Craigslist find - Worth it?

[BillyFrank]

Well, I've been looking for a new truck for a while. I currently own a '65 C20 but its in pretty bad shape. Lookin to sell it and buy something better. I found this truck for $6,500, which is right in my price range. Do you think its worth it?




It has a 350 motor with powerglide tranny. Been painted recently both in and out. Has power brakes and power steering, looks like a c10. It has a stock looking radio with aux input.

To me, from the pics it looks great. If there is nothing out of the ordinary that is hiding, would it be worth the asking price?

Thanks everyone!

[dougf]

If there is no rust, absolutely! Right in the ballpark IMO but maybe 1k high. Just depends. I bought a rust bucket 3 years ago for $2,500 and regret it. So, so much work and money for new metal, that in hindsight it would have been well worth the extra 3k for something nicer. Plus you can enjoy it now. Mines been apart for 3 years and basic rust repair isn't even complete. Just my personal opinion.

[BillyFrank]

That is where I am at now. I've completed one side of rust repair on the cab and that took me probably 6 months of here and there spare time. For the time and money it would take to get my current truck into this one's condition, it will not have been worth it in my opinion.

[padresag]

but unless you can establish what is under the paint. paint can hide a lot of things. if you can't tell from looking at it in person it will be pretty hard for any one on here to judge that
ron

[DPowers]

If it was recently painted- ask to see some "before" pics. If that is what you want- go for it.

[PGSigns]

Around here that truck would sell for that in short order. Lots of nice options on that truck. I say go take a good look with cash in hand and see what you can do.
Jimmy

[oem4me]

Quality of workmanship is everything here. A truck that looks as good as that which has been mechanically sorted would be a steal at that price, provided no hidden surprises.
I personally prefer to deal with vehicles that have had little to no improvements or upgrades. This is mainly due to my unwillingness to trust that the work was done with quality in mind. That's just me though. No doubt some of the best deals to be had are by buying somebody's former project truck and getting all their time and effort for free.
Be smart, look hard, and try to remember that shiny does not necessarily mean quality.

[Smittie]

Originally Posted by BillyFrank

To me, from the pics it looks great. If there is nothing out of the ordinary that is hiding, would it be worth the asking price?

The photos look good enough to take a closer look but like someone else said, a coat of paint can hide several levels of hell. I tend to shy a way from fresh paint. I would want to know how long s/he has owned it (are they trying to flip it). I would want to see photos of the truck before it was painted. I would poke around in the usual rust places looking for rough spots or bubbles.

-- Smittie