Good morning everyone. Newbie here with a lot of questions.
A gentleman not far from my house has a 1962 GMC 4000 flat dump for sale. I've always wanted a medium duty, non CDL truck for use on improving our acrerage and to have something heavy to pull a farm tractor on a trailer or use with my portable sawmill.
Anyway, the truck had sat in a barn for several years and when the barn needed tearing down, the family decided to pull it by the road and stick a for sale sign on it. The owner has been kind enough to let me fiddle with it to see if there was any life in the 305 V6 engine. After patching rat chewed wires and adjusting points that were not breaking, me and the owner managed to get the truck to fire off and sort of run from an auxiliary gravity fed fuel supply and a constant dribble of gas from a water bottle of fuel. Obviously the Stromberg carb needs some attention but then again it might need more than a small gravity feed fuel supply to work properly. While we nursed it, he raised the bed so it was confirmed the hoist is working. What little the engine ran, it was smooth, had a neat symphony from the solid lifter valve train and there was no big cloud of smoke from the exhaust. With all of this said, here are the remaining issues:
-No brake pedal. Haven't checked the fluid but I imagine the MC, WC's and booster need going through.
No clutch pedal. Figure the MC and SC need going through anyway
-Some jerry rigged wiring under the hood.
-8.25 x 20 tires with what I believe are the infamous RH-5 wheels. Considering his asking price, this seems a deal breaker. I've researched changing the wheels (6 lug) to military surplus 9 x 20 3 piece wheels and running NDT military tires but I'm a little concerned about possiblity of front wheel turning clearance issues and maybe having to put spacers between the duals on the rear.
Not sure if pricing is supposed to be discussed on the forum but he is asking $2,200.00 for the truck and has come down to $2,000.00. Considering the issues and possibly additional expenditures to get it road worthy (to haul gravel), I just don't see it worth anything near that. It's posted on Facebook marketplace and thus far I'm the only person to have taken a serious interest in it. He has had a lot of messages about it but I'm the only one to have actually showed up to look it over.
Researching the GMC V6 engine, I've grown kinda attached to the truck but I also need to be pragmatic in that I want a practical working truck and not some money pit of a yard ornament. Any thoughts on parts availability, serviceability, wheel options, value, etc. Would be most appreciated.
A more detailed pic of the rear wheel would confirm it, but is seems that they are indeed the RH-5's. If there's about a 2" wide raised flat area in the barrel area of the wheel, that will confirm your suspicions. The multi-piece wheels for 20" tube type tires with a split ring forming one bead, or the 3-piece ones with a full circle bead ring and a lock ring are perfectly safe when they're serviced by a big truck tire shop with the right equipment. Another option would be to find 22.5" single piece wheels and tubeless tires. They will have approximately the same height as a 20" tube type tire. I'd figure on at least $1K for replacing the tires and wheels- - - -more if you have to buy new wheels. Brake work on these trucks can get spendy in a hurry, especially if you have to replace the hydrovac power booster. Some parts stores can send your brake shoes out for relining, or doing it yourself isn't terribly difficult if you can find the right width and thickness of lining material. NAPA stores can usually order wheel cylinders if they can match up casting numbers.
The GMC V6 is a rugged engine, but it loves gas. The 401 in my 1961 American LaFrance pumper truck just might get replaced with a 454 V8, but right now I'm hoping to be able to stay with the V6. Good luck! Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
Hello Bill, I would value that truck closer to $800-1000. Mostly because you know it runs and the hoist works. Prices vary greatly depending on what part of the country the truck is located.
Just my opinion. Hope that helps
John
~ J Lucas 2006 GMC Envoy 4.2 I6 2023 Ram 2500/Cumins 6.7 I6 2010 Jeep Grand Cherokee (Wife’s) 2002 Silverado 2500 Gas 6.0 1941 Chevy 1/2-Ton 1942 Chevy 1.5-Ton SWB In the Gallery My Flicker Photos!
You can tell just from the photos the truck has led a hard life. $1000 would be a reasonable price with what knowledge you have. At least another $1000 for salvage yard wheels/tires and close to that much more for new brake parts a bit less if rebuildable. The words “Money Pit” could very well apply.
Martin '62 Chevy C-10 Stepside Shortbed (Restomod in progress) '47 Chevy 3100 5 Window (long term project) ‘65 Chevy Biscayne (Emily) ‘39 Dodge Business Coupe (Clarence) “I fought the law and the law won" now I are a retired one! Support those brave men/women who stand the "Thin Blue Line"! Hug a cop! USAF 1965-1969 Weather Observation Tech (I got paid to look at the clouds)
I would agree with the guys here on the price, although it seems like in the last few years, prices have gone up a bunch! I paid 500 for my 55 and 900 for my 58. That was probably 5-7 years ago though. I drove the 58 on the trailer when I picked it up. I did find a set of 6 9r22.5 tires, on wheels to fit the 58 at a local wrecking yard for 900$. The tires were almost new and will probably rot before I wear the tread off them.
I'm surprised that no one has caught it yet, but the truck is not a '62. It's between '64 to '66 and if the Grille Letters are original, it's either a '64 or '65. If the hoist is working fine and if I really liked and wanted the truck, I would not be afraid to pay $1500 for it. Although I do realize that the Wheels and Brakes would be somewhat costly.
'60-'72 Chev/GMC Fan GMC 9500 Fan Detroit Diesel Fan
Bill Mc Cormick That GMC grill and frontal is hard to resist,don't see much rust showing,so if you consider stuff you maybe wont have to pay the way on 1500 might be close. First thing I would do is straighten that front bumper !! Dont want to come out mornings to that wound bumper !! Now that you've run it watch for gummy valves,also PCV valves are inside the intake into the valley,watch for rocks wanting to fall into spark plug holes.
There's not a lot of demand for old farm trucks...I saw one while previewing an upcoming auction...I told the auctioneer "if it doesn't sell tomorrow I'll give you 25$ for it"...he called me the day after and said I won...I've also hauled 2 or 3 home like that for free just to get them off the property.
The junk man will probable give them $400 and haul it way for scrap, so anything higher than that is money in their pocket. Start low, you can always go up!
Mike B
Mike Boteler
1956 Chevy 3100 Resto Rod 1952 Willys M38 Army Jeep 1983 Jeep CJ7 Laredo 1984 Jeep CJ7 +++++ Silver Spring, MD
I saw in another post someone was surprised that a 1962 GMC 4000 flat dump was sold for $2,500, the thread consensus was from $800 to $1500. Well here is a list of about 900 trucks of various makes and models that should give a pretty good picture of the current old truck market.
~ Peggy M 1949 Chevrolet 3804 "Charlie" - The Stovebolt Flagship In the Gallery "We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give." -- Winston Churchill
