Posted by Keith in Washington on Monday, May 13, 2002 at 3:59PM :
In Reply to: Classified section prices posted by RDavis on Sunday, May 12, 2002 at 11:19PM :
Yes truck prices have gone up a lot in the last several years. So has a lot of other stuff. Yes, there are trucks that I have seen on web and say "No way is it worth that much" But it is usually the badly beat up ones that someone has placed a value on that is so high that I shake my head at. I know what it is going to take to fix them. Some of the full restorations are worth every penny of the 15,000 to 20,000+ that they are asking for. They are the cream of the crop. But I doubt that they are making much on them. Some people seem to be priced out of the market. My advice keep looking make lots of friends and keep the feelers out. It will happen.
My Carryall is real nice but it has taken a lot to get it there and I started with a decent truck. I would not make much if I sold it. As an example I have over $2,000 in paint supplies into it. Then you start looking at all the parts I bought and the blasting fees, my 100s and 100s of hours of labor are not even counted. I never could have afforded paying labor for someone to fix it. I learned, welding, body work and a lot of other things doing it. I did it because I enjoy fixing and putting things back together. It has been a very long (8+ years)road to get it like it is but it has been a lot of fun.
My advice on buying a truck is to find a solid one with a good body and mechanics and be willing to pay for it if you can. $5,000 is not an unreasonable price for a solid truck. It will cost you more than that to take a rough one and make it dependable. Let see $1,500 into an engine rebuild, transmission & transfer $500+, spring bushings and pins $300, springs 150+ each, brakes $400+ with no drum work or replacement (do not get cheap on the brakes)($700 per axle for disk brakes)
, differential (used) $300. We are now at $3,000 and have not even touched the body. Yes you can do better on some of the prices and not as well on others. If you can, let someone else pay for the restoration and buy one that you will not have to put much work into it will be cheaper.
Take your time and find a solid truck and be willing to fork a little of that green over. Sometimes you will come across a very good deal. I was lucky three times, my 52 PW was $800 and the Carryall was around $400 and I paid a fair but high price for the cleanest 58 Willys wagon that can ever be. The Dodges were bought 8+ years ago. I have looked at a so many other trucks and walked away as it would be too much to put together. I have had many conversations such as the following. "Let's see, I can stick my finger through body side at any point and you still want $5,000 for this Carryall. Yes,it is all original and all is still there and you can quickly make a new side like that"
But if your like me I enjoy putting it back together and that is worth a lot of personal satisfaction and it is a great diversion after a long day at the office. So I am willing to put the labor in.