I tend to believe that a vehicle, especially a truck, really stops to depreciate once it reaches a certain point. Almost any truck, that runs (or runs half-way decent) and has a decent body is worth a certain value, NADA price be darned.
That said, I have a plain jane 1983 Ford F150. The body is straight and the paint is good. The interior is good, the seat has a new saddle blanket seat cover. In the past year, I have put in a new clutch kit, new shocks, new master cylinder, new battery, belts, hoses, etc... The truck has only 85000 actual miles and runs great. I know what the book value is. What is a fair price for this vehicle if I were to sell it?

 

What options does the truck have and how much does the money mean to you. What I mean is, if you need X amount to cover some of the costs of fixing the truck and you're determined to get every dollar you can for it, then ask high and don't budge. If you don't really care about re-couping some of the maintenance costs, then you can haggle a bit. If the truck is 4x4 and you live in a largely rural area with people that like to go into the great outdoors on the weekend, that could get you a higher price. Does it have a working A/C system? Power windows, locks? It's little stuff like that that gets you the cash.

My truck for example is a bare bones, no frills 3/4 ton 4x4 with a rebuilt 460, new clutch, good paint and 0 rust. The rebuild has less than 5000 miles on it so I feel that if I wanted to sell it I would ask for $4000. But with the poor gas mileage it gets and the price of gas, I might not get what I think is fair for it.

It really depends on how flexible you're feeling that day. I paid $4000 for my truck 3 years ago because it had everything I wanted and needed when I found it and I needed a truck pretty quickly to get to and from work. I would think a decent price for a truck like you describe would be around $3000.00 if it were 4x4, $2500.00 if it's a 4x2.

 

My Grandfather told me this once,"It's only worth as much as someone is willing to pay"If you can get them to pay you $10,000 then it must be worth $10,000 to that person.My point is that it all depends on what the market will bear.Something to keep in mind are the deals to be had on Ebay.I have purchased 2 Ford F150s,one with an extra tranny and a cap and the other with an extra motor and tranny both with straight bodies.One needed the tranny replaced but they included the tranny and the other needed the carb rebuilt.I paid a grand total of $375.00 ,One was 60 miles from my home,the other 40 miles so I had $50.oo bucks in gas for a total of $425.00 so for less than $500 I have 2 running driving F150 4x2's

 

I'd say a halfway decent older pickup that starts and runs good has a minimum $2500 value here in S. Texas. From there it depends on the cab, the bed, the engine, the tranny, the options, the maintenance and care given the truck, and of course, the individual preferences of the prospective buyer. (Don't sell a F150 300 4X2 to someone who would really rather have a F350 400 4X4 for cheap dollars.....wait on the right buyer)

 

i can pick them up for 2500.00 everyday here. Just depends on the local market. ours is flooded with old trucks.

 

I paid $1000 for the truck. I know it "books" for less than that. The thing about "value" is not the age but the condition. Where are you going to find a truck like mine (straight body, low miles, good paint, lots of new parts) for less than $2000? When I look at value, I tend to think about how long the truck will last and how much use I will get out of it. For $2000-3000, I could probably find something a little "newer" but what "condition" would it be in and how much use would I get out of it without putting a lot of money into it?
In a recent post here regarding the 300 inline 6, someone stated that the 300 is great if you want a truck, but not if you want to cruise around town. Right now, that's the boat I am in. I need a truck once in a while, but it often has to be a second source of transportation. With gas prices being what they are, I am contemplating selling my F150 and finding something cheaper on gas. I was thinking of asking $2000 but did not want to be too much out of the ball park. And again, if it doesn't sale, no problem.
Thanks for the feedback!

 

Today I bought a 1984 F150 4x2 with a good body and a bad engine with title for $100.