Overpriced....

[Cam68]

I know its probably been done 10,000X already so dont be too harsh...ive wanted another 73-86 truck for the last 2 years or so, theres just sumthin about them, you guys know better then anybody so....  86k10 scottsdale, original 305 swapped for a crate motor 350 guy says has less then 10,000 miles, 700r4 trans, no ac, aluminum intake and edelbrock carb, dual tanks, bed light and cap. Owner says he bought the truck in 06 off a friend who needed the $$ and parked it in his barn where its sat since, no inspection since 06, tho the truck easily fires at the turn of a key and drives and stops as could be expected. Body is rough....would need new fenders, inners, full rockers, doors, corners and work on the bed sides to make it look respectable, box inside is really decent, frame has alot of scaly rust maybe some pitting but im sure most could be cleaned up with a blaster. Interior isnt really that bad, all lights work and the wiring looks like new...youd be suprised at the unbelievable splice jobs ive seen hanging down from under many dashes. Truck has good tires, the original rallys, caps and trim rings. Overall i like it because other then the carb + intake its all there and unmolested, it hasnt been hacked up by 20 past previous owners, just looks like its been driven into rusty oblivion underneath. Guy wants $1800 and a trade of 2 rust free fenders i have from a past project....id like to grab it but am left wondering what im getting for 1800 if it would need another 800-1000 in new sheetmetal?? I want something i could keep long term and have no issues with doing it little by little as opposed to spending alot more for something already done. He says buy it, the motor, tires and wheels are worth that much and id be getting the rest of the truck for free....i dont see it that way.....Opinions on what its worth?

[jaredts]

The motor, wheels, and tires are worth that much???  Sorry but I disagree.  The tires have been setting since '06, so they probably need tossed.  The engine and tranny might be perfect, maybe not.  You already know the body is rusty which makes it worth very little.  It's possible that it is worth every penny but it doesn't sound that great to me.  If you're wanting something to keep a long time you absolutely need to find a close to rust free truck.

[Stewart G Griffin]

What area do you live?

i agree that if the truck has been sitting since 06, then the tires aren't good---tires are most likely flatspotted.  i think we are looking at a minimum of $600 for some decent tires (see my other thread in the tire+wheel section).  Also, see my other thread concerning driving on older tires that really should be replaced........

Don't push your luck with older tires:
http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=21374.0

A popular opinion is after 6 years it's time to replace.

[Cam68]

Im in pennsylvania...was hoping to get as many opinions as possible but getting reads with no responses ill take as theyd all agree with jaredts

[Cam68]

any opinions on an offer ??

[Stewart G Griffin]

Can i ask what part of PA?   It's so much easier to start with a non-rusty truck.

[Cam68]

central

[winky]

here in alabama sounds like an $800 truck..

[fitz]

Take a road trip down south and get a rust free truck (or close to rust free one).
While I wouldn't pass on a local truck just because it needs cab corners, that truck sounds like a parts truck.
I can see fixing up a truck that you have owned for a while and it got a little rusty over the years, but this one sounds like someone else's problem.
Am I reading your post correct that the guy wants $1800 and you have to give him 2 fenders? If so, what are the fenders off ? I've sold mint 81-87 GM front fenders for $500 PR.

[Cam68]

Ive stopped several times to look at it which he thinks is hilarious sayin that most anyone would know after 1 look wether they wanted it or not, anyhow....on my last stop i kinda put him on the spot mentioning how 75% of this truck would need gone thru, reconditioned or flat out replaced in addition to needing maybe 800-1000 in new sheetmetal and that being the case, what am i getting for my $1800? his response....$1800 is a fair price and since the motor, tires and wheels are worth that alone, id be basically getting the rest of the truck for free

And yea fitz, $1800 + plus 2 rust free 73-80 front fenders

[Irish_Alley]

motor can be bought for 2-300 trans about the same price, tires idk 4-500. tell the guy hes crazy it might be worth half of that minus the fenders

[75gmck25]

If the tires are from the '06 timeframe and its been sitting all those years, they are only good enough to keep the truck rolling until you get new ones.   Any claim about a 350 crate engine being installed is suspect, especially one that is third hand from his friend.  It may be a good engine, but even a good used engine is only worth a few hundred dollars.  If the OD trans is original from '86 it should be better than the earlier 700R4's that were prone to early failure.

Do you want the truck as a big project or do you want something to drive?  Even if the drivetrain is good, it sounds like the body needs a lot of fixing, and in most places that is relatively expensive work.   Have you checked around to find out what it would cost to get the body repaired and painted?    Add the body repair cost to the $1800 and then decide if the truck will be worth that much when you get done.

It sounds like you are buying a rolling/running drivetrain, and for that I think $1800 is too high.

Bruce

[fitz]

  The fact that the seller wants your 73-80 fenders tells me that he is still into 73-87's, he just doesn't want to deal with this one. Like I said before, if this truck was your daily driver for the last  10 years and the winters had taken its toll on it, I can see spending some money to fix it up. But why buy into a problem child for $1800?
  I live in Mass (part of the rust belt) and have been playing around with 73-87's  for 25+ years. Back then it was fairly easy to find clean trucks around here.  As time goes on they are getting harder to find.  These days  I will still buy the local rot boxes for parts trucks, but that's about all I will use them for.  The last "keeper" I bought  was a M1028  CUCV Military Truck that came from  North Carolina about 1 year ago. It was worth spending the extra money for a clean rust free truck.
  Any 28 year old vehicle will give you enough to work on without battling the rust issues.
  As fas as the parts value of that 86, like others have said, a good running 350 goes for about $350 ( that motor was only about $1500 brand new with a warranty from GM). Around here I can't even sell the 10 bolt axles and 700R4 trans, I don't even pull them from the parts trucks anymore.
 

[ck80]

I'd pass as well.

If you time things right, Jegs sells crate 350 GM motors with the 100k warranty from time to time in the $1100-1200 range, every couple of months for a few days at a time. (Sale does not appear on their website)

Really, you're buying a headache, and a bunch of questionmarks. You know the body is bad, and once they rust, the rust keeps popping up other weird places as time goes by. For a "keeper" its cheaper and easier to buy rust free to start with, rather than try to build it. I've been down that road too many times before, but finally learned my lesson.