The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk First Time Buyer/Buying Tips

I am looking to be a first time buyer of a 1950-54 Chevy 3100. Looking for any tips and or tricks when looking for a truck. My final goal is to have it as close to as original as possible without being too picky as in my main goals for original include the sheet metal, decals, and interior.

I'm a young gun so budget is a factor. I don't have the time or resources to start completely from scratch/rust.

The one to find would be running with as little rust as possible. I found one like that for $5500, in Roanoke, Va. I think that was a fairly rare find. It was halfway in primer but little rust. Floors already redone. Look out for primed trucks though, they are usually just hiding the rust to sell truck. A good clean title is worth a lot. Make sure u check that vin # to be correct. Some are titled with the motor # and some with the vin # on the door. Either way is cool as long as they match the title. Expect around $2500 for a rust bucket, between 5-10 grand for something "getting nice" and 15-25 grand for something cheery and/or hotrodded the right way. Expect to have 10 grand in something halfway nice and running good after all is said and done. Of course there are exceptions but that usually doesn't happen. Good Luck!!

Do you want advice on buying a restored truck, or on buying a truck you plan to restore?

"I'm a young gun so budget is a factor. I don't have the time or resources to start completely from scratch/rust."

It looks like you have a tight budget (how much?) and it looks like you do not want to deal with rust, scratches, and dents?

Do you have experience with painting vehicles; or, do you have a friend or relative who has that ability/experience?

Buy the BEST you can afford; that's my advice.

The reality is that fixing and restoring stuff costs money; even if you do it yourself.
Buying something that is structurally sound and runs is a good start.
Something you can actually drive while "fixing it up".

Compromises can be made .... Maybe you find one that is relatively rust free, but
doesn't run... Not a bad scenario, since replacing body mounts, floor supports,
floors, kick panels, etc is NOT for the faint of heart.

Much easier to extract a motor; fix it or replace it and have a nice running truck
while the budget recovers to pay for a paint job..

Evaluate your skills and what you can realistically do yourself. What would have to be farmed out?

I'd opt for a solid structure that is complete as the first criteria. Mechanical/Electrical stuff is easier to deal with .... This is , of course, My Opinion!
Whatever path you take ...the prime objective is to Have Fun!

It would be a truck I plan on restoring.

Look for a good solid, no rust truck. Mechanical issues you can work at with a little skill and time. Body repair, especially major rust issues, takes a lot of skill, time, and $$$.

Thank you for all the good advice. Sounds like minimal body work is what to look for. I'll keep looking around and hopefully get lucky here and find a solid truck.

When you say no rust...I'm assuming you mean no rust holes, cab corners peeling off..that sort of thing. Surface rust is okay but not one that needs a bunch of patch work?

Here is a link to a 1950 that is close to my area. Any thoughts/advice on whether or not to give this truck a serious look. I am more interested in the 50 not the 48


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This would be another option but don't know if I like all the "custom" options he has done with this truck

May I say This about That. Neither listing mentions a title. Its not an insurmontable problem BUT can be a Royal Pain and may take a lot of time to remedy.
The first craig listing as listed needs a lot of stuff which translates into $$$$.$$'s
The second listing sounds like a "Soup Sandwich. How are you ever going to figure out what you have so you can order the stuff you need?
Just my opinion. Jerry

Thanks Jerry.

Those were some of the red flags I noticed to. I think I'm just going to have to keep waiting and saving to get something "decent". I'm a newbie and if there is anything I've learned in other ventures is the more research and knowledge the better.

I feel like I've searched high and low online and nothing has come up...slightly disappointed.

Be patient and alert. Trucks are out there, sometimes in surprising places. The internet is a great tool, but don't forget about newspaper ads, penny-saver, thrifty-nickel and other trader type publications. And keep your eyes open all the time. Many people on this forum and others have reported searching high and low for a truck (or car) and then finding one __ blocks from home. I agree with the others; buy the best example you can aford. Good luck!
Oh, and don't get impatient and buy a ford just because it's available...

redchevytruck,

How long have you been looking?
Where have you been looking?

Been looking for about 4 months. Looking online such as craiglist in MN,IA,ND,SD, and WI.

Online sites I've looked are classictruckcentral.com, oldride.com, and carsonline.com.

Ideally closer to Minnesota would be good so I could physically see it and hopefully negotiate.

I will never give in to a Ford..terrible thing to do.

This to me would be my ideal find...too bad it was ideal for someone else too and already sold long before I saw it.


opinions greatly appreciated if this truck would have been a solid buy or a rust bucket in disguise..

Good possibility..but price seems high and shipping costs can't be cheap?

You might try taking some long drives in the country. There could be a lot of possibilities setting in farm yards or fields that aren't actively "for sale". I'm in western ne. and in my travels through south dakota you could see several trucks. Just stop and ask, they might say no, but maybe give you another lead. I have a buddy that got his 54 that way. My 2 cents, good luck and happy hunting

heres a cool truck

One more ad link and this post will be locked. I am tired of editing it.

It is amazing the number of old trucks I see driving up and down alleys.
They are parked in yards and might be available. The older parts of town are the best hunting.
Good luck.

remember it depends if you are buying or selling, the price changes, if someone else wanted your truck they will offer $50, if they were selling it they would want $5000. My dad said occasionally people would stop by the house when it was at my parents house for a couple of years and offer $50, or a $100. I paid $900 nearly 30 years ago. What ever the case you will have to look around a bit, you will most likely need to drive it a ways to get it home or hire a transporter. This isn't a cheap hobby, it is fun, but not cheap. Also it seems all the stuff is on the east coast, I live in seattle and nearly everything I find is in the far east, Minnesota is getting close though...

Ya Minnesota over here in the "Middle East" -Anchorman haha. Apparently we can't add links ad links just for reference. Sorry about that.

I ditto finding one with a decent body.Just spent a good sum geting the rot out of the 38. good news is no more rust holes. Bad news still need to sandblast, body fill and paint.

If you want a project to work on and can weld and don't mind bodywork or have a buddy who can help, then just buy whatever is cheapest lol If you CAN'T weld or hate doing bodywork, then buy as nice of truck you can afford..rust free being key. Mechanical issues are always easy to fix and learn how to fix and cheap compared to paying somebody for bodywork.

But when it comes to old chevy's majority of them have rust in the rocker panels, kick boards, floor boards, cab corner, bottoms of fenders and around the windshield chanel. Those are common areas.

Just expect to pay good money for something that's ACTUALLY rust free. I search within 500miles of my house for trucks and drive all over looking at them, but you have to have the time and patiences when it comes to finding the right project.

Nate

I feel the need to chime in here...have you ever driven one of these old trucks?

I ask because not everyone realizes that these trucks were NOT designed for modern roads, and can't really go over 45mph...they're simply geared too low (for pulling), and the engines don't have the horsepower to go any faster. If you want a highway-worthy truck, you will be looking at, minimum, a rear end or gear swap.

If you're fine with a 45mph top speed, that's fine, but most people aren't.

Just a word to the wise...

Chris

Why don't you consider the 3/4 and 1 tons as well? You might be able to get a better deal on a truck that isn't as collectable.

Do they have 3/4 and 1 ton with a bed/box. Not dump or flatbed. I would consider putting on a different front end and rear but really I want something to cruise to the lake with in summer or just drive around the smaller towns. Not looking to be doing interstate driving or towing.

There is one substitute for knowledge and that is a pocket-book. It you can't do the work yourself or plan to do the work yourself, you must have someone else do it and that can take a chunk of cash.

Solid = better platform, but better = more expensive out of the gate...Not as solid = cheaper on the front end, but more expensive to "make-ready" on the back end.

Yes, there were many 3/4 and some 1 tons with LOOONG boxes (9 ft.IIRC). Check the Gallery for some pictures.
Good luck.