The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk 1957 3800 Chevy Price

Greetings-
I need some help with determining a fair price for a '57 3800 with wrecker body.
The truck was outfitted as a wrecker by my Dad back in the early sixties when he had his garage.
Due to health problems Dad had to sell the Garage and the wrecker.
A family friend purchased the wrecker and has had it ever since. He recently passed away and his son is in the process of settling the estate.
I have indicated that I would like to purchase the truck if and when he gets ready to sell it.
To say the least I want to make a fair offer and not offend the family. The truck is complete and running. It has a steel wrecker bed and I believe a Tulsa 18 winch. Engine is probably a 235 and I know the tranny is a 4 speed.
If anybody can share comprable prices I would really appreciate it. This truck means a lot to me and I really want to bring it home!

Guy
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'67 Chevy 283/350

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a 59 C40, not real pretty, with a tulsa winch and flatbed with gin poles just sold at an auction here a couple of months ago for 1500 i think, it ran but sounded like it had a valve leaking, was a 283..and 4spd of course..it actually brought more than i thought it would, i was gonna bid 500..

If the truck really means a lot to you, then it is most likely worth more to you than the average truck lover.
As far as the general value goes, there are a lot of things to consider, such as the overall condition. If, it is very good, with little rust, minimal body damage, good tires, glass, runs good etc, I would say probably an easy 1500.00 maybe more. All you can do, is make them an honest offer, and see what they say.
As you are unsure of its value, you could always acknowledge that fact, and ask if they would be willing be willing to sell it, for say 500 or 1000 dollars. At that point, they may be shocked that it's worth that much, or they might want a lot more. That is when you will have to decide how much you are willing to pay.
I recommend that you check out ebay and some old vehicle publications yourself to try and determine its value.
In my opinion, unless someone very knowledgeable about this subject is able to check it out first hand, any numbers submitted to you are just random guesses. And something else to consider, is the fact that prices will vary greatly from different parts of the country. Everyday, I see prices all over the map, from fairly priced to way out of sight.
If you really want it, and can afford it, I would be prepared to sweeten the pot another 20 or 30 percent beyond what you feel its worth, as this is the truck that you want, because it used to belong to your Dad.

Good Luck and let us know how it works out.

John

Based on what I paid for my '57 3600 I'd say between 500 and 1500 depending on condition. You are going to spend ALOT of money just getting it road worthy, never mind restoring it as you will probably want to do. See if you can drive it, if it runs, has a good non slipping cluthc, has brakes, look for leaks at the wheels (brakes) pop the hood and listen to the motor, look at the rust, check the hooker. If it's a beater then the lower end of the range. If it's in driveable shape then the upper end of the range. Have a number in mind and make your offer with confidence as you will probably be more knowledgeable than they are. Good luck. Send us a photo!!!!!

I got my 59 for free, but it was pretty stinky and the engine which had been bored .060 over was locked solid and not worth saving. King pins were horrid, gas tank leaked and the service body was a big rust bucket.

Thanks Gang!
I knew I came to the right place when I posted this message here. Talk about a tight community!
'Bolters are the best!
For some reason I had $1500 in my head as a good starting offer. Based on your feedback here it looks like I am in the ballpark.
Rest assured there will be pictures posted when I pull this deal off!
Thanks a million.
Guy