200-300 range for first generation

 

which is why I am going to offer him about 300-350 at most lol. And also providing I have the patience and trust to wait on craigslist.

People really don't get rid of Toyotas though so you would think they wouldnt pop up all that often

 

you now have two guys on here that have seen these for less than 300. start at 200 and explain that you are definitely going to have to repaint all the lifting mechanisms and probably replace the gas shocks. if the exterior paint is orange peeling like you described then you will have to paint the exterior also. All things can be done on the cheap by yourself but he doesn't need to know. If you get it professionally fixed then it'll be up to you but it'll all help to lower the price. if he says no to 200, wait a week and call him and say you worked two extra hours of overtime to be able to offer him 250. if he passes again i would wait a month and keep your eyes on craigslist. there is a site called searchtempest.com that is awesome for searching all of craigslist. if you have the google play store on your phone or tablet there is an app called craigslist pro that you can save keywords into and locations and it'll notify you of any new listing the instant it goes on the site. be smart. don't pay more than 300.

 

sounds like a good strategy to me