Gauging interest in sheetmetal

[leddzepp]

I have the oppurtunity come up quite often to buy complete trucks for a good price. I really do not need them, or any of the parts on them. I would like to help a guy out and save some from the crusher at the same time. I came across a longbed 3/4 ton Custom Camper, Cheyenne Super 1971 recently. The sheetmetal is rust free. It was a 402/400, so it has a high hump cab, and A/C as well. The doors are in great shape. I am not able to ship any of the sheetmetal, but would sell it very very reasonably and would need to be picked up in So Calif.

I hate seeing these things go to the crusher, when dudes on the east coast and midwest would kill for original GM metal in this condition. The problem is, I have not had much luck in the past when it comes to selling body parts/cabs/doors locally and I cannot keep stuff here for very long due to storage and wife issues. I am thinking of picking this truck up and seeing how it goes parting it out. If I cannot sell the body panels, I will probably just have to send it to the crusher as well.

Any guys out there looking for rust free sheetmetal, and willing to pick it up in So Cali? Again, I am just gauging interest, not selling anything at this time. Thank you.

[brothers69c-10]

You said it yourself, all of us here in the midwest would die for that rust free sheet metal and grind our teeth whenever we hear about that stuff going to the crusher, but for most of us it is not feasible to drive that far to pick some of the stuff up and freight on a cab would be terrocious. So i will just sit here at my computer envying you lol, and wish you luck with your possible purchase.

[Duncan and son]

If you can get it and we picked it up what would you sell the complete truck for? Paul

[sleepertruck72]

Scott,
If you make it a 4X4, they will come

[leddzepp]

Originally Posted by brothers69c-10

You said it yourself, all of us here in the midwest would die for that rust free sheet metal and grind our teeth whenever we hear about that stuff going to the crusher, but for most of us it is not feasible to drive that far to pick some of the stuff up and freight on a cab would be terrocious. So i will just sit here at my computer envying you lol, and wish you luck with your possible purchase.

I understand. This is why I would sell cheap, to offset your shipping costs. I figure it is less expensive, both time and moneywise to have rust free metal shipped than to repair cancerous cabs.

Originally Posted by Duncan and son

If you can get it and we picked it up what would you sell the complete truck for? Paul

I do not want to break forum rules by making this a parts thread, but thank you for the response, it shows me that people far away are interested. There is no motor/trans. All of the goodies (tilt, AM/FM, etc, are gone) Sheet metal is a hard sell where I live, so I just wanted to see if people are willing to buy it and pick it up if I sell it cheap. I cannot store for a long time and just want to save some of the OG sheet metal for people that can use it.

Originally Posted by sleepertruck72

Scott,
If you make it a 4X4, they will come

Jorge, I was hoping this was a 4x4...but nope.

[72cheyenneman]

L-Zepp...You're right. I live in southern Louisiana and trying to find GM parts is next to impossible. I do not want repo-Chinese crap. I'm doing a build on my grandmother's pickup after I've had it for 25 years and would like to be first in line for some of this rust-free metal, for instance, "doors." I know that you haven't put this on the forum under parts yet and I'm not trying to make this into a parts forum so I'll patiently wait for your reply on your purchase of this truck and what you decide to do. Good metal, to me, is gold. As far as shipping, DHL used to do a good job at a good price in shipping large parts, but I don't think they're in business any longer. There may be someone else. If motors could be shipped around the country, then doors and metalwork could as well. If you would figure out a way to box or build crates for these parts, most people would pay you extra for your efforts. We bought some Camaro NOS quarter panels from New York on eBay, and the seller bubble wrapped and double boxed them, and even had an old blanket wrapped around them. There was nothing "professional" or pretty about the packing job, but it worked. The quarter panels arrived in perfect condition. Sheet metal would have to be double boxed and bubble wrapped, peanuts, styrofoam, blankets--whatever you can find to get the items there in one piece without damage. You'd really be in luck to find a person like me who would beg for CALIFORNIA RUST-FREE GM METAL Feel free to e:mail or PM me. Thanks, Casey

[mikey531]

leddzepp

Maybe with all the members on here we could set up some kind of cross country relay ? It may take a couple of months but with all the help/camaraderie I have received on here it just might work! We could try it with something small that would fit in the bed of our truck or DD.

[jim zag]

Mikey531 you are a GENIUS. The PONY EXPRESS of sheetmetal. Now we just need a trailer that we all can use and just switch it from one truck to another.

[72freak]

Im sure some of the guys that do this type of parts sales will chime in soon....but I think you will find that the price you will have to sell the parts for to help cover shipping will barely be worth your trouble in the long run. Between the time and money it takes to find, buy and haul them home, the time you spend taking them apart, the time and money for packing, strapping and running back and forth to the shipping terminal and the trouble and cost to replace or refund the damaged parts from shipping......It might not be worth it.

With that said.... if you have lots of time on your hands, a place to strip them, a city or county that wont bust you for all the junk trucks and inventory lying around and the patience to deal with the large percentage time wasters.....I would say try it....see what happens. Short of the logistics part....its a great idea! Im sure you would be able to sell locally, move a few nice parts to folks who really want original metal and the occasional traveler on a road trip to aquire parts.

The Pony Express thing is a great idea.

[marcsRX]

If you can get me a 72 C10 cab near rust free, i will love you forever.

[72freak]

Originally Posted by marcsRX

If you can get me a 72 C10 cab near rust free, i will love you forever.

With that said......CABS!!!! yes CABS...........I think there would be some profit in cabs.....and you could load them up with other sheet metal, wrap them up and ship them on!

[gcburdic]

Originally Posted by marcsRX

If you can get me a 72 C10 cab near rust free, i will love you forever.

Scott....I need a rust free cab here too....I'd even dance at your next wedding

I agree w/ the 72freak....if someone could getr a few rust free cabs back east, you can definitely make a profit!!!

[yote1234]

i'll name my next born after you! plus cash! ...for a mint cab...

[special-K]

Location location location.That`s been the problem for many years.I used to do the "importing" of rustfree trucks and metal from the arid west.It`s even harder now (more expensive).If you can get it here,that`s when it will sell.It`s just the way it works with people.But,most don`t appreciate what it takes to bring this good stuff practically to their door.I`ve tryed to sell original paint rustfree California trucks and people would sooner pay the same price for shiney paint over rust and bondo.There are those who know what they`re dealing with,but not the masses.It sucks.If you could store,a guy like me would come out and haul a good load back to make it worth my while.Then,I need shows like Carlisle to get rid of it.

[Duncan and son]

Hey special-k, you are exactly right. Most people the only taste they have is in there mouth. Nice original factory paint sheet metal is very hard to find, when you add a particular color it is like a needle in a hay stack. That is all I have to say about that. Paul

[leddzepp]

Thanks for all the input. 72Freak posted exactly what I was thinking when it comes to parting out. That is why I asked about sheetmetal. There is a lot of leg work parting out every part attached, and I do not have the time, patience and storage to do so. I would find a truck with a rust free cab/doors, and sell the truck whole (I think this would be the best bet, judging by responses). Anything else attached comes with it (door handles, panels, dashpads, etc) as far as I am concerned. If everything aligns, doghouse, bed, I figure sell it whole. I know there is more money to be made breaking it down, but I just don't have the time to do so. Also makes it easier to roll a cab onto a shipping truck/trailer. I figure if the price is low enough, that would offset the shipping enough to make a deal. I just don't know, with the economy the way it is now, and I posted this thread to gain some insight. SK is right...seems like shipping always kills the deal....even if the metal is OG and rust free.

I am judging by responses, the cab/doors are the key, so I will see what is out there. I am looking at three more trucks tomorrow, hopefully those two things will be rust free.

[72lb4x4]

The original post says no shipping, which excludes anyone more than 250 miles away as a guess. Later posts discuss shipping. Hard to have an opinion when conditions like sip, no ship change.

Also, no rust is not an option. These things aren't 70s Fords but they started to rust right away from the inside where there's no paint. The lack of paint/coating and drainage is the whole problem. They weren't intended to last. There's no way to eliminate the rust w/o cutting out every weld, fixing/replacing each part, putting it back together, etc.

That's not to say that there aren't plenty of nice trucks out there, but none are rust free.

[special-K]

Just for an example...
Teeitup sold me a pair of rustfree (none anywhere)`67 GMC custom fenders a couple years ago.He wanted $75 each + shipping.He came back with $76 each to ship and figured I`d want to back out.I was perfectly fine with paying $150 each for that rime sheetmetal.

I`ve bought a new take-off California tailgate.i can`t remember the total with shipping,but the gate was $200,so I was willing to pay whatever shipping was knowing I`d still come out great.I think it cost $75-$100-to ship.

I`ve bought an original paint`67 Stepside fender from somewhere out west.I had about $250 into it with shipping.These aren`t reproduced and reros cost another $100+ with shipping still to ad.

I`m broke or I`d buy anything you pulled.I am building a truck all from factory original rustfree sheetmetal from out west right here in Maryland on the Atlantic Coast.i`m talking rom rear splash gaurds to grille/core support.Many will never appreciate that,but it tickles my innards.

Originally Posted by 72lb4x4

The original post says no shipping, which excludes anyone more than 250 miles away as a guess. Later posts discuss shipping. Hard to have an opinion when conditions like sip, no ship change.

Also, no rust is not an option. These things aren't 70s Fords but they started to rust right away from the inside where there's no paint. The lack of paint/coating and drainage is the whole problem. They weren't intended to last. There's no way to eliminate the rust w/o cutting out every weld, fixing/replacing each part, putting it back together, etc.

That's not to say that there aren't plenty of nice trucks out there, but none are rust free.

I guess rustfree is a term used to describe a body with no rot through,or no rust to cosmetically deter from the outward appearance.Back east in the rust belt,it took 10 years for rot to start to show.The better cared for ones have only just begun to show rust.The trucks in the arid west may have started rusting from day-1,but it`s been 40 years and it still isn`t showing on many.I think that`s the point and it makes those parts very desirable.Other than their handsome good looks and great features,the early following of these trucks was largely due to the fact that these trucks held up far better than any other body on any truck made,including those built years later.

[leddzepp]

The trucks I looked at have some surface rust...but still solid. Since they were outdoors, there is a lot of weathering. I think to be safe, I will list something I already have.
I am going to list the 72 long bed on my truck first and go from there.

[chevy_mike]

I would be interested in a clean driver side long bed, fleetside, bed side, if the price is right.

Let me know what you come up with. I'm in San Diego so I can come up and get it, if not too far north.

[boydsteve]

Led Zepp - I could use a good passenger side door and I'm in So Cal so I could pick up. LMK or PM me. thanks.