Is this worth it?

[Mattman2010]

I am looking at a 1985 GMC Sierra Classic Crew Cab Dually. It has a 454/Th400 Trans, Hydro boost breaks, and A/C with a factory AM/FM radio. The interior is nice looking (Forgot to take pictures of it) I think the bucket seats in the front of the truck are not factory.

Anyway, the guy is asking $1200 for it. The engine has 150,000 miles on it. The transmission was built about 8 years ago, and had 50 miles put on it before they parked it. So the transmission is like new. The only thing is that the top of the door jam, and the rocker panels are rusting out. The doors also are getting some rust on the bottom and at the top of the window.

The truck


The engine


Rockers




Bottom of Door




Top of door jam




How hard would it be to fix this rust? It is really the only rust on the truck, the floors look like the paint is new. The truck runs fine, but the carb needs to be rebuilt, and it has been setting for 8 years so I know all the fluids need changed out. It does not burn oil, and everything seems to work.

Is this truck worth the price? I really think that the drive train is worth $1200, but I am new to this rust repair stuff and I was wanting to get more options.

Thanks, Matt

[sandnuriz]

I have seen worse on here for a lot more. Hell it's a running 1985 GMC Sierra Classic Crew Cab Dually go for it!

[Mattman2010]

I am really contemplating it, but the rust on the upper door jam scares me. I am not sure how hard it would be to replace it. I am not sure if I could just bend up some sheet metal and make it work, or what.

[1985-GMC]

I probably wouldn't buy it since it has rust like that because you just don't see that down here, but It doesn't look so bad that it would be really hard to fix. Try too talk him down some more before you go for it. Im sure someone on here has a junk cab that they could cut the upper door jam out of for you.

Id like to have those dually fenders though!

[Mattman2010]

Well the thing is, if I went any lower I think that he would say no because He thinks the same thing I think about the drive train being worth about the price that he is asking. I dont think it is a bad price. He also has a 1980 long bed that he will sell for $50 bucks and it is straighter than my k10's bed so I might get that.

[Number21]

Seems like a reasonable price to me, though, if you don't have experience with auto body work, that rust is probably a LOT of work. I only paid $500 for my '79 C30 with the body in probably similar condition, but it's not a crew cab or a 454.

Edit: Just noticed your location, probably a better deal out there than it would be around here. (no salt)

[Mattman2010]

The truck seems like it was very well taken care of. The engine doesnt seem to have any problems other than the carb needs rebuilt, and the spark plugs need changed. The guy said that they changed the oil every 3000 miles, and by the interior they where nice to this truck, and the floors have no rust on them. These are really the only rust spots (some other small ones, but im not worried about them). I am not really sure why these parts of the truck rusted out. I don't think road salt really did any of this to the truck.

I dont have any body work experience, that is why this scares me. I think that if I get it and look at it that it wont be as bad as it looks.

[1985-GMC]

It sort of looks like rats got in there and made nests and their urine rotted it out.

[Davidmichael]

If you do not know body work/welding good, I would stay away from it if you are going to use it as a driver. If you are going to get it for parts, then jump on it. In my experience, the rust along the top of the doors w/holes like that is not good. You have to remember that gravity works a lot in this situation. the inside or the a/b pillars are probably close to gone as well. once you tear into it, there's going to be a lot od metal that will need replaced.

[baclay9]

Does it actually run or is he just telling you it needs the carb rebuilt and new plugs to run? If it doesn't run I wouldn't give more than $500. You never know what is actually wrong with it and some people will tell you anything to sell.

I actually wouldn't pay more than $500 for it period. There is quite a bit of swiss cheese there....

[Mattman2010]

I am not to bad at welding, so I don't think it will be that bad. But like you said, if it rusted up there then it probably is rusted inside the pillars to. I am looking at getting a project crew cab, so this would be the good one.

The engine does run, He started it up and put it in all the gears and it ran fine, the problem with the carb is that the needle valve is not closing off so it floods. I had problems with that on my 350 in my k10, so it could be a simple fix, but sense its 25 years old a carb rebuild might be a good idea.

I think I am going to go ahead and get the truck, I think that between the drive train and some of the good interior parts I could easily get my money back if it is worse than it looks like.

[GmtGmt]

now i would buy it in a heartbeat because of it over all shape it looks good typical rust the rust on the upper doors are the worst because there arnt made repro panels so you have to find another truck to cut it out of from a junkyard
its not hard to do really i have just done mine and they where alot worse only the paint holding it together up there.

if you can weld and you have some pations it can be done.
im not a body man but i have fixed mine and it looks quite good now

[Mattman2010]

Yeah, I have already found a titleless 83 crew cab with a 6.2 diesel in it (I want to run the diesel for better gas mileage) and when I went and looked at it it was not rusted in the tops of the doors. The guy wants $400 for the truck with the 6.2 in it, and I don't think that is a bad price. So I think between the two trucks I can get a solid cab put together.

[justinburnett]

Good plan. I probably wouldn't buy it personally because I can't weld worth a ****, but if I needed the drive-train or something else, I might. Also like that it's a crew cab and i might just go for it anyway, rust be damned. You can always tear out the carpet and run some of that liquid rust remover stuff all over and let it dissolve everything that's bad, and then figure out where to go from there.

[Davidmichael]

Now that's a plan. You would have less than $2K in a truck that should be road worthy. A bit more if you want it to look nice. If you can pull it off, I would buy both.

[Mattman2010]

I plan on making it nice, I am not a guy that likes lowered duallys, But the plan would be to convert it to 4x4 and leave it around stock height. The plan is to buy both, while the 454 would give me a lot of power, the gas mileage would kill me. I would rather use a 6.2 diesel for the gas mileage but then there is a loss in power. I am going to call the guy tonight and tell him I am going to buy it. He says he will deliver it for the price of gas which I will take him up on because I really have no way to get it home and the truck wont make the 1.5 hour trip.

[WigglesTheHoly]

It would be a no go for me I'd give him maybe 600 and then part it out personally. I posted a few days ago about a short wheel base with one rust spot on the bed. for 900 no motor or trans That in my opinion would be a far better deal than this one. Just my 2 cents.

[Mattman2010]

Well, I think that the drive train is almost worth the price the guy asked. The truck will be here Sunday, I plan on buying an 83 without a title for parts and can probably get all of the patch panels out of that truck that I would need to fix up this truck. With little things this truck would be a great driver. Changing all the fluids, fixing the fuel gauge, and fixing the flooding carb.

[BGRAFX]

Sounds like a plan, lets see the other truck too. I may be interested too

[Mattman2010]

I dont have any pictures of the 83 with the 6.2. The guy had been posting it on craigslist for probably 3 months and then quit putting it up about a month or two ago. It has a flatbed (which I would buy the truck without) the front fenders are junk, and the cab is kinda rusty, but from what i remember the door jams where fine. So the plan is to get this 85 GMC sunday, and get the parts one when I come up with enough cash, as long as the 6.2 runs it will be mine.

[motornut]

looks like a leaky roof somewhere,thats serious rust in the door. if water settled in there ,i'd check all around it
why put a new tranny in it then stop drivivng it?
only 50 miles is enough to find out it wasn't the tranny lol
and 8 years seals dry out........

[WigglesTheHoly]

hey found this near you http://wichita.craigslist.org/cto/2007736542.html

[Mattman2010]

The guy used it to haul a race car to a from the track. After they had the tranny rebuilt, the class that they raced in was no longer ran so they just parked it.

I have already arranged to have this truck brought to me Sunday, So we will just have to see.

[GmtGmt]

if you decide not to use it hit me up before parting it out

[1985-GMC]

That red one looks nice...