I need some help from you guys so I can decide if this truck is worth
buying. Its a '51 3 window pickup with a Ford 9-inch rear axle and mid
'70 coil spring IFS front suspension, 4-speed transmission, nice looking
aluminum wheels, decent tires, new glass and rubber seals, tilt
steering, bucket seats, relocated master cylinder (no power booster and
still set up for drum brakes) and set up for a V8 (original had a 283
but threw a rod). All of this work was done years ago. When the engine
threw the rod it was parked in inside storage for at least 5 years and
the guy who has it now has had it for at least a couple of years so the
work was done at least 8 to 10 years ago. At the time the engine blew
the truck was a driver so everything should work. The work on welding
in the front suspension isn't as pretty as it could be but looks solid,
the same with the tilt steering installation - solid but not pretty - a
lot of wires hanging down etc. The body is good and straight,
definitely not show quality but could be a driver as is. The original
chrome grill but has a few nicks in it, the chrome bumper is straight
but has little pin pricks of rust on it. The fenders look to be rust
and bondo free except for just a couple of the mounting holes where the
bolts go through to the body, the running boards are solid but have a
few pinholes in them - right where the paint would have been wore off
when getting in and out of the cab. The only place I found rust was in
the cab corners and even that isn't too bad, the area around the cowl
vent and hood hinges is solid. There may be a little bondo in the area
right in front of the driver's door (where the side vent is on my '49).
The sides of the bed are in great shape, in fact I suspect that they
were replaced when the truck was originally fixed up, the bed wood and
metal strips are solid, the wood looks like it would in a working truck
- not all varnished up. The tailgate is a good original, the rear
bumper is bent in the middle some but I think could be straitened fairly
easily. The truck was painted red but the paint has faded so it looks
like red primer, there are some nicks in the paint that show a little
rust, but nothing deep. The hood has been sandblasted to bare metal and
needs priming and has a few extra holes where somebody mounted a fake
hood scoop.
The glass and all the rubber seals look as if they were replaced when
the truck was fixed up. The original instruments look very good, a new
headliner had been installed, the cloth covered buckets look decent
(also I guess the original seat is available), the paint on the dash is
good. It has a later model heater and electric wipers installed.
Included with the truck is a mid '80s 305 V8 (that would bolt right up
to the 4-speed that was in the truck with the 283) and a mid '80 BOP
(Buick-Olds-Pontiac) 307 V8 and BOP turbo 350 transmission (he bought
the BOP engine and tranny before finding the 305). Both engines look to
be in good condition and are supposed to run well. The 305 has a GM HEI
distributor (I'm not sure about the 307) but I would have to supply a
carburetor.
What do you think the truck is worth?? I'm thinking with the 305
installed and the hood primed and installed with the truck in running
condition it would be worth at least $2,000. Right now we are still
talking price but I know I could get it for $1,200, could probably get
it for $1,000 and might even be able to get it for $900 (which was what
I was thinking of offering). What do you guys think? Thanks for the help.
Kevin Brown
'49 Chevy 3/4 ton wrecker
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