Gotta love craigslist sellers!

[dmack91]

So I went to look at a 68 SNB today. Seller said rockers were shot, battery box rusted out, but otherwise good shape. Engine ran fine, but trans was shot. OK, I can deal with that. Sent several pics that didn't help much, but I knew I would kick myself if I didn't go look.

So I drug a trailer 3.5 hours to find:

(knew I was in trouble when I could see the front of the engine through the grill and the starter hanging from the wiring),

Hood not attached in any way (no hinges to be found),
radiator in bed,
engine disassembled to long block ("but it will run"),
wiring mangled/grafted/cut,
door completely gone in the bottoms, as well as crush damage on one,
tailgate torn out and rusted through on the bottom ("it's straight exc. one small dent on top"),
2 lug nuts holding each wheel on,
floor rusted through,
battery lying on it's side in the bed, along with various other parts scattered,
oil pan crushed ("I never looked under it" - in 2 years of owning it?),
interior gutted and dash was ugly.

On the plus side, the grill and hood were nearly straight, and the box was decent.

I didn't expect much for $500, and the grill and box may have made it worth it, just not to me.

Not really upset because I understand that for that kind of price, you shouldn't expect much (although I got my C20 for $650, running and driving and straight). Just would be nice to get some straight info.

Oh well, you don't know if you don't look every once in a while.

And I didn't mention that it was purple - like Barney purple.

[Hisroth]

What were the pictures that you were sent? Were they all old of when it was still together or something like that? Or just so up close that you couldn't see the whole picture?

I bought mine for 350 off craigslist, but under similar circumstances. I was told it had one or two spots of rust and ran fine. Didn't run, kicker panels both rotten, no key so no way to know if it ran, 4 flat tires, the list goes on... bought it anyway and have been building it for a couple years now.

[dmack91]

Pics were both old and at far enough away that you couldn't discern much.

Had a feeling it was going to be a POS, but still had to go look (kind of like a car crash).

Honestly, the condition of the body I kind of expected. It was the "engine runs strong" part the kind of ticked me off. Kind of hard to run strong with no carb, starter, cooling system, distributor, or wiring of any kind.

I learned when looking at trucks with my son what to expect. My favorite was no previous body damage Toyota that had 1/2" of bondo cracking off on a front fender. It went something like:

"what about that damage -
there is no damage -
what about that bondo -
there isn't any bondo-
yes there is, that is a chunk missing right there-
well, the damage wasn't that bad."


Oh well, live and learn (not to trust most people selling things).

[Ackattack]

I bought my 69 (as a 3/4ton longbed) for $250. Drove it home....granted it was a trip I wouldn't want to make again, and did require a stop at the parts store for some power steering fluid.

[e rock]

I just did a VERY similar trip a couple weeks ago with a friend that's doing a frame swap. He was looking for a 4x4 frame and found a "complete, runs strong, needs to be cleaned up and needs some air in one tire" 72 for $500. Sweet. No pictures, but for that cheap, we'll be there tomorrow.

We grabbed his truck and trailer, drove a few hours to Ocean Shores and found a pile of carp. 2 flat tires and the other two had weather-checking big enough to stick your pinky in. No battery. No carb. ("Wow. Somebody must have stolen them. I just drove it a couple weeks ago." Riiiiight...) Not a single straight body panel, let alone the rust from living on the coast. Interior and dash were mangled and hacked up. No door panels. The frame had serious structural rust.

There was literally not a single part that I would have bothered taking home even if it were free.

Oh well. You take chances and sometimes they pay off.

[ChevLoRay]

Gonna go look at one this afternoon. Seller said it sat up for several years. He said they changed the oil, points and condensor, and used some fresh gas in a remote can (to keep the old gas out) and jumped it off. He said it smoked a lot at the start, but it cleared up and ran smooth. He doesn't know about the transmission. Said it needs rockers, but that "the headliner still looks good". It's a 72....so, that last comment makes me wonder which trim line it may be...CST? Gonna take my camera and get some pix.

[bollybib]

After all that effort to go look at it and seeing the reality, I would propose that he give me $500 to take it off his hands.

[sleepertruck72]

Craigslists finest sellers !!! I can relate.. I looked at one a while back. The seller stated it ran, a little bit of rust, and just needed to recover bench seat to make a nice truck. I went to look at it and the engine was in the bed .. no tranny, missing high hump.... rockers and part of the floor were rusted through.. fenders were dented all over and bedsides were wrinkled all over.... no vin plate, no paperwork, the guy wanted $1300 I said no offense but I cant even come close to $300 much less $1300.. That thing was a mess !!!

[dmack91]

I saw one last week that said he lost the title and the VIN plate "fell off".

I hate it when that happens!

[specialtyretail]

I've got a good one. I have a thing for black vehicles,, my hang up. Anyways, a guy lists a 71 Chevy C10 in north western Tennessee. Black, nice interior, excellent body,, blah, blah, you know the story. The wife and I tow our trailer 3 1/2 hours one way, pull up, walk up to the truck turn around and drive home. total time looking at truck,, less than 3 minutes. When I asked about the "light black metallic" paint the owner said it was close to black. Nice day for a drive and got to spend some time with my wife.

[71meangreenc10]

Had a guy list a 71 for 1K and said it was a running good truck. Drove 45 minutes one way, got there and a rear trailing arm was rusted through broken, the rear drive shaft was snapped in half. I started looking at the truck and I asked him about the drum brakes on the front (truck was a hot mess) Looked at the title and checked the vin, didnt even match. So I asked him how I could drive it with broken drive shaft and left, also ask him about switching the disks for drums, usually no one goes backwards on that mod and he started making all kinds of excuses.

Smitty

[cheyenne shortstep]

Caveat Emptor.

[QKENUF4U]

lol i know the feeling.... my brother was into the commando's for a little while... talked to a guy for WEEKS about the one he had. guy said it was PERFECT SHAPE, NO RUST etc...... was an 11hr trip each way (long island)
so me and my brother started off at 5am one morning.. got there and pulled in the driveway... could see the RUST BUCKET right there.. rockers rotted out, crappy paint etc...
could have punched the guy in the mouth myself for that crap......
we did drive out to the tip of Long island and check out the ocean before heading back...

[prostreetC-10]

Dmack......which one of our lovely towns did you drive to?

I actually bought my truck parked along side a house up above the skateboard park there off 19th and I think Black Butte or something there in Redmond. You gunna be at the Drifter's Harvest Run?

[dmack91]

[QUOTE=prostreetC-10;4816589]Dmack......which one of our lovely towns did you drive to?

Roseburg.

I was wondering where Holleyville was. Prinetucky I presume.

Didn't know about the run. Never been on one. Working all weekend though.

[prostreetC-10]

No I'm in Bend. I wasn't allowed in Prinetucky or La pine because I still have too many of my original teef!!!!

The drifter's harvest run it's a road trip, it's a car show in downtown Redmond August 20th.

You get a chance.......look for my old farm truck!

[jwgeorge]

Craigslist can go both ways, I almost missed the deal of a lifetime because of suspicion. I saw the ad for my truck with a $750 price and I immediately dismissed it as a POS. A week later my buddy sent me the same ad and asked if he should go look at it (truck in Tucson, me in Houston) I said, "if you want". Turns out to be the most amazing truck for $750. Flew out there, did a little work on it and drove it the 1100 miles home. But for the one good truck there are 10 real POS trucks that you don't realixe until you go see in-person. Remember: Any idiot can post to Craigslist.