Looking at buying a 1980 Ford F100. Like to know if you guys think it's worth it or not.

It's a 2WD with a high floor standard cab and Flareside bed with wood bed boards. Has a 300 I6, C6, Swiss cheese frame (in perfect shape; was redone), custom trim with no options except power steering), 94-ish Alcoa Ford wheels (tires are on there way out but usable). The guy worked at a Ford dealer for years, and now has his own resto-shop. He says they screwed him over at the DMV, it had 46K and they said it's to old to have just 46K, so they made it 146K. He said he didn't feel like going through the paper work to get that reversed. He since then put 100K on it, so the title states 246K. I tend to believe him as the engine compartment looks to be un-tampered with since new (original paint and worn stickers on the engine and truck).

He replaced the common rust out areas with OEM panels direct from Ford. These include the cab corners, roof (branch fell and dented it), front fenders. Rebuilt the bed, now showing some minor rust as it was rebuilt and used as a truck. Frame was sandblasted and painted (and looks it). All the body work that was done was done about 15 years ago, and it has been normally kept inside. Floor pans are solid, no rust at all. He said he had to patch one area but it was done right. Peeled back the carpet, and it was all really really clean. The area right inside the door on the cab near the bottom of the jamb is showing some signs of rust, but it's not bad. Paint is OK, not great but looks amazing from 20 feet. Has various dings and minor dents, mostly on the doors. Needs doors as they are starting to rust through on the bottom.

Engine runs well but doesn't idle worth a crap (carb work?). C6 may be leaking slightly from the front seal (what he said). He added stabilizers, and he didn't mention it but it also has a set of Ranchos. The paint is that '90's Lightning color, vermilion red (bright, would almost put my buddy's calypso coral 'stang to shame), and the interior is tan. Interior is in OK shape. Seat's torn cloth, door panels are shot but comes with a set of perfect ones. Carpet is new, dash is perfect and has no cracks, etc.

The truck comes with an old set of OEM rear flareside fenders in perfect shape and tailgate (because the gate on it is chewed up along the top). Also comes with NOS door handles. Bed wood is shot, but it's not rusted underneath, it's all clean and painted. Rear bumper is gorgeous, front bumper is painted steel (same color as the truck).

Bottom line, he wanted $3800. I got him to go $3000, but he said he's not going any lower because of "the time, labor and money invested into it plus parts". I don't have a camera, because I would have taken some pictures.

Anyway, you think I should bite or try to go lower? I like the truck, and think that maybe the higher price is worth it for all that rust work I don't need to bother with. What do you think?

 

It sounds like a cool truck and the old flaresides are hard to find, but $3000 still sounds like too much for the truck. You mentioned that it has rust issues on the doors and bed, plus the wood floor in the bed needs replacing(which isn't cheap). I would say that maybe $2000 would be a more reasonable price.

 

from the way it sounds it dont sound like he will go down any more. id say go for it. it sounds like a great truck. i mean its obviously gonna have some things wrong with it. and you said that he has his own resto shop. maybe if you buy it from him for 3000 you can get a deal from him on some of the work needing to be done on this truck and be a customer of his just to show him the appreciation for dropping the price.

 

Yeah, I have a feeling he's not going to move any more. I know it's worth a bit less, but it comes with those extra parts that I think makes it worth it. I mean, where do you get a new set of original Flareside fenders anymore.

 

thats the thing you dont thats why the price is higher than it should be. personally if it didnt come with the original flareside fenders i would probably give 24 or 25 hundred for it but id have to see it in person but from ur description 24 or 25 hundred and those fenders are worth several hundred

 

Ehh go for it...I like my 80.Good truck.The problem is your truck is from a ford mechanic,so he knows exactly what he has and what he can get out of it..I paid 400 for mine,in pretty much the exact condition,except that i only have rust in the driver's side floorboard..But in place of rust i'm sorting out some electrical issues..The guy i got my truck from didn't know jack squat about it,and he just wanted to get rid of it...

 

Sounds like a nice truck I say if you think its the right one and you like it want/need it go for it....

 

For $3000 I'd demand he had it running properly first. You can get a lot more truck for that kind of money these days. The transmission also puzzles me. The F-100's were less workable than the F-150's, what is a C6 doing in that truck? I would expect to find a C4 or a C5 in that thing.

 

I agree about the price being a little high--with gas prices what they are, trucks and suv's are just not selling well (across the price/year spectrum). I'd try to bring it down a little more.

My 82 f100 came with the same I6/c6 combo, so it seems they did make some of them a bit beefy. Only difference between it and an f150 were the smaller axles/brakes.

 

I think I will try to go lower, as I do feel that $3000 is a bit much, nice as it is. I'm feeling 2600-2800, more toward the high side do to the parts included. I don't want to push my luck too far.

 

You have to think..."What's it worth to ME?"

 

We don't have that rust problem here in Texas, unless it lives on the coast or migrates down from up north. But let's see: dashpad in good shape- $100+ if not. Door panels $100+ for new, fenders $4-500, rear bumber $100+ tailgate $100, new door handles $40or more,so- $940 in parts, if you want to look at it that way. $3000-$940= $2060. You could do worse. Heck-you could almost part it out and get more than what you have in it. I wouldn't give half that for an 81-86. (NOT really- I just like my '80.)