Debating whether to keep or sell... input appreciated

[79 silverado]

So I'm wondering what the other members of the board would do in my position, and also, any suggestions as to what you think a truck like this in its current state with all faults is actually worth.

I bought my 1976 Silverado, half ton swb 2wd just a little over a year ago, so there really isn't a great deal of attachment to it yet. I wanted as near an original truck as I could find, and this one seemed to fit the bill - previous owner had it for about 34 years. My plans were to start with a good driver condition truck and take that down to make like new... needless to say, I haven't had a ton of time to do much with it aside from collecting a bunch of parts. I've hmmed and hawed about letting it go over the past 6-8 months, and one time even posted an ad but hadn't seen too much interest back near the winter holidays.

Having spent a good deal more time thinking about it all, I think my ideal truck would be a blue and white tu-tone, still a 73-80, with an inline 6 and automatic. As you can see from the pics, this is a black and red v8 truck. I'm not sure whether it is better to hang on to what I have, or depending what it could be worth in its current condition, letting it go and later on trying to find something closer to what it was I really would want to have when I'm done. I do know it would be more work and expense to change over the v8 to be an I6, and to do a complete color change rather than respray just the outside for paint. Aside from that, what do you all think?

As for condition, the truck has a bit over 130k on it, clean title, never hit. Was repainted with lacquer back in the 90s and still looks good, but there will be tiny scratches here and there, some touchups that were done by the PO over the years, and some tiny nicks in the paint. Back when all that was done, looking things over and checking under the truck you can tell they used some filler in typical areas: lower fenders, behind rear tires, at least one cab corner, etc so although the body is straight and un dented, it is a candidate for steel patches in those areas with a lower body outside the chrome trim band repaint if someone wanted to keep it black.

Rest of the interior is in nice shape, although there are a couple cracks that opened up on the dash pad and the seat cover was worn so for now it has a cheapo cover on it. Carpets, plastic trim, door panels etc are all nice.

Since I'd gotten it I had put on new Michelin ltx ms2 tires, both mufflers, an exhaust donut, had the valves adjusted, some carb work, oversized high amp battery, etc... maybe $1600 worth of work that has seen 3 or 400 miles of road time.

When I bought it it had the noisy exhaust leak and upon fixing that, a previously hidden noise was detectable - something top end, something worn out allowing valve rattling or wrist pin type noise, no metal in the oil pan, you hear it a little cold and mostly goes away once warmed up to where you need to try to listen for it. It's been driven a couple hundred miles at highway speeds, 50 mile each way trips out around Atlanta and back since then without issues so far, but eventually would probably be a repair item. The A/C is there and none of the components were pulled out of the truck, but the PO said the compressor was bad. I collected all new, and mostly A/C Delco new parts from compressor to condenser etc to swap everything at once. When most recently driving it, the brakes went low out on the road and the light came on in the dash - checking it out the front chamber of the master cylinder was emptied out of fluid so a line somewhere sprung a leak... bought the new lines but haven't had the time or where with all to get around to doing anything with it yet.

I have lots of other new goodies from new door edge guards, piles of maintenance parts like wiper blades, mechanical parts, etc, used lenses and extra mirrors, so on so forth, much (but not all) of it posted in a separate thread in the parts for sale section... and I'm debating selling the truck as well to find some workshop improvements at a new house we're closing on at the end of next month.

Would you guys sell it or keep it? How much would you think a truck like it might be worth? It's located in Georgia so that is the general market I'd be looking at selling it in most likely.

There's more pics in the thread from when i bought it click here, nothing really having changed much visually on the truck and I'll attach some new ones from this afternoon to the thread (including the landscaping supplies and trees we just bought in the background for the current house and the not-yet-fully unloaded bed )

Today's pics from the iphone while standing in the sun with the truck in the share, excuse any hazyness:

[Skunksmash]

Keep.

[79Betty]

It's sharp lookin. Abd an inline won't really get better gas nilage. V8 parts are cheaper and WAY easier to find... You can always just repaint it if it's gotta be blue n white. I'd keep...
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[Ziegelsteinfaust]

Keep the truck, and repaint. Inline's really do not do anything better the a nice 350. Besides being the base motor for some reason. Especially the 296.

[midnight rambler]

Keep it. you already know what you have to do to get it on the street, a new used truck might have bigger issues.
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[Damon23]

That is a pretty righteous truck. I'd hold onto it and just do a respray and redo the interior if that is bothering you. The inline six would be cool as I saw a 65 at a cruise in yesterday that was cool. You could always swap out the motor. The market for these is hard right now down here. If you look on craigslist there are a bunch. Mine is one of them. I doubt I'll get mine sold but we'll see. I'd swap you trucks in a heartbeat cause the 73-80 is what I really should have bought. It looks nice but I'd say start at about $6k and see what happens.

[77BBGMC]

If there is no sentimental value sell it and get what you want. I would think a black short bed would sell. If you want the inline six for uniqueness thats one thing, when I was in high school my dad swapped out the 350 in his 1978 C10 for an inline six with the hopes of gaining some fuel mileage, big disappointment, burnt almost as much fuel and it was gutless, sold it a few months later.
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[tucsonjwt]

A fuel injected V6 (1987 model year, like Keith's) should get about 18 city/23 hwy. New small V8 GM trucks get about 15/18.

All of the big 3 trucks for 2014 are supposed to get around 23-25 highway - with cylinder deactivation, turbo boost, shut off at idle, etc., depending on whether it is a GM, Dodge, or Ford. Of course, more modern trucks bring their own set of problems with computerized controls, injectors, etc., not to mention the big dollars spent (lost?) on the purchase.

Unless you intend to drive your truck a lot as a daily driver, any improvement in gas mileage won't make up for the additional dollars spent on a newer or new truck. I have bought lots of new GM trucks and SUVs in the past 10 years, and have also had one or two old squares at the same time. If I had only an old square as a daily driver I would just get a new truck instead - these old trucks are full of repair surprises, especially when you work them hard. I have always kept an old square around to use as a truck because I never wanted to get the new truck dirty.

From a financial point of view, most people would be better off renting a pickup for the few occasions when they really need one.

[Tx79chevy]

Keep it. Most people would LOVE to have that truck.
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[oklalawnboy]

SELL IT!! to me......

[manimal]

If you are NOT 100% happy with it, sell it. GM made MILLIONS of squares. There would prolly be someone from this board that would buy it...or trade it for what you want.
I cant agree with everyone else on the "inline disappointment". I had a '73 GMC short stepside, I pulled the 350/3ott in favor of a 292/TH350. That truck was FUN to drive,had plenty of power would run 80 EASILY,but was about the same mpg as a 350,but it was DIFFERENT.

[meatwagon83]

i would keep it, but thats me!

[kalbert]

Do you have to sell? I'd vote to keep and go find a blue 6cyl too!
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[79 silverado]

The inline 6 versus v8 thing isn't at all about gas mileage... Its more about the uniqueness, the sound of the engine while driving, things like that. Most of the trucks I ever owned were inline 6, it was kind of a step backwards to settle for the v8 at the time due to the title and originality with this truck (must trucks around here of the age do not have titles since the state doesn't require them.)

Essentially I already have more cars/trucks than I need, so its about what do I really want... and with what I want to do with something, does it make more sense to start off with something different. I'm not looking for a show truck at the end of the process, just something I enjoy that is what I want, which is one of the reasons why as I add up all the costs to convert this truck into that vision... things like a complete interior repaint top to bottom just adds unnecessary cost.

One problem however is cost... with all the extra parts like the a/c system, and the new parts like the tires, mufflers/exhaust, carb work, etc I'm into this thing for around $6800... while I know that'd never come back out I'm trying to figure out if somewhere around $5k with everything or less minus the new AC stuff in the boxes, bring their own rims/tires, etc is attainable....

[86swb]

Good looking truck. Keep it. A 350 rocks.

[lilpoindexter]

As an owner of a '78 with a 250, I can tell you that you don't really want one.
It's kind of cool because they are less common, but a 350 is going to be better, probably even in mpg.
It sounds like you are over this truck. Sell it and get whatever you want.

[bertvert72]

That's a sweet truck . Growing up my dad had one just like that but it was a 78 Scottsdale with a light blue interior .

[BigMike608]

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