I’ve only got a few things to add to this topic and it’s directed to the newcomer or someone that is out shopping for a fifty or sixty year old truck. So after reading all the previous replies your not sure now about what you should pay for that gem that you looked at last weekend? The fact that some people find trucks for a few hundred bucks or that they are just given the trucks is a very rare exception to the rule indeed. Today nearly everyone is connected in some way to the Internet either directly or through a friend or family member and they generally have a pretty good idea of what one is going for in their area.
In most cases condition and completeness is the governing factor plus what your ultimate goal is for the truck. Sure if you have to replace the majority of the panels in the cab and bed and the frame and wheels are rusted out and the engine is froze up, and you drain water out of the transmission and rear end instead of hypoid grease and mice and other critters have made a home in the upholstery for the last few decades and the windows won’t roll down and are all frosted up around the edges or are cracked or broken out altogether, then, you might get it for a few hundred bucks or get it as a gift.
But the reality is that your gonna shell out $1,500 to $2,000 for one that “needs a bunch of work” or is “a good parts truck”, $2,000 to $5,000 for one that is complete and running but “in need of restoration” and $5,000-$10,000 for a pretty decent one that just “needs some tender loving care”. Above that point your looking at some pretty nice trucks that you should only have to wash ‘n wax and check the oil.
My 1950, 3600 was 98% complete and original with 56k miles on it. Needed a bunch of dents and dings taken out and is still in need of paint but there was literally no rust. It was drivable but not really safe to have on the road because of the brakes and steering. The interior was clean it didn’t smell it was original but had 56 years of wear and tear on it and was badly worn.
A couple of years later, it has had a complete rebuild of all the running gear and brakes, new wheels and tires, new interior i.e., seat cover, floor mat, door panels and headliner, glove box, add radio, fuel and temp gauge repairs, light switch rebuild, rebuild window mechanisms, valve job, carburetor rebuild, rebuild all electrical and ignition components, repair frame wiring to rear, and a hundred other little things.
Now though, I have a fairly clean reliable truck that starts at all times at all temperatures, stops on a dime and handles like a new (1950) truck and one that I can drive anywhere I want (as long as the weather is decent), no driving in the rain or snow, to much clean up.
So what did fork over for my bolt? Bout $3200 two years ago which was a bargain for our area considering it’s original condition and I hate to think of how much I’ve invested over that to this day to make her a reliable and fun truck to take out for a drive. I feel I’m about half way to my goal, body work next and freshen up the short block and I’ll be ready for that cross- country trip. Denny Graham Sandwich, IL
