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Not cheap to take a decent truck and make a good driver out of it. I bought mine 14 years ago it as a reliable driver and I paid more for it then than I wanted as I was looking for a project, but the truck was VERY solid. I paid 13K for it with a flatty V8. Headers and 12v was the only non original items, , all chrome and bumpers were new or redone, paint was faded. I drove the heck out of it for 12 years adding 48K miles. The past two years I fixed her up again, with A/C, Ford Racing 306, AOD, Disc brakes etc. I now have another 40K into the truck and drive it even more, still way cheaper than a new truck. Put 300 miles on it last weekend and 15K since the redo in 2 years, yes decent paint jobs where the truck is taken apart do cost +/- 10K. 20K for a good driver is a very fair deal.
Went through the same thing when I bought my first truck. I wanted a driver but all I could find were basket cases and finished trucks. Ended up buying a basket case 48 F-3 for $500. Converted it to an F-1 with 350/350, Chrysler torsion bar, new interior, etc., and was happy with the 5 year project. Sold it for $12,500 when it was done and just about broke even. Current owner is very happy with it. Not as lucky on the second truck. It was a running 49 F-1 that I also built over about a five year period. I bought it for $3900 but had a lot of rust in it. Sold the flathead, put in a 302/FMX, Chrysler T-bar, 10-bolt Chevy rear, new interior, and sold it for $11,200 but I had about $16,000 in it.
Not cheap to take a decent truck and make a good driver out of it.
Now that is a very good point. There are decent trucks, drivers, good drivers and beyond. Where the transitions are is an individual thing. Costs go up exponentially.
I can probably get a barnyard find up and running on a $1000 budget, but is it safe and reliable? On the other hand, adding new car safety and convenience is costly and really does very little for the authenticity of a vintage vehicle. The $50K spent on a new vehicle will go very far in the old truck market, but you better have it cash on hand because you would be very lucky to find a banker willing to translate that to easy monthly payments without some serious collateral behind it.
I saw quite a few options in your price range in the sacramento craigslist for 48-52 trucks. One I think hits it to a T. except for the chevy engine....
Other options above CL and Flea-Bay are to go to a local cruise night or car show and find a truck that does it for you. Look it all over as if you are admiring it, and sincerely compliment the owner on what a nice truck he has. Make sure he/she knows that you appreciated that they brought it there that day.
Then walk away...for awhile. An hour maybe?
After a reasonable break, even maybe the next week's cruise night or the next show - come back to the truck and have another, closer look. Make sure the owner is there and sees your interest.
Mention that you have looked at all the trucks there that day and his/hers is the one that you like the most. Without being too dramatic or abrupt - carefully mention that you have been looking for a truck for XX months and want to buy one. Ask him if he/she knows of any as good as theirs that is for sale. Note the indirect approach. Don't mention your price range OR that you want to specifically buy theirs.
This method might get you close to either some leads on local trucks for sale, or hopefully an indication if that particular one is for sale. That show is not the time or place to talk specifics, so give him/her your name and phone number and leave it as he can contact you if he has any local intel or wishes to chat further about selling that one.
We all know that about half of all the cars/trucks at a cruise night or car show are effectively for sale. Another portion of them can be induced to sell if the inquiry makes them think about having cash or to get another classic car that they would like to have instead - even if they weren't previously thinking about selling it. Some owners (?? percentage) simply have no immediate or future plans to sell and that's it period.
Try this approach. I know it's winter time right now, that is why so few trucks are being listed for sale. Come spring, the market warms up. Trucks come back out into the sunlight and can be seen again.
Some things to consider are that each owner of a truck, if they are bringing it to a show or cruise night, have already heard the typical lines from guys who want to buy it. The 'in-your-face' dudes that almost demand that you sell it to them even though there is NO for sale sign. Then there are the guys that are just trying to impress their friends nearby by suggesting they have enough money to buy a car/truck and will loudly ask you what it is worth. And also the guys that say they had one, want another and have $XXXX dollars what is your bottom-dollar to sell it - even though you have no for-sale sign. Screw all of them. I've heard these lines often in the last ten years when I bring cars/trucks to these events. But I have sold two Chevelles to people who took a different and more courteous approach to making an inquiry when I had the cars out in public. I had no intention of selling a '68 Chevelle for example but a guy was so interested in it at a car show and was willing to pay a more than reasonable price after he got to know me - it soon became his car. We both won on that deal.
So I guess I'm saying to you that if you can wait about 4-5 months and then hit the cruise nights and car shows (check your local club online calendars) and do some discreet looking around - you just might find a truck that meets your wants and needs. It might not be the ideal color or condition, but you won't have to buy it from a total stranger or pay to have it shipped. Chances are you have a few candidates right within 50 miles of you. And the owner doesn't even know yet that he is going to sell it until you plant the casual seed of inquiry.
Just my thoughts.
Good luck, by the way - I hope you find a sweet truck that just needs your finishing touches. Why did I just write this long, drawn out reply to help you find a truck? Cause you said that you prefer the 51/52 models. And a few guys here think you should aim for a F2 or F3. It's like if I didn't reply, I'd have my membership card revoked.
Well, a sale just ain't gonna happen. My reaction is it's just not worth the hassle to sell anything. As long as I've got the room, I'm gonna keep 'em and enjoy 'em.
I've thought about selling my panel a few times, also the partially restored F-4 I have sitting in the back shed but then I think, "They aren't getting easier to find and they aren't getting cheaper." I figure I might be able to get, maybe, $8K~ for the panel and maybe $2000 for the F-4. If I sold them my wife would find a bill that had to be paid or some other expense and the money would be gone with a short time, poof-gone! At least with the trucks sitting in the sheds they're there and I can go out an look at them whenever I want. The F-2? There are times I would like to dump all three and be rid of them but then I'll go out to the shed in the morning and see the cute Monkey Face smiling at me.
From my viewpoint, watching the ads, forums on different sites, etc... I've noticed the hot ticket of today is the '51 and '52 F1's. Mostly for the flatblack ratrod crowd. And so when demand rises, so does the overall prices. Comparatively, those year F1's are what the '56 F100's were about 15 years ago.
Just take a look here on FTE... most newcomers these days are folks who have recently bought an F1, with the majority of them talking a '51 or '52. Hardly anyone comes on here now, saying they just picked up a '53-55, let alone a '56.
01-22-2015, 08:21 AM
