My costs to get the '69 "Right and Reliable"

[1971 GMC SHORTY]

In 30++ Years Building Trucks and Harley's I have Never Keep Track Of What I spend... Don't Care or Want To Care.... What I Spend...
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[Oxmarqt]

Looks like I will be updating the list shortly.

Went to Kent, OH this morning from Columbus. Beautiful weather and the truck was running great. Halfway through Akron the RPM kicked up a bit and I went Uh, Oh! Got off the freeway at Rt. 43(Brimfield) and it wouldn't shift out of first. Crap!!

Parked it at a Holiday Inn, called a friend to pick me up and went to a meeting I had scheduled. After the meeting I called AAA and had it towed back to Columbus. Thank God for AAA Gold membership as the tow only cost me $65 since the first 100 miles are free.

Back to the drawing board.

[ole dollor]

sorry to hear about the trans, but that is one nice truck....

[Mister-B]

Originally Posted by stexag

Whenever possible on what a 'hobby' costs (my truck is not a DD) I go with the 'head in the sand approach'. I never want to know what it costs - or I probably wouldn't do it!!! One of the biggest shockers to me was a few years ago when my wife started keeping books on the computer and categorizing expenses. Now the totals are just a keystroke away.

She'd asks "You know how much you spend on the boat?? Your old truck??? The kid's 4-H animals???"" NO NO NO! don't want to know! Ha ha. Good on you for being able to keep an accounting and share it!

Yeah, I hear you. It's the same with anything though. I've been surprised how quickly eating out can add up. Hundreds in a month, if you're not careful
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[slow-1]

That's a very nice truck at a reasonable cost.

Labor costs can be a killer!

I keep all my receipts too, I just never ad them up.

[ItsRandy]

Yeah...nice truck?

[magwakeenercew2jh]

In 2004, I "finished" my first truck. A '72. It was nice enough to get a little spread in Classic Trucks (March, '04).

For some unknown reason, I decided to sell her. Pay some bills, or something. Maybe it was because she was "done". I don't know.

I live about 40 miles from ECE. The guys are top notch. I spent $$$$ there on the '72. So, I took an ad to hang on the bulletin board...
Still hadn't decided on a price. So, I asked them. I think it was Stan who said, "We'll, see what thery are going for first." "And, here's a pen and paper."
"Figure out what you have in it."

"Naaaaw!", I said. "I don't want to know." "Besides, most of the parts came from here, anyway." "You really think I should add 'em up?"
"Just to make me feel bad and you feel good?"

Long story short, I added 'em up. Not down to the nut and bolt. But to a pretty good guess.

"$26,000," I told (I think it was) Stan.

He said, "Okay...now cut it in half."

I build everything with my own two hands, short of paint and insides of the big driveline parts. Just like every bike I ever built.
Just like RAT1968. I build 'em to own 'em. If I decide to sell 'em, I'm the loser. In more ways than one.

I appreciate those that have a better handle on the disease than I. You guys that get a good starter and make it pretty and serviceable...
...More power to ya. That's an art in itself...And a big part of that is knowing when to stop.

I never, ever think about the cost/value ratio. Unless I feel like beating myself up. Of course, I got more stupid when I stopped drinking and,
well,.....everything else... in 1981.

So, I still have two hobbies that are, overall, less expensive that the $%^t that I *used to do*..

One is Permanent Designated Driver. Second is turning a wrench.

[scrappydoo2k2]

This is the thread I've been looking for, so I must resurrect it and hope you guys will validate my first post here ever, for I have been a lurker

I would love to build an old "reliable" truck. But I am finding that it likely can't be done for even the cost of a new truck (or at least a gently used F-150)!

I was reading down the list of parts from the OP, and got to the $100 he spent on the 700R4 on craigslist. I couldn't open a webpage fast enough before I was searching all over craigslist in my area (Austin, TX, which sucks, btw, because nobody here is into old cars. Guess they can afford new ones and keep their muscle cars locked up in garages or museums). Anyway, I obviously didn't find anything, but laughed so hard when I got to the OP's post about his tranny giving out. Sorry OP. But that confirms my suspicions about the "Right and Reliable" title of this thread. Unfortunately, he'll have to spend the $1300 or so for a transmission like I've been reluctant to buy from BowtieOverdrives. Then have it installed by a pro (in order to validate the warranty), so on and so forth, and the cost keeps going up and up.

This saddens me greatly because I stand to inherit a 1970 Chevy C10 from my father, who is the original owner of the truck. It was the first car that I ever worked on when I was a kid, and it has held a dear place in my heart. But after building several old cars, praying and hoping and sinking $$$$ to make them reliable, I am all but completely reluctant. The other cars I could sell, even at 1/2 what I put into them. But I could never sell my Dad's truck. Should I sink this kind of money into a hobby, knowing it likely won't eve make "daily driver" status? There's the Dilemma.

Like hunting, unfortunately, building a reliable older car/truck has become a hobby for the wealthy (or those that could have been wealthy).