Looking at Buying 72 C10 LWB - Need Advice!

[DannyBoy80]

First of all, hi everyone! I've been trolling this site fairly regularly since I started my C10 search but just signed up last night. Been a very informative site and hoping I can turn to you guys for some advice on a potential, highly likely purchase, I may be making this evening... Short notice, I know!

In any case, I stumbled upon an extremely clean looking 72 LWB at a local car show yesterday for what seems like an incredibly fair price. However, I'm not exactly sure what to look for in terms of common problem areas, to ensure this doesn't just "appear" to be a good deal and is, in fact, a good deal.

So, it's a 1972 C10 LWB with a 402 BB, TH400 and 12-Bolt Rear End. According to the guy selling it, the engine was recently rebuilt but, in the 4 years he's owned it, the transmission wasn't touched. The body looks solid (straight as an arrow) and the interior is super clean with some nice (in my opinion) custom touches. Super, super clean - I'd call it a 9.5-10 on both the interior and exterior, visually. I saw no signs of rust anywhere I looked and the truck started up and ran great. Going to drive it tonight so I'll see how it actually feels and drives...

That being said, is there anything specific to this truck/engine/trans I should be looking/listening for as red flags? I know to smell the trans fluid to make sure it doesn't smell burnt and check the oil to ensure it isn't milky, etc... But I'm wondering if there are common issues with these rigs, of which I may not be aware.

Sale price is only $12,500

Here are a couple of pics:

[ho70]

Welcome, good truck for a good price. End of season, so offer 11500. The only problem I would have is the truck is done, so if you live in a smaller town etc, it will always be joe's truck and not yours. BUT a BB truck done so nice is a nice find

[DannyBoy80]

Originally Posted by ho70

Welcome, good truck for a good price. End of season, so offer 11500. The only problem I would have is the truck is done, so if you live in a smaller town etc, it will always be joe's truck and not yours. BUT a BB truck done so nice is a nice find

Thanks for the quick response!

The guy never really got it out and about around here... I go to a lot of shows and have never seen it before. But, yes, there is something great about building any vehicle to your own spec. However, I want something that's basically done, to which I can just add a few personal touches - I also have a 67 Camaro that's my personalized project and frickin' money pit!

[MidLifer]

Looks very clean from pictures. Couple of small things I noticed which IMO detract from value:

- The paint scheme and interior are not original
- The dash and doors have been cut to accomodate the stereo and speakers
- The door panels were cleaned up but apparently not replaced

This is a 'custom' not an original truck, and so long as you are good with that and like what you see, there is no harm in that.

You want to check the quality of restoration work that was done - these trucks rust in common places, mostly the rocker panels and cab corners, you want to see if the PO replaced that sheet metal and didn't just bondo over the rust, and also how well the work was done.

In the price range you are considering there is quite a bit of inventory on the market, so don't jump at the first truck you see. This site of course has good trucks for sale, as does cars-on-line.com and a few others. Do an autotempest.com search within a day's drive of your home and you will most likely find others.

Mechanically these trucks are easy to work on and any good mechanic should be able to do an inspection and find anything wrong with them. All old cars and truck leak various fluids, but you should check out or have checked out steering, suspension, and drive it to get the feel of the engine and trans. A compression test is easy to do yourself and can give you good data about the top end condition.

Happy hunting!

[Xeen]

I agree that you should look around a bit before you buy, because 12k is a lot of money and there are a lot of unmolested original trucks in that price range in both short bed and long bed, also keep in mind that 12k is on the high end of what a long bed is worth.
Do you want a long bed or a short bed?
If you really want a long bed there are tons and tons of original long beds that are in really great condition for a lot less than 12 grand.
Short beds on the other hand there are much less fewer nice original examples left but they do exist and if you want one there are plenty of them for sale in the classifieds right here on the board and the great part is most of the trucks for sale are fully documented so you can see what was done to them.

[DannyBoy80]

Truth be told, I started out wanting a short bed. However, I do like that the long bed is a little less common in terms of customized C10s - I always see short beds and, while they look awesome, I like having something different. Furthermore, all of the short beds I've seen around here in similar condition have been $18-20k plus.

As for the truck not being original, I'm not shooting for an all original rig. I want it low to the ground with staggered 20" wheels. This truck seemed to be a great candidate in that it would only take a drop kit and some wheels and tires to be essentially done to my liking.

The minute I saw it, I pictured it with a 4"/6" drop and gunmetal 20" Boss 338s...

[brawley]

It usually cost less in the long run to buy something thats ready to roll and then add a few touches of your own along the way.. looks like a nice truck...add up how much the parts you want to add to it will cost and the asking price and see if it makes sense

[Ol Blue K20]

If you like it that's great but run some weak magnets over the rockers and cab corners to check for excessive filler also crawl under it and check for rust if it looks good...snatch it up...good luck

[leddzepp]

Originally Posted by xeen

i agree that you should look around a bit before you buy, because 12k is a lot of money and there are a lot of unmolested original trucks in that price range in both short bed and long bed, also keep in mind that 12k is on the high end of what a long bed is worth.
Do you want a long bed or a short bed?
If you really want a long bed there are tons and tons of original long beds that are in really great condition for a lot less than 12 grand.
Short beds on the other hand there are much less fewer nice original examples left but they do exist and if you want one there are plenty of them for sale in the classifieds right here on the board and the great part is most of the trucks for sale are fully documented so you can see what was done to them.

x2

[DannyBoy80]

Thanks for all the advice guys! I decided to hold off and keep looking for the SWB I originally started looking for... I got too excited about the condition of this truck, as well as the price when compared to others I've seen recently but, at the end of the day, it isn't what I truly want.

I'll find it soon!

[jocko]

Here's my 2 cents.. It's a nice truck, but I would only call it a good deal for YOU if it's EXACTLY what you are looking for. It's customized quite a bit, and as noted above, high end of the price range for a lwb truck. If you had a longbed truck that wasn't yet painted and THIS is how you'd paint it - then this truck is a great deal, you will save a lot of money over buying another and making it look like this. However, if you wouldn't have painted it exactly like this, why pay the premium for someone else's idea of a cool custom paint job? It really is well done, but being a custom, it's only really a good deal if it's how you would have done it if you'd have started from scratch. If you get it and it isn't how you would've customized it yourself, then you'll probably regret it. Then you'll be stuck with a $12k truck that has a very small audience of potential buyers (simply because it is customized and may not be to everyone's taste (including mine), that's all). Don't rush the buying if it's not what you really want. This truck will be hard to sell in the future - at the very least, it will have a much smaller pool of folks interested in buying than a bone stock truck.

[engineer_gregh]

Just my .02 cents. It has Cheyenne badges and it has the cargo light that was included with that package. Red seat belts? Tail gate latch smoothed, bed post holes smoothed, with what, metal or filler? Windshield and back glass missing chrome insert included with Cheyenne package. Coil springs probably original as the ride height looks tired and sagging. Other things I look at when considering a purchase; SPID to confirm how the truck was originally equipped, trailing arm, drag link, and cab bushings, carrier bearing and u-joints, LEAKS from engine or tranny, front end suspension, electrical (do the gauges, wipers, horn, and lights all work), drive the truck a minimum of 1/2 an hour both low and high speed to look for overheating problems as well as leaks once the drive is finished. Engine code on passenger pad to determine if the engine is original. What paper work is included; original documentation and receipts proving recent work done. Flashlight is a must. It takes me at least an hour and probably closer to 2 hours to inspect a truck. If the seller don't want or allow this kind of inspection then the truck is not for me. Impulse buying will get you in trouble quick, ask me how I know:-)

[DannyBoy80]

Thanks for the additional responses, guys! Glad I signed up for this site - You're all very helpful and your insights have helped me make what I feel is the right decision to hold out for a different truck.

[engineer_gregh]

I was in no way trying to convince you to buy or not buy the truck. I only wanted to point out things I inspect. If that truck is originally a big block and the engine has been rebuilt and is original to the truck it could be a good buy. Good luck regardless of what you decide.

[DannyBoy80]

Originally Posted by engineer_gregh

I was in no way trying to convince you to buy or not buy the truck. I only wanted to point out things I inspect. If that truck is originally a big block and the engine has been rebuilt and is original to the truck it could be a good buy. Good luck regardless of what you decide.

Oh, that's not what I meant... I just thought it through and realized I really want a short bed, at the end of the day. I was being fairly sporadic in nearly buying this truck because of it's condition and fair price. I'm sure I would have liked it, had I bought it, but I think there would be a little voice in the back of my head constantly reminding me of how great it would look if it were a SWB.

[BruthaMan]

In addition to the excellent comments above, things I always try to look at:

1) Passenger inner/outer fender for any sign of battery acid corrosion/rust.

2) Valve covers for leaks, feel behind intake manifold (behind distributor) for leaks.

3) Leak at transmission seal, pan or shifter lever seal.

4) Feel along the rockers and cab corners for bumps (rust).

5) Windshield seal good? Many leak in the upper corners.

6) Differential seal leaking?

7) Any water drips under radiator?

8) Power steering box leaking?

9) Test drive on highway at 60 MPH or so. Smooth? Gauges read ok, not overheating? What's the RPM (will determine how fast you can cruise on the HWY)?

10) With motor running and hood open, does it seem solid? (no excessive play indicating weak motor mounts?) Any smoke from exhaust?

Things to ask about:

1) Last time brake pads were changed and rotors turned?

2) Type of oil and filter used?

3) Has differential oil been changed since he owned? If so, when?

4) Last time transmission fluid was changed?

5) Any water leaks in cabin?

6) When was battery replaced last?

Looks like a great truck that someone has put a lot of time and money into. Hope it works out well for you.