The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Tons 'o Fun Looking for advice

Hello;
I am thinking of selling my 52 GMC 9430. It’s a tough decision to make, but due to needing a shoulder replaced I don’t see my dream of restoring this truck myself working out. It would also be to cost prohibitive to pay to have it finished.
The truck is a basket case of sorts at the moment. With many items reconditioned and mainly body work to start. It will need all new brake lines, fuel lines and electrical re-done.
The question I have is, is there a market out there for this? I really don’t want to sell it as parts. I would rather sell as 1 package.
I’m not 100% decided on this but at the moment until my shoulder is done I cant physically work on it...and really wonder what my capabilities would be after the surgery.

just my $0.02, but there is always a market for these trucks. My guess is you will get some low ball offers, that you will have to decide if you accept or not. It is unlikely that you will find someone with the same vision you did for the truck, so they may go back and change some of the work you did, driving the price down. Personally I am always skeptical of something that does not run, and a basket case will leave potential buyers wondering what is missing.

Explore your options, maybe do some of the "lighter" work yourself, pay for the more labor intensive work. See if you can get some help, kids, grandkids, ask around to see if there is a local teenager who has some ability, but just needs guidance. If you have a local Vo-tech school, ask the teachers there, they generally have a good idea of who has talent and ability. It may be an opportunity to share your knowledge and help someone continue in their learning.

Good luck with your decision
Jon

Hy 52_Ton, sorry to read about your shoulder. If storing your truck is not a problem, I would not do anything with it at this time. You are going through a lot at the moment and selling your project doesn't sound like a priority. My advice is concentrate on your health and decide on what to do about your truck at a much later date. Good luck with your shoulder surgery!

Ive been dealing with the shoulder for a few years now. I am holding off surgery due to the idea of it only lasting 15 years. I’m 58 and thought if I could make it until I was 60 would give me a good shoulder until 75ish....Getting old sucks! To many years of hard labour as an electrician. With this Covid crap going on I’m not sure when I’d even get scheduled right now.

This is not a decision I’m jumping into any time soon. I was planning on doing a full restoration on the body but may keep as original patina....to be honest not real keen on that. I have a lot ready to go, drivetrain has all been torn down and re-worked. Frame has been sandblasted, epoxy primed, and painted with black urethane. Many other parts have been blasted and painted as well. I have enjoyed the many hours getting to this point over the last 9 years. This was never a project I could rush through. The body work is the next step which I am hesitant to start. Unfortunately I really don’t know anyone that would want to work on this with me.

We’ll see, I may just drop some Alleve and push through the pain.

Thanks for your reply’s!!

We just watched an original Chevrolet 3800 sell for $12,371.00 on Ebay. That just tells me these one tons are either gaining in popularity or becoming increasingly harder to find that aren't beat to heck and basically not worth restoring. The GMC one tons are even harder to find in my experience anyway. I would suggest that if you have a safe place to store it out of the weather and it isn't costing you anything sitting there to wait until you are healed up.

As far as selling a basket case or even a truck that has been taken apart, it can be very intimidating for the potential buyer unless he has taken one of these trucks apart and put it back together again. What this also means is that it would be very hard to get what money you have in it out in this condition. When I bought my '59 in was mostly dismantled but what was there was in great shape. I remember telling the seller that the boxes of parts and pieces made me nervous. He said, "its just nuts and bolts". In the end, he was right more or less. I did get it back together. For the truck and all the other parts that came with it, I feel confident that I paid way less for it than if it had been all together.
I hope you can figure out a way to keep your project. I also wish you luck with your shoulder. At 60 I can relate to your issues although mine are knee related with replacements in the future. I also hope that one day you will be able to cruise in your truck.
Good luck!

I know that you are discouraged right now, but I think that it is more the pain/discomfort from your shoulder talking, if anything. My advice is to keep the truck(that's a neat truck, and these 1-tons aren't exactly plentiful) and focus on your health for now. After you have the operation, and have recovered, THEN decide whether you want to sell.

Don't be quick to make a decision(or mistake) now that you will regret for many years to come. Besides, the truck can actually help in your recovery by being your motivation, and working on it/getting it finished will give you something good to look forward to. Look at how much you have accomplished so far; follow it through to completion. I wish you good luck and good health.

Thanks for all your words of encouragement gentlemen. I think I’ll push on with the body work and see how it goes for now. There will be more pain meds in my future....

52 Ton -- Keep after it, Brother! Maybe it will help if you don't look at it as a whole truck that is now in pieces but rather as a series of little, manageable projects that you can knock out as you have time and inclination. Enjoy the tasks and each little victory.

You have friends and brothers/sisters here. A lot of us have been where you are (medically and projectwise). We're here to help or commiserate ... whatever you need.

John

Thanks John;
I have been doing bit by bit as small jobs over the past 9 years. It was never a project I wanted to rush through. As many have said, If you feel compelled to work on it rather than want to work on it, then it will become a burden.
I have decided to keep on it and keep forging on, mainly due to all the words of encouragement here. I would regret getting rid of it in the future. I think if I can get through the body work it will be down hill from there.

Thanks again Gentlemen.

My buddy has had both shoulders replaced. I think he is approaching 65 years of age. He still works on his 41 Chevy coupe and is always doing some home renovation or landscaping. Now I understand that they don't all turn out that way but his is a success story.

Thanks, good to hear a success story. Ive heard some not so good stories resulting in a less than favourable result. I think a lot of it has to do with how serious you take your rehab work. My surgeon recommended pushing it off as long as I can handle it.