Step-side Pickups.

[redsnow]

I've got an 1987 Chevy short bed pickup, 4WD, V8, 4-speed. I parked the truck about 5 years ago, and I'll tell you within the last 2 weeks, there have been 4 or 5 people ask me about buying the thing.

It's never been wrecked, I had the 305 cid engine rebuilt at 98,000 miles, all together it's got about 150,000 miles on the running gears.

It was running smooth when I parked it, give or take what is the truck worth?

Put it down in Low 4, with chains on all 4, it'll take you places you probably don't need to be, and bring you back out too.

In a way I hate to sell the thing, but I don't need it, and don't have time to tinker with the thing, and we don't need it on the farm.

Maybe I've missed something? But it just seems, every other day, someone is asking about buying the thing.

It's got lots of rust, and the bed is about shot. I'd just like to have a ballpark figure on what it'd be worth. Thanks.

[trappnman]

if it has a decent bed and average rust- it would be $1000-$1200

if it needs a new bed, etc- I'd say in that $500 range. For little money you could but a wooden bed on it- and and get it back to the $1000 range

that's local, rural prices around here.

[redsnow]

Well, not sure. I asked the one guy what he thought it'd be worth, he told me between 1,500 and 2. Another guy told me that he was thinking around $1,500. Another guy asked if I'd take $700 cash for it the other evening.

I'm not going to sell it that cheap, we've got 2 other Chevy's on the farm, everything is interchangeable. Bumpers, windshield, mirrors, etc.

Not positive, but the one guy, I think?, he and his boy were thinking about making it into some kind of "show truck". They told me you can buy new fenders, rebuild the bed, etc. In other words spend a fortune on the truck, make it look pretty, and cruise around town, and maybe win a small trophy now and then.

It's been a good truck, but it'd take a good bit of body work, just to get it to pass inspection.

I would like to see the truck back on the road. We'll put a new battery on the thing before long, see what we've got to play with.

[trappnman]

you could get that here if very little rust-

but this is pickup country, so lots of old ones for sale.

[redsnow]

No, it's got a lot of rust. I've had to patch all 4 fenders and the doors, and that was 5 years ago. Just to get it to pass inspection. It'd be handy to have on the farm, just for small chores. But it'd cost a good bit and a lot of hours to put it back on the road.

I've been out west, you look at those cars and trucks, 40 and 50 year models, and no rust or light rust. I guess it's the road salt and humidity.

I'll let those guys check it over, see what they think. At least get it out of my way.

[cameron1976]

Did you sell the truck Redsnow?

[redsnow]

Not yet, really haven't had a chance to look at it myself. I think the one guy is going to bring a battery and see what happens. It's been parked for 5 years or so.

The one guy has a GMC, think he said his was an 83', not sure if he was planning on fixing his, and just wanted mine for parts, or the other way around?

We'll wait till it warms up. See what we have.

[trappnman]

trouble with old vehicles sitting, always seems to be brakes.

[redsnow]

I figure all of the belts, hoses, wiring are all trash. Never know.

The one guy that is interested in the thing, he was thinking he could just put a battery on, and run across town and get it inspected. That's not going to happen. Here if it's got a little rusty spot where you can scratch or cut your finger, it won't pass. That's even on "farm use" vehicles.

Depending on which shop you go to, they can get pretty picky.

I look at it kind of like this, I can get a lot more use out of the truck than I can something like a 4-wheeler, even if it's just on the farm.

[PamIsMe]

Make your wife happy, get rid of it LOL

[redsnow]

Pam I'm glad to see you back online. Oh, as soon as it warms up a little bit we'll take a look at the thing and I'll sell it. Or might just take it out the farm, in case we ever need spare parts.

Not sure why, but the one guy said that step-side trucks are very much in demand now. I don't know?

[cameron1976]

Sounds like there is plenty of interest in the thing. Who knows with all this interest maybe you are sitting on a goldmine. 

[trappnman]

I'm so glad MN isn't an inspection state. Makes life so much easier.

[redsnow]

No, I don't think it's a goldmine. Check on ebay, seems like some of the similar models, whoever owns them think they have a fortune. I'll admit all of the trucks on ebay look hells better than mine.

Not sure how it works in other states? If you drive through this town with a park-light out, good chance you're going to get a ticket. Probably just a warning, but still you'll be pulled over.

A Deputy Sheriff pulled me over in the same pickup we're talking about years ago, over in the next county, because a fuse popped. The same fuse works the park lights, brake lights and dome light. I didn't know, pulled out on the road, blue lights behind me. The young man wrote me a warning, but still had to send him a copy of my paperwork. Without my dome light working, we couldn't find the copy of registration and insurance that he needed. Just a pain in the butt'

Wanted to tell you, I just had my other truck inspected, the brakes wouldn't pass, so, that's another $200 down the drain. I will sell that little jewel.

[cameron1976]

Inspections can be a real hassle. Some states are worse than others.

[trappnman]

here you just go to lic bureau and pay the money for a new plate or tabs.

you will occasionally get pulled over for burnt light, loud muffler, etc but that's pretty rare, and if you do its a warning citation, where you have so many days to fix it. does not have to be inspected after its fixed- you just sign the citation and send it in saying problem fixed

[redsnow]

Years ago the inspection stations would let you get away with a few minor problems, not today. I had a little "bulls-eye" crack in the windshield, that turned into a short little crack, over on the passenger side of the truck, it wouldn't go. So, that's another $150 down the drain, for a new windshield.

A WV inspection only costs $15 or $20, that's per year. But you can talk to any of our local stations, and they won't put a new sticker on the vehicle until it's up to snuff. I understand their point, that's their business, if they send something out on the road, that's less than expected, the state will void their inspection license. What good is a garage if they can'd do an inspection? Not much.

I mean, I'm not going to go to one shop to get my vehicle fixed, (where it's cheaper) and then run over to the other place to get it street legal.

Here we are, Friday night, I wouldn't want to ride across town tonight with a park light out. And, if there's a crumpled-up, faded-out beer can on the back that I picked up on the trapline, you'd just as well figure you're going to be put through the "motions".

We're getting way off topic, but I live in a small town, we've got somewhere around 10 town police officers, a dozen or so Deputy Sheriffs and probably 5 or 6 State Troopers stationed in this area. Plus the DNR officers. If you screw up on the North end of town, somebody is going to be waiting on the South end of town.