Looking to buy a truck

[geod919]

This thing is a good hour from me, but its cheap, and is in pretty good shape for one of the "unrestored" trucks around me. Looks like it used to be a light blue.
Looks like manual brakes, and probably steering. It has the engine/tans combo I was looking for.
Well, I've never looked at one of these before, so can anyone give me a good checklist to go over while I'm looking over this?

http://columbus.craigslist.org/cto/1638684043.html

[basemodel67]

Eh, depends on what you want. I would just be leery of anything turned flatbed cause it may be all hacked up underneath on the frame. Not my style...

[bruceman1968]

If that cab is rust free and it has a title, well there's your money right there....Definitely check it out...

[geod919]

Looks pretty recently painted, I'll have to see if it was done right or just bondo bombed.
It's in Ohio, with no front plate. So I'm worried about the title =/

[mstrav1973]

Drum breaks and no power assist? heavy flat bed? may want to keep looking. you'll spend 400+ on a bed, 300+ on bumber and brackets. wirring harness, markers, brake lights 250 more. who knows what holes or welding was done to the frame beyond simple repair (notched or welded).


unless,

you need to buck some hay, then the truck is perfect except for the brake thing

[geod919]

I can do a brake swap. I've got a little car experience. I could even fab up a rear wiring harness pretty quick. I've found a few parts trucks around with decent beds as well. Idk, there is nothing out of my abilities to fix on this truck, so long as the cab was done right.

[bruceman1968]

check the cab corners and rockers for rust/bondo. Thats where the trouble starts on these trucks. And check if there's rust above the windsheild, driprail, or on the rear roof seam. If there's a little rust at the top then there's ALOT of rust at the bottom.

[geod919]

Alright, I made a short call to the guy today.
Says the truck originally had a 350, although the one in it is not original.
Says he did some work to the engine, like cam, pushrods, and lifters. So I'll have to drive it a little around town, to make sure lol. Says the rockers and cab corners had been replaced shortly before he got it, also said he had a clean title.
Going to look friday. May be A part of the group soon.

[lks dcvn]

I would also add cab mounts to that list - as getting them fixed means removing the cab to get to them correctly.

Check to see if anybody on the forum is close enough to go meet you - I am up in Toledo so too far from me.

There are a few guys that live down in the Columbus area that might go with you so you have somebody who knows what to look at/for.

Good luck on your search.