Is this truck worth it?

[kalbert]

Originally Posted by bighog85

Hey everyone, I wanted to get some opinions on whether a truck that I am considering is worth the asking price. It is an 85 c-10 shortbox that has been completely restored except for the interior which is already in very nice condition. It has a brand new ZZ4 350 crate motor, completely redone tranny, transfer case, etc. The truck is from west Texas and is perfect, completely rust and bondo free. The current owner is the one that did all of the work, he bought it stock. He says he's got about $24,000 into it and is asking $13,000. Does this seem like a good price or should I haggle a bit more? This would be somewhat of a daily driver for my short commute to work but also I'm looking for a bit of a toy. Opinions? Also, if more info would be helpful I can get whatever is needed. I'm meeting with him today. Thanks!

I'm skeptical right away. The things you list read like every Chevy pickup on Craigslist anywhere that has new paint. 350's are always ZZ4's or from a 'Vette. They're all rust free from Texas. They all have completely redone transmissions, transfer cases, etc... They all have tens of thousands of dollars invested, but asking price is a fraction of that.

Here's some questions right off the bat. Texas? How did it get to North Dakota? Does that story sound like a story or does it seem plausible? Before you spend $13k, spend $50 at the GM Heritage center and see if it came from Texas.

ZZ4 eh? 350HP? Says who? Where are the correct ZZ4 heads? Does that story sound like a story or does it seem plausible?

Rust and bondo free? How about sheet metal? Original or cheap aftermarket replacements? Who painted it and what was used?

Rebuilt tranny and transfercase? What was wrong with them that prompted the rebuild? Age? Worn out? Damaged? Who did the work? Not who bolted it in, who tore it down and replaced the bearings, seals, clutches, etc.

Parts for these trucks are cheap, probably one of the cheapest vehicles there are to restore or hot rod. $24k invested would about build two of them! I'd expect the little details like door seals and gaskets and all the hood rubbers and tailgate bumpers to be new or like new. The ball joints and tie rod ends would all be tight, no squeaky u-joints, brake pedal is high and firm. It doesn't just look and sound nice, it has been either well preserved or has been repaired to pristine mechanical operation, not just new paint and a motor.

What I see in the pictures is a nice pickup that somebody probably bolted some new sheet metal on and painted, put a new motor in, a 4" lift and 33" tires. You might see something different in person, it's very hard to judge what work has/hasn't been done from photos. Easy to tell it looks nice, but hard to tell what was done to get there.