suburban prices

[fitzhume1221]

ok, newbie here, so here goes! I'm wondering what fair prices for burbans' are. last summer i picked up a 63 chevy p/u for the girlfriend cuz she loves old trucks. found a nice one in colorado with all original interior,drivetrain, paint and she loves it. problem is, after driving it a few times, so do i!! starting looking around and saw some pics of some 63 burbans, now i MUST have one! i see prices all over the spectrum, so i was wondering if anyone wanted to share their thoughts on what they thought was a fair price. for example, i found a 63 out west, and it was EXACTLY what I'm looking for: 2 tone light blue/white, 63, with clamshell doors, original/patina paint. this particular one had the original interior that was an exact match to the gf's, along with a rebuilt original drivetrain with overdrive. so after i saw the pics, read the description, and fell in love with it, i saw the price 10k firm. i thought that was pretty high, but now i don't know. I've seen prices all over the map from a few grand for project vehicles to full restored ones well above the 10k vehicle i looked at. i know its hard for someone to say what its worth without seeing the ad, but does 10k sound crazy???

[spacedebris]

like you said, hard to tell without seeing and inspecting ... but ... if there are no rust issues anywhere or any electrical/mechanical issues then 10k is not out of the question albeit probably at the upper range of reasonable. Fully restored they can easily top 30-35k for show quality. Dealer quality are likely 18-25K. An unmolested original truck like your describing would likely range from 7-12K..

IMHO anyway.

[fitzhume1221]

thanks for the reply. he stated mechanically, it was a 9 out of 10. also emphasized the fact that it had factory overdrive, supposedly a big deal or something?

[CaliberNick]

What years fetch higher prices? Personally I like the interior styling of the earlier years (60-63) than the later. Also when talking Truck, Burb, and Panel which in the same condition, same year would be valued higher?

[Captainfab]

I agree that 10K is at the uper end of what I would consider reasonable, and I would only pay that much if upon inspection all the work performed was up to my standards. There are a lot of vehicles out there that look good in pics and on the surface, but are a complete hack job once you get to looking under the hood, underneath, etc.

[spacedebris]

Originally Posted by CaliberNick

What years fetch higher prices? Personally I like the interior styling of the earlier years (60-63) than the later. Also when talking Truck, Burb, and Panel which in the same condition, same year would be valued higher?

I dont know if any particular year brings more of a price than others. While each year had their own subtleties, I think the market just bundles them all together.

I dare say that the trucks tend to be more popular. It seems that they are more desirable for the masses but Panels and Burbs have their own followers. I myself prefer the panel, hence my purchase

Its the "rarities" that tend to bring the bigger money (again in my opinion). Factory 4x4 for example. Short bed tends to be more popular than long so long tends to be a bit cheaper.

From what I've seen what determines what year people choose has more to do with things like. Knee knocker (60-63) or non (64-66). Or in some cases torsion bar suspension (60-62) or non (63-66). But I dont think any of that will have much to do with price

[oem4me]

To me, 10K does not seem out of line for what you describe. It boils down to supply and demand. The demand for pickups is much higher, but so is the supply. For the relative few who prefer Suburbans and panels, the supply is very thin by comparison. This would seem to kinda even out the price game a bit, but not really.
From my personal experience, finding just the right Suburban is going to be much harder than a pickup, so it might pay to snag the one you like when you see it, at what ever price it takes to get it.
Patience is key, and so is knowing what you want. I say learn what years came with what engines, options, colors, and trim, and build the ideal truck in your head. Then when you see that truck or a close match come up for sale (in a condition you can handle), grab it!

[gostranger]

I know from building one it will be cheaper and you won't have to wait to buy one that is done. Also everything is not getting cheaper from parts wheels motors and paint and bodywork. So I guess I am saying if you have the money to spend buy what you want and enjoy it right away I have seen some expensive suburban on ebay!! Good ones cheap are far and few between. 6-10 grand should get you a good driver with very little to do to it. That is my thought!

[MikeS.]

2 years ago I paid $1,900 for mine. Another $1,500 to have it trucked from Washington to WVa. I've put another $5K into getting it into solid, safe and reliable driving condition. I'm in the process of dropping another $5K and 5-6 months into it for paint.

If I could find EXACTLY, you're words, for $10K I'd snatch it up in a heartbeat.

[MikeS.]

Originally Posted by fitzhume1221

thanks for the reply. he stated mechanically, it was a 9 out of 10. also emphasized the fact that it had factory overdrive, supposedly a big deal or something?

I'd say factory OD is rare, but worth a lot extra, I don't know. I don't remember seeing any other factory OD on here.

Is this one 2wd or 4? How bad is the rust and where is it located? Basically everything from the B pillar forward will interchange with the trucks. Making parts and body panels much easier to replace or repair.

Good luck with your hunt and stick around, there is a ton of info to be had here.

[fitzhume1221]

so much thanks to everyone that replied! i might have to seriously consider it now, cuz at first, i thought that was a lot, but after doing some digging and looking at a lot of ads, your right, they're not getting any cheaper! it is exactly what I'm looking for, and if I'm spending 10k plus having to go to cali to get it(I'm in wisconsin, and have yet to see any for sale even remotely close to me), it better be. i currently have a 68 firebird that I'm restoring, so i know how expensive it can get, thats why this particular burb' appealed so much to me. like i said, it HAS TO BE: 2 tone blue white paint(i like the naturally faded/patina look. ill save the show paint for the firebird), a 63' to match the truck we have, and I'm just drawn to the clamshell doors, love that look. the fact that it had the same original interior as our other 63' was just that much cooler! there was no bad rust, he said some small surface rust areas, but nothing that was rotted. i guess since i would have to commit to buying it sight unseen since its in cali and shipping it or taking a looong road trip, i was just looking for some reassurance I'm not making a boneheaded move. but I've been looking for one for almost a year now, and I'm tired of waiting!!!

[fitzhume1221]

to answer mike s, it was 2wd, asp and there wouldn't be any patch panel work, nothing was rotted thru, just a few surface rust spots he said. i couldn't even see them in the pics. I'm not looking to do a restoration, just try to keep it in as original condition as possible. so if anyone has what i described for sale somewhat closer to me(wisconsin), I'm all ears!! gimme a shout!! thanks again to everyone that has been replying...

[oem4me]

Where in Ca? Maybe you should have someone local check it out for you. Or spend a bit more, fly out, and take away the risk of buying without seeing.

[lucifer]

If the truck is right for you 10K is not expensive. If you have to have a body shop to do any bodywork and paint you can spend close to that kind of money quickly. I am talking about a quality job on an average Sub with typical rust problems here guys so don't condemn me.

I looked at a couple of trucks in the last couple of years ,hesitated and then regretted it when the go snapped up by someone else. There gotta be a forum member that could look at for you, just pay them gas and time.

regards and good luck. The Suburban forum needs more members! LOL

[perro13]

Originally Posted by fitzhume1221

to answer mike s, it was 2wd, asp and there wouldn't be any patch panel work, nothing was rotted thru, just a few surface rust spots he said. i couldn't even see them in the pics. I'm not looking to do a restoration, just try to keep it in as original condition as possible. so if anyone has what i described for sale somewhat closer to me(wisconsin), I'm all ears!! gimme a shout!! thanks again to everyone that has been replying...

That Suburban sounds like the one in Manteca CA? I can take a look at it if you like. Not to far from me. I can take more pics etc. Let me know.

[fitzhume1221]

thanks perro13, thats very generous of you. i can't believe how great the people are on this forum! I'm supposed to talk to him again tonight, so ill let you know!

[65chevysub]

My truck is an arizona truck, and I've turned down 2 $12,000 cash offers, and 1 $15,000 cash offer from a guy in Sedona, AZ. They can be worth some big bucks, depending on condition

[perro13]

Originally Posted by fitzhume1221

thanks perro13, thats very generous of you. i can't believe how great the people are on this forum! I'm supposed to talk to him again tonight, so ill let you know!

pm sent

[fitzhume1221]

much thanks to perro13 for checking out the burn for me in person, people are crazy nice on here!!! its got a little more rust than the owner stated(why does that ALWAYS get exaggerated??) so now I'm at a dilemma. i was ready to pull the trigger and ship it home, but now I'm not so sure. the rust isn't horrible, just a little more than i wanted to deal with…so while i ponder what to do next, if anyone knows of a clean 63 burb with clamshells, please let me know!!

[MikeS.]

I'd still say buy it but try to get his price down a thousand or two.

[fitzhume1221]

hes not willing to budge off his price. if he would knock a grand off and i could get it for 9k, i think i would cuz i think I'm going to have to deal with some rust one way or the other...

[DWC]

Last summer at the Goodguys Nats in Columbus I put a sign in our Burb just to see what might happen. Well a guy comes along, and after some negotiation, offers me enough to part ways with her. It was a 66', nice driver quality truck not a pristine show piece. It came from Arizona so no rust, bagged, 283 with 700R tranny, no air or fancy audio. It needed some small stuff but nothing major. We got $16.5K which I thought was fair. Maybe $10K is not unreasonable, especially if it checks all your boxes so to speak. -Dave

[fitzhume1221]

if it was rust free i would probably take, but after checking out the pics that perro took for me when he looked at it, it needed rust repair above the windshield, the bottoms of the doors, and quarters. and it wasn't just surface rust….so the search continues!!!