Should I accept an offer for Smokey?

[Wincks2]

Someone handy has offered $1,500 for Smokey (described in signature below).

I would still like a long bed crew cab for towing our family trailer during summers. Just not sure whether it should be Smokey or a future Smokey II.

Here is how I see it:

- Smokey's a Frankentruck, so my manuals don't always help me keep her on the road.

+ If she runs, she is a diesel so she is ideal for towing our family trailer during the summers.

- A more stock crew cab long bed would also be able to tow our family trailer.

+ She gets 13 mpg towing our trailer and without towing around the city. She gets 25 mpg without towing on the highway. From my reading a gas engine wont get similar mileage.

- Have to clean out the garage and remove a work bench to get her inside to work on her.

- She is currently stalling in the winter cold. Glow plugs work, fuel heater works, she is plugged in. Buyer thinks it may be an air leak in the fuel line.

- The wiring is currently very bad. Live wires are left dangling in the air, etc.

- Around here the mechanics I use don't know how to fix a diesel. They are familiar with gas engines. So if the diesel part goes, I could be in trouble.

- the kids are now at an age where we have activities most night, so working on her may take the winter.

Seems to me cost of keeping and fixing her would be about: $1,200 welding doors, rockers and floors; $700 paint; $1,500 miscellaneous repairs; time for $1,500 = a good running Smokey for about another $4,000. I guess I could try to do this work in my garage myself, but I have never welded or painted before. But she would still be highly modified and a diesel.


Wondering whether I should take the $1,500 and apply it toward the purchase of a more stock crew cab long bed, perhaps with a gas engine.

Looks like using the $1,500 plus the $4,000 I would have to spend on Smokey would get me a budget of around $5,500.

What should a largely rust free crew cab long bed cost?

I guess if I were able to put her inside, and find the hours to do the work myself, I could save the $4,000. Of course, time is also money.

What would you suggest? Should I let her go to someone who seems confident he could put her in good running order and then shop around for a more stock replacement?

[babyJay]

I'd do it. $5500 should get you a nice one.

[babyJay]

you could buy this one from BigChevyMan....
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/c...ct=4857&cat=14

[GmtGmt]

it was me i would keep it and by the looks of it, its a great learning experiance for you.
but you could proberly get a better condition truck, these engines can be quite a headace when they dont run like they should but when they do they will run forever.

these engines are just like an old gas engine very simple also to fix, theres alot of help full guys over at dieselplace.com that help you with most and alot are from canada so help can be around the corner, many people run away from them because they have a bad reputaision

[Rpratt]

I feel that 1500 is too low for the truck, they are quite hard to find.

[MTCK]

Eh $1500 seems a little low to me. More than that just for the sidewinder turbo... It looks like a pretty solid start. Do you need to drive it in the winter? A painless wiring harness would solve your wiring problems, and it sounds like a block heater would help too? Also it looked like you had a fuel issue or two to solve.

I had an old 6.2 1/2 ton that I parted out, and it was great. 20 mpg ripping down the highway and pretty peppy to boot. I think the PO did something to it, because it had a car's 4 speed on the floor and would burn the tires through first and squak them going into 2nd with lots of black smoke. I loved it.

I think you'll be much more than 1500 getting back to where you are. Plus you know where all the bodies are buried with this truck...

[Wincks2]

Kids are pretty busy now so would like to drive her as the second winter vehicle to avoid having to inconvenience their teammates. But if I have to work on her all winter, I guess I may have to find something else to drive until she is ready to go.

But that would put us into four cars: a minivan that works, whatever else I get to use while working on Smokey, a 60 Frontenac stored for the winter, and Smokey in my garage apart.

For winterizing she has two block heaters, fuel additive, fuel heater works, glow plugs are pretty new.

[GmtGmt]

also this truck sounds like someone invested alot of money on it to make what it is now.

isnt there a diesel place in a town near you?
might be worth a shot to see if they can find the stall problem

or try dieselplace.com post about the stall issue someone might have been there

[Keith Seymore]

I'm afraid you are the only one that can decide. Weighing the factors and input above, you'll have to decide if you want to spend more for something "ready made", or combine the learning experience with saving some cash up front.

One more consideration (to add to the fire): how big is your trailer, and how often do you tow?

You can get by with a smaller truck if you tow not very often, and not very far. If it is pretty regular, or long distances when you do go then you'll want a more robust tow vehicle.

MHO -

K

[chevyman95]

I would keep it

[Wincks2]

Thanks for all of your advice.

On another thread it was suggested that the modifications appear to have been done well.

Our trailer is a 19 foot fiberglass trailer with dual axles from 1978. I like them because they don't rust. The gross vehicle weight for it is 4,000 lbs. Photo below. Towed only within a 250 kilometer range because it was the first summer with Smokey and 250 k is the limit the motor league will tow us. If I get Smokey running reliably for next summer, we may do a trip to BC to see my kin. That is half way across the continent.

[KQQL IT]

id keep it too,

[spudz]

i like it... camper and truck

[lindstromjd]

Are you running any fuel additives in your tank for the diesel during the winter? I'll bet your fuel is gelling up just enough that it stalls the engine out. A fuel heater can only work so well, and I bet it's just not enough to keep the fuel liquid. I like the white bottle "diesel cetane boost" in the summer, and red bottle "diesel 911" in winter. Never had a problem with cold starts as long as I have it in my tank.

IMHO, 1500 sounds pretty low. Unless you were selling it to me.

[Wincks2]

Thanks. Yes, I have additive in there.

Based on your replies, looks like I should keep her and try to steal a few hours here and there through the winter to roll up my sleeves and give her some attention.

Now, if I could just find a nice inexpensive reliable early 70's blazer to get me through the winter

[lindstromjd]

Love your build thread. I was quite entertained.

Oh, and I'd suggest replacing your fuel filter with a different style. I HATE that box type filter. It's a piece of crap no matter how you look at it.

[BIGCHEVYMAN]

In my opinion $1500 is to low. I would keep it. I have decided to keep mine.

[Wincks2]

Decided not to sell her for $1,500.

Haven't gotten around to cleaning out the garage so I can bring her in to work on her. In fact, considering the 25 below weather, I had actually taken her to a mechanic to get her running so I wouldn't have to poke around on her out in the driveway in the snow. He had her but had not done any work on her yet when the fellow I bought her from called inquiring about getting her back.

Sounds like we are talking about $3,500 which is what i paid for her. I guess I have about $700 more into her in parts and a couple of hundred in labour and tows.

So, the question arises again.

Should I sell her considering the cost to replace her with a stock one that is running and on which I wont have to replace the rockers and floors looks, from the crew cabs for sale on the board now, to be a about $1,000 more than the $4,000 I should probably get for her.

The fellow I bought her from is a diesel mechanic with a well equipped shop on his farm. So everything that takes me days to do, he can do in an afternoon. Maybe the best use of Old Smokey is for him to have her.

[andrewmp6]

If your thinking of selling it back to the last owner look around see how much it will cost to buy a truck like it.

[misternash2]

3500 sounds a whole lot better than 1500...but still, could you replace it for 3500? i mean all things considered. it's tough to beat 20mpg unloaded. matter of fact i struggle with a 5.3/4l60e. just can't beat it, especially with fuel prices being the rollercoaster they are sometimes.

[N2TRUX]

Tell him you have 700 added to the original price of 3500, plus your labor. See if he will go 4000. If so, sell it and get something that needs fewer repairs. It's a nice truck, and 1500 would never replace it. On the other hand 4000 would be a nice start on a bit more solid of a truck.

[spudz]

if you paid 3500 and put more work into it.... I would ATLEAST get 4k for it.