Although I'm disappointed, I think you made a wise decision. I'm sure it will be there for a while. A truck like that takes some special care. Be sure to keep us updated on future events.

 

If we all called and offered less, he may reconsider the offer.

 

Brilliant. I think you have enabling down to a science.

 

The problem with most people with rusting old iron is they think it's worth almost as much as if it was completely restored. They don't take in consideration the time and cost to bring an old piece of iron back to like new condition, or even in useable condition. I recently dealt with a woman with an old car that thought because she saw similar cars in restored condition on the net selling for between $20-30K that the car we were dealing with was worth a small fortune. She figured once I restored it I could easily get $20-30K for it. I had a rather long discussion with her informing her that to make this car a $20-30K car I'd have to put at least $20K into it plus about 2000 hours of my time. Even at $5/hr that would amount to another $10K, and I value my time at a lot more than $5/hr.

Also, with a vehicle like a M-H of this size there is a very limited market for it because it is hard to move, expensive to store and many parts are almost, if not impossible to find and are expensive. Once the truck is done is like an old farm tractor, you just can't hope into it and drive it down the road, you'd have to trailer it for any distance because it's so big and slow and costs a small fortune to drive it a short distance. The truck might be worth $20K+ with done but that probably wouldn't even come close to what was put into it.

People outside the old car hobby just don't understand the added cost to all old vehicles. They watch Barret Jackson and all the car flipping shows and think a weeks worth of time and you can double or triple your money. They have no idea. You're lucky that at the end of the restoration you break even on what you have into it and don't keep track of your time because it will only make you cry if you do sell it.

I've bought a lot of parts vehicles and again people think I'll make a fortune off of them. I'll explain to the seller I'll buy their vehicle for $500-1000, spend 1-2 hours driving to get it, drive 1-2 hours loading it on my trailer and then another 1-2 hours driving it home. I have 6 hours invested already, plus gas. When I get it home it'll take probably 24 hr to cut it up, done a couple of hours a day when time allows. Then I have to store the parts until I find a buyer. The money I do make looks good until I start adding up my time and fuel (both vehicle and torch), the profits tends to shrink quite a bit but I do it mostly because I'm able to get a few parts I need and I also enjoy the hunt and digging into old iron.

 

Pete. You should copy all of these post and give them to the old guy Then offer him $1000 instead of the 1500 tell him after reading all of this you realize you over valued it for what it will take to restore. Hopefully he will realize its a good deal for both parties. Have fun

 

Varrrry interesting... I love the idea. I'll make that baby seem so crappy that he should be scared to own it. You have to wonder though, if he were to die, what his wife thinks it's worth... just gotta wait I guess.

"oh, that truck over there??... ooooooo, yeah....that's going to take over 1.2 million dollars to restore, so you might as well give it to me" Haha

By the way, nicely said Bobj... I wish I could give this guy your phone number.

 

I've run into this type many times.

BTW, my wife is the type the will probably sell everything truck related I have for scrap price when I croak. When she looks at my stash all she sees is junk so the first person that comes along and offers to remove the "junk" free will probably walk away with a pretty good deal. I don't have a lot of valuable stuff but I still have some parts that are worth a lot more than scrap.

 

Thank the guy politely for his time, tell him you just can't afford to spend that much on it now. Leave your contact info with him and let him know you'll check back periodically to see if he still has it or if he see's fit to lower the price to give you a call. I've scored a number of rigs this way. After a year or 2, circumstances change they want it gone. Don't insult him or make him think his price is too high, just tell him that price doesn't work for you and be patient.

 

Bob, don't worry as soon as you croak I'll be first in line to get your stuff for ridiculously low prices or maybe free! Hmmm... I wonder how much scrap value is on an F4?

 

Good advice and if you really want to buy and preserve the truck stay in touch with the guy. Make sure he knows your intention is to preserve the truck and maybe some day blow snow again. Take some of your research with you when you check in with him. Some potential sellers will finally make the decision to part with their treasures if they know they are going to a good home. Bottom line is we really want you to get the truck and then we want to come up and help you get it running and then we all want to go out and watch it work again! Man... I've got this sickness bad!

 

We are a group of enablers, if we can't buy something we will try to live through others, ever if we get that person in trouble with their significant other

Rob, why do I hear Gordon Lightfoot playing in the background:

"Sundown, you better take care if I catch you creeping around my pole building",♪♫ well sort of

 

Ahh... Gordon Lightfoot...

Sundown you better take care if I find you been creepin' round my F4!

 

I think that fine '51 F-4 needs to be rescued before Bob soils it with his 48-50 sheet metal. I've offered to be the rescuer too, Rob, but Bob wasn't hearing it. Stu

 

OK, which one of you is going to take the time to change Gordon Lightfoot's lyrics and change them to a FTE/Bob/Ford related song??

Here are the original words:

Sundown, ©1973 by Gordon Lightfoot


I can see her lyin' back in her satin dress
In a room where you do what you don't confess.
Sundown, you better take care
If I find you bin creepin' round my back stairs.
Sundown, you better take care
If I find you bin creepin' round my back stairs.

She's bin lookin' like a queen in a sailor's dream
And she don't always say what she really means.
Sometimes I think it's a shame
When I get feelin' better when I'm feelin' no pain.
Sometimes I think it's a shame
When I get feelin' better when I'm feelin' no pain.

I can picture ev'ry move that a man could make;
Gettin' lost in her lovin' is your first mistake.
Sundown, you better take care
If I find you bin creepin' round my back stairs.
Sometimes I think it's a sin
When I feel like I'm winnin' when I'm losin' again.

I can see her lookin' fast in her faded jeans;
She's a hard lovin' woman, got me feelin' mean.
Sometimes I think it's a shame
When I get feelin' better when I'm feelin' no pain.
Sundown, you better take care
If I find you bin creepin' round my back stairs.

Sundown you better take care
If I find you bin creepin' round my back stairs.
Sometimes I think it's a sin
When I feel like I'm winnin' when I'm losin' again.

Good Luck!

 

I've greatly improved the looks of that truck with the '48-50 sheet metal.

Heck, I had enough trouble remembering the correct words!! I just wanted to get the idea out there.

To get back to the subject, kind of, I have given up on waiting these types of sellers out. I've waited on more than a few that either wanted what I thought was too much or just not quite ready to sell. I've checked in on them every so often and left my information. Every single time after a couple of years the vehicle disappears and I find out later that it was sold for scrap, usually because the owner had passed. The few times the owner was still around they told me they sold it cheap because they wanted it gone and when I reminded them that I had interest in buying the said they didn't think I'd still be interested. I wasn't a nag, I'd stop in about once a year and spend time politely talking with them. Now if I come upon a vehicle I want I will feel the seller out and make an offer and tell them that's the best I'll do. I'll keep it polite and not insult the person or his vehicle but I won't waste time, theirs or mine, trying to haggle over the vehicle.