Value Of A Converted LWB To A SWB

[BHRS]

I have a very nice straight original '72 Cheyenne Big-Block truck and after reading the various articles on shortening a LWB to a SWB I am thinking about doing it. I have been building Hot Rods for years so doing this isn't out of my reach and I know to measure twice and cut once...

I guess the question I have is: "What does this do to the value of the truck?" Will this hurt or help the value when it is finished after a ground up rebuild and it is done correctly?

Thanks-Brian

[dan42]

IMO it's like making a convertiible from a hardtop. Bottom line is if you are doing it to make money, at least be honest to the guy when you sell it. I personally would not pay the same $$$ as I would for a true SWB.

[Robznob11]

Well never know its all about the buyer yea some people give big money for an original but they usualy look for un restored or oem paint and they are few and far between if you make a hot custom most people wont care what the thing started as, if the workmanship is good and it looks bad to the bone they will pay top dollar. id say go for it sb's rock lb just roll (body roll that is to big for much corner carving) just my 02 ive seen cool lb's too please no one pull a drive by on me!)

[cdowns]

i wouldnt pay much for a shortened longbed

[70cst]

BHRS ...
I agree it really comes down to the buyer. Dan42 makes a good point...[QUOTE]the bottom line is if you are doing it to make money, at least be honest to the guy when you sell it.[/QUOTE] If I wanted a swb I would only purchase a factory swb. If I was looking for a rodstoration then it would not be that big of deal. If you are doing this for you...then go for it. If you are doing this to make a profit I would say buy a factory swb and fix the truck up and sell it. I would think it would be much easier to sell a factory swb than a converted lwb-swb truck? JMHO

[special-K]

Well...it`s like this.When buying vehicles we like to hear things like body`s straight,no bondo,no bodywork,all original,unmolested...
Alot of states are cracking down on altered frames these days,too.

[BHRS]

Originally Posted by dan42

IMO it's like making a convertiible from a hardtop. Bottom line is if you are doing it to make money, at least be honest to the guy when you sell it. I personally would not pay the same $$$ as I would for a true SWB.

I would not be doing it to make money or to fool anyone. I am just wanting to see what y'all think about the value when finished. I just don't want to shoot myself in the foot when and if I do sell it.

Will the truck be worth more as a LWB or a SWB?

[Robznob11]

"we" meaning regular people wanting a regular truck. what about that guy that says thats and awsom truck never seen one like that before i got to have it, he don't care if the frame is cut as long as it was done correct simple tape mesure takes car of checking that. i mean you won't have the only shortened lwb truck but im sure if you go to that extent your going to give it your personal toch and ideas. just a question how many daily drivers do you see shortened. probably not many, ok how many cars at sema have choped, cut, sliced, totaly re created, most all, witch ones coast more money, witch would you rather have parked in the driveway, you don't have to be chip foose to make a killer truck or car. there is lots of undiscoverd talent in the world....personally I have a good friend named jason hill ( hills hot rods out of lubbock) he is all over the mag's mostly trucking mag, when i met him 10 yrs ago he worked at the john deer house, who would have known that one simple paint job on a blazer with air bags would make him a top talked about painter and customizer in the us....

[Shyguy]

My son had a '70 C-10 LWB with a slightly modified 350 for years and always wanted a short bed BB. He kept looking around and found a 454 and built it, then he found a short bed truck with the cab pretty shot.

He bought the short bed and used the cab and front sheet metal from his LWB to put on the short bed frame. Then he put the BB in it. He is still doing some body work, but is able to drive it. He found it was easier and quicker to go the way he did then to convert a LWB frame and bed to a short bed.

I guess it is up to the individual as to what he wants the end result to be and how much time he wants to tie up in the conversion.

Like many others have said the value of these trucks really depends on what a person is willing to pay for it.

Danny - Southeast Missouri

[BHRS]

Originally Posted by Robznob11

"we" meaning regular people wanting a regular truck. what about that guy that says thats and awsom truck never seen one like that before i got to have it, he don't care if the frame is cut as long as it was done correct simple tape mesure takes car of checking that. i mean you won't have the only shortened lwb truck but im sure if you go to that extent your going to give it your personal toch and ideas. just a question how many daily drivers do you see shortened. probably not many, ok how many cars at sema have choped, cut, sliced, totaly re created, most all, witch ones coast more money, witch would you rather have parked in the driveway, you don't have to be chip foose to make a killer truck or car. there is lots of undiscoverd talent in the world....personally I have a good friend named jason hill ( hills hot rods out of lubbock) he is all over the mag's mostly trucking mag, when i met him 10 yrs ago he worked at the john deer house, who would have known that one simple paint job on a blazer with air bags would make him a top talked about painter and customizer in the us....

Thank You...some really good points I didn't think of.

I have looked at some swb trucks in the area and most were just beat with endless modifications like sunroofs, pieced together bodies from 10 different trucks, and lots of rust. I found this one and I just could not pass it up-it is just so straight and rustfree. Like so many publications say-start with the best, most complete, straight vehicle. I just have not been "into" the 67-72's long enough to know the value and the rarity of my truck.

[gotchevys?]

If you were doing it to profit I'd say its not worth the time or effort. If you are builing for yourself and may sell it someday then go for it.
The way I see it is, if I build a truck i'm building it how I want it. If I want a pink truck with purpleflames, 8 inch chrome stacks and Auto Zone spinner hubcaps, then by God thats how I'd build it. As long as the workmanship is good I wouldn't give a $h1t what the next guy wanted. just my $.02

BTW: fell free to photoshop my "dreamtruck"

[streetstar]

I would not think that a truck with a shortened frame would be worth any more than an equivalent, nice long bed --- my opinion though, if you shorten it, do something else to it rather than make it look like a torched long bed frame -- ie, four link or ladder bar it if you are into performance, . That way it draws attention away from the cut frame. I have seen some that were done so well you couldnt tell they were shortened from the exterior until you saw the doubler on the inside of the frame rail (welds with great penetration, then ground smooth on the outside)

If your particular truck is a Cheyenne big block, a mod like this might hurt the value though -- it'd be better to find a short bed frame to convert it if you can find one

[va_tlc]

iv owned 2 swb 4x4 that my brother has cut down and and re did. and he has done one for himself. i have no problem at all with owning a cut down truck. whats the diffrence? as long as its done rite. lets say your riding down the road and a nice looking truck is sittin on the side with a 4 sale sign in it. u stop and look oh you jus gotta have it. then the owner tells ya its been cut, well you look and see that its been plated on inside of frame and all looks good. what would ya do? as for me if its the truck i wanted and it looked safe and i could afford it id buy it.. my point is like someone else stated its up to the person buying it. the first swb i drove for around 7 yrs and had alot of guys wanting it. well when i deciding to sell i told the person it had been cut . it didnt matter to him he loved the truck... bhrs cut it man... ohh and yea we (like) to hear things such as original paint. no bondo! no dents! no flaws! but when i hear that... the price is outa my league. then again when we buy aftermarket metal fenders doors and things. which is gonna last longer jap metal? or a patch panel and bondo? just my 02.

[67_C-30]

It depends on the buyer of course, but SWB trucks are worth so much more than LWB I think you'd get more money for SWB. I lot of people say don't cut down well optioned Big Block LWB, but when you do that, you end with a well optioned Big Block SWB truck, and we all know what they worth. The best way to do it would be to put all the componants on a SWB frame. They are cheap enough, but it would be a little more work to do it. If I was doing a frame off resto anyway, I would go ahead and swap it over. Either way I went, I personally would not put big money into restoring a LWB.

[bad6772]

Originally Posted by Robznob11

Well never know its all about the buyer yea some people give big money for an original but they usualy look for un restored or oem paint and they are few and far between if you make a hot custom most people wont care what the thing started as, if the workmanship is good and it looks bad to the bone they will pay top dollar. id say go for it sb's rock lb just roll (body roll that is to big for much corner carving) just my 02 ive seen cool lb's too please no one pull a drive by on me!)

no drive by lol but when my 72 was altogether i would put it up against any short bed for cornering and or handeling, and when im done with it the same applys, my 67 lwb handles like it on rails, and i have had good conering vehicles so i have a good comparison. my 67 is 3 ich drop front coils sway bar, edelbrock shocks, rear is 5 inch drop ccp, sway bar, edelbrock shocks....just because its a long bed has nothing to do with handeling IMO

[streetstar]

Swapping the frame is one thing --- short bed trucks are not that rare and you can get plenty of them for less than 3k ---

Cutting the frame is another.

The value of the long wheelbase trucks is catching up to the short beds everyday -- so as far as resale value goes , it does not matter as much as it did a few years ago --- if it is a resto- custom, and you had to have a SWB, i would rid the road of one of these roached out sunroof having, fender vent and roll pan equipped POS's and use the frame.

If your building a serious custom or competiton oriented vehicle , then it doesn't matter, --- cut all you want

[see ten]

A lot of valid points have been presented here. Now, if it was mine........I'd cut it down or swap the frame.

[chevy truck crazy]

I agree with alot of everyones points already but factory shortys are getting harder to find all the time and where im from long beds are still really availabe I was going to have a long bed cut but I got lucky and found a shorty so I post poned the cut idea for now but would definatly do one some day.

[jkaylor68gmc]

It does not matter at all.
How about the million Model A fords on reworked '32 frames or the '40 fords with IFS frontends under them.

[Frizzle Fry]

I could be wrong but I think the market for these trucks generally looks like this:

3 otherwise identical trucks:

Highest Market Value=Factory SWB
Mid Market Value=Properly Shortened LWB
Lowest Market Value=LWB

I would personally pay more for a well built shortened truck than for a long bed. Nothing against LWB's that's just the truck world as I see it

The bottom line is, do it right and your truck is not going to be worth any less than it would be as a LWB (IMO).

[Angelse68cal]

As long as the person who did it did a great JOb on it I agree with frizzle. Also I would have the owner of a Cut Truck Drive in front of me before I bought it to make sure it Dont look like a side winder going down the street. Just my .02

[BHRS]

Originally Posted by Frizzle Fry

I could be wrong but I think the market for these trucks generally looks like this:

3 otherwise identical trucks:

Highest Market Value=Factory SWB
Mid Market Value=Properly Shortened LWB
Lowest Market Value=LWB

I would personally pay more for a well built shortened truck than for a long bed. Nothing against LWB's that's just the truck world as I see it

The bottom line is, do it right and your truck is not going to be worth any less than it would be as a LWB (IMO).

Frizzle, I like your market value ladder. That is what I had in my mind as far as what the market is looking for. Since I am not building it to satisfy anyone but myself the value is not a top priority, but it is something to think about. I was looking for opinions positive and negative to the idea of cutting her up into a SWB and the pros and cons.

I bought a '98 SWB C1500 new and loved the truck. After getting married and starting a family I needed more room-so I sold the SWB and bought a used Z71 extended cab. To make a long story short, I was tired of computers, fuel injection, and taking them in for service work-that is why I sold the Z71 and bought this truck-I can work on it. I looked for over a year and could not find a decent 67-72 SWB in running condition for what I was willing to pay ($3000-$5000 was in my budget to purchase one). So when I found my '72, it was what I was looking for as far as options, condition, and price. After reading the threads on converting long boxes, I am toying with the idea of making her a SWB. Personally I like the SWB trucks when they are lowered, stock appearing, and detailed.

I first got this idea from a Trucks episode when they shortened a '65 or '66 LWB. I was surprised how easy it really was, then I thought about how the lines are on the '67-'72's and figured they just would not line up. After doing some research the last couple day's on how some of you guy's did it and everything actually lines up good, I wrote this up just to see if cutting her up would be the wrong decision. From the response, it sounds like I am in the company of some true Hot Rodders. I guess it is true what they say, anyone can restore one-it take a real man to cut one up!!!

I am not going to the garage tonight with the tape and blades ready to cut, but when the time comes I am going to strip her down and cut some metal.

Here are some pictures of it when I bought it this spring.

Thanks-Brian

[70cst]

Highest Market Value=Factory SWB
Mid Market Value=Properly Shortened LWB
Lowest Market Value=LWB

I may have a loose screw but I am hard pressed to believe that a "Properly Shortened LWB" is worth more than a fully optioned BB LWB? Maybe a plain Jane LWB but that is not what is stated. Also you have to put the value based on the buyers. A purist will not even look at a modified frame truck. But if one is looking for a nicely shortened LWB and doesn't care about the originality then he would be just fine in buying a shorthened LWB truck. We have to value our trucks based on the buyer and not the the seller. JMHO I think if one shorthens a LWB he needs to do it because that is what he wants and not what it will bring on the truck market someday. Keep this threas a going as I enjoy the different perspectives to this topic.

[streetstar]

Originally Posted by 70cst

Highest Market Value=Factory SWB
Mid Market Value=Properly Shortened LWB
Lowest Market Value=LWB

I may have a loose screw but I am hard pressed to believe that a "Properly Shortened LWB" is worth more than a fully optioned BB LWB? Maybe a plain Jane LWB but that is not what is stated.

A purist will not even look at a modified frame truck. .

you hit the proverbial nail right on the head

[Frizzle Fry]

Originally Posted by 70cst

Highest Market Value=Factory SWB
Mid Market Value=Properly Shortened LWB
Lowest Market Value=LWB

I may have a loose screw but I am hard pressed to believe that a "Properly Shortened LWB" is worth more than a fully optioned BB LWB?

Originally Posted by Frizzle Fry

"...market for these trucks generally..."

-AND-

"3 otherwise identical trucks"