1972 Custom 10 4X4 $450.00

[Biff]

Okay everyone, I am new to this site. I have been visiting for a few days now and I really think that this is a great site. Now heres my delemma:

A good friend of mine has a 1972 Custom 10 4x4, 350 automatic with about 160K miles on it. It was purchased new in 1972 by his father who had some rust fixed, new wood in the bed, and a new paint job put on around 12-13 years ago. This was a daily driver (110 miles round trip for about the last 7 months) until last week when my friend got to work and realized that he no longer had any forward gears. So the truck sits in a Michigan parking lot 65 miles away in the snow and freezing cold. This is where I come in. I joklingly told him that I would give him $200 bucks for it (cause I am a helluva guy) to which he replied, "Give me $450.00, you pick it up, and its yours". Now, I am currently a full time student, my wife pays the bills but we have money left over from a buyout at my job with GM . So the money is not really an issue. We talked about it and she is worried that it will just be a money pit and that this is NOT an option for us! Now, I am not trying to sound like a wuss here... but she is paying all of the bills at this point. What do you all think I should do? Is this truck worth it? I think it is. I am going to keep working on my wife but I might need a little help from all of you to tell her if this is a good deal or not! Thanks.

[D-Bo]

I wouldn't do it. It's going to cost plenty to get it how you want it, wich is cool but not if the wife is paying the bills. There will be other opportunities. If you think you can fix it and sell it for MUCH more then maybe it's worth it. I am a proud kind of guy though.

[1969k10stepside]

If I was you,I would buy it.And if you dont,I will If it was a shortbed I would for sure buy it at that price,but really any original 67-72 4x4 is worth that.I say,go for it

[Biff]

My plan is to keep it in my brothers 40X60 pole barn until the weather breaks, then fix or find another tranny. Any ideas on if this is a 350 or 400 transmission? Maybe I will just buy it and hide it over there?? It is a long wheel base. It also has always had a topper on it. As far as I know. (toppers are ugly I know but it has kept out the salt and snow)

[1969k10stepside]

If its original its a th350.It should have a np205 transfer case.

[BowTieOgre]

Tough call but like they say, its easier to ask forgiveness than beg permission. Speaking as a truck enthusiast I would say do it but speaking as a husband I would say dont stick your foot in the bear trap unless you plan on dealing with the consequences.

I talked my wife into letting me buy my '70 by telling here they arent getting any easier to find and telling her that the $$ would never come out of bill, grocery, clothes money. I also told her I could build it for $4500, which i found out was a damn lie!

[Blue'72]

I have to vote : BUY IT!

[jimmydean]

I would buy it. A good used TH350 is about $75 (or less) around here. At the very least, you could get it mobile and sell it for at least 3 times what you paid for it.

[GREASEMONKEY72]

i say go for it, 450 isnt much for a truck and besides you could probly sell it for more than that as it sits now if you really wanted to not that i would but just fix or get a new tranny and you got yourself a good truck there

[70rs/ss]

Well, the upside is for $450 it can sit till you are employed and can afford to fix it. I have 11 and none of them cost a dime to sit, so if the $50 won't set you back its a heck of a price, so for me thats the break/maker there. You guys aren't going to starve or loose your place and she is cool with it, then do it. Heck a tranny and you have $2500 truck so it could be seen as an investment!

[HuggerCST]

I'd buy it. You wouldn't have any trouble getting your money back, or making money if you change your mind later and decide to sell. I don't see anything to lose money wise.

[skchevota]

Are you looking to drive it as a daily driver you self? If the guy drove it over 100mi a day for the last 7 years it must be reliable. A TH350 is cheep, as stated above you can get them for a couple hundred in good working condition, or summit racing sells them with a performance rebuild and a warranty for like $500. So its up to you, if you throw a tranny at it is it in decent shape body wise that you could drive it as is for now? Do you work on your own cars is a big question, these trucks are old and will have bugs from time to time, if you can change your own oil and do a tune up you should be good to go for most of the nickle and dime things that will kill you if you take it in some where every time you have a little problem. If it were me I would say go for it, if you got any other truck for under 5 grand you will run into the same kind of issues that you might run into here but it will cost you more from the start and the truck wont have as much class if it isnt a 67-72.

[brak]

if it were me, and the only thing presenting a problem is the $$$, I would pick up a part time job a couple days a week.

[bobthecop]

I would buy it, it doesn't cost anything to let it set until you get the money to start on it. You may even be able to fix it on the cheap. A good investment if you decide to get rid of it. I wish I would have picked up all the cheap trucks when I had the chance. Yolu will kick yourself if you don't.

[texascowboy593]

I would get it and sit on it. You say you have a place to store it and thats the way I'd go. Trust me, my wife thinks I'm half-crazy with the stuff I bring home but when I can turn it into something worthwhile she sees the light!

[bagged91]

I myself would personally buy it, & put it in the pole barn. A bird in the hand is better than 2 in the bush... Once you have it, you can figure just how much you want to do to it & start planning from there. If you are mechanically inclined, then you can/will save a ton of $$$ during the rebuild.

Good Luck & WELCOME to the board from NJ!

L8R - Joe

[Longhorn Man]

I totally agree with the INVESTENT comments. It's worth way more than 450 bucks as it sits from your description... get the tranny rebuilt, and it'll be worth CONSIDERABLY more.
On the subject, there is a cat down here in central ohio that'll rebuild it, install a reman'd converter, a shift kit, all out of his garage and give you a 2 yr warranty all for 250 bucks. I am running one of his TH350's on my caddy motor and I love it. Fine69 (who seems to have vanished again) will also back up my comments on this dude, and many other ppl in the area will too.

[arkracing]

It is worth the $450. Buy it and hide it in the pole barn till you can get to it. If the bed isn't rotted - I would give $450 for a LWB bed with the wood floor - @ least you can replace it when it get's beat up.

Drive Train: Motor/Tranny/T.Case and Axles are worth that - even with a blown tranny.

[stllookn]

Geez, Andy...for the price of that tranny rebuild...I would do all of mine...whether they needed it or not, LOL!

BTW...go for it...it is a great deal on a 4x4!

[Jtrux]

If you got the money and the wife says yes don't hesitate but don't forget to be like me and still try to give him the 200 bucks. Tell him that's what you thought you guys agreed on and use the 250 left over towards the tranny swap.

[harmsy]

Man I can't believe you haven't gom=ne and got it yet............

BUY IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Longhorn Man]

it's actually cheaper for me to rebuild the tranny, then to rebuild the brakes!!!! You better believe I downshift like a mo-fo!!!

[mrein3]

Lots of good advice here.
Just so you know, that th350 isn't like a normal th350. It is exactly the same but the output shaft is shorter and there is no tail on it.

I just would hate to see you pick up a junk yard th350 out of a 2wd or a car thinking it will bolt right in. It won't. You need a 4x4 tranny.

[Ron 586]

If you don't own it yet put it on top of your things to do today. Buy it.

[krue]

BUY IT! If nothing else if you change your mind later you can sell it back to your buddy (if his dad bought it new he'll want it back sooner or later, at least I would).