The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts A question on value

Hi everyone,

I was wondering if any Big Bolter's have ideas on what our trucks are worth?

I have a 1956 6400 2 1/2 ton, US Army issue. It's a project truck, for sure, but solid.

I might have to let her go to keep my daily running.

Thank you for reading this.

RobertM

Hard to tell w/o some details and photos. Asking for a value is ok, offering for sale will need to move to the Swap Meet Forum. Good luck.

Well I can offer our 1956 6400 that we purchased 4 weeks ago. He was asking $3,000, and paid $2,800. It is also a very solid truck, with only some rust. (Right lower door hinge, pin holes in cab corners, etc. ) Not bad for a mid-west truck. It has a dump assembly. 261cid, 4 speed, two speed rear end. It runs great, breaks, two speed, all work. I think we got a good deal, and there was a lot of callers, many who just wanted the cab. We were the first responder to the add, so he waited for us to get there before letting anyone else buy it.

Once you get above a 1-ton truck, the price a purchaser is willing to give for even a well-preserved rig tends to drop dramatically. The cost of tires, and repair parts for brakes, steering, suspension, and other heavy duty components has a definite effect on what people are willing to offer. That's particularly true if the truck was originally equipped with Firestone RH-5 "widowmaker" wheels. Just switching to safer wheels and modern tires to fit them will cost what the average purchaser might be willing to pay for a project truck.
Jerry

To go along with what Hot Rod Lincoln stated in his post, we are in the process of sourcing tires now. The 56 has tubeless rims, so that is a real plus, but 9r22.5 tires are still not plentiful. We have sourced a set at a local salvage yard, but they are still going to be $400, plus having them mounted on the correct rims. In fact, we were there a few hours ago, and it is clear that I will be needing my torch to get the lugs off. That said, I think it is worth it as the 6400's are pretty cool.

Steve

If you're planning to use the truck for anything other than yard art, I'd suggest doing some serious rethinking about running salvage yard tires. Your own safety, and that of the drivers who share the road with you is a pretty risky bet on tires of unknown age and condition. Have you ever tried to keep a heavy vehicle under control after a front tire blowout?
Jerry

To expand on what others have said; I paid $2200 for my rust free 67 c50 with 66xxx miles on it and over $4000 for 22.5" and 9r22.5 tires.

I’m not the only one huh. Truck was free (grandpas). Tires were 2200

I paid 900$ for my 1958 6400 with steel dump bed and 500$ for my 55.2 6400. Both ran, neither one had brakes, seats shot in both, 55 was almost rust free. I have not really done anything with the 55 (shame as it is starting to show rust) but the 58 I drive all the time. I think I have probably a total of about 4K in it with tires, overdrive, and rebuilding the seat.

Yep same boat here. Free truck, $2k in brakes andcwheel bearings. Still needs wheels, tires, and new rear springs...

It's a 2-ton, the 2-1/2 ton's are the 8000 and 10000 Series.

Mike B

This thread leads nowhere but to despair, wailing and gnashing of teeth, sadly enough. From my own personal experience (I did a frame off resto of a '49 1.5-ton which, a few years later, I had to sell. At a *considerable* loss), I learned this -- What you invest in your Big Bolt (maint, restoration, purchase, etc) is one figure. What it is "worth" (what you might expect to get back out of it from a sale) is an entirely different, and vastly lower, figure.

Any "Value Math" that works for pickups (especially 1/2-tons) goes right out the window when it comes to Big Bolts. So anything you hear about guys who snag a nice 1/2-ton for a couple of hundred bucks and flip it after a resto for 10 or 15 times what they paid for it -- does not have any meaning for you. You can pay 2 to 3 thousand all day long for a decent, solid running 2-ton Big Bolt. Pour tens of thousands into a resto and still be lucky to get even 10 for it from a resale.

If you're looking at a big bolt as an investment opportunity, stop now and go find a pick up. If you are looking to restore a piece of family history, then proceed with all the blessings we can heap on you and help we can offer. Just don't ask any more questions about its market value ...

For what its worth , I have a 62 one ton panel which only has a few things going against it . It weighs 3 tons which does not a hot rod make ,
it's 20 ft long and won't fit in the average garage and it's a panel truck , not a pick up .
I have probably twice as much invested in it than I could hope to sell it for , BUT the pleasure I get from driving it around and the people I meet far out weighs
any money spent .
I look at it like the early Harley lubricating systems , a total loss system , put some money in and watch go out the back
and enjoy for what it is .
If I divide my loses over the years I've owned it , It's cheaper than golfing .

John

Virtually any hobby is cheaper than playing Pasture Pool- - - - -especially if you factor in the cost of the divorce! Don't believe me? Ask Tiger Woods- - - - -and he got paid to make a living doing it!
Jerry

I paid $800 for my 1955 first series 6400, I wouldn't have gone over $1000. I've already put almost $2000 into rebuilding the engine and transmission, hydrovac and other miss. Parts. Probably another $1500-$2000 for brakes and tires. Then there's upholstery, paint, new bed wood, new stake rack wood etc.I expect to be into it around $5500-6000 when I'm done. Fully restored it might sell in the low $10,000's

I paid $800 for my 1955 chevy 6400 first series and knowing what I do now I wouldn't pay much more than that. I have $1600 in machine shop charges and parts just to rebuild the engine and transmission. Another $1500 in miss. parts. New slave cylinders, brake lines, axle vacume switch etc. I'm still looking at $1500 + for brakes and tires. Then there's paint, rust preventer for the frame, new bed wood, new wood for the bed stake racks. The list goes on and on. So depending on how far you want to take it restoring these old trucks can be a spendy proposition.

20Mercman
That's a good lookin' truck. You picked up there.

As I expected, plenty of good people with honest answers.

Thank you all for taking the time to respond. I already kind of knew the answer. She's been in the family since her discharge, I guess she's
stuck with us. I do realize the cost to get up and hauling again. In the last year, I think I've received all the catalogs available.

Thanks again,

RobertM

PS Mike, I'm sorry for the 2.5T. You were the one that pointed out that the Army tag was wrong, several months ago.
Thanks

I have only tecently joind the forum here, but I have been doing some type of restoration hobbies for years. My son and I restore old outboard motors. (I have about 90 of them,) the question of value is something that comes up often. If selling, you want to get a fair price, and understand how not to get too much under water. The point is to me that any hobby has costs. Nobody asks how much money you make bird watching. I love taking a pile of parts scrounged from scrap piles, swap meets and the web, and then taking that restored motor out and catch a fish.

Steve

Priceless

Yep same boat here. Free truck, $2k in brakes andcwheel bearings. Still needs wheels, tires, and new rear springs...[/quote]

Well i guess da old saying is true, "Nuttin in life is free". And as we all know, "its only worth what someone is willing to pay ". I figure life is short, and if you want it, buy it. Or someone else will. Then everytime you see it or a comparable, you'll kick yourself where the sun dont shine. And to boot, whoever your with when you see it, will have to listen to you complaining about how you should of, could of, and would of bought it, story. Lol.