question.....1966 GMC sitting out in the elements for 7 years...........

[chimney chop]

another newb question:


how much would you estimate it would cost to get this truck up and running again? just looking for a ballpark estimate............



-1966 1/2 ton truck is complete.

only thing missing is the gas tank. (had gotten rusted out and then removed)

-had been fully restored, was running when parked 7 years ago.

-350 engine, 400 automatic transmission, aftermarket a/c.

[Martin64]

I'd be afraid to guess. It may just take a hose, a can of gas and a battery or every wire could have been chewed up by rodents...there's alot of information missing. Pictures would help also.

[chimney chop]

here's a pic of the engine

[csa daddy]

shouldnt be much if it was already restored put new tank an fuel line on an give it a try an see if it starts. may need to rebuild carb an replace all old fuel filters

[Driveway Dreams]

Originally Posted by chimney chop

...just looking for a ballpark estimate...

I'd say somewhere between $100 & $100,000 depending on how detail oriented you get with it. At least a ballpark figure for ya.
Really though. I agree with starting with the known stuff and follow up from there. I have to do the same with my Suburban. But I am swapping the motor and putting a fuel cell in. Good luck with the truck!

[chimney chop]

ha thanks, i actually haven't seen the truck in person.

it's in CA, I'm in TX.

that's the pic the guy sent me.


-so, what would be the absolute worst case?

i have about $2000 to put into it after the purchase.

as of right now i don't have many details other than what i've already mentioned.

-what do i need to find out before a purchase?


ps: i know these questions are incredibly naive, but hey that's where i'm at

appreciate your responses

[Chevy Fleetside]

Originally Posted by chimney chop

ha thanks, i actually haven't seen the truck in person.

it's in CA, I'm in TX.

So what is it. IN Ca or Tx. Make up your mind.

[chimney chop]

Originally Posted by Chevy Fleetside

So what is it. IN Ca or Tx. Make up your mind.

ha yeah, i got mixed up after looking at too many trucks

[Driveway Dreams]

Based on the calculations I did for getting my Suburban road worthy including putting seats in, wheels & tires, dropping my motor and tranny in, and the fuel system...$2,000 should leave you plenty for getting it on the road.

[61_FL_Apache]

Is this the truck your looking to ship?

[chimney chop]

Originally Posted by 61_FL_Apache

Is this the truck your looking to ship?

yup!

[mikie 1954]

Where in CA is it , theres alot of guys here that may help out if close enough?

[PGSigns]

I would have someone you trust go take a look. Couple of quick checks can tell a lot. Will it turn over with a good battery in it. Will it start if you pour a little gas in the carb, still have brakes and will it roll after you push on the brake pedal. Then just a good look at the entire truck top to bottom.
Jimmy

[Str8axle]

With $2000 to play with, I don't think you'll be over budget.

[markeb01]

More than the cost to get it running, I’d want to make sure it’s something you want to buy. If it’s several states away I’d suggest you need to have someone you trust take a look at it (unless you personally know the seller). The pointers on the following thread can help. Sitting outside for 7 years can allow a lot of rust damage to occur in the usual areas if the vehicle wasn’t protected.

http://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/bu...uide_60_66.htm

[chimney chop]

i'm a vehicular novice so........

when i go to see it how much should i offer?

what large concerns do you see?

ps: thanks for all your help guys!

[hamllik]

The first thing to do is to take what ever the previous owner told you about the truck and throw it out the window. All old parked trucks just had a rebuild right before they were parked wink wink. The first thing I see is a newer clear coat paint job that has rust bubles coming through the paint, so it is going to need a paint job at the least and you have to wonder what they covered up. It is going to need that tire fixed to be loaded. If you are in texas why are you buying so far away? I have seen alot of trucks down there that are rust free in texas. You may be better off spending a little more money closer to home and save the shipping for repairs. Just my 2 cents I have seen alot of scams over the net and if you are a novice you are acceptable to them.

[hamllik]

I just saw the rest of the pics I would be very concerned about it sitting without an air cleaner. I would offer no mor that 1000.00-1500.00 and that was after hearing it run.

[tapeworm]

Originally Posted by markeb01

More than the cost to get it running, I’d want to make sure it’s something you want to buy. If it’s several states away I’d suggest you need to have someone you trust take a look at it (unless you personally know the seller). The pointers on the following thread can help. Sitting outside for 7 years can allow a lot of rust damage to occur in the usual areas if the vehicle wasn’t protected.

http://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/bu...uide_60_66.htm

Well said! I learned the hard way about this. While I've had plenty of old cars in the past and should know better, I bought one over the internet anyways. I wouldn't say I got burned or scammed, but the rust was much worse than I originally thought.

These trucks rust out in every area of the body, and can happen anywhere in the country. My best advice is to buy something fairly clean & original. Even if it needs work, its still better than something that has been cobbled up by humans over the years.

Sorry for my rant, but you'll thank yourself later

[collins10672]

it has a chevy dash and tailgate with 65 chevy fender emblems,gmc grill and hood.

[glendale]

i am confused it has texas plates? if its close to sac i can check it out for you.let me know.

[chimney chop]

oops, yeah this one's in texas.

looking at too many cars got me confused

[Slow Build]

I'm a bit leery of buying anything that has been sitting that long if I wasn't planning on a rebuild anyway. I bought a 98 Tahoe on ebay a couple years back that was advertised as "in pristine condition". Turns out that it sat out in a field for about a year and a half. A lot of seals and gaskets dried out causing leaks and other problems over the time I owned it. I bought it for $5000 but by the time I sold it I had $17,000 into it. Of that money only $1000 was in upgrades. The rest was fixing its problems. Ebay had a really bad system for grievances back then otherwise I would have returned it and gotten my money back. I realize there is a lot less to go wrong on the older trucks but I would still worry about seals and gaskets being dried out. Just my $.02 worth.

[rwgregory]

That's a Chevy with a GMC grill and headlights. If the title says GMC run away quickly.

[chimney chop]

Originally Posted by rwgregory

That's a Chevy with a GMC grill and headlights. If the title says GMC run away quickly.

why exactly?

the more and more i hear the more i think this is not a good project truck