what would YOU offer for this (very original 54)

[jocko]

Been looking for a 54 or 55.1 for a while now. Not exactly in a situation where it's "easy" to own multiple vehicles - in military, move too often, etc etc. But I have been looking for a "decent" shape, somewhat untouched truck - one that I wouldn't need to do much to the body (not exactly a HUGE patina fan just for the sake of patina, but this truck has it in heaps, and I like that about it very much).

The goods:
- EXCELLENT original body with original paint. It DOES have some surface rust along bottom of the doors, etc. But no rust through and the drain holes are clear, and the cab corners/rockers/hinge bosts are just about perfect (except for surf rust on bottom of OUTER doors - and I don't mind that).
- Interior is completely restored, unbelieveably nice.

The "others"...:
- Undercarriage appears pretty rusty
- It does NOT run
- It's all the way across the country from me
- I'll be paying for monthly storage to leave it here in the desert when I move so it can be in a time capsule til I retire (not very far away).

Now, the last three things do NOT figure into the offering price, of course.
I would wait til I retire, BUT trucks like this are just plain getting hard to find.

So, it's a strange combo - body completely original and shows it - but the patina is perfect and I would leave the body just like it is (the surf rust you see in the pic below is typical all the way around the truck, but it's truly just surf rust - not bad at all) - the interior is perfect - but the frame is crusty pretty bad. Not worried about the motor - will either fix or replace with an old school small block and T5.

What I want to do:
Leave the body as is.
Re-do chassis, possibly IFS, lowered slightly all around, new black steelies, no caps, maybe wwws, maybe not, re-do bed wood (welded plate over it now) and then fix the 6 or swap in an old school small block that I have been hangin onto with a vette dual quad setup.

Just plannin out loud....

So, what would you offer for this?

Once I get a few ideas - I'll tell you what he's asking. But it's more than I'm willing to pay - but think he is flexible. And I can add about $1500 to the price tag to get it shipped to CA. Awesome. Odd that I live in the desert and am considering getting an original paint truck from NC...

Already have a 66 so not real keen on over extending myself - this really is just a project for after I retire. Retirement, by the way, is really just growing up and getting a real job for me - but at least I will get to stop moving and can accumulate some Sanford and Son yard art for a change...

[gearheads78]

$6,000.00-7,000.00 is the number that comes to mind. Of course I would try to get it for much less. That will save you 10K in metal work if you were paying a shop to build it.

[tmoble]

how clean is that? was it in a time capsule or something? are those chrome eyebrows on the headlights factory?

Is that truck in California? jeeze.

[jocko]

nope - it's in NC. If in CA, I'd already have bought it. I'm thinking I might just buy it anyway. Time capsule is a good way to put it. If I bring it out to CA desert where I live, it'll kinda stay like it is till I retire and settle somewhere. Don't think I wanna let this one get away!

[tmoble]

I wouldn't, not if it's even near reasonable at all. Probably never gonna see another one that original and nice.

NC is wet, wonder how it never got rusty?

[jocko]

i THINK it was put in storage in the early 90's (but I agree, it's definitely escaped the ravages of time, as they say). about 5 yrs ago, the grandson of the original owner restored the interior and nothing else. For what I would like to do with it, this is perfect and will end up saving me a lot of money. I guess my real question (for myself) isn't "is this the truck I want to buy", it's "can I swing shipping this thing then paying storage for it when I move from here and have it sit here in the desert til I retire...." Reality is that I may retire after this duty station and it won't matter anyway, but I never say never. It is exactly what I've been looking for. The frame rust has me a little concerned, but they're all like that so not too converned, and that's gonna be where most my work is focused anyway. Won't be able to "get to" this one anyway until I have a place to take it apart a little bit.

[northerngmc]

Wow a real survivor.....

I agree with above and this truck will save you $10,000 in body work if you are paying someone.

I would love to see it after a good wash and wax. I think it would look amazing.

I would also put it over $5000 and maybe up to $10,000 if I thought it would run and drive without too much work.

I doubt you will find another one........

[m6z]

5 or 6k is what i would give if I had the cash and was in the market.

[Atomsplitter]

I don't think you could get that for anything less than $6000, unless it`s a distress sale.

[duwem]

Wow that thing is NICE. Bet it wouldnt take much to get it running looking at the rest of it.

I was thinking no less than $5k, probably would go for a lot more up here in the Midwest (rust belt).

[pvienneau]

Schweet truck, are you going to get it? If not I'd be interested.

Pat

[jocko]

pv, i'm talking with the owner and shipper as we speak - but it's still not written in stone. Will advise if I don't end up with it. But definitely leaning that direction.

[jocko]

Sadly - not going to go for this one. I've informed the owner I'm not buying it - HATE to let this one get away - but being in the mil, I'd double the price in shipping/storage by the time I retire in a few more years - I'm already dragging a 66 C10 behind me every time I move. Bummed out! But since some of you were asking - here's the ad where I found it - seller is named Art and he's a great guy to work with. Hope someone else buys this sweetie!
http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/...0/1276659.html

[Handfull 54]

I would buy that truck if that is what you really want. It is in great condition. I bought a truck in that condition in the late 80's and payed $1200 with a chrome grill. I only had to re skin the bottom of one door. Store it out here in California. You can always get your money back if you keep it simple. Don't be one of those " I should have bought it when I had the chance" type of guys.

[Rude Dude]

Here is one in Cali for you

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst...568239257.html

[jocko]

Thanks Rude Dude, I will look into it!

Handfull, I already AM one of those "I should've bought it when I had the chance" guys... Ha! Look at the 55.1 below - passed on it for $6K. And that's after driving from Washington DC to TN to look at it, and back, all in one day.

However, the real issue is shipping. IF I were to pay that guy full price for his truck - $8500 - I might as well be paying $12500 because that is what I will have in it even if I retire from here - before I ever turn one wrench on it (ship it here, then to next/final destination). If that is not the final destination, then it'll cost me another $1500-$2000 every time almost. I've tried cheaper shippers and been severely burned by their incompetence (Angels Moving Autos - yeah, they come to mind...) The truck is worth the asking price, no doubt, the price of getting it here and dragging it around becomes too high. Also, if I didn't have another project, then it'd be a no-brainer and I'd drag it wherever I go - but have too many, so gotta be realistic (and I hate being realistic!)


The other reason is this - the fact that I passed on the blue 55.1 below - and then found this nice 54 a year later, tells me that although they are hard to find, they are findable (or at least that's what I'm tellin myself). So when I do retire and settle somewhere - I can probably find one - and if it's not local, I'll only pay for shipping once, ever, and it'll come home to a barn on day 1. I've moved 16 times in the past 23 years, so gettin a little long in the tooth. Don't get me wrong, I do hate to pass this one up, really do, but there will always be other fish in the sea. In a few years, this one will probably be a few more thou, but at least if/when I find it or the next one, I won't add 50% to the price for shipping it all over the place.

Moorpark - I was driving thru there yesterday! Really nice area!

[Dan Bowles]

Originally Posted by tmoble

how clean is that? was it in a time capsule or something? are those chrome eyebrows on the headlights factory?

Is that truck in California? jeeze.

I think those are Caddy headlight rings. I love those things but they go for pretty good dough when you find them. A friend of mine just got like $200 for a pair on the bay earlier this year. He offered them to me but I just couldn't swing it.

I'd take either of those trucks! I'm a '54/55S1 man.