The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk What should I bid?

Estate auction this week end. Among several antique vehicles is a 40-41 or 46 chevy pickup. It would be a project truck. Looks to be all original, everything there except the radiator. Doors open and close, windows roll up and down. Very little rust, mostly the floorboard. . Grille needs re-chrome. I am sure it has not run in a while. Has a red 6 cyl. motor.
Sheet metal looks solid and straight. Original wheels, no front bumper. It has the hoods that open on each side, they work and latch. Still has the original horn, mounted on the engine. I cannot see under it, sitting in tall grass. It is still something that would have to be completely restored. What is a ballpark figure of its value? Thanks.
Wayne.

If it was just what I wanted I might give up to $3000+. However I would also try to buy it cheap. But those old trucks can't be found everywhere and you have to grab em' when you can.

Wayne,

Come back and let us know what you were able to do.

OK. The auction is Friday. I have two projects to work on now. But I would like to save it.

Always, when biding at an auction and having others biding against me, I respond with a higher bid very quickly which will suggest to other bidders you mean business and are willing to possibly continue to bid to an amount higher than they are willing to bid. Have the maximum amount you are willing bid fixed in your head before the biding starts and don't exceed that amount.
Hope this helps...

Thanks. I just now went and looked it over better. The radiator, front bumper and fan is laying in the bed.
There is really less rust than I thought. The floorboard is actually just missing, and a piece of plywood was cut to fit in it.
Both headlights look good, just loose from the fender and move around.
The only thing I think is missing now is the upper water neck on the engine. I am not familiar with this model.
It is a 1946.

if you just "want to save it", meaning it has no real value to you, go to the auction and see if anyone else bids, counter the bids until you've offered as much as you have in your wallet, if that doesn't get it then be happy - the truck obviously has been saved and you don't need to spend a bunch more restoring it

Bill

Bill, you are right on all points. I will be 70 soon, and I want to finish the LCF and the 430 John Deere.
I sure will never last to restore this one.
It's a disease, you want them all.

Old Gold, buy it and save it for retirement

.....if the price is right buy it and then resell it to some younger guy who is dying to get his hands greasy. That way you have more money for the other projects.

Yeah, I was thinking along those lines. That is why I asked for an estimated value as is. Maybe make a little, while giving it a good home, lol.
What is amazing is it has never been chopped up, everything looks 100% original.
Wonder if a 46 had a red engine? I am not allowed much inspection, such as getting serial numbers or engine numbers.
It still has the gas tank under the seat. Nothing seems missing on the engine except the water neck and carb breather.

I believe all the 40's truck engines were the unidentified shade of gray

Bill

Well, I will say it for the 102nd time, Title: Yes. No title: No
Now, if it has a title, go into the auction, as said, with a "flip" price in mind, not a rebuild yourself price. The condition and rust, of course, is everything. The original seat and dash stuff is good also. Engine no big deal no matter what it is. It's just about the easiest thing to find and drop in. Not speaking of rebuilding one. Can't give estimates without at least seeing a pic. or two. If you can get it cheap, do it. You know what cheap is in your world.
Added value IMO: Title, SHORT BED, original wheels, column, dash, seat, bumpers, visor, emblems, grille, dealer add-ons, original license plate, good floors, no big dents or deep crease dents, glass, drivetrain, documentation of any kind, ID plates, Hand lettered signs/logos, tail gate, spare, hub caps, mirrors, general eye appeal..
With EBAY completed sales, Craigslist ads and other online resources, market research is pretty easy now-a-days, which, of course, is what you must do now if you are serious.

I am a young whipper-snapper at 56 years of age, and I can't help but want to buy everything that I see.
I find no comfort from your inability to leave well enough alone, given that you have more than enough irons in the fire. What troubles me, given that you are 70 years old, is that it appears that I don't have much hope of out-growing this 'phase' I find myself in.
I have no opinion to offer you. I am not qualified to give you or anyone else any rational advice.
You will likely do as I often do, and buy it and not even worry about any consequences even after you get it home.
Carl

I am 70 years old and have been operating semis for 50 years. Most of the equipment I own I bought at auction. When I go to an auction, I decide what I am going to bid and quit bidding when I reach that point. However, if I miss a buy, there will always be another one. I buy all the 2003 Internationals with ISM engines because that was the last year of non EGR. However, buying toys is a different story. I own over a dozen GMCs of the 50's and a few of the 40's. Just about all of them run, but a lot of them don't stop. If I see something I want to add to my collection, I buy it because I may never have another opportunity. Unless there is a crazy person at the sale, it could very easily go for under 3K, Probably the most important question is "How much can you afford to put into another play toy without wrecking the budget?" I was on the loan committee of a bank for many years. My advice always was, "Don't let hobbies take the bread of your table."

Bill: Guess it's the wrong engine, maybe a 235? It does look to have all the period stuff on it. Even the coil is funny looking, has a white thing sticking out where the coil wire goes. (coil wire is pulled loose).

Bartamos: In Alabama, you don't need a title for one that old. They just started titles in the 70's. All you need is a bill of sale, then take it to the tag office. Even new cars from the dealer just had a bill of sale.
It is a short bed, with the spare on the side. Steering column, dash, tail gate, all like it should be. Probably no documentation.

Carl: You may as well forget it. You never grow out of it. I know of several old farts that have dozens of projects in their barn. They will not even talk about selling. (I'm gonna fix that up someday)

Crenwelge: I'm gonna take everyone's advice. Set my price and stick with it. Probably 3 grand, but there is a 10% buyers fee.
One good thing, it is only about 3 blocks from where I live in town.

Sounds good, I'll see you there. I'm looking for an old truck.

You live in town with all those tractors? lol

maybe that "white thing" sticking out of the coil top is the earlier 'electro-lock'? might be a farmer fix

Bill

Jim. Yeah, I live and work part time here in town. I work for city hall and the police dept. My old homeplace is 15 miles out in the country. That is where my shop and tractors are. I only get out there on week ends to work on my stuff, and keep the farm up. The old house burned down years ago, but still has a good shop. About a 40x40.

Bill. I don't know, it looks like some kind of ceramic in the tower of the coil. The coil wire is un-hooked and just hanging there in front of the coil. Looks like it sticks out of the coil maybe 1/8 inch. I don't know what an "electro-lock" is.

This could be what Bill refers to? The first anti theft device? https://www.stovebolt.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=89824
None of the links in that thread are any good but you can PM those guys.

Was also thinking ballast resistor? broken off?

can't really tell from that pic, but I believe the electrolock [armored cable from ign sw to coil terminal] was used up to '46, a ballast resistor would be mounted to the side of the coil, never seen one that was on the top .... might be an original coil, which did have a ceramic insulator around the secondary terminal read here, can't find a picture

Bill

Yeah, I could not get a very good picture. But in the photo, the part that sticks forward from the bracket is all white ceramic looking material, with a hole in it to connect the coil wire. That was a typo, when I said 1/8 inch, it's the whole top of the coil. There does not seem to be anything attached to the side of the coil.

For new readers, the photo being mentioned is on page 2 in my photobucket, last 7 pictures.

likely an original coil that likely doesn't work

Bill

That looks like a great truck for a project, as much as can be seen in these pics. I have found the best way for a quick gauge of the condition on an old truck is to check the bed rails. The wear and tear on an old farm truck will show up on those bed rails. Most will have a bunch of dents running across the top edges. Any truck with smooth bed rails could mean a well cared for truck, at least before they parked it in the back 40.

The engine would be gray color for a '46. The grill re chrome even if straight will cost serious coin, rear fenders-- especially right rear are hard to find in good and useable shape. Most of the rest of the parts are available, but may take time and lots of coin.

The bids went up to $3000. I did not go anymore. I think they "no saled" it.

Wow
That seems high to me, but then again, I'm pretty cheap.
I'll be going to this auction next weekend.
And will do an update when I get home.

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