The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk What did you fork over for your 'bolt?

Paid $2100 in 1985 for my '46. Paid too much at that for a running (very poorly), reupholstered, repainted truck. Got all the receipts for everything I've ever done to it in the intervening 24 years, but I'll probably never add them up. It's now a "turn the key, step on the starter and go where you want" kind of truck. I love that truck - it's a hobby, not an investment (for me, anyway). I'd never get my money out of it in a million years. Don't care - can't ever see selling it.

The '51 GMC was given to me by my father-in-law; it was my wife's great grandfather's truck that he bought new in '51. Still working on getting it going, but the budget's a bit low these days. Sometimes those free one's can get pretty expensive!

David Bush

Bout for $2500, off the top of my head,
new seat belts I'm not going to use $50
bucket seats c/w seat/shoulder belts $100
rear step bumper, cab rear view miror, ebrake handle, tail lite trim $160
2 52 chevy car dog dishes $15 (on truck now)
5 era corect dog dishes $40
steel rims $50
new tires $1200 after tax
heater core $140ish
back up lites, wire and stuff $50ish
1 door mirror $10
door lock repaired $35

So I guess since Nov 29/08 I'm into it for $4350 and I'm sure I've forgoton a few things.

Still waiting for the bill for my aluminum tube and 4'x10 sheet of checker plate for truck rack and still have to bring my leaky rad in so the cost will just keep going up. My wife was rite, I am more happy forking out $$ for an old truck than a newer piece of junk truck

$2500.00 for my 1949 chevy 3600 3/4 ton, then another 4,500.00 when i got the bright idea to change a couple of things that weren't needed.

$300.00 for my 1952 GMC 4400 2 ton, with 150.00 in it so far

$600.00 in my 1963 gmc 1/2 ton with another $5,000.00 and it's not done yet. none of these include my time or labor.

man no wonder i'm broke. lol

Probably too much, It was at a time where 'us Brits' were going nuts for AD's.
That pushed the prices up.
In the end up I got a good,solid (reasonably complete) Ca.truck so I can't complain too much!
I didn't buy it to make $$$$. and I didn't have as much choice as you folks!
I'm really happy with the one I got.

I still haven't added up the costs so far......still got a few $$$$$ to spend!

lol here in oklahoma texas ect.. the ad trucks are still plentiful and cheap saw a cab and frame in our local craigs list for around 300. but a decade ago we had people from the east coast trying to come down and ship all of the old metal to the east many sellers caught on to that and refused sales to them
coastal cities = old car death
there is a reason they don't have cars and trucks on the coasts salt water dosn't agree with the old metal

When I grabbed my GMC 300 2ton dually,The guy asked for $300 and I didn't haggle,also bought a 1952 Chevy 3/4 ton from the same guy that day for $500,which my buddy just had to have when I brought it home the 1.5 miles to my house.The deals are still out there.
Usually though the purchase price doesn't reflect all the time and money in parts that is poured into these trucks once they live in your yard/field.
Tim

i gave 70 bucks for mine when i startedit only took a tractor alot of chain and 2 good friends ta get it out.the cab still came out in 4 pieces.

I gave $500. 4 my 1st 57 long bed Rolling Chasis 1987, $1000.00 4 57 shortbed Had 72 impala frt ifs frt clip Decent Daily Driver 1998, and $ 500. 4 58 shortbed fleetside Rolling Chasis 1999 Somethen about them trucks just cant get to many.

My trucks been in my family for three generations so for me, It's priceless! Stock, original, restorable 47-54 trucks are getting pricier in Southern California though. Location and state has a lot to do with pricing.

Northern Wisconsin.. Bought it from neighbor for then-going scrap price... Paid $800.... I should have waited till now..... (Scrap is a third what it was...)

Southern Colorado: Paid 800.00 and drove it home('53 6100) best mothers day present I ever received from my wife.????

I paid $1500 for my 46 1/2 ton 2 years ago and I paid $700 for my 3/4 ton a year ago.

Paid $6500 for my '56 3100 in 2000. Came with $3000 in receipts for body work completed mainly on the doors. Drove it for two years with original drive train and primer spots. Currently have $31,000 in it.

When I started working on it a guy told me to open up the parts books, locate my mechanic and body guy, and compute the total cost and time spent down to a gnat's patootey--then multiply by three. He was right!

http://img44.photobucket.com/albums/v135/aoetken/DCP_0021.jpg

I bought my 55 1st series pickup on ebay,lets just say for a few thousand, drove 700 miles to pick it wondering all the way what the heck I was doing, driving that far, hoping the truck looked as good as in the pictures and was in the shape it was described as. Had a bad heahache by the time I made it there. Turned out great, the guy was the orignal owner, truck had been in pretty constant use. Was drilled by his family on what my intentions were with the truck, they were surprised when I said nothing it will stay just like it is. He said he could of sold it locally but couldn't bare to see it running around maybe chopped up and abused. They showed me pictures of the truck they had, like part of the family leaving. That was two years ago haved spent any money on it except regular maintainace, took the brake drums off when I first got it there was no leakage from the wheel cylinders, really clean. To this day it runs like new.

2700 for a 51 3/4 tom GMC 2 weeks ago up in Southern Colorado. It runs. All original and not much rust.

I paid $525 for my 3800 at an estate auction! I now have close to $2000 invested,....with more to come!

250 but had to drive 30 miles with 1/2 of 1 brake cylinder working, just to get it home.23 years ago.That was a ride I won't forget.

1955.2, 1/2 ton, big window, sb fleetside, 265 V-8 w/ man. trans

$0, but I spent about $200 in gas & beer to go get it and drag it out of a field.

I had a '57 3/4ton at the time (which I sold to a guy in Sweden a few months later) and I was making some small talk with a customer of mine and he mentioned that he had a '55.
It was supposed to be a father/son project, but the son wanted a '69 Camaro instead, so the truck sat in a field.
I offered to buy it, but my customer said to just come get it and it's mine-woohoo!![IMG]http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p148/Camarofiend/beer-1.gif[/IMG] I like freebies like that!

But, here's the catch- no title or bill of sale.....
However,I found a service that will verify the vin and do all the DMV paper work-all legit of course and I now officially own it.
So after the towing costs & dmv fees, I'm about 600 bux into this project...
Here's some pics:

http://s653.photobucket.com/albums/...w&current=1955Chevy3100TFTruck-1.jpg

400 bucks 28 years ago..drove it home and have driven every year since... Dont have 2500 bucks in it to this day. i think its the reason they are popular .My first one in 1975 was 75 bucks.. LOL
They are junks but keep ticking for years.

Dad payed $800 for the '54 in 1969. My uncle Ron saw it for sale in Kansas City and, knowing Dad was a mechanic, asked Dad if he wanted it. He did, so Ron drove it across the state to St. Louis with his own car in tow. I was 1 year old, so It's been mine my whole life. Dad and I rebuilt the engine(without pulling it) a few years back, and I just got down to Texas last year. It purrs like a kitten, but it's not roadworthy yet. I have to be wary of some of Dad's old school fixes like copper brake line repairs.

UPDATE

Well I never got it into the garage until last weekend. Instead I finished the garage in the meantime. Insulation, power etc. and well over $40,000 in to the garage includeing the construction. Since this topic is "what did you pay for your bolt?" I found my cousin a 1972 Camaro and gave that to him as trade for the 49. OK enough about that stuff now onto the bolt. It is now sitting up on jack stands while I figure out what to do with the brakes. I want to figure out dual master is the easiest to fit into this. Alright I will now become active in the 1 ton forum and keep the talk there that needs to be there.

I paid 3k for my 55.2 3600.except the bucket seats the truck is all original,in primer 74k original miles and i am the 3rd owner.
2nd owner had it in a garage for 20 years and never drove it.with a little cleaning up and some fluid changes it runs and drives fine.

I paid $3020 for my 55 2nd 3600. Guy wanted $4200 but had already dropped the price on the window to $3900. We went for a test drive and he talked me down to $3500. The next day I showed up with $3000 in $100 bills. It took that and all the change in my pocket to seal the deal. I drove it home, changed the fluids and gave it a Napa tune up. Everything looks original aside from the paint that is pretty old. There is a small dent with bondo falling off but I can not find any rust spots or dents anywhere else. I plan to keep it from the period for sure. Just got some stock wheels and hubcaps if the deal goes through.
Mike

I paid $1,800 CD. Only a little rust through below the pedals on the floor. Need paint, glass, rubbers, and, oh yeah, a whole lot of assembly.

But hey, the old tube tires on the back were, and still are, holding air.

It makes me happy!

I got a chevy 3600 utility with rebuilt engine and brakes for $800, a two pack of chevy 5 window 3100's 53 and a 54 for $1000 and another 53 3100 parts truck for $150. I found all of them through craigslist. the two pack I found through the craigslist links forum.

54 3600 I paid $1600 for. It is rusty, beat up, not running. But it is all complete right down to the OE hubcaps, spare tire and, radio delete plate.

52 3600 for $700 delivered, running and driving.

$5000.00 for my 59 Fleet Option. A solid all original truck that runs and drives great. It came with the original sales receipt and owners manual.

Whew! What a spread of pictures of excellent work! I could use that as a text book. Nice going--nuff said on the easy part

I got mine for free but with a wood kit it was 2000 and I have another 3k in it now. Good topic! And retorts!

In 1980 I paid $100 for my '56 GMC 3/4 ton. i got it from a restoration carpenter who made me promise to paint it the original forest green. 29 years later, I painted it forest green (a '56 Chevy color) only to discover that the actual color was Delta Green, with Panama Cream trim. I had already taken the front bumper to a paint jobber to have the cream matched (nice original color under a bumper guard) Next coat of paint will be Delta. Forest is close, but no cigar. The drive from Long Island to Mass was memorable- could not shut it off as starter was unpredictable, king pins almost frozen "don't worry, it steers hard but won't seize on you" It did not, but I was lucky. Truck nearly left the road with each bump (a front spring shackle was broken). There you go- best hundred I ever spent on a vehicle.

paid 5000, all original except for the radio. runs and drives great. I drive it daily to work, 6 miles round trip. And drive it into town once in awile.

Bought mine from a member here on Da Bolt about 5 years ago. Paid $900 for it and about as much to have it towed from New Mexico. The po have started to restore it but I took it in a different direction. I don't even want to think of how much money I've spent on it since then!!

In 1981 I was a meter reader and on my route I came across my 46 1/2 ton pick-up and asked the guy about it. He said you could have it for $ 100. The next day I went with the cash and the price went up to $ 200. Still not bad.

I dropped $2K on mine, all complete except the grille emblem, and everything functional but the front brakes and the HydroVac. New rubber set me back an additional $1100 before I got it home.

I spent $850 bucks on my 58 Apache Fleetside. Although, if I was to do it again, I would look for a truck that costs around $4000 that is running and driving. My 58 came from a potato field in Idaho and has needed a lot of work! Although there isn't a better feeling in the world knowing you rescued a truck and made it beautiful again!

My first Bolt was a 1963 C10 longbed fleetside. I paid $500.00 for it in 1977. It was fully functional and in good running order. Body was fairly straight, but it was that baby blue body with the chevy orange front drivers fender and grill surround that set it apart from all the rest :-P I sold that truck in 1987 and regretted it every day afterwards.

My second/third Bolts were a pair of 1962 C10's. One a shortbed fleetside running basket, and the other a shortbed stepside parts truck (no eng/trans). I paid $1500.00 and $1100.00 respectively for them in 2006 and 2005. Funny thing is, I bought the parts truck first, thinking to restore it, then found the running basket a year later and decided it was a better candidate. I am transfering the stepside bed to the finished product. I just can't get over wanting a shortbed stepside this time around.

From reading all the other posts, I might be in the "paid too much" club. Although, I will never admit it. The way I see it is when I bought my truck, it was a life time investment that I never plan to sell. To date, I have invested an additional $2K in parts and ancillary tools and the meter is still running.

Okay, I'll come out of the closet ...

I paid $5,000 for the Stovebolt.com Flagship ('49 3800 pickup) in 2003. Read the story on the truck in my signature line. Essentially, the truck is a time capsule from 1949 and I bought it from the original owners. Bed and sheet metal are pristine, albeit with enough patina to give it character. The truck is in it's "from the factory" original configuration -- all I've done to it is change the oil and add a second tail light. The tires are from the '80's I think but everything else is original. I know the complete history of the truck and can even tell you about the dent in the front P-side fender and the loop attached to the inside roof on the P-side. There is not one dent in the bed sides.

"ole Charley" is a true survivor. His picture is in the column on the left of this page.


John

The only thing I worry about is the wiring. The brakes are even decent.

The 54 belonged to a good friend, my wife's father. It belongs to her now and she WON'T SELL IT. The origional price was free. The preservation has cost $4k-$5k.(preservation vs restoration) I must have 3-4 offers a month to buy the old truck.Sure feels good to say "SHE AIN'T FOR SALE".
The 58 I bought from the guy behind me for $2k. The body needed work, new interior, brakes, new bed wood, and general upgrades.
I always wanted a 58 1/2 ton. This one is for me and gets what ever I want. MY BOLT.