First, I wasn't exactly sure where to start this thread. If it needs to be moved would someone please pm me so I can find the thread lol. Also this is not an ad to sell a truck but is rather a request for information and assistance on how to place a value on a project truck that was started by my father who recently passed away. Offers will not be accepted in this thread and pm’s with offers will be ignored until such time the truck actually becomes available for sale. Any amounts mentioned later in this thread are for reference only and reflect the prices actually paid for the truck and parts and have no reference to any selling price.
Now that I have that cleared up lol, yeah I too have had my share of skinned knuckles not so much from restoring but from doing a lot of my own repairs. Man <sighs> for the most part those days are passing by much too quickly for me. Well sorta. If I am in the mood and have the patience, I really enjoy working on my own stuff. But there are those times that, “Hey man, fix that xxxxxx and put on a new yyzzyyy and give me the bill” sounds pretty good.
First let me say that I have obtained a tremendous amount of knowledge from foums such as this. I have been in the computer profession since well before the internet was conceived and I have always said that there is a wealth of information on the net but you have to weed through the BS. I have searched for forums to post this request and this one seems to be among the best with some very knowledgeable members. (<wipes the brown from his nose>). And also let me apologize in advance for being wordy. I realize that it is a fault of mine but I want to try to include as much relevant info as possible. Please don’t let this deter you and read on lol. Oh, and I should tell you, I suppose, that we are in the mountains in the southwest corner of Virginia and Northeast corner of Tennessee.
Now why the heck is he here, you might be asking. I actually wish I wasn’t writing this. Just over a year ago, my father, Wayne passed away suddenly (in his garage, where else.... <smiles whenever I think of that). Please forgive my lack of knowledge of vintage autos. Was not my thing. I found girls and rock and roll before I found cars and I’m still paying for that one (over and over and over lol). Wayne was working on two projects. The first was his baby; a mostly completed BelAir 2D HT which he restored but was in the process of re-restoring (if that is a word lol) to be more stock.
The second project is the subject of this post. A1951 3100 5 window PU that he had just begun work on. My mom has decided that it is time to part with the truck and we need help in how to value it. It will be sold in a single sale will all parts (including any duplicates). The cab, frame, motor, running gears and some parts were purchased locally and the remainder of the parts were obtained from various sources (LLC, eBay, locally) and appear to be mostly aftermarket. Wayne had said "I think I have everything to start on my truck" which I now take to mean that better than 90% of it is there. I am talking down to the wiring harnesses, ss assembly bolt kits, pedals, rubber, gaskets, grommets, knobs, etc... you get my point. So “better than 90%” means closer to more than 95% of the major parts and 90% of the things you forget about till you get started. Wayne was not a wealthy person by any means but he also never did anything halfway and that he wouldn’t be proud of. There are many duplicate parts. Things like 3 grilles because he found one he liked better, bed liner panels that were intended to be fabricated, but he then ordered prefabricated bedsides etc. We have documents for the majority of the parts are in the process of checking that all the parts are there (and finding them, some in the attic, some in the bathroom, etc… lol).
The frame appears to be in good condition. Of course, some surface rust, but no visible rust through, though I would be surprised to not find any. The cab is really not that bad and as much as we can tell the parts are there (like the floor plans of course) to restore/rebuild it. The only body panel that we are not sure about is the hood. The current hood has some surface rust on the seams and some rust through on the very front. I have wondered if he meant to replace it or that he found that it was the original and would be better to repair it. The engine is not the original. It has been rebuilt but has been "sitting for years". Wayne had said that he was glad the motor was not the original because “this one will make more power" (it is as best I know, stock). Again forgive my lack of vintage chevy knowledge.
There has not been a rush on doing anything about this truck but we suddenly have a couple of people interested in it. One wants to street rod it, which is definitely not my choice. The other, my favorite, is a young lady from the midwest who just lost her son a few years back. She said she had wanted a 5 window since she was a teen.
Now for the finances. Wayne had spent just over $7300 for the truck and parts that we can verify. In addition, there is approx $1000 in parts for which we don’t have documentation (such as the wood for the bed, which has been stored inside the house in controlled climate). I realize this doesn’t have much to do with the actual value just wanted to post the info. As I said, there are duplicates and I am sure that for the most part, Wayne bought better quality parts.
How does one go about trying to value such a project? The lady from the midwest and her husband have even asked us to help find someone to actually do the rebuild/restore as a turnkey project. Any help anyone can provide would be GREATLY appreciated. Pointers, links to other sites (per this sites rules of course), others to contact. Anything. Not asking for miracles here, just any information you care to pass along. And we realize that there is a lot of rebuilding required here vs. restoration and that affects the value.
As I said, the only way these forums work is people like you and I thank you in advance. I only wish that my health (and patience) would allow me to finish this project for him.
Tony
