The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk NEED ADVICE

I have a chance to buy a 1946 Chevy 3/4 ton truck. The engine does not run but turns over, I don't think it's the 216 but a later 235. Very little rust. The truck will probably need a full resto. The guy wants $1700. I have not seen the truck in person yet, just pictures. Its located about 150 miles from me. Does $1700 seem like a good deal for a truck that needs a full resto of this vintage??

Oh, from the pictures, the truck I'm looking at looks to be in better condition than the $1400 truck sitting outside Kansas for sale on this Stovebolt forum.

Pricing any old vehicle that needs restoration is only relative to the condition of that particular vehicle and what you think you want to spend on it. A close, personal exam of it will help you decide.

It sounds like a pretty good buy, but you have to decide were yoou are going with it & how much work you can do yourself. If you start takeing it places to have the work done you are going to wind up with a nightmare. If you take it to a restration shop you will have more in it then if you went out & bought one ready to go.
We could go on &on but it's up to you.

I have seen vehicles and pricing all over the chart. Really excellent for really cheap,rust buckets and baskrt cases for high dollar, vice - versa, and all in between! No rhyme or reason
and definatly no proven equation to go by! Simply comes down to what your willing to pay and what seller is willing to take for said vehicle. As long as the two of you are happy with the transaction nothing else matters! Of coarse others will have there opionion on what they would of done, thats just part of the game! Make your deal and enjoy! Good luck and best wishes!

After thinking about it, I guess my real question is if this vintage of truck is popular and rare enough that $1700 is cheap in any condition. When it comes to 1930's and 1940's Chevy trucks, I don't know much, especially values. But I'm willing to learn

Just off the top, it sounds "pretty danged good" to me. If there is little rust or wrinkles, it could probably be parted out for more than the $1700. Course, I'd want to see it in person first and crawl all over it. Photos never tell the whole story. And the fact that the engine rolls over is a very good sign, but hearing roll over is better. Best of luck, you just might be on to something. I flew from Texas to Utah to check out my project and it was definitely worth the trip...but probably only to me, of course.

I'm not too experienced in this but I would look for one that is at least partially done. That way you will be driving it before you get discouraged. It also will be cheaper. I have at least 10K in my truck more than I am asking for it. You can never go into this project thinking you will break even.

Another way of looking at it : are you looking for:

A) a hobby and you have lots of spare time?

B) a truck to drive and enjoy?

C) a good investment?


If A, it sounds good, 4 good fenders alone are worth that.

If B, follow gazim's advice, skip this one and buy the best one you can find and enjoy driving a classic.

If C, you shouldn't even be considering A or B.

My Advice:
Decide on the truck you want at the end. Then find one that is from 1/2 to 3/4 finished (if you can)and buy it. Most I've seen in that condition will cost less than what it took to bring it to that state of completion. Then you can take it from there.
That's my opinion, however my wife can tell you where I'm wrong.

Ironclad -

There's also a question of how far do you want to restore it? I personally really like trucks that have lot of original patina, i.e. faded paint, a few love dents/scratches here and there. If you have the same point of view, that truck could be a great one to work on slowly, upgrade it mechanically to where it's usable on modern roads (or not), and drive it in it's original condition. Honestly, if you put in the time, effort, and money to restore it, you will probably not enjoy driving it as much as something that's NOT pristine perfect.

Just my $.02.

Chris

..as you can see there are lots of things to consider. From what your telling me it SOUNDS like the truck would be worth $1700..but offer $1500,orless, as a firm offer and see what happens. Remember, you don't HAVE to have this truck so bargain and deal on it like that.

Otherwise, I see that your hobby is Blacksmith which indicates your certainly not scared of getting dirty and will probably have most of the tools you will need to work on it.
Buying GOOD metal is the trick. Paint and Body is, in my opinion, the most costly if you can't do it yourself.

...if you LIKE the style and can work out a fair deal I'd try to get it running and if so drive it and let it "tell you" what it needs while you decide how you want to proceed.

In the end I have to buy "derelict" vehicles as I do not have the big bucks to smack down for one ready to roll. Sooo, I buy them cheap and then spend a few bucks all along over a few years to finish one off. 5 years on the 37 and 6 years on my panel.

..and the bottom line? If you ENJOY it then GO FOR IT.

when i buy a vehicle i always go with my gut feeling after ive looked at it and if possible driven it. ive bought alot of vehicles in my years and have never been ripped off in my own opinion. which is good cause in all actuality nobody elses opinion matters as long as you feel good about the purchase. also i always deal with cash cause cash talks when dealing on anything. bring with you exactly what your willing to spend not a dollar more. i always put my lowest offer in one pocket and the rest in the wallet. that way when dealing you can do a show and tell with your low offer. then if needed you can pull from the wallet. i also find it to be helpful if you try make friends with the seller feel him out about the history of the truck or some of his interests well your looking it over. never start pointing out the negatives of the truck until you have to. which is after the seller has refused your first offer. then is the time to tell him these to show him why you came up with that price. showing him the negatives in the looking over process will just get him upset. keep the seller happy as long as you can. ive used these tactics and made some really great deals in the past. one of which was a 97 f150 4x4 that the guy wanted 2800 for and i ended up paying him 800. which i resold a week later for 2300. anyway good luck in your purchase. MO

Could you come with me the next time I buy a car?

Truer words have never been spoken!

Make sure it has a good clean title. It's a bear to try to title just off a bill of sale.