The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts The Stovebolt Volunteer Fire Department Opinions Wanted: '77 Chevy C6000 brush truck - What is it worth?

A few years ago I purchased a 38k mile 1977 Chevrolet C6000 dually brush truck with the sole intention of cleaning it up, lining the bed with roasted oak paneling and submitting it for a no reserve auction on the popular website https://bringatrailer.com/ in their category that's dedicated to service vehicles. After a series of unfortunate events, however, the original owner stole the truck away from me and now I'm forced to pursue legal action. I contacted BaT but they are unable to provide a written estimate so I thought I'd try this forum. Here is a brief history of the truck:

Serving Willcox, Arizona and surrounding counties, this Chevy C6000 brush truck was maintained by the same Willcox mechanic for much of its tenure. According to the previous owner the truck spent more time being serviced than it did in the field. It was involved in several prominent firefights, however, the most notable of which being the 2013 Yarnell Hill Fire near Prescott, Arizona. At the time it was the most publicized event in wildland firefighting history and marked the worst wildland fire disaster in almost 100 years. The fire was ignited by dry lightning and two days later it overran and killed 19 members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots. There are decals on the truck paying homage to this event, the firefighters union and a special decal commemorating one of the fallen.

Overall the truck was in very good condition with a few minor scrapes and dings. One of the photos shows the door panel with peeling paint- that was stripped and restored to it's original surface. The upholstery on the bench seat was in a torn state of disrepair and had a cover in good condition but I had planned on replacing it nonetheless. I had also purchased a roll of black corrugated rubber matting to line the floorboards. The truck had a new stereo system, new AC, new brakes and a heavy duty auxiliary battery with power inverter. It also had a complete servicing by the Willcox mechanic before it was sold to me. As far as I know there were no outstanding mechanical issues with the vehicle. The intercom, siren and lights were all in working condition and there were ample, lockable storage bays on both sides of the truck. The winch was missing its remote, however, and was inoperable since the manufacturer went out of business and there was no replacement part available.

I had planned to speak with the Captain of the Willcox Fire Dept for more information and to obtain historical photos of the truck in action. I had also planned to speak with the mechanic to gather more details about the engine/drivetrain specifics. After it was retired from active duty the truck was entered into three local parades, winning first place twice and second place, respectively. It would have come with two sets of keys, one set with its original Pizza Hut keychain from 1977 (imo, that alone could have raised the bid considerably!).

Thanks for looking and please provide a low end and a high end for the truck's estimated value along with any applicable commentary as this will assist me moving forward.

Give this a read. It's a Tech Tip entitled, "What's my truck worth?"

Tra - 1st off, Welcome to Stovebolt. Since your post deals with a "Fire Truck", I think it best fits into the Stovebolt Volunteer Fire Department as the most on-topic forum to discuss the truck and things related to it, so it's been moved there for further conversation and feedback.

I 2nd Fibonachu's recommendation to give a read to the Tech Tip in the link he posted. Other Bolters may chime in with some thoughts and suggestions on your value question, but in the end the guidance provided in that Tech Tip and in the final sentence "Remember Barry's bottom line: "Your truck is only worth what a buyer is willing to pay for it." :D" puts the final decision on what you value the truck in your hands. Best of luck with your pursuit of legal action.

Last thought...

As this may involve legal action, it might be best to use a professional appraiser. We can give you a lot of *opinions* and best-guess *estimates* that may or may not be accurate. But in the end, it's still just a SWAG.

If an accurate valuation is important, seek a professional for that. Also, there are better resources out there (Law Enforcement, Small Claims Court, etc) to help you with this. We're just an info-sharing web site ... we are not resourced to help with issues like these

We wish you the best of luck with your issue, but there is nothing we can truly help you with.

V/R
John