Going to look at a truck (47,000 original miles...)
 

My father-in-law found a truck that he wants me to look at. It is a 1985 Silverado Classic with 47,000 miles. The person selling it says he is 80 years old, and the original owner.

I have not seen the truck, but my FIL has. He and the owner both say it is perfect inside and out. The owner said the only problems with the truck are a pinhole radiator leak and a broken factory radio.

He is asking $6000 for it. That is quite a bit more than I would like to pay for an old pickup, but likely worth it if it is as nice as the owner says. I have an appointment to see it in the morning.

What is a Silverado Classic?

What do you guys think of the price?

Slonaker

silverado is simply a trim option meaning that you got the quad headlights and all the fancy interior trim. I never heard of a Silverado Classic?
Silverados were NOT standard with all the power goodies and tilt they were still options. So for that money make sure that it is at least Loaded. look at headliner and condition of all the interipor plastic & brushed aluminum trim.
85's were still carbureted so nothing special there. :(
95% chance It will have a 305 unless someone knew the special order code for calif. option which meant that the 350 was available ( only about 5% of all 81-86 1/2 ton pickups had the 350).
Yep, thats good money for an 85 but have you checked to see what a body shop wants to put cab corners/rockers in and paint a truck? thats has to be a consideration for me as I cannot find a backyard bodywork guy that will do any projects for me and I do not have the facilities to do it right myself.
When paying that kind of money it better be what you like . In otherwords if youy really want a Red/white one with gray gut one like I do then don't pay $6,000 for a triple blue one.!

No such animal as a Silverado Classic. At least none I've ever heard of, but I've been wrong before. :)

I didn't think any 81-86 1/2 ton pickups had the option for a 350, not even Cali. I knew this changed in 87.

Good luck with it.

Thanks for the reply, crossy. (edit: and swervin)

I already have a very clean, rust free '86 Silverado, but it has 215,000 miles on it. It took me 18 months of looking to find this one.

I am familiar with the trim levels, but I have never heard of the "Classic" designation. If you guys haven't either, it is probably just a $500 dealer sticker option. :)

I did not want a blue one when I was looking, but guess what I got?

<------ see my avatar!

Im betting that if Classic is in the name...Its probably a GMC and a Sierra Classic. ;)

Yeah, I was just thinking that tonight.

What is the trim level equivalent is a Sierra Classic? Is it like a Silverado, or is it more like a Custom Deluxe?

I rolled by the guys house today while I was running between jobs. I didn't stop, but it did look very clean. It was tan on top and white on the bottom. Is it just my imagionation, or are GMCs usually two-toned like that?

Slonaker

the Sierra Classic is like a Silverado trim package. I like the GMC grilles better those years, but that is just my $.02.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by swervin ervin
but I've been wrong before. :)

I didn't think any 81-86 1/2 ton pickups had the option for a 350, not even Cali. I knew this changed in 87.but I've been wrong before. :)

OK mike I changed the way your quote read a bit but I never added anything:-)
the LS9 350 was actually an emissions option 350 for Calif. only. It was a LOW compression 350 rated a whopping 5 HP more than the 305 but did it at 600 lower RPM it was also 30 more foot Lbs. of torque. I've only seen it in ONE of ALL the trucks/blazers I've had . DAVE

I prefer the GMC grilles as well. I have considered replacing the one on my Chevy with a repro GMC grille that does not have the GMC lettering.

Slonaker

OK Dave.

Don't get your panties in a wad. Just meant I'd never heard of it before. :rolleyes:

While on the topic of the different stock packages, is a Bonanza anything special? What did they come with?

[QUOTE]Originally posted by crossy

Quote:

Originally posted by swervin ervin but I've been wrong before. :) I didn't think any 81-86 1/2 ton pickups had the option for a 350, not even Cali. I knew this changed in 87.but I've been wrong before. :) OK mike I changed the way your quote read a bit but I never added anything:-) the LS9 350 was actually an emissions option 350 for Calif. only. It was a LOW compression 350 rated a whopping 5 HP more than the 305 but did it at 600 lower RPM it was also 30 more foot Lbs. of torque. I've only seen it in ONE of ALL the trucks/blazers I've had . DAVE

I live in California and have never seen an original '80s 350 in a 1/2 ton. Must have cost ALOT of money and probably had extra emissions crap on it! :barf:

Price is really high unless this thing is absolutly show room. I just bought a 88 454 Burb with 72k that is just abou as clean as they get. Little fade in the carpet and driver side seat needs a new foam base. Otherwise perfect inside and good paint outside.

It's easier to list what optioons it doesn't have. It didn't come with limited slip and if doesn't have the factory tinted windows. It's otherwise loaded including rear window Defrost and Dual A/C. I paid $5k for it and that's $1k above what www.kbb.com said was going rate. It was worth it. I really don't see a 305 Chevy 1/2 ton being worth $6k

Guy I bought it from bought it when it was 2 years old. He and his wife used it to pull a Airstream. Even with those low miles it's been to Cali at least twice. When it wasn't towing it was in a carport parked next to the 31ft Airstream it towed. Gentelman that I bought it from was 86 and you wouldn not have known it. Super nice guy. He and his wife was to the point where they couldn't travel as much so they sold the Airstream and didn't need the truck. It had a wopping 1200 miles put on it in the last 2 year. They had a 10 year old Caprice in the garge (last year before the round body) with about 30 k on it.

He also had a 72 long bed with a 402 and 157,000 original miles that was in excelent condition.

Here is the burb and the 1959 Airstream that it was bought to pull.

Here is the 71 that was also for sale.

I looked at the truck this morning. It turned out to be a GMC, as I suspected.

It really is beautiful. He bought it new with 8 miles on the odometer in 1985. It has 47,500. The only problems I saw were old tires, the non-working original radio, a pinhole leak in the radiator, the paint was just starting to get a little chalky (I think it will rub out), and the paint on the tailgate does not quite match because the tailgate was stolen several years ago and replaced.

The rubber all looks really good, the seat and carpet are immaculate,and the dash has no cracks. It has tilt, cruise, and power windows and locks.

The truck is absolutely complete, with every emission control still in place on the 305. That is really rare in a city that has never had emission control checks. It is coming in the next few years, and we will all be hurting when it does.

I fell in love with the truck. Unfortunately he has decided that he wants a firm $5500 for it. I don't think I want to pay that much. I will probably regret it if I don't buy it because I can't make mine that nice for the difference in price.

We'll see...

Slonaker

$5500 doesn't sound that bad to me for such a clean truck. I know everyone has a story about the truck they bought that was just as clean for $1500 but those days are slipping by fast.

These trucks are getting old. Even an 87 is 15 years old now, and really clean truck that are local are getting harder to come by. I say if you really want it, and can afford it go make a deal.

I bet his "firm" $5500 could become $5000. if you had cash in your hand....

Sounds really clean. I would try to get him down some. Like N2TRUX said, when you have cash in your hand, it is amazing how low people will go from their "Firm" price.

I probably will offer him less, just because I can. I doubt that it will have any effect, though. He is 80 years old, and says he loves the truck. He bought it new, and is obviously quite fond of it. His wife died recently, so he no longer needs two cars. He says he is just trying to simplify things for his kid's sake when his time comes by getting rid of a few things.

The only thing working in my favor is that he WANTS to sell me the truck. He says that he can tell that I like it, and would care for it like he did. A neighbor wants it, but he has not old him it is for sale because he believes he would not care for it.

I don't think money will make any difference. He obviously has a LOT of it. He lives in one of San Antonio's most expensive neighborhoods. His wife's car, that he is keeping, is an almost new Lincoln Towncar. :)

Slonaker

So if money isnt an issue for him, you should be able to get a really good deal by telling him how much you love the truck and how much you will care for it just like he does. It might work.

You need to impress upon him that although he could possibly get more for the truck, would they care for it like you? To some people, a truck is nothing more than another mode of transportation.... to a gearhead it's worth much more. An older guy like that might like the fact that his well cared for vehicle will go to a good home. Offer all you can pay & see if he'll let you pay out the rest or put a deposit down to hold the truck for you while you save up the rest. If it's clean & unmolested, & your considering spending 5k, $500 isn't enough of a difference to let a good one get away.

He must be an 09'er....

Yes, the owner is an 09er. :)

It isn't that I can't afford it. I can. I just don't want to pay so much for an 18 year old truck.

Also, I bought my truck planning to keep it forever. I have been buying all the best parts I can for it because I never planned to sell it. I also have a lot of work in it. I am just finishing up an engine project where I pulled it down to a block, two heads, and the crank. Everything else was replaced or sandblasted and repainted.

I don't want to sell it. Unforunately, I already own 6 vehicles (the truck, 4 cars, and a scooter), and I don't have room for more. :eek:

I'm not complaining. It is great that I have options. I just can't decide which option to choose.

Oddly enough, I was talking with my wife and 3 of her friends about the truck tonight at a party. All 4 say that I should buy it, drive both trucks for a few months, and decide which one to sell. (I am so happy to have a wife that is so supportive of my addic..hobby.) That is good advice but I want to keep them both! :D

I guess I'll have to make a decision soon.

Slonaker

What's one more truck. Heck, the last thing I needed was my 77 Cheyenne. I already had a garage full of trucks, and I'm WAY buried in my 82 Blazer project.

I made the mistake of looking at it on Ebay, then went and looked in person. Now I own it! I don't regret it for a minute.

Yes, I need to sell a truck or two to ease my parking situation. But even when I play the drive way shuffle every morning, I don't regret having my latest toy. Besides, how often do you get the wifes blessing to do something like this? You better not pass that up....

Right now I am leaning toward not buying it. To keep it, I would have to give up my current truck. I don't think I can do that. I <3 my truck. :) I have too much work in it to give it up.

Slonaker

Sorry to hijack the post here...but that 71 is SWEET gr. It's a longhorn too!!! *drool*