81 SWBSS How much is this worth & lowering ?

[1968SWBBigBlock]

I am looking at a 1981 shortbed stepside
305, al intake, edel card, headers, firebird buckets, rust free, never hit, black, runs and looks good
Is it worth 4K?
It was lowered in the front with cut coils and the back by removing leafs. Is this a safe way to drop a truck or just a 1/2 step better than heat wrenching

Thanks

[kenm78]

Any Pictures?

[ProStreet68SB]

okey dokey heres a picture of the truck.

[Gary]

Working AC? Even with AC I'm thinking 4 large is a bit highish.

Truck in my avatar was $2600, and the lowering job on that truck you're talking about is pretty much the quick and dirty way to do it, have you ridden in it? Probably a bit rough on the ride if that's what was done to lower it (cut coils, removed leafs). Also if you're gonna haul anything you'll be missing those rear leafs. And considering it's just cut coils/removed leafs it sits awfully low, I dunno I'd probably be hesitant.

This is just my opinion.

[N2TRUX]

If it is truly rust free and everything works like it should that's not a bad price. It's not cheap, but if the paint is in good condition it's still worth it.

If they only cut one coil up front and didn't heat the spring too much when they did it, that's fine. If they got the spring too hot, or cut more than one coil, plan on replacing it sooner or later.

Dixiesys is correct about the rear. If all they did was remove leaves from the spring pack then the rear will be too soft. It may be alright for cruisin but will need to be redone if you ever plan to haul a load.

My suggestion would be to offer 3200 and see what happens.

[84slopwaggin]

Not to jack the thread but Dixiesys how is the stroker doing for you? That is one clean lwb. I'd like to here how it's performing.

[Hoods69BadBowTie]

Sounds a couple hundred to steep to me. I would say somewhere around the low 3,000$ price range for it. I agree if he lowered it and was not careful about the way he did it even though its not a great way you will probably need to spend some money to fix it.

[ProStreet68SB]

Ok my dad(1968SWBBigBlock) and I, stopped and looked at the truck yesterday. Turns out. instead of lowering the back by taking a leaf spring out, he just move the shackles until it was as low as he wanted, so theres still a full set of leaf springs there, and it can handle me jumping up and down in the bed. Let me know what you guys think. Got video and pics if you wanna take a look.

Thanks

pics

[Low84]

Originally Posted by N2TRUX

If it is truly rust free and everything works like it should that's not a bad price. It's not cheap, but if the paint is in good condition it's still worth it.

If they only cut one coil up front and didn't heat the spring too much when they did it, that's fine. If they got the spring too hot, or cut more than one coil, plan on replacing it sooner or later.

Dixiesys is correct about the rear. If all they did was remove leaves from the spring pack then the rear will be too soft. It may be alright for cruisin but will need to be redone if you ever plan to haul a load.

My suggestion would be to offer 3200 and see what happens.

Pretty much what he said. But if the truck is 100% rust free, and I had the money, I could live with myself purchasing it for 4 grand. It looks like a very nice truck.

[N2TRUX]

Motor sounds healthy. This bothers me though. That door is going to blow up on you sooner or later...

[ProStreet68SB]

Originally Posted by N2TRUX

Motor sounds healthy. This bothers me though. That door is going to blow up on you sooner or later...

What do you mean by blowup?

[bigblock73]

Hard to tell by the pic, but it looks like the door seam has been bondo'ed over....and is that a rivit or screw a couple inches up the door?

[Gary]

Originally Posted by 84slopwaggin

Not to jack the thread but Dixiesys how is the stroker doing for you? That is one clean lwb. I'd like to here how it's performing.

Right now it's hobbled with an edelbrock carburetor but it has choke! So it cranks in the cold warnings and will idle by itself in the driveway and warm up while I sit in the warm house drinking coffee. The power loss from swapping from the built to the hilt holley that came with it to an out of the box Edelrbrock 750 cfm was quite noticable, extremely noticable.

Soon as the weather starts warming the Holley is going back on it! With the holley it'd routinely chirp the 1-2 shift and not when I was trying either.

With the factory rear, it has no real launch and just kinda spins and burns up the tire so I can't really flail on it.

I was on the interstate the other night pacing a Vette, I have no CLUE how fast we were going (speedo stops at 85 you know) but we were "well beyond" the 85 and the Vette guy kept looking at me like "wtf are you DOING?? are you CRAZY??" (answer is yes). I esimate we were doing 105-115 and with that 700r4 and the (I believe) 3.08 gears in the rear I was sitting around the 3300 rpm mark doing such insane speeds. Them old trucks get awfully interesting in the triple digits, a bit squirrely...

All in all the motor and tranny I bought from ed455 here on the forums are working excellently just need to get the rear built so both tires grab and get the holley back on it soon as weather permits to really perk it up. As soon as that happens I'll post time slips from the local drag strip (1/8 mile but oh well take what you can get).

Rearend build, carb back on, and then lower it with air bags, 1 piece window kit, and hell I think she's done after that!

[ProStreet68SB]

The truck has the Scottsdale package on it, and I'm curious as to what that "did" to the truck. Any help would be nice. Keep the replies coming in.

Thanks

[84 400]

watch for bondo.

[87 STEPPER]

I would offer less than the 4k hes asking say 3k and see where it go's i think the truck is wort that and if you can get it for any amount less than 4k then you got a deal IMO.

If you pass on this truck you will regret it later it's in very good condition and you'll look long and hard to find another one as close to it for the same price.

The Scottsdale package is just an interior and exterior improvement package things like less brite work on the exterior a differant grill and usually manual windowd and locks and plastic door panels without carpet and fabric inserts plastic dash and insturment panels instead of the stainless steel ones stuff like that

[84slopwaggin]

So Dixiesys I guess when you get it bagged and upgrade the suspension and rearend your tags will read VETTEKILLR. Man I love that truck the way it sits. It's my inspiration for aquiring another lwb, which I think I've found. Oh yeah I agree 3K sounds like good price seeing as it looks like a good project truck.