No market for my 57 in Austin area
 

To all the members running an ongoing project of do it yourself restore program's and are not professional talented!!

I am completing my move from kingsland tx to pagosa springs co. My 57 is the last item to move. I drove it up to Georgetown, tx and put an add in craigslist and auto trader under classic trucks. My price was $15k, then 13k and not one call. All I wanted to do is get rid of it. https://austin.craigslist.org/cto/d/...327879305.html

So I have no intention of making money on this machine as you can tell buy the list of upgrades that I have 20k or more into it. This has been a project, something to do, while passing the time, learning new mechanical skills and now a winter project in the barn.

I am saying this because in addition to new parts and some professional labor, I have a couple of do=overs. Putting disc and power brakes on the old suspension, Having the motor rebuilt twice because I decided to finish the first rebuild and install it, not noticing that I dropped a small nut into the
intake manifold and destroying the engine when I started it. Plus several small or medium price screwups.

HAVE A PLAN, A LONG RANGE PLAN. I guess the purpose of this post is to say; "Not do as I did just buy something and instal it without looking ahead". Will you need that upgrade in the future?

Now I am renting a car hauler tomorrow and will be home in CO Thursday. A winter project to fix more screwup's.

IT IS REALLY ADDICTING TO KEEP GOING ISN'T IT??

Re: No market for my 57 in Austin area
 

That truck will do great in Colorado, you really do need a big block to go over the mountains. Texas is mostly flat, I used to cruise up and down I-35 at 80mph with a 235.

Re: No market for my 57 in Austin area
 

If you want an honest opinion from someone who has sold every car I have ever posted on craigslist in less than a week and gotten as much or more money than hoped for... While your listing description is fine, your pictures are terrible. If you spent at least 10 more minutes taking photos, you probably would have gotten some action. I typically find a nice backdrop consisting of either an open well manicured field, middle of a deadend street with really nice houses on it, or similar scenario. Your truck looks to be flat black or a dark primer so I'm not sure how much detailing you can do, but do as much detailing as possible for the interior and engine compartment. Speaking of which, no interior shots??? Bro. Take photos of the front, back, both sides, both sides of the interior, straight on the interior, and all sides of the engine compartment. If underneath looks great, get that too. Get creative with the angles to get the best photos possible. Get rid of the shot with another vehicle. Your truck should be the center of attention. I'm no professional photographer, but I know what looks appealing for selling vehicles and after all the detailing I do they basically sell themselves.

Re: No market for my 57 in Austin area
 

Thanks, good advice. I have more than twenty pictures, I will sort through them.

Re: No market for my 57 in Austin area
 

I'll add something to the suggestions.... let potential buyers figure out what they think the truck needs. If its not a major mechanical issue, you're doing yourself a disservice by calling out the minor flaws

NEEDS:
Front fenders adjusted to fit better, grill fitted properly, professional paint job, I built this hot rod re-model and I am not perfect. Some fitting, grinding, professional painting to make it look pretty, bed box wood for floor, although I have a heavy steel floor available. Rear wheels no longer fit wheels are 2" to wide, needs a fix.

Re: No market for my 57 in Austin area
 

Another great idea, thanks

Re: No market for my 57 in Austin area
 

I See you deleted the the add, I have to agree that one of my major gripes when looking at adds for anything is photos that aren't up to par or have junky and cluttered backgrounds behind what is for sale.

On the wheels that don't work right with the current setup. I'd find a low buck set of used wheels that did fit right that weren't terribly ugly. I'd rather buy a rig with rollers on it than be expected to pay a premium because the seller took it to the tire store to put new wheels and tires on it the day before he posted it for sale in hope of jacking the price up. I see that too much around here.

That is a pretty decent looking truck that has the right goodies on it, someone should fall in love with it once they see the potential.

Re: No market for my 57 in Austin area
 

best way to sell your truck for $30k is to invest $60k in it :D

this popped up in the free press on sunday

Re: No market for my 57 in Austin area
 

My eye went immediately to the red grille and bent front bumper and said to myself 7500 at best. I would paint the grille white, get a new bumper or take that one off. I don't know if its primer or not but armour all it and it will make a world of difference in the look. No front bumper, white grille and a little more shiny I think you'll get your number.

Re: No market for my 57 in Austin area
 

I actually missed the red grill and bent bumper when I looked at the add but agree that both are deal killers.

Looking at Ogre's post reminded me of watching the Barrett Jackson Las Vegas auction Friday and some on Saturday. I saw several nice AD, TF and later trucks go across the block for far less than what the cost to build them would be. One AD did cause a bidding war but it had just been featured in a magazine a few months ago and was a pretty fresh build. The older builds that were obviously older builds but still real nice trucks brought decent money but I kept telling myself that no way could you build that truck for that. Most of those trucks will go to somewhere where they are a fresh truck at the rod trots that no one has seen locally though.

I still think that the guy who wants to make a deal on that 56 is the one who reads what pieces are in it and what it has going for it mechanically. He will be the one who has plans to make it his own and see it as a good starting point.

I

Re: No market for my 57 in Austin area
 

Thanks guys, you are brutal. However, after looking at the replies you are correct. A fresh reality check says it is time to fix the ugly spots. I have made it to Pagosa Springs and will start the ugly fix.

Re: No market for my 57 in Austin area
 

Sometimes being honest seems a bit brutal.

The Austin area has probably got just about as high a percentage of people who like old cars and old trucks who also have expendable money as anywhere in the country but at the asking price they want a truck they can climb in and drive home and then take to a cruise night that night. Possibly with full documentation on all of the mechanical parts and pieces showing that they were new and fresh and what had been done to them rebuild or performance wise would have helped.