possible new owner of a 62 or 63 c10 - should i do it (value?)

[neverwinter]

hi all,
i am very new into the old car and truck scene having just started about 5 years ago at 32 years old. i know that's pretty late but one day the bug just bit me!

I have a 67 dart gt that i did a lot of basic work to - swap drivetrain, new brakes, gas tanl, headres, etc. basically bolt on stuff. I also have built a few bikes in the last 5-6 years so i am not afraid to get dirty.

long story short, we are having our second child soo and i am hoping to downsize the toy collection. knowing what i know now i should have lept things stock or just skipped them altogether and saved for the thing i really wanted which is an old pickup to use for local shows, weekend chores, and carting around whatever bike project i have at the time. just a decent, good running parts hauler i guess.

a local guy has 2 nice ones - a 63 and a 62. both are 283 4/speed on the floor. both could use a little brake help but they run, have titles, and he described them accurately ( i have seen them at his place and can verify his descriptions were honest). he's asking 2995 for the 63 but it has 2 issues - the windshield is cracked and the bed floor is gone. there is very little rust on the truck - is a kansas truck originally. i dont think its a 3k truck but if i can get it for 2200 or so as-is and needing glass, is that a good deal if it can be driven home?

he also has the 62 which has a decent back-yard paint job, new radiator, better master cyl, and is just generally cleaner overall. he was asking 4995 but he offered it at 4500 and said i could have up to a month to grab it if i wanted. no hard sale, just offering some ideas. he has 12 cars so he's not jonesing for cash!

id love to straight trade the dart for a truck but havent had much luck. if either of these are worth the cash i'd just assume to grab one and focus on selling off the extra things in the garage to make room.

thank you for any guidance. he seems like a good guy and both trucks look great.

- jason

[neverwinter]

sorry for quick bump - i totally did not leave enough info. tried to edit the original post to prevent a bump but not sure how. The trucks are both c10's with long beds and fleetside styles. sorry again for quick bump.
- jason

[61_FL_Apache]

Do you have a pics of these trucks?

[glos55]

OK all the ground work is laid out here, I'd go for the 63 and put a windshield and bed floor in it. A friend of mine just sold a 66 short fleet yesterday and it was rusty, needed a windshield and bed floor too! He got $5000.00 cash. Can you post pictures? that would really help with our advice.

[Bugeyev8]

from the descriptions they seem a little overpriced, floors and a windshield are not cheap parts to replace, and a backyard spray job may be hiding lots of bad things, I would keep looking...at those prices I doubt they will sell fast..so if you can't find anything better....they will still be there

I think you would be better off getting a truck from out here in CA and shipping it, could be cheaper in the long run about 1k to ship a car from here to there

[awbrown]

Well , i think if the one 2995 is relatively free of rust then that price , despite the winshield and bed is more than likely fair ... to purchase a truck and have to start fixing rust issues is a poor choice when one is without rust issues and can be bought for a little more .. my first 63 had some rust but for 700 it was on the road in no time , not enough rust that it needed work right off the bat.. my second truck with less rust but more mechanical issues I paid 800 for but by the time I got the mechanicals in order so it could be driven ,I now have 2000 into .. It still needs a windshield and a bed floor to replace the steel someone put in its place .. it will need inner rockers and rockers when I get time , but now it is a driver .... I am a cheap skate ,but at the same time I can see value too and dont want to have another project for the driveway when I can have something I can drive and spend lees time and money on...

[markeb01]

The main points I would be considering is which one is least rusty. Be sure to check all the usual places – cab corners, door corners, fenders, rockers, and especially the windshield header. Rust repair is tedious, and expensive if you can’t do it all yourself. I’d prefer old paint to fresh paint because you don’t know what’s under new paint. A broken windshield is a significant expense and the wrap around 60-63 models are very hard to install by yourself, so confirm the price for a new installed windshield and factor that into the purchase price. The bed floor shouldn’t be much of a concern since almost any unrestored truck will need a new one, and there are inexpensive options available.

If you want to hot rod or lower the truck the 63 is going to be the cheaper and easier of the two to upgrade. 60-62’s have the torsion bar front suspension and an X-style convertible frame which has very little aftermarket support.

Welcome to the forum, and good luck on whatever you decide.

[joedoh]

for that kind of coin (the 4500) you could probably get a nice unmolested southwestern swb. A few days ago someone posted a nice original swb for 6500 that guys in the rust belt would probably bend heaven for.

[neverwinter]

firsty many thank yous for all the replies so far. I feel like i have truly found the truck style and options i want - factory v8 and 4 speed. i also prefer the "old paint" to both see any defects and also as i want to choose my own color.

here are the 2 ads and pic for each truck. maybe this helps. there was VERY little rust / rot on both of them and i believe they are kansas trucks - much better than here in NE! i was told i could get in and drive home in both but of course be wary of that saying - and also that i will need to adress a couple things before venturing too far.

I like the 63 at 2k, but not at 2500-3k considering the 500 for a windsield from LMC. If he says no that's cool I understand trying to hold out for more money. if he is willing to work onhis price i dont think 2k is out of the ballpark. the rust in the lower door is really the only rust i can see on the truck.

heres the 62 ad:
1962 Chevy C10 Pickup complete tune up, new radiator, new hoses and new belt , new master cylinder, new rubber brake lines, new battery, new shocks .
all fluids have been changed Thanks.

yellow truck pic

and the 63 ad:
1963 Chevy C10 283 4 Spd On floor All Factory NO Rot Frame Floors Like New Western Kansas Truck. Thanks for looking.

thank you again all
- jason

[neverwinter]

by the way - i prefere the lingbed and fleetside style both for appearance and for putting bikes into the bed. i'd just go and put some 3/4 plywood or something in the bed for now to make it functional as a hauler. in time i'd do some better upgrades but for now i just want a std shift, v8 simple parts hauling truck to tinker with during non-baby time!

[joedoh]

63 looks like a big window cab? thats the one I would get. usually the windshields crack at the wrap around part, as long as its not in your line of sight you can go a long time without replacing.

[Rannos]

I would look more into the 63. I dont really like getting a truck someone has started to restore. You dont know the quality of their work/parts or what the fresh paint hides, like others have mentioned. Plus I kinda dig the patina on the 63.

[neverwinter]

yep spoke to the owner a bit ago. i am going to look at the 63 tomorrow. already have my brother in law working on selling the dart - i couldnt sell fire to an eskimo but he can. hope to get out of the dart while i am not too upside down. i have the blessing from the wife for 2 classics but 3 would be tough to keep her happy about!! if i can sell 2 of the bikes that would go a long way. thanks again all

[63 Chevy Stepside]

I vote for the 63, I am biased, but others make good points. Let us know what you decide.

[iehotrod]

I owned a 62 short bed and 63 long bed. I strongly recommend the 63 because of the suspension. It is the from 63 thru 70 and options are endless in the after market world. If the 63 is a big back window it should not be hard to decide at the point. Nothing cooler looking than the crystal clear glass out back and it is also easier to look behind when pulling back. Now on my 62 lowering it only took $100 and turning the a couple bolts on the torsion bars. Good Luck

[Goatnut]

OK, I have to ask...what kind of bikes?
I like bikes and trucks too!

[neverwinter]

thanks again all - i went to a local car night last night and a guy showed up in a 66. maybe its a sign lol!

as for the bikes i just traded my 2004 dyna for a 74 shovelhead. prob dumb but i've wanted an old bike for a while and with the whopping 1-2k miles a year i can do now I'd rather be on the shovel.

also have a couple chops i have built - 78 ironhead and a crazy 78 yamaha that i put way too much cash and time into lol! couple pics attached. i am a terrible photographer.

[fryer1979]

I vote for the '63, looks and sounds like the better deal.

[kieth]

bed wood can be purchase as raw pine and cut to the proper width and length, I got mine locally for my 66 gmc swb for $ 56.00, go for the bbw cheaper you will spend plenty on them later. Kieth

http://kieth.smugmug.com/Trucks/66-G...83248365_yxLV5

just clean up and reuse the floor strips that are in there now. You can get the polished SS strips later.

[steve'62]

I have a 62, and love it......but, there are alot of parts that arent interchangable with the 63-66 and yes there seems to be alot more options for the suspension.I'd say look them over and go with the best deal having in mind what your finished project will look like and taking into consideration which one will work best for your vision. I on the other hand should have done that when purchasing mine! With kids and the family makes it hard for me to dedicate the time needed to finish the project. Probably should have got something closer to being completed and then put my twist and style into it.

[neverwinter]

well he sold the 62 really quickly so that narrowed it down lol! went and looked at the 63 again. just visually it needs the following:

- windshield
- master cyl
- tail light lenses
- headlight trim ring 1 side
- water pump
- rear bumper is a bit ugly
- has some dings dents in various panels but very very little rot

but it started right up, sounded good. he dropped it to 2600. my budget was about 2k as i need to clear out some other toys but i can swing the extra 600 if its worth it. truthfully the trucks i see in new england usually much higher priced and much worse shape. the fact that he sold his 5k truck within a week to me is a testament to his description and accuracy of condition of the trucks. there will always be a better barn fnd if one is willing to wait patiently.

i am not one of those people lol hence i always end up overinvesting. my goal with this tuck is to have a functioning rod to help cart my bikes etc to shows, get me to the dump, and have some fun. i have wanted a floor mounted manual trans for some time, and that is has a factory v8 is a huge bonus.

i just want to determine if 2600 is realistic and not overly gouging - i really dont think it is for this. but then again i just dont have the knowledge to say that with any certainty.

thanks for the replies all. i need to make a decision soon so any further input is much appreciated.

- jason

[glos55]

Jason I would hold off and wait for something else to show up on the radar. Everytime I bought quickly a better deal was lurking right around the corner. Just my 2 cents.

[neverwinter]

thanks glos55- in your estimation what would make it a better deal? obv we all want the best for as little cash as poss. i guess what i am trying to learn is if what he is selling at 2600 is a fair price? at that point i can make my decision to yes or no. i know bikes pretty well so when someone asks 5k for a 2001 sportster 883 i know to pass. but if it was 2500 and worked as it should with a few items to address, its a good deal. even if its just to clean and flip. i havent seen a solid truck around here in that price range. i am sure out in the midwest etc they are a dime a dozen but i cant see those and would have to pay for shipping and hope all was as described.

not trying to force anyones hand to say yes you MUST buy this lol! just tryng to convey what i feel is an honest description in an effort to better understand what the worth of the truck is vs. what he's asking. i can do the few repairs it needs to be roadworthy (minus the glass), and i am not looking to do any sort of resto. i simply want a good shop/house truck but if its 1500 more than it should be i'll pass.

hope that makes some sense!

[neverwinter]

ps - sorry he didnt tell me i had to decide soon lol. i told myself that so i dont give myself anziety about things like i always do. he has said i can take as much time as i need.

[joedoh]

is the 63 a big window? v8 floor shift is nice, no rust is a very good thing but I think your chances of another big window jumping out at you are very slim unless like you said, you ship it which wont exactly save you money. the parts it needs arent serious and as long as the windshield isnt cracked in your sight you can drive ad infintum.

big window = buy the 63. feel him out for a couple hundred off but if it isnt going your way dont get mad just buy.