Any wise words for a newcomer?

[dreinwald]

I have been wanting to begin a vehicle restoration for some time and these select years of c/k pickups have always held a special place in my heart.

That being said, I know the best way to begin a project is with the vehicle itself. So before I buy, I was wondering if some of the members in the message boards could give me some advice on what to look for, and what to avoid, when it comes to buying a truck.

I have always been partial to the C30 flatbed, but any general advice would be appreciated.

-dreinwald-

[treefoil]

You can eliminate huge hours, frustration and cash by spending more for a rust free vehicle. Good luck with your search!

[jocko]

What will you be using it for? C30 flattie is a purpose-built truck, but not necessarily a creature comfort cruiser. If you lay out in advance what you want to do with the truck when done that will guide your choice - i.e. cruise (c10), plow snow (k20), light off roading (k10/20) haul stuff (C20/30), etc. Then narrow down your trim level (for example, or whatever is most important to you - trim level, color, mileage, originality, man vs auto trans, etc) and start cruising craigslist and our site here, you'll find something to your liking. And remember, they're all good!

[GRX]

Welcome aboard!
Spend time and educate yourself on these trucks. This will serve you well in spotting shoddy repairs and hack jobs which inevitably cause troubles. Above all be patient and be prepared to pass a lot of trucks by. Took me well over a year of exhaustive searching before finding my c10 long stepper.

[SS Tim]

Good advice so far.

Of course the best advice is probably "Run Away"! :-)
Its just plain addictive behavior any way you look at it!

But really since you are going to stay, buy the best truck you can afford. Just as important try to buy as close to the series, model and option content you want to finish up with. Its easy to spend way too much fixing a rusty/beat "close" truck and end up with a pretty truck you didn't really want.

Don't expect to flip your way through projects making money as you go. In general terms every dollar you spend is worth about $0.50 in final added value if you finish the truck. Unfinished trucks can drop to $0.25 on the dollar.

Finally if you buy a truck make sure it is titled and in your name before spending a lot of time and money on it.

Something a little different:
** Do you have a 1972 Plaid Pickup?
** Plaid Blazer
** Plaid Suburban


Tech links:
* VIN/Model Decoders
* Power Team Charts (engine/transmission/gear ratio)
* Post Your Pickup SPID Blazer SPID Suburban/Panel SPID
* RTFM ... Read The Factory Manuals... download 'em here

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by SS Tim

Good advice so far.

Of course the best advice is probably "Run Away"! :-)
Its just plain addictive behavior any way you look at it!

But really since you are going to stay, buy the best truck you can afford. Just as important try to buy as close to the series, model and option content you want to finish up with. Its easy to spend way too much fixing a rusty/beat "close" truck and end up with a pretty truck you didn't really want.

Don't expect to flip your way through projects making money as you go. In general terms every dollar you spend is worth about $0.50 in final added value if you finish the truck. Unfinished trucks can drop to $0.25 on the dollar.

Finally if you buy a truck make sure it is titled and in your name before spending a lot of time and money on it.

Excellent post.

My thoughts exactly - including the "run away" part (lol)!

K

[72kool]

If you have any questions or are unsure of anything on a truck your considering, ask on here! There is alot of great people on here that know alot about these trucks and most are willing to help in anyway they can.

Common places to check for rust are rockers, cab supports, cab corners, kick panels, around the windshield and under the dash. Like posted before, try to find the best cab you can afford for the least headaches but dont let a lil work ruin your dreams. if you are looking at swb, know some of them may have been cut down lwb. there is nothing wrong with those if they were done right. again just ask if unsure about anything and to the best forum on the net

[70']

Make sure you start with the truck that you really want. If you want a 70 short bed, don't settle for a 71. Keep looking until you find exactly what you want. Start on a vehicle that you settled on, and I guarantee you will lose interest before your done and will most likely dump it at a loss.

[Sklptrljay]

Rust is your enemy.

Also, I have had to learn over the years to not rush into any car/truck purchase. You'll probably find that you won't see exactly what you want right away. If you"re like me, when you find something "close" you'll be tempted to snatch it up, thinking you won't find what you really want. I had to learn to be honest with myself about its flaws.

You'll be happier, have less frustration, and more money if you buy what you really want the first time.

Good luck.

[Matt Cramer]

Originally Posted by treefoil

You can eliminate huge hours, frustration and cash by spending more for a rust free vehicle. Good luck with your search!

This. It's easier (and often cheaper) to replace the engine than to fix severe rust issues. Although at least if you do need to fix rust, there's plenty of new sheet metal available - I can't say that about some other cars one might want to restore.

You'll want to set a goal for what you want to get out of the project. In particular, decide from the beginning how important originality is to you. This is one thing you can't add to a truck if it's missing when you get it. If I'd cared about originality - or really about making the truck look like a showpiece - I wouldn't have bought the truck I did, but I was more looking for a fun beater truck than something I'd ever want to do a real restoration on.