I looked at a 1969 C10 SWB today see pictures

[vettedad61]

I went to the bank and got the cash, borrowed a trailer and drove 2 hours to South Carolina to look at a 1969 C10 but decided not to buy it, I figured after putting more money into it to make it the way I wanted it, that I would be to far upside down. heres some pictures... what would you have paid for it? he was asking $9900.00 and I could have owned it today for $6900.00

350 engine ran really smooth, 350 auto shifted good, power steering and power brakes (front disc) worked good, all elec, wipers and heater worked fine

lots of new parts but backyard restored over the last 5 years and left outside so paint had wear and defects about a 7 on a scale of 1-10 could prolly buffed out.

The truck seemed solid with very little bondo based on my magnet, underside was driver condtion like the engine bay, interior looked good but carpet was sun faded. tires and rims where in bad shape but it drove straight and tight. what would have been a good price to pay for it?

[71swb4x4]

It's a good ten footer, but the cracked bondo, rust on the front bed panel, and general wear and tear take it down several notches. I would say $3,000 would be a great deal, and $4,000 wouldn't be too bad. The cracked bondo really makes me wonder what else will start popping out. The rust is an odd place to have rust that severe too, why is it rusting there? Poor paint prep? Where else will the rust pop up?
This is all worst-case scenario, it may not be that bad, but that is my take from behind my keyboard.

[cardreams]

would pay between 4500 and 5500 thats just my 2 cents becase u figure it would cost 3 to 4 grand to fix the problems and paint it and i would drive the 18 hours to get it do lol from where i live

[Shane]

that's a $3,500 truck around here ...

[cardreams]

just a question but is it on the right frame becase in the secound pics the front wheels are off center not sure if it should look like that but i could be wroung???

[71swb4x4]

Originally Posted by cardreams

just a question but is it on the right frame becase in the secound pics the front wheels are off center not sure if it should look like that but i could be wroung???

Lowering a truck will do that.

[67cheby]

in Arkansas that is a 35-4500 truck

[VA72C10]

Probably a 4K-5K truck around here because it is a SWB but could be hiding a LOT....I wouldnt have paid more than 3500 for it.

[vettedad61]

on the ride home I spotted a c10 shortbed fleetside on the side of the road if anyone here lives near santee cooper lake interstate 95 South Carolina I will tell you where it is if you want to go see if he"ll sell it... there was also another c10 outback... heres the picture

[mrhino]

6900 asking price and 5500 buying price is probably somewhere close to where I would be, around my area. (northern Indiana, lower Michigan, Chicago) but thats with everything nice and clean. Buffed and waxed. looking the best it could.

[67cheby]

i have never understood why someone with something for sale wouldnt clean it up more than this !! i would make that thing sparkle if i was trying to sell it , clean the motor, shine the chrome , use a can of spray dye on the carpet, heck i could make the thing bring $500 more in 1 days worth of labor !!

[cardreams]

no kidding dont no why people dont clean them up lol

[treveiger]

I paid 6900 for my truck and it was a off frame restore by a guy that teaches a class out in wyoming and he did it in a professional shop with a paint shop and everything and the restore was 3 or 4 years ago... I wouldnt pay that much for that truck you can find better deals than that and seeing the parts that are already falling apart i wouldnt be scared to buy it i think you made the right desicion IMO. The guy that built my truck did a few things that i think was kinda dumb but there all easy simple fixes that i can do myself(i kept telling myself i wanted a project and i got one). Just keep looking youll come across something that will be worth a lot more for less and youll tell yourself over and over you made the right choice.

[vettedad61]

The guy selling the truck kept telling me brand new this and that, new grille 600 new bumpers 200 new radiator 400 new trim etc and I was like "brand new" yeah 5 years ago before you left it outside and now there faded and starting to rust... heres the craigslist ad, notice he says "restored" http://charleston.craigslist.org/cto/2040583862.html

[treveiger]

New this new that then all jimmy rigged together

[Valhalla]

Looks like some bad body work but that can all be fixed/replaced. 3-4 would not be bad at all.

[k5hart]

I've watched that truck on craigslist for a long time now. I wondered about it because the ad and the pictures always made it look real nice. Funny how things change when you get closer. I figured it had problems since it's been for sale for so long. Was that rust in the drip rails? If so its going to be trouble later on. New bumpers with rusty bumper bolts. Hmmm. Ok. I agree with everyone else. 4 to 5k if its mechanically sound and the rust could be sorted out.

[19seventeeCustom]

I agree with most in here. My area the owner would be asking in the 6-7k range and the truck is probs worth 4-5k(depending on rust). I gave in the 6k range for the truck I bought about a year ago(70 swb). My truck is all around a much nicer truck than what this truck appears in pictures, which im sure its even worse when your there in person.

I say keep on looking!! Thats half the fun of the truck hobby, is looking and hearing stories behind some of these old trucks. Of course, im a sucker for that kind of stuff.

[Slammit]

Vettedad....

One telling story here is that he went from $9900 to $6900 without much trouble(?). This tells me he knows what lurks underneath and is itching to offload. (And in this disgusting economy, he may really just need the money)
But.........
Second - it has been for sale quite a long time with no buyers. This tells you he was asking too much to begin with (he is) and potential buyers also have seen how much it will take to bring it up to snuff as you said.
Third - I recently bought a '72 that has all original paint so you can 'see' exactly what you're buying. In my case - the drivetrain and suspension was all brand new (solid as a rock) - so there was nothing hidden under so-called "restored" paint/body work.

May I suggest you take this approach? Find the one with the patina but a solid drivetrain - even if the drivetrain is original. That patina/original paint will tell you all kinds of history.

You did good not buying this as frustrating as it is to walk away from one. Seeing that blue one on the way home was your sign that the red one isn't the only toy for sale on the block. LOL.....

[foamypirate]

Tell you what, that's a screamin' deal compared to what my brother bought, site-unseen, for 6 grand. He'll never do that again!

[big_al_71]

4-5k all day long
Posted via Mobile Device

[treveiger]

Originally Posted by foamypirate

Tell you what, that's a screamin' deal compared to what my brother bought, site-unseen, for 6 grand. He'll never do that again!

Lets hear about it

[FRENCHBLUE72]

3-4 K here in oregon..

[foamypirate]

Originally Posted by treveiger

Lets hear about it

Oh my, where do I start:

Mostly blown TH350.
400sbc with 2 different types of pistons, blown head gasket, and I found a STICK from a tree, in the lifter valley.
350 heads with no steam holes.
Drip rail filled with normal household silicon caulk and painted over.
Cracked bondo work (paint is flaking off).
Radiator support rusted out.
Hole cut in floor where manual trans used to be.
Passenger fender WELDED to radiator support, but welds have cracked.
Passenger wheel tub (engine bay) welded to fender, also cracked.
Power steering pump pulley has about 1/2" of runout, and pump leaks profusely.
Starter not shimmed correctly, so it makes horrid noises when you start it.
71'-72' gas pedal jimmy rigged into it (truck is a 1970).
Glove box filled with "goo" on the bottom.
Crappy aftermarket steering wheel with horn contacts removed.
New horn "button" is a push button wired directly from the fusebox to the horn, bypassing the normal horn module thing, no relay installed.
Right blinker harness wire melted from column plug all the way to bulkhead, bare wire right by the fuse box.
15-20 bare wire ends hanging around in the rats nest of wiring, tons of "junctions" made with solid core wire and electrical tape.
Heater doesn't work (tied to electrical issues).
Rockers, cab corners, floor boards are almost non existent (outer rockers are there enough to look decent in pictures, but that's it.
Fuel tank to hard line hose was was made with non-fuel rated hose, and leaking profusely (fixed that one ASAP, it was leaking fuel onto the EXHAUST).
Hobb-cobbled dual exhaust. Looks like it was built by a 5 year old with an arc welder. Leaks profusely.
Huge dent in drivers interior door panel.
Heated springs in the back to lower the truck, small runs of metal from the torch, and the coils are stacked/overlapping each other. Makes for a fun ride...I almost went through the ceiling a few times.



Yeah...it's a fun truck.

[magwakeenercew2jh]

Originally Posted by vettedad61

The guy selling the truck kept telling me brand new this and that, ...snip.... http://charleston.craigslist.org/cto/2040583862.html

I'm with everyone that said "Clean It Up, Seller", or posts like that.

Disclaimer: I like the truck.

But, and a BIG BUT: I'll never, ever, buy a vehicle when someone says "needs minor tuning". We all know what that means.
At a minimum, it misses and he can't figure out why. At the worst? Well. let's not go there. BTDT on the wrong end.
Of course, if it was a widow and her husband used to..blah, blah, blah. Then, okay. I can see that. That's why there are exceptions to every rule.

One rule, however, that I've not seen proven wrong: If someone stretches one truth when they are selling, the next truth usually ain't one.

New carpet? Damn! I just wasted $139.10 on new ACC, then. That carpet looks pretty sad from my computer screen.

If the drive train is strong and there's not a ton of rust lurking: $4,000 would be a fair price around here. You could *get* $6,000 around here.
But you'd have to clean it up, tune it up, and maybe tell a story or two. Not a good move.

Best move? The one you made.