I found a pretty solid 1977 F100 long bed, 302 AT. The truck is complete, running and driving. From my initial inspection it appears to be very close to rust free. The motor is from an 85' and runs strong. Now the downside...

The truck was advertised as a 73' for $1500. I noticed right away that the truck has a fuel door, a 76'-77' grill and newer badging. Obviously all those things can be changed but the truck appeared to be mostly original. When I checked the door jam sticker, it confirmed what I originally thought, the truck was manufactured in 10/76 making it a 77' model, not a 73'. I asked the owner why he thought it was a 73' and he said it was titled as a 73. A quick look at the driver door tag did indeed match the title. Obviously the door did not come on this truck, and the under hood tag was missing. I did not check for any of the other vin tags on the frame or bed.

Soooo, should I buy the truck knowing that the title is for the donor truck the door came off of and not for the actual truck I would be buying, or should I just pass? I should probably be able to get the truck for around $1200, actually I would go no higher then that. For a truck as solid as this one is in my area, it is a steal... but then again, maybe it is actually stolen.

 

I ran into this with a CJ5 a while back I contacted my state dmv and ran all of the vin #'s I could find on it. They all came back clean and I purchased the biggest financial mishap of my life. (it was a piece) but I didn't have any title problems. check the other tags and run them through the DMV.

 

Here is a link to the actual truck... 73'? Definitely not!

73 f100 pick up for trade

 

For a parts truck maybe. For a driver my policy is no matching paperwork, no buy. Either way I'd write down those vins and have your local pd or dmv run the numbers. I would not want to buy someone's stolen truck.

 

Wow, the guy who posted the ad didn't do well in grammar school that's for sure!

 

Yeah, that's for sure. I actually found the truck in person before I found it on Craigslist.

 

Walk away from any and all title funny business. Otherwise, that's a good way to turn someone else's problems into your problems, and get roped into something. Too many other good deals out there to screw around with that kind of nonsense.

 

I agree , get a clean bill of health on the numbers ! I ran into a title issue years ago . It was no fun ! Took me 6 months to get it strait , for a car I was just going to resell . I now look close a vin numbers .

 

The idea is that I would be buying this truck as my wife's daily driver. When I titled the two 78's I currently have, they never even glanced at the trucks. The door VIN plate matches the title, so even upon initial inspection it would be fine. My issue is more of a moral one. For somebody that has had things stolen from them, I would hate to think that I was driving someone's "misplaced" property. I guess if I were to confirm that the truck was not stolen, then there should be no issues... Right?

 

If you can confirm it not stolen , no moral issue .

 

If you plan to keep the truck forever, go for it. I bought a truck that the door VIN didn't match the title. DMV put an E instead of an F and the person it is titled to doesn't care to get it fixed. So for 4 years I have had a 1200 dollar paperweight in my driveway. Been fighting with Missouri DMV for 3 years. My advice leave that truck where it's parked.

 

I just tried to look up this truck... already deleted. Maybe Sgt Friday already got him?

 

ad has been pulled as of 8 pm or prior to

 

you win

 

I wonder if he sold it, or pulled it due to FTE callers. Either way, no great loss.