The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts Truck value

Hello, Can someone throw out some experienced input here? I am unfortunatly looking to sell my 1960 C-60. I'm looking at going a few decades older. I might have a line on a grain truck from the 30's. That aside I'm not sure what to ask for my truck. I have gone through the whole thing from boring and sleeving the wheel cylinders to cab lights. I used it to haul when I built my new shop and it worked great and got alot of complements at the gravel pit. Problem is I haven't really used it much since then and I'm thinking about turning it into something else. I just wanted a little input from some of you guys that may have traded this type a bit more than I. Thanks

Depends on how long you want to wait to sell it. You can price it high and wait till some one desperate comes along or go low and it will leave quickly.
People arn't looking to buy antiques right now particularly large trucks (most people don't want them period)so the value is down a little bit. So unless you have someone who is looking for a specific year and style and wants it bad or you just put on a new coat of paint your going to be lucky to get over $2500.
For example I just bot a 1985 C-70 for $1300. Runs, brakes all work, tires are about new. Cabs in good shape only one rust hole. Lights all work except the clearance lights that I think are all burn out. (They have a cab rack on it so it's hard to change them.)Fenders have some rust and it idles rough but it fires up and goes down the road like a champ and paint job isn't bad either, a bit faded but OK. The guy just used it to haul several tons of logs the day before I bot it.

But what ever you do. Don't put a bunch of money in it thinking it will be an investment and you'll make more selling it, these big trucks don't. I've seen many people price nice looking rigs with decent paint that for $4000 and they never sell. Guys try to say "well the trannys worth $200 the cab $1000" etc. And yes they may be true if it was JUST that piece but all put together no one will give that for it and you may sit on each component for years! to actually sell it. Truth be told it's hard to sell these big trucks for much higher than scrap price. Not seeing pictures I would price it for $1500 to $3000 if it were mine. But if I was buying it I wouldn't give over $1500 and I'd probably chew you down from there... Shame your not in Ohio that's actually the year a truck I wanted when I bot the 85'. But don't ask, I'm not spending another $800+ to get it back here. If I wait long enough I'll find me one like it close enough for the right price, and sell the 85 to my brother:)

well as we experts like to say, it is worth what ever a buyer is willing to pay and with a big truck it will take a special buyer
unless some one wants to buy it to flip it..........does it have the 305 in it.

I would say $3,500 on the high side

what ever the buyer is willing to pay, lol think WC Feilds said it best "there is a sucker born every min i always strive to pay/buy at a fair price not what the market dictates

That may be true but I hate being a buyer when people think their stuff is worth gold and I know it ain't.

Old 1.5 and 2 ton trucks are a perfect example of this.
I just lost a 1954 2-ton cause the guy wouldn't be realistic.
Cab needed four corners replaced, new paint, engine was locked, tires flat, no bed, and huge dent in the roof. Guy wanted $1200 and wouldn't come down. He tried to tell me the 292 in it was worth that much locked up cause hot rodders want it. And the drive line is worth half that cause mudders like the old SM 420 trannys, and the axle. I was so dumbfounded by that statement. My cousin mud runs and he prefers autos. Those who run manuals need four wheel so they'd have to get a divorced transfer case, which are kind of rare and pricey, it's easier to get a married system. And good luck finding a front axle that matches the 6.13, 8.10 ratios of that 2-ton axle.
And I'm not stupid most people you make street rods go with V-8's. The only people that run the 6's are guys who want to street rod cheap, with minor modifications to original components. Or us yah-who's who like originality. But simply it aint worth that much and I tried to tell him that.
It gets very aggravating.

Just for the future, adapters are made for 420's to regular transfer cases.

got any pics?

And six cylinders are way more expensive to rebuild than a 350 Chevy,just my 2 cents.

Tim

Here's a link to pics of the '52 6400 I just bought for $2500. I had to drive to Colorado and trailer it home though...
'52 Chev

The $1200 truck 1947farmer discribes and the $2500 truck Bigdreamer bought are about $5000 worth of parts and labor apart from each outer. Bigdreamer is WAY ahead with only $1300 more invested.

Unless the adventure of rebuilding an old truck is your thing, you are always better off buying a turn key truck. Especially if it's just a run of the mill nothing special truck.

Mike B

Some ideas might be here.

Just paid $2000 for my 47 2 ton with hydraulic scissor hoist (don't know if it works). Great cab-only 2 small holes in floor. Engine turns, no brakes and tires hold air but not roadworthy. Seemed like a fair price to me but I'd like to hear other opinions.

Novak adapters around Salt Lake; look in a 4WD magazine.

That's exactly my point... I do enjoy the complete restoration, but there's no way in the state of Utah I'm going to pay $1200 for something with numerous unknowns when just a hundred buck more got me a running, stopping, functioning truck... I just wish sellers would be reasonable on their prices.

And as far as the SM 420 goes I'm pretty sure you need to switch the output shafts to marry a transfer case to it just like the SM 465. Which you might as well go buy a four wheel drive system already together if your going to mess around with that.

You are correct Tim the inline are more expensive to rebuild I know that, part of my point. If that 292 needed rebuilt I was out even more. But to do minor performance boosting a 350 is more expensive. The up grades are higher (at least what I've looked at. I can get a two carb manifold and carbs for what it cost for just the three carb 350 manifold.) You have to buy special steering boxes and linkage to get the 350 in a old chevy and modify the fire wall. So for the guy who just wants a bit of extra power and to look cool both time and money wise the 6 is easier.
But to really tune your engine and maximize HP I do agree the V-8 would do you better and probably be cheaper HP/$. So that brings another good point why bother with the 6? Not many people do unless it's to prove a point, quick cheap performance booster, or they want originality. But bottom line a locked up 292 is not worth $1200! But good luck tell that 1954 owner that.

1947farmer,

We're saying the same thing...I've gotten better truck than the one your discribing for FREE...$1200 is crazy...$500 would be close to scrap price around here. I just got $8.75 per 100# for misc loose steel.

Keep looking, you'll find one out there with your name on it...

Mike B

Hey Mike
I know, but just kind of had to vent alittle, plus I feel for the other buyers and want to let newbe's know the real value of such trucks before they go pricing them out the wazoo. It seems all I run into is overpriced trucks here in Ohio. I've been looking for parts for my 47' for about a year and half and can't find anything reasonably priced and close enough I can check and make sure it will work and when I was trying to find a crane truck same problem.
So far I've run into,
a 1957 2 ton rear axle $500: actually worth about $300
a 1951 2 ton (no bed, engine locked bad, cab royally shot (front post were rusted in two) owner couldn't take five minutes to sell it to me, but he had time to scrap it a year later): actual worth $300-$400
the 1954 2 ton for $1200 (with all it's mentioned problems) :actual worth $600 maybe $800 cause scrap is so high.
a 1946 2 ton for $4000 (didn't run, needed 4 corners fender repair, floor pans etc.) :actual worth another $600-$800
a 1951 2 ton $4500 (locked up, similar rust to 54, and it was three tone in a bad way so new paint was a serious need...) :actual worth $600-$800
a 1950 1.5 ton $3000 (this one actually ran but needed minor body work and new paint kind of like my 47') $1200-$1800 $2000 would have been pushing it
a 1970 1-ton $1000 (this one was closer to fair price: body was nice, paint OK but engine didn't run, and it was 2 wheel drive, but he again thought his engine was gold and worth that much and when I offered him 800 for it he said, "I can get almost that much out of it in scrap" My though was "So... I'm not planning on scraping it") actual worth: again another $600 to $800 and only cause the body was so nice.

And other than the 70 and one that got scrapped I don't think any of these vehicles ever found a buyer... They are just sitting out rusting more

Yup, it's frustrating...

Mike B

Beewrangler:
I posed a similar question last Fall on this thread and didn't find an answer:
https://www.stovebolt.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=796505#Post796505