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Home » Public Forums » GMCnet » New member from Mexico / Transmode project (Should I buy this Transmode in very bad shape ?)
New member from Mexico / Transmode project [message #297315] Mon, 14 March 2016 07:22 Go to previous message
Francis is currently offline  Francis   Mexico
Messages: 9
Registered: March 2016
Location: Mexico
Karma:
Junior Member
(This post was first created in the "Swap Meet" area. Sorry for redundancy)

Hi everybody!

I have just registered in this forum and I would like to thanks the admin to allow me to enter this community.

I live in Mexico for about 10 years, I'm Italian born in Belgium.
I'm a motorhome user in Europe since 2009, first renting and finally buying my own one in December 2013. It's a 6 beds based on the Fiat Ducato chassis with the 2.3 turbo diesel engine.
I like very much traveling with my motorhome, but I use it only when I go back to Europe. We have about 25K miles on the meter.

I have discovered the GMC Motorhome by accident, because a guy is selling a 76 Transmode nearby my place in Mexico.

I have been to see this unit 2 days ago, and it is in a very bad shape. I will not even talk about the interior since it's an office, with only a bathroom. No fridge, etc. All this interior will go to garbage anyway.

Before to continue the description of the vehicle, I have to precise that if I buy it, it is with the intention of a complete rebuild, with the top of the range available parts and upgrades. I have spent a lot of time on the web during the last 2 weeks but there is so much info that I have many questions.

The unit is supposed to have been bought by somebody in Mexico as new, in 76. But this person was not able to register it so after maybe a year of use it was stopped (donated to an governmental organization or something). It was used as an office and supposedly quite never on the road. But as you will see in the pictures, it has been painted and repainted about 4 times, then the last owner, who bought it to put on a land where he wanted to build a house, has started removing the paint. Now he sells it because he sold the land. He asks 5KUSD.

The meter shows less then 10k miles, but it is not working. It is hard to say if it has 10k or 110k or more. The unit was supposedly used in standby and the interior is very damaged.

The engine (without air filter house) has started once connected to a charged battery. It looks fine, well as a good base for a rebuild. I have not done a road test to check the transmission, but I would if I go to see it again.

The Onan generator is missing.
The compressor for the airbags is present but not working.
Air-conditioning is present but not working.
No propane installation (since no kitchen nor heating etc.)
Windshield broken on driver side.
The roof is kind of flexible, I mean not rigid, I don't know how to say exactly, at the rear corners.

One particular thing I don't like is the rear left bathroom "window", and the rectangular piece of aluminium around it. Look like a bad adaptation by the builder, or a bad repair by the owner. I would need to remove the interior wood panel to see what is exactly behind this.

I think that 5KUSD is expensive because of the overall condition. It is kind of salvage isn't it?

I hope that you will find some interest in my project and will help me. First help would be to advise me on the purchase, not only on the price, but also regarding the feasibility of such a project based on this particular unit.

Thanks in advance and saludos from Mexico!

[Updated on: Mon, 14 March 2016 07:56]

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