Another one bites the dust! F 250 4x4

[jimlj]

It's sad to see another one go, but there is no way we can save them all. If everyone here took turns giving $500 to save them, we would all be broke and have mad wives and neighbors because our yards would look like the junk dealers. The cost of labor and storage makes it impossible for the recycler to part them out or keep them. Cash flow means he has to move them fast or he's out of business.

[fred_79f250]

My 79 F250 is perilously close to the same fate.

I stopped using it as my daily work truck because rust and age were causing me to spend more time fixing and replacing things than using the truck. It seemed everytime I went out, there was something else giving out. So it became a hobby/weekend truck. Except I already have so many other things to do - like gut and renovate this house - and the truck now has so many problems to fix - like a leaking gas tank, rusted-through frame cross-members, swiss-cheese bed, and wiring so messed up it catches fire if you turn on the headlights for more than a minute - that it will be years before I have time/money/inclination to put the time and resources it needs into it. So it's just sitting there in the driveway, disintegrating and being an eyesore.

I've tried several times to sell it. No takers. Not even for the same price as scrap. Which is a real shame 'cause there's so much that is just fine on this thing.

So what do you do? Leave this thing to rot in your driveway another 5 years?

[FTE Ken]

Originally Posted by RCrawler

Spoken like a guy driving a newer truck...

Jason

Spoken like a guy who doesn't know a thing about the 4 trucks I currently own, the 7 total I've owned and is taking a shot. I've owned one as old as a 67 and put a ton of time and money into restoring it, until a 25,000 lb construction dumpster was accidently dragged over it (long story), destroying it. I'm now looking for a 66 or 56 as a project.

The reality of the matter is if I have a $1000 truck that is going to require $3000 of engine and tranny work, and the truck is only going to be worth $2500 by the time I'm done, its better to sell it and get the $2500 truck. Why spend a total of $4500 on a truck that ends up being worth $2500? Better to buy the $2500 and have the extra money to pocket or spend on making it look really nice. I bought a bargain used Aerostar minivan many years ago. It ened up requiring more work than it was worth, and I'd have been better off if I spent an extra $1000-$2000 on it in the first place getting a better base vehicle. Its a lesson learned that some never learn.

Yes, the scrapper sucks --- I know first hand how hard it is to find parts. I spent 2 years locating a flawless OEM choke handle for my 67. The problem though where do you put the millions of vehicles each year which go out of service? The salvage yards can't possibly hold them all --- it sad but no way around it.

[Rocksetter]

Fred 79 f250 you dont by chance live in Michigan do you? If so maybe I could help you out with your problem. If not check out ebay and see what the parts from these are going for or consider listing the hole truck as a donor truck. I check ebay every day for dent sides in my area, I have not seen any go for under 500.00 and only a couple in that price range that were to far away to get. You can sign in as a guest and just search 79 ford truck or go into compleated auctions and search the same to get an idea value of the parts or the truck.

[RCrawler]

Originally Posted by FTE Ken

The reality of the matter is if I have a $1000 truck that is going to require $3000 of engine and tranny work, and the truck is only going to be worth $2500 by the time I'm done, its better to sell it and get the $2500 truck. Why spend a total of $4500 on a truck that ends up being worth $2500? Better to buy the $2500 and have the extra money to pocket or spend on making it look really nice. I bought a bargain used Aerostar minivan many years ago. It ened up requiring more work than it was worth, and I'd have been better off if I spent an extra $1000-$2000 on it in the first place getting a better base vehicle. Its a lesson learned that some never learn.

Yes, the scrapper sucks --- I know first hand how hard it is to find parts. I spent 2 years locating a flawless OEM choke handle for my 67. The problem though where do you put the millions of vehicles each year which go out of service? The salvage yards can't possibly hold them all --- it sad but no way around it.

If all you're going to do is flip it for a profit, yeah, it doesn't make sense to go over the value to build it. But building one to sell is different from building one to drive. Pretty much anything you build, you will never get your money out of. Judging from the price of scrap in this area, I can guarantee that truck was crushed for under $500. I know in this area, you can hardly by a used up farmers parts truck for that price.

Comparing an Aerostar van to a '79 and older truck is apples to donuts. No matter what you do, the value of the van will only go down. Whereas these vintage trucks hold their value very well. Sometimes selling for three times the original purchase price.

I would rather see millions 80's and 90's cars/ trucks go to scrap than one early model. Yes they can be saved by crushing the cars that no one cares about after their wrecking yard life has reached its end.

My comment was a bit tongue in cheek, Ken. But judging by your signature, you don't rely on an old truck for day to day transportation. You can afford search for that hard to find part. because you don't need your old truck every day.

Jason

[scottfreeman]

Jason has a good point on the daily driver part. Real enthusiasts drive their old iron daily. It is way more fun to drive something daily that you have rebuilt to your liking and for how you use it. Besides they don't make any good looking pickups anymore.

Recycling good rigs is irresponsible environmentally. Only the junk that is used up should be scrapped. Somewhere there is someone who could use those parts. With the help of forums and ebay these parts/rigs have a far better chance of being used to their fullest. Recycling pollutes the environment when the material is reprocessed. It was not polluting sitting in the field waiting for the right person to give it a good home.

I have only owned one newer rig ('96 Taco), I only had it for about 5 months. I did not enjoy it as much as my old '69 4x. I didn't even want to think about working on it. Vehicles have not improved much over the last 30 years, not enough to justify the cost.

[Rocksetter]

FTE Ken I know what you are saying about putting to much money in something, but that can be done with any thing house new truck ect. I do it a little different I do all the work my self, buy a donor truck or two, use all te parts I need, sell all spare parts or the donor truck and do not put that much money into the truck. have made a profit on all the trucks I have sold when I wanted a new project. The other reason I like to do it is you get to drive a truck that there is not one like it around every corner! They also put some serious steel in these trucks, my nephew hit my 79 with a base ball and no dent if it would have hit the wifes 02 Ranger I am rather shure there would be a good sized dent.

[FTE Ken]

Originally Posted by RCrawler

If all you're going to do is flip it for a profit, yeah, it doesn't make sense to go over the value to build it. But building one to sell is different from building one to drive.

Who said anything about flipping for profit? I'm talking about driver trucks that need to run, and need to make financial sense to own. I drove the hell out of my 67 for years. For any use it doesn't make much sense to pour money down a sinkhole truck.

For example:
1. Restoration:

a. Buy a $5000 truck, sink $2000 into it and you're done, and you have a truck worth about what you put into it.
b. Buy a $1000 truck, since $10000 into it and you have a truck worth $7000.

Which is a better choice? Easy - choice a.

2. Daily Driver

a. Buy a $3000 truck that is dependable, gets you where you need to go.
b. Buy a $500 truck that requires tons of time and money to get it to be dependable, plus the downtime costs.

Which is a better choice? Well, if my time is worth nothing, and my don't mind throwing money into a sink hole... go for B. Most people, however, don't like spending money they don't have to, and their time is worth something --- myself included.

Pretty much anything you build, you will never get your money out of. Judging from the price of scrap in this area, I can guarantee that truck was crushed for under $500. I know in this area, you can hardly by a used up farmers parts truck for that price.

Maybe if the guy had it sitting in his drive-way for years, it wasn't running and it was going to cost $3000 to fix it, and his wife was on his case to get rid of it? Sure, maybe he could have gotten $500 or more for it, but is an extra $200 worth running an ad, dealing with people coming by your house and waiting a few weeks to sell it? To many people its not worth the hassle. Or sometimes... you just get so tired of a money pit you just want it gone.

Comparing an Aerostar van to a '79 and older truck is apples to donuts. No matter what you do, the value of the van will only go down. Whereas these vintage trucks hold their value very well. Sometimes selling for three times the original purchase price.

The principle of buying a better base is the same, regardless of the underlying vehicle.

Buy a $500 Aerostar... its going to take $3000 to make it as reliable as $2500 Aerostar. Buy a $500 truck and its going to take $3000 to make it as reliable as a $2500 truck. Of course those are rough numbers, but for pretty much every vehicle out there its better economically in the long term not to buy a bottom of the barrel vehicle, but instead to pay a little more to get a lot more.
S

I would rather see millions 80's and 90's cars/ trucks go to scrap than one early model. Yes they can be saved by crushing the cars that no one cares about after their wrecking yard life has reached its end.

Its simple economics --- the salvage yard is a business, and unless its something special, not a truck made in the millions, they don't have economic motivation to save it. The bulk of the salvage business isn't going to come for early model trucks. Its coming from vehicles 10 - 20 years old. As much as I want old Ford truck iron to stick around its just not going to happen.

My comment was a bit tongue in cheek, Ken. But judging by your signature, you don't rely on an old truck for day to day transportation. You can afford search for that hard to find part. because you don't need your old truck every day.

Very bad assumption. I drove my 67 for 4 years as my sole vehicle. At one point I was driving 70 miles each day to and from work. I was working on it at the same time I was using it, and if I couldn't find a part for the restoration I improvised until I located it. I founded this site, Ford Truck Enthusiasts, because of my 67 F100. I also currently have a 75. I know all about owning, maintaining, repairing and valuing these trucks.

[Old Tired Rebel]

Just the right song.

Another one Bites the Dust.

[TheNomad]

wow that sucks poor old ford

[FTE Ken]

Originally Posted by Old Tired Rebel

Just the right song.

Another one Bites the Dust.

Dirty Deads Done Dirt Cheap comes to mind as well!

[Old Tired Rebel]

A Request... I'm trying to do the cheap too.

Dirty Deeds

[Rocksetter]

Think this might be what FTE Ken is talking about this is no bull comeing right out of Michigan auto and RV. 1995 Ford F 250 pearl paint, hot motor, 38" tires very clean, over55,000 invested too much to list, motivated seller 15,000 OBO Lansing, MI. Thats Nuts! over 55,000.00 in a 95 F 250 and sell for 15,000
John

[Old Tired Rebel]

Originally Posted by Rocksetter

Think this might be what FTE Ken is talking about this is no bull comeing right out of Michigan auto and RV. 1995 Ford F 250 pearl paint, hot motor, 38" tires very clean, over55,000 invested too much to list, motivated seller 15,000 OBO Lansing, MI. Thats Nuts! over 55,000.00 in a 95 F 250 and sell for 15,000
John

I'd ask for receipts,thats too hard to believe.

[Rocksetter]

Glad ya'll like my title! And another ones gone and another ones gone another one bites the dust. Just for the younger ones who have never heard the song.