Does $5k Buy anything decent these days????

[arkracing]

So I'm thinking about buying another Truck. '71 or '72 K20 prefferably (I haven't found anything yet though) I look in the local craigslists, here on the board, local swappers etc.

I'd really like a clean bodied K20

Seems like everything is out of reach that is clean. Projects are in the 3k range and everything seems to be far away from the northeast. JoesJunk recently had a saddle color one that he took the 2wd drive body and put it on a K20 chassis - super nice!! but out of my price range.

any thoughts? Would it be cheaper to buy a rusted out POS K20 and try to find a clean 2wd body?

Sorry - just frustrated

Don't know if it was ever sold, but this thing is sweet!
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/c...ct=1997&cat=12

[Joesjunk]

Thanks for the kind words about my K20, I still have it, its just been sitting in the garage all winter. I am going to try to push selling it more in the next few months.
K/20's seem to be the "think" right now, thats one reason why I built that one. And I was lucky enough to get a nice 2wd truck to swap to the 4x4 chassis. I think you will be hard pressed to find a "nice" K20 for 5K. If you have the know how I say get a 4x4 chassis, or rusty 4x4 driver and swap a nice 2wd body.
I have several 3/4t 4x4 chassis if your interested in one.

Good luck!!!!! Let me know if I can help!!!

[1972Ryan]

Heres one on Ebay that may be worth the drive.....Item number 320224511707

[griesel72]

i agree, you will be money and time ahead to just do a body swap.

[shifty]

Mine was advertised on Craigslist for $4800.
I paid $4000 cash out the door.

Pics: http://satellitehead.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=5

I dunno, does that seem worth $5k?

Well, if it does, I turned back around and hacked it up Probably got three or four times that in it, and I can't drive it.

Yes.

I know.

I might make smart purchases, but I'm still a dumbass

[Chevyman680063]

$5,000 can buy alot, you just have to be in the right place at the right time. My uncle bought an all original '70 LWB Chevy from an old guy for $600. It had the original paint, interior, engine, A/C, radio, etc, and it ran great. All my uncle did was put some wheels, tires, and a new exhaust system on it and it drives and sounds great. Only thing I can find for $600 is a pile of rust.

[Longhorn Man]

dont be afraid to travel.
The further west you go, the better the odds are of getting good sheet metal.
The less sheet metal repairs you need to make... the more money you are ahead.
paint and body is THE single most expensive part of a build.

[1971 K10 shortbox]

You do have to be in the right place at the right time. I got my 71 k10 swb (rust free) for $4500 last summer, plus I got two parts trucks in the deal as well. The thing that brought the price down was The k10 was completely dis assembled. But it made it affordable, and besides it gave me the chance to do it the way I want it. It always pays to just take your time.

[special-K]

$5,000 will come close to buying my`72 Highlander.I`m asking $6,500 for that one.It`s a western all original paint body.It isn`t rustfree,but you`d never find a cleaner east coast truck.It`s a great driver as it is.I`ve kept it`s condition as it was when bought out of CO.
Unrestored fairly rustfree well optioned western trucks run in the $6,000-$8,000+ range from what I`ve seen(back east).I know I could get one cheaper (maybe) if I took a trip and did a search out west.But,any that would be offered to the east coast will have the east coast price.Then,there`s getting it here...add at least another $1,000.Back here,just a rustfree body would be worth $5,000 sitting on a piece of crap.

[70cst]

http://www.rustfreeclassics.com/

This guy will occasionally have GMC/Chevy 4x4 in the price range from $5500-6500 which he gets from from out west. You might give Scott (?) an email and say this is what you are looking for. I don't know him personally but others say he is a stand up guy. Like others say....patience is a virture. Mechanics is cheaper to repair than rust for the most part. Good Luck!!

[arkracing]

Originally Posted by Longhorn Man

dont be afraid to travel.
The further west you go, the better the odds are of getting good sheet metal.
The less sheet metal repairs you need to make... the more money you are ahead.
paint and body is THE single most expensive part of a build.

Wow thanks for all the responses so far, more than I expected to get.

Living in New England, cars here are ususally on a 10 year plan - drive them for 10 years off the lot then junk them.
I know all about Body & Paint being the most expensive/time consuming part of the build. I did a '69 Stepside (Floors, Rockers, CabCorners, APillars, Fenders, Rad Support, Inner Fenders, Rear Step Fenders). I just about broke even when I sold it

Anyway - looks like the best thing to do is buy a western 2wd as they are considerably cheaper and then get a K20 chassis to swap it onto. That way I can do whatever motor/tranny/axle combo's I want. If I buy a complete 4x4 and want to change stuff, it will get expensive very quickly.

That rustfreeclassis place in IN is pretty nice, but he gets good $$ for the 4x4's - of course they all look super clean
I found this place a long time ago and thought it might be a viable option as well
http://www.rustfreeparts.com/index.asp

[special-K]

He`s about 90% stand-up.I`ve deaklt with him before.But,if he has a K/20 for $5k it`ll be a rough low option one that he reduced because it hasn`t moved.His K/20s start out at around $6k and up to $9k,untouched used trucks.Indianapolis is a flght and a good drive from the east coast,still.

[sea chief]

I lived in Connecticut for 40 years and have bought several of these trucks. I have moved, but still look in the Bargain News online and alomost always there is one in there. You just have to keep your eyes open

[Ace in the hole]

I am doing my k20 the hard way. It's a rusted out mess but I got it off a local farmer for $600 and drove it home. I just started on the body work now, got my cab floor all torn up. Not sure yet if it's the cheaper way to go but I am enjoying the project.

[Longhorn Man]

I was going to mention rustfreeclassics.com when i typed that responce out last night, but when i looked, he didn't really have much there. The burb he's had for 6 months or so. Most of the people I've spoken to that has purchaced from him have nothing but good things to say. We've had at least 5 or 6 guys come and go through here after buying from him.

[Hart_Rod]

$4500 will buy you this:

http://www.67-72chevytrucks.com/vboa...d.php?t=275856

.

[sleeper67]

thats what my plan is for a truck i recently got. its a real nice bodied 2wd truck that i think i have found a 1 ton frame for as long as this guy who has it calls me back. anyways, good luck with your search.

[joedoozer]

Mine was $4000 OBO with an extra engine. Has a new generation 305 in it, and the original 350 was sitting on a tire in the back of the truck (broken oil pan bolt). Gave him 3200 for it, and things runs like a champ. Great deal. Took me a few months to find it though.....and of course since I bought it, I see trucks like it for sale everywhere hahaha. Here is a link to it.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=279356

[special-K]

I flew out and bought one from him (Rustfree Classics) through an ad in Hemmings Motor News before i was using a computer.Scott said the truck drove straight and rode like a new truck.He had reciepts for new front end work.The front end work was a new rotor and when I drove it from the airprt to his place it wandered all over.I meantioned that and his response was,"You`ll get used to it." He knew I had been into these trucks and older for a few decades.I know what a worn out front end feels like.Then,I paid him for a new dash pad,seat cover,steering wheel,and arm rests.He only had the seat cover and dash pad (same mfgr LMC buys from) and was supposed to send the wheel and arm rests.It got dragged out and I lost track of it for a good while.I had stored the truck and kinda forgot awhile.He had been paid,he shouldn`t have forgotten and it was his call to make.When I called about 6 months later he played dumbLong story short,I never did get the parts.That`s the 10% bad.Other than that He was great to deal with.He`s a GM engineer and this is a sideline.He doesn`t know much about these trucks,though.He has buyers and he gets ripped off sometimes on bad info like the rest of us.I was misled by Classical Gas Station (now gone),too,on a truck I bought.But,it was much worse.I had gone through a spell where I didn`t have time but had the money,so I wanted to buy stuff that was already decent.But,I learned not to buy from any business with "Classic" in it`s name.But,that`s just me.I still look at Scott`s stuff and dream.I`m sure if money was no problem I`d buy from him again.It`s as much paying for the service as buying a truck.

[67ChevyRedneck]

I looked at a 72 shortbed fleetside Chevy over the weekend. My initial thought after looking it over was $2,500 to $3,500. It had a newer carbed 350, original 3 speed, dirty/original interior, what looked like a 15 year old paint job without much life left in it, rust in the corners and rockers, knock off rally wheels, lowered by heating rear springs and cutting the front... all for $7,500. My jaw dropped

Being a 72 it did have pdb, ps, and a not working factory A/C system.

[72freak]

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/car/595871353.html

[Tonka59]

There are some good deals in Vegas. I got mine for 2800 (72 K20 LWB) with fresh motor/trans, working AC and pretty much only needed paint and a seat cover. The truck was in factory paint and I bought it from the origional owner (have all documentation) and with no rust. Bought it from an old man in Pahrump NV (north of vegas)

[CCCC]

Longhorn Man and Tonka59 give some good info and advice here. If you can spend some time in the SW, you can get almost as much truck for the $$ (mechanical and options) but - most important - with very little or no rust. Here is a pic of one I bought for $4,500 a little while back. K20, 350, 4 spd, lifted a bit - runs very strong.

[Number98]

Originally Posted by shifty

I might make smart purchases, but I'm still a dumbass

Thats priceless......

[67ChevyRedneck]

Originally Posted by 72freak

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/car/595871353.html

That's a nice truck, is it yours?