The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk AD truck pricing

Is this truck priced correctly?

Are AD trucks currently worth this much?
My gut says no!

Lots of verbage in the advertising... sounds scammy!

Check it out!

Greg

Nice looking truck... I guess if someone wants it bad enough, they will pay the asking price...

Not even close to that.

You can find a driveable AD for less than $5,000. Put another $5,000 into it and have a truck pretty close to that one and still be able to drive it.

That truck will need to stay in a climate controlled garage the rest of it's life and only be driven on and off the trailer. For that kind of money, you'd be dumb to do anything else to it. Actually, you'd be kinda dumb to pay that kind of money for that truck to begin with.

My opinion -- take it for what it's worth. I'd consider paying that kind of money for a '29 or '30 Chevy Roadster pickup restored original like that, but not much else.

John

I am currently thinking of selling my truck.

Last year prices were in the 25K range for a nice rig.

I am just surprised to see a big jump in value.

Must be a Barratt- Jackson thing.

A full frame off 100 point concors show truck can bring close to $30,000.. but thats a dead mint, good as it was out of the factory and 100% original down to the valve stem caps on the tires.. cars like that don't see so much as a cloudy day once they're done.

I've seen really nice, clean AD trucks sell on eBay in the $18K range.. i'd say the truck you linked to is overpriced by about $10 to $12 grand.

Solid clean drivers sell on eBay pretty regularly for around $5,000.. these are usually functional, drivable trucks with decent paint (usually repainted) with little to no significant rust (may have filler or repaired/replaced fenders, doors, etc) and are often referred to as "old restoration".

A rough, but largely solid, mostly complete truck that dosent run can fetch $1500 to $2500

as some things get older they go up in price...

money wont buy me

I agree Fumblin46..10k-12k too much.

Joker is pricless

that guys dreamin - he expects to get back what he spent, and that'll never happen - I'd like to see those AD's that have sold for over about 15thou - asking prices might be 25, but I bet there aren't many/any that ultimately sell for that

Bill

Niagara,

A guy I work with recently sold a completely restored AD truck on E-Bay for $21K. The truck was spotless and only had 400 miles on it since the restoration.

He laughingly tells me that those 400 miles only cost him $3,000.

$21K is bad enough, but $29K for an AD... Not in my mind.

You have to look at who is selling it. Fraser Dante is notorious for selling really nice vintage vehicles at insane prices.

Good comments fellas!

It makes me wonder sometimes if vintage car & truck apprasials are inflated.

How does an appraiser set the value?..search the web, auto trader magazines, stick his thumb in the air?

One day he is appraising a Packard, Camaro, Mustang and now a stovebolt? Is he that well informed to know original verses, reproduction parts?

I wish we had a way of being judged by our peers for insurance or selling purposes.

Dealers like Fraser Dante inflate the costs of this hobby.

He probably doesn't really want to sell it unless the price is right. It looks like his price is $29K,
Scott

heck i wouldn't even pay that much for a brand spankin new chevy but then again i spose i'd never pay anything more the 2 grand for a vehicle ( most i've paid is 1,400 and that was spendy) ha looks like an AD chevy is not in my future
Nate

Barrett-Jackson have a magazine on the news stands and if you read it word for word it seems the subliminal message is to get the best price you can, in their words "world record prices"! Of course these prices are inflated, the vehicles being bought by bored "big cubic wallet" guys with trophy wives trying to outbid their buddies merely for bragging rights. That is why these prices are going crazy.
On this particular truck I didn't see a heater but saw two hoses coming from the water pump and then disappearing. Did I miss something?

Personally, too glitzy and flashy, not a real 1950's truck. I plan on restoring my '50 as a real, "working" truck, no flash or fluff!! Complete with heavy iron bumper in the back.

OldBlu

There is one or two pictures in there that show the heater hoses looped back to the water pump, and as you said, no heater.

Nope you didn't miss anything.

Now here's a question for the purists...

There appears to be several strands of a more modern blue wire around the horn and the steering column. Is this stock/non-stock? Would this not diminish the value of this $30K "Show" truck? How much would it take off in a "judged" show?

I'm seriously asking, I've never competitively showed a vehicle, nor do I have any plans to. However, I was just curious to know how those things worked???

hey Jed - that truck would lose lotsa points for little things - add on, non-cloth wrapped wires? few points off 100 - painted driveshaft and spring paks? I don't think so

find the judging guides here - all the spendy rigs that dazzle the rich guys are way overrestored

Bill

Jed,

Your comments are bang on!

This truck would not and should not command $30k, unless it passed the inspection of the Vintage Chevrolet Club of America (VCCA) and received certification.

I went to the VCCA site and found their 2005 Judging Manual

It is a very detailed manual and way too much to read in one sitting, but, it gives some understanding on how judging is done and how points are awarded or deducted at competitions.

The truck is very pretty and clean. However, it isn't correctly restored from a purists standpoint.

Greg

red58 beat me with his post

I type too slow.

Overrestored!! that's the best way to describe this truck! Amen.

I see a lot of Fraser Dante for sale ads in various publications. He always has an outrageous asking price, but I wonder how
often he actually gets it?
I agree, a lot of vehicles are way over-restored and it is a false statement to say restored to "showroom condition" when infact the quality control was quite low when AD trucks were built. He is obviously trying to cater to wealthy collectors who might not care about overpaying for something they really want.
If he can sell them for that much, then more power to him!

Geez, you guys want to get nitpicky!!
Here's what I can see if you looking for accuracy.Tailgate letters should not be painted white. Interior color is wrong. Looks correct for the steering wheel and column though. Black headliner, should be brown. Steering gear box and shifter box should be unpainted. Center ribs of glovebox door should be painted interior color. In some photos there's a Carter YF carb, in others a Rochester. Should be a Carter W-1. Engine is too light a gray and draft tube should be black. The bed looks to be varnished. The wiring harness sticks out like a sore thumb.
Painted torque tube is correct though.
All in all it is a pretty truck, but like others have said, realistically, it should be in the 16-18 thousand range.

Bob

It's a nice restoration but 29K I'm not sure. Did anyone else notice in the pictures that they changed the carb from a Carter YF to a Roachester B. What's with that?

Here's the thing in sales.. if you sit on something long enough, somebody will pay your asking price.. may not be this week, or even this decade.. but sooner or later, somebody will come along and pay your price.

Big outfits who put high prices on these trucks are trying to get the buyer into a mindset.. and to be quite honest, their target buyer isn't you or I.. it's the guy with $100,000+ in his 'play money' fund.

They don't really want $29,000 for that truck.. but that's their opening offer price. If somebody comes along and snags it at that price, great. If not, they'll sell it to a guy who offers $21,000.. he'll walk away thinking he got a deal and a half thinking he got the seller to drop their pants 8 large.. but in reality, he still paid $3,000+ more than it was worth.

Setting your opening price high on an item like that automatically eliminates the people who wouldn't buy it anyway.. and saves them from having to bother with unqualified or not likely to buy tire kickers.

My guess is the target buyer for a truck like this at that price is the guy with some disposable income, who really dosen't know what he's looking at.. but sees what they bring at Barret Jackson.

They think it's a neat looking truck, and justify the expence as an 'investment'.. with purchase and apprasal value being set high, they have themselves a tax write off when they sell it and loose money.. plus they have a neat old truck in the garage to show their friends.

Man...if you thought his truck pricing is out of line...look what he charges for carbs :rolleyes:

Just scroll down a bit....this guy is scammy!

Greg

hey, but he only wants 23,000 for the old Ford truck, so he ain't totally crazy!

Bill

Well they say the value is what one seller and one buyer agree on. I think it is high. If I was looking for something like that I would holding 20k. I think some sellers are either looking at B-J auction$ and think they want the $ame without the auction flurry or they are figureing in all the time, part$ and fini$h they put into it. I would rather buy a nice original bolt for 2 to 5k and drive home.

BinAK

O.K. all you knowledgeable Stovebolt buffs. I would like your feedback on what I just paid for a 1955 3200 Apache. It is all original, older restore, everything works, could use a paint job and two small rust spots bottom rear of cab, bed wood painted black???, run strong. I paid $11500. My guess is a bit high but I wanted it and it fit what I was looking for. Opinions please...

Layoub,

I think your next to last statement "My guess is a bit high, but I wanted it, and it fit what I was looking for" would be your answer.

Other's may or may not have been willing to pay that much. But it fit what you were looking for, and was in a price range that you were willing to spend.

Some parts of the country have a clear advantage of having these things more at their disposal, dry climates, alot of farmers that have put them to pasture, etc.

Fumblin 46 for example comes across non-rusted trucks quite frequently, and would likely tell you of a significantly different value in our areas.

Other areas of the country you're gonna pay a premium, cause they've all been crushed or have rusted away.

My guess is that being down on the coast, you're not near as likely to find something in the same shape as what we would here in the "dry" midwest.

Bottom line is if you're happy and enjoying it, it don't matter what any of the rest of us would say.

The truck that originally started this post, was in my opinion a horse of a different color. Here's a guy that supposedly is a classic car dealer, and should know the true value. He's advertising an item that is over-priced and of an overstated "restored" condition.

If I were gonna spend $30K on an AD truck, it had better come with some of the "Bling" that's awarded by the AACA, the VCCA, and other "Show-car" organizations.

yeah layoub, a bit high but not unreasonable if ya like it [the black bedwood is as original] - there's all shades of opinion here, but we're pretty much in agreement that ya shouldn't pass up an old truck that appeals to ya if you can come up with the money - now ya gotta get some pics to the editor for the gallery so we can all pick it apart or be amazed ... or both

Bill

Seen some pics of the 55 in question here and not too bad. Am sure layoub will be posting more.

But like they say with a lot of antiques, you don't pay too much, you just bought it a little early. When I started messing with AD's about 25 years ago, a truck like that would have brought maybe 5-6 thousand. I paid $1800 for my '51 in '86. 77,000 mile, 2 owner, rust free, all original except for 1 repaint, never was out of southern AZ. At the time I thought it was a lot, but a truck in that condition today would probably bring around 7-8 thousand around here. Fraser Dante was asking about 16-18,000 for trucks like the one in this post about 10 years ago. So who knows where they'll be in 20 years. Maybe we'll all be on bikes by then.

Bob

I don't see as many mid to late 50's trucks as I do earlier 50's trucks.. not sure if thats because the later trucks were used well into the 80's and they're just worn out and been junked or what.

Value of a truck, as it's been stated earlier in this thread, really is dependant on demand. Trucks I can buy all day long for under $1000 sell for $2500+ in the 'rust belt'.

eBay has become something of a great equalizer in the price department.. just about any 3/4 ton or 1/2 ton truck can be transported just about anywhere in the U.S. for $1,000 to $1200 (and alot of times, alot less!) so what you see vehicles sell for on eBay really is an average of national prices. A local sale to a local buyer could be higher or lower than the eBay average.. just depends on how common that thing is in the area, and what the local demand is like.

With that said.. i'd expect a truck like you described to sell for about half of what you paid on eBay.. but again, I don't see them come up nearly as often as other year ranges.. so there is something to be said for the 'instant gratification' of a local purchase.

Finally.. if you really dig it, and have the cash they're asking.. bag it. Taking a bath on something if you have to sell it sucks.. but it dosen't suck nearly as bad as living with regret.

The other thing i've learned over the years is to do your pricing research BEFORE you pull the trigger on a deal. IMO you outta know what something is worth BEFORE you buy or strike a deal.. if you don't.. well.. asking afterwards will only tell you that you paid too much.

Just like the old saying, "If you have to ask if you got screwed, you probably did."

In my life I must have seen 10,000 deals that I thought were an absolute steal, or at the least, reasonably priced, as I was standing in front of them.. but wasn't really 100% sure.. so i'd go home and do some research, and found out that the price was actually quite high.

On the same token, i've walked away from deals that I thought were priced too high, went home and did some research, and found out they were a steal! (and usually gone when I came back with cash!)

So the readers digest condensed version of all this rambling is simply, if it speaks to you and you dig it, and plan to use it for your own personal enjoyment, pay as much as you can afford to. and enjoy it.. you got a fair deal if you're happy with the price.

If you're buying something that you're not 100% in love with, or can see yourself selling in the future.. do your homework before you pull out your wallet.

Hey for rambling it sounded pretty right on to me. Usually if I see somthing that I gotta have I have a top price in my head, Fortunatley I have an eye for old crap in a field so I get off Cheap.........

People who buy trucks like that one at FD
use summer and winter as a verb.
That would not be me!!!

I was acually offered a good size over that amount and, like a fool, turned it down. A truck or any other sale item is worth what people will pay you for it. To me it might be worth 20K, someone else 30K, and to others 10K. Also, different parts of the country get different values. Like everything else, the seller puts what he would like to get for it and waits. If no one bites, he lowers the price and trys again and so on and so on. I and all of you should hope he gets that much. It helps drive the price up for the rest of us. Thats my 2 cents. Like I told you, I'm a fool so don't put to much into it. Cecil..........

Well thats something of a double edged sword..

You're absolutely correct that if people start buying trucks like that, for that kind of money, it could influence the market price for other trucks.. that's great news for folks wanting to sell.

Not so great news for the 19 year old kid who wants to get into old trucks, but simply can't afford to do it because the 'cubic inch wallets' priced them out of his budget.

Much like baseball cards.. when I was a kid, you could pick up a pack of baseball cards for about a quarter AND they came with a stick of gum! In fact, the baseball cards were on the same rack as the candy bars and gum.

When the big money moved into the market, the price went up.. baseball cards now get put behind the counter, or in a glass case.. and I don't think you can buy a pack of cards nowadays for less than $3.. I haven't bought a pack in years.. but it may even be higher than that now. (and NO GUM!)

So people getting $29K for a $8K truck is great for the people selling those trucks, but it's bad news for folks on a budget who just want an old truck to tool around town with, or take out on a weekend to the drive in or show & shine.. you know.. regular people.

Increasing prices for complete vehicles also has an impact on parts, too.. first the original parts, then slowly the repop stuff as the originals get harder and harder to find.

Fumblin, it isn't a problem. I'd love to have a 56-62 or 62-67 Corvette, but my 77 suits me just fine. The others are too expensive. If it gets too expensive for a kid to buy an AD or TF truck, he can get 60-66 or 67-72. Still nice-looking trucks with plenty of parts available. Besides, there are still plenty of deals out there - my 54 4400 parts truck was free, with a ton of good parts.

In 1976 I stood next to my uncle as he turned down $12,000 for a '51 MG TC. Now, 30 years later, he is finally ready to sell that car. He had it on the market for $20,000 and got no interest. He has since lowered the price and I think he is now asking $18,000. Far as I know he still hasn't had any real interest.

What does an old MG have to do with the value of old trucks? I think it illustrates how demographics impact the market. Back in the 70's there were lots of people who wanted that MG when they were kids and could not afford one.

In the 70's many of them had reached the point in there lives where they had disposable income they could spend on a very impractical car.

Today those same people are mostly pushing up daisys. My uncle turns 76 next month and still hasn't realized most the people who wanted that car were born before he was.

I've been watching Corvettes on eBay. I've seen serveral '84s that look like reasonable drivers go for well under $5,000. I think today those are probably the cheapest today. A few years ago it was the late 70's early 80's that could be bought cheapest. I'm thinking a mid-80' 'vette might be a fun driver for the next few years, and return my investment later.

I'd rather have a '62, but six-figure toys are not in my budget.

I think I'm too close to the old truck market to rationally sort out who is buying what, but I suspect my collection of Advance Design stuff won't have much of a market when I'm my uncle's age. Right now a lot of us remember those trucks from when we were kids and have some kind of irrational interest in them.

Also note that most the interest on this board is Advance Design and later trucks. Yes there are some Art Deco and earlier trucks, but they are the minority. The same seems true on a couple others I visit. I suspect 10 to 15 years from now a few of us will still be playing with Advance Design and Task Force trucks, but the real action will be '67 to '87 trucks. Stuff I still think of as just tools.

I look at that $29,000 price tag and the recent prices at Barrett-Jackson with amazement. I just hope no one is risking their retirement savings on one as an investment. If my uncle's experience is any indicator the car you are passionate about today isn't likely to be a good long-term investment.

Oh, and lest anyone is worried about my uncle, the MG is parked next to a '71 Mustang convertable he paid $1,000 for 10 years ago. It seems to be near its peak value and I think he'll do okay on that one.