I've got a couple of upgrades/repairs I am thinking about doing on my 69. I'd like to replace the old bench seat with an updated version from a later model 150, and while I was sanding the tail gate last weekend, I discovered that it had been bent, straightened, and packed with enough bondo to cover it all up.

We've had the truck in our family since the early 80's, so I have to assume it was done by the previous owner, but the gate is split and rusted from the handle to the top edge, so i want to look into replacing it.

This is my first time in auto restoration, and I was wondering if anyone could give some ballpark prices of what I can expect the junk yards to want for these two parts. its easy enough to compare it to aftermarkets, but I don't know if half the cost is reasonable, 25%?.

Thanks in advance for your input!

 

In my experience, junkyard prices depend on supply & demand. If there's not a whole lot of 'em in your area, prices will be higher than you might think for used parts. If there's lots of yards, competition comes into play and prices are better.
Just keep your eyes open for a tailgate...in junkyards, and literally out behind barns, etc. I bet you can find one you like for $25 to $50. When it comes to seats, any bench up until about '96 or '97 should fit right in there...buckets are a different matter, and sometimes scarce. I found a good F150 regular cab bench seat in the local shopper paper for $150. Another good source is the customizing shops. Sometimes folks buy a truck and go straight to the customizer...these shops sometimes have really good stock seats for cheap, or at least reasonable. You won't find many good usable bench seats from '69 in the yards, unless you are d*** lucky. They are rare and go fast when one appears.
Come to think of it, I've still got the brown fabric split-back seat out of my '90 F150 supercab. It ain't cherry, but would only need a recover. If you're ever near Lubbock, Texas, let me know and if I still got it, you can have it. Guess it would fit your regular cab.