"If another truck comes along, I'll sell this one."

I heard that line before! Hopefully your wife believes you!

Offer him $2200 cash and see if he bites.

 

I asked him about the title today. He said it was clean and that it was in his name. He lives in VA though. Should that be an issue? I will be chatting with him again before I drive and if it all checks out, I plan on buying this wednesday.

Uh oh. Like you would register for a tag? From my understanding, he bought the truck off of a lady who lived on a farm with her husband. He was no longer using it for whatever reason. She had it towed to the current owner's address where it has been since. He got a new job around the same time and is hardly ever home. He said he rather sell it to someone who can use it, than let it fall to pieces in his driveway.

The fuel filler neck/cap was removed because he was troubleshooting the fuel issue. Said he has that there, it just wasn't in the pictures. There is a brush guard in the bed which came off the truck. I was curious about the diamond plate. I wonder if I could cut it off and redo the wood underneath(if indeed it has/had wood once).

It does not currently run. It can run if you spray starter fluid, or gas into the carb. Going to try to facetime with him tomorrow and he will give me a walk around of the truck. Crossing my fingers and hoping for the best.

Any input on the title situation would be awesome. I'm not clear on what needs to happen yet.

 

Fortunately, my fiance does not care. "Whatever makes you happy" is what she told me today. She's not fond of this one at all, but I'm hoping it will grow on her.

 

For the title make sure the numbers that identify the truck match the truck on the frame. It should be in his name and he will have to sign it usually on the back transferring to you. You also want a bill of sale that is dated and has the sellers name along with the truck description and ID number on it. It should have the sale amount that you paid and state it is paid in full. If you get that you should be able to register it in NC or any other state. It also protects you so he can not say you stole it later. He should sign the title and bill of sale in front of you. If you really want to be extra careful do the transaction at a notary public or police station or at least look at his drivers license and write down the lic number. Basically use your head if it looks to good to be true walk away. If he wants to make some crazy deal walk away. Let the buyer beware is always safe. Most but not all people that are selling these old trucks are good people. Most of all have fun.

 

Thanks. I planned on finding a notary to witness. Hopefully that and what you mentioned is all that's needed.

 

The VA. title should not be a problem, so long as everything else checks out. Again though, make sure that the serial number on the title matches exactly with the one stamped in the passenger side frame rail near the fire wall. I'm not sure about NC, but some states insist on the number being verified on out of state vehicles.

 

Definitely will get him to verify matching numbers.

 

One more thing -- do not except a photo copy as a valid title!!!!

 

Just FaceTimed the fella. Seems like a good guy. Gave a real good walkaround of the truck.

My biggest concern with the truck at this point is rust. I had him check the cab corners and there is imo, a good amount of rust. How bad is too bad? The little spots you see in the pictures is surface rust, and not holes thankfully. There are a couple of rusted through sections under the door(maybe even the doors themselves) but the running boards seemed ok. The other area that needs attention is where the battery sits, but I think that looks like an easy fix. Still has the 6v system.

The bed did have the wood planks in it still. The diamond plate addition seems to be the case.

It has a brush guard which he believes is factory. He took it off but has it still.

He turned the engine over so it's not seized at least.

He said it could be a duelly, and all I'd need are the wheels. Not sure if I'd want to though.

And lastly(for now), he showed me the vin in the glovebox but was unaware of the one on the frame. He said either he, or his brother in law will verify the numbers match(on the framerail) for me later tonight or tomorrow.

So....with the addition of the things I mentioned, am I still looking at a truck worth what he's asking, if he won't budge? He must have mentioned 5 times how firm he is on the price.

Thanks a ton guys. You've been a great help. AXRacer, I'm interested in some details on the workshop, but I work every Saturday so that could be an issue.

 

Would it be worth your time to take a new fuel pump and put it on to see if it runs before you buy it?

 

That's an option I suppose. He did tell me that he can get it to run by spraying starter fluid/fuel into the carb so that tells me it is only a fuel delivery problem. Was going to get him to do that when I went up there but hadn't considered swapping in a pump. And I'd hate to get it running for him just so he can say thanks and decide not to sell it!

 

Hmmm, good point!

 

Had that happen to me once.
Was told that a nice little old lady had an older oldsmobile sitting in here garage for years and wanted to sell it. Got there, big boat of a delta 88, worthless to me other than maybe the 455. (I was told the car was mint, guess they didnt notice it had been painted with a roller).
Long story short I got it running for her and then she said "oh now that its running I cant sell it, I am going to need it!"
I just thanked her for her time and drove home

 

Good: the repair patch panels for the cab corners and the rockers are made. Depends on how much rust there is and how much body work you are willing to do, or pay someone else to do ($$$) Repop doors (also $$$) are available (check the door bottoms for rust of frames and/or outer skins. Used, repop, and/or NOS body parts and repair pieces are fairly available but can get pricey.
Bad: Most difficult to repair potential rust zones are above roof gutters along body seam above rear window, around top and under rubber molding at bottom of windshield, repair panels must be custom made, difficult multilayer areas. Rust out is the most expensive and time consuming part of rebuilding these trucks. I can do my own body work and teach it, but I went to NM to buy a rust free truck. IMHO if rust thru extends more than a couple inches up from bottom you may want to keep looking for a better example, especially if you don't have shop you can tie up for several years, don't want to learn to do body work.
Front fenders for F250 are not reproduced, repair panels for fender lower edge are available but not area above headlights, or front of hood. Shorty flatbed running boards are not repoped, check carefully over diagonal stiffening ribs, Also check floor for repairs/rust especially if the under floor battery box is rusted away.
Unless you plan on rebuilding/using it I wouldn't worry about condition of engine, tranny, or rear end or assign any value to them if you will be replacing/upgrading (likely if you plan on doing any more driving than occasional short local commutes, expect your SO to drive it.)
Out of state title transfer in NC requires DMV officer to inspect paperwork and truck to verify papers are complete, match frame serial #, run in stolen vehicle data base. If the title was not officially transferred to the current seller that will complicate process immensely. Glove box plate is nice to have, but is not legal ID. Serial # has a lot of info coded into it, post the number and we can decode it for you.
Reality check: rebuilding into a safe dependable vehicle (nothing fancy, just drivable) will cost minimum of $10 - 15K, consume 3 - 10 years of intense work. Having to hire out the work will multiply time and money 3-4X. You will NEVER get your money back. Best recommendation is to buy the most complete drivable vehicle you can find, and let someone else take the hit, you cannot build as cheap as you can buy someone else's project. especially if you would rather spend your time driving it rather than working on it. It's a MAJOR commitment be sure you are up for it before jumping in.

PM me (click on my user name at top of this post, select send PM from the drop down menu) your email addy and I will send you info on the workshop.

 

Excellent advice, once again Ax. However, I 'think' the size of the F250 fenders depended on the size of the wheels on the truck. If it came with 16" wheels then the front fenders should be the same as the F100 fenders.....

Also, I think Mid fifty sells a piece to fix the front lip of a hood.