Throwing in the towel....

[ChevLoRay]

You can stick me with a fork....I'm done. The past 5 years have not been good for my truck, or the guy who was supposed to do my body and paint. He got my money and I got screwed. So, I'm going to go pick up my parts and pieces and part it out or sell it all at one time..... I have no idea what to ask for what I'm going to sell, and that's the reason for the post.

It is (was) a '69 SWB Fleetside Chevy. I've had the bed, hood and fenders soda-blasted. They're in primer. The bed is done inside with Vortex liner. There is a handle flip kit for the tail gate and a new skin, too.

The chassis is completely apart. All components have been sand-blasted and painted. There are new ball joints for the front end. The contol arm shafts and bushings were done about 1000 miles ago, or less. It has ECE 2.5-inch dropped spindles and power disc brakes. The front springs are stock height. The rear springs are short by 4-inches. It has upper shock mount relocators and an adjustable track bar. The Arkansas title is for the chassis, and the numbers match. I've owned it since Halloween of '69.

The cab is from a '68, and comes with new corners and rockers, but they will need to be installed. The doors are complete, but disassembled. All of the glass is there. The original cab was infested with rust in the firewall, so it got trashed. I have a $500 price on repairing the cab and getting it ready for paint, but just haven't pulled the trigger on that task. I have the VIN tag from the '69 cab, but only a bill of sale for the '68 cab. New owner can do as they see fit. (The title and VIN tag are not for sale, so don't ask).

For the interior, I have new door panels, carpet and dash pad, all in red. I have a 2nd row seat from a '98 Tahoe to install in place of the ratted-out original bench....which is gone. Oh, I also have all new M&H Fabricators wiring harnesses....all of them.

The front and rear bumpers are chrome but they really need to be re-chromed if you wanted to make 'em nice. The grille has some minor dings, but no dents, meaning it needs to be restored but not replaced. My plan was to fill in the holes on the fenders, doors and bed sides. I can't say whether the fenders or bed have been done, but the doors have not.

I have most of the upper/lower side trim. I have new weatherstripping and fuzzies for the doors, as well as some NOS door weather strip and vent window track. There's an extra glove box door, as well as a new guage panel but the original guages will have to be swapped over.

I have Wheel Vintiques wheels, too. 15x8's and 15x10's, currently with tires. They're powder-coated red.

So, should I part it out, or try to sell it all? I have the engine/transmission, but figure most folks would probably want something else, i.e., a crate engine or an LS. What I have is the original 350 and TH400. The numbers on the block say that the engine was built in the 3rd week of '68. The date on the seat belts also confirms a September '68 build, so this in an early '69 that was built in St. Louis.

A lot of emotions surround this whole event, but it's time for me to cut it loose and wrap myself around something else that isn't so emotionally draining. Having had a stroke is part of the problem, but not all of it. The guy who was to do my body/paint has had a relapse of his lymphoma. Like I said, it's been a roller-coaster the past 5 years.

[cerjio]

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[71swb4x4]

If you have time, part it. If not, sell it as a package.
You will make more money parting it, but you will spend a ton of time doing it. You will have some large parts that will take forever to sell and you will have to store them. If you need a hobby that will make you a little money, part it out.
If parting it out means taking time away from a well paying job, or things you would much rather be doing, then sell it as a whole and just get it out.

[daverod]

Part it out put it on ebay expect to lose some $$$. about 1/2. My 2cents

[hugger6933]

I hate to see you quit and give up on the truck, your one of the first people I noticed from Arkansas when I started lurking around here. I know you have had more than your share of troubles with the build on this truck. The body guy with cancer isn't he the second guy to try to help? What do you think it would take to put the tuuff together to make a runner? I know you are a pretty fur piece from my shopbut if you had enough to get it to the running stagethe fire may come back. I had a 69 Camaro in my shop I was building in my off times and had it all ready to assemble and the body work all done and in prime. Well I had a man come make me an offer on it if I would put the sheetmetal on it and have it as a roller. Well I needed to sell so I agreed and it took less than two days for me and my crew to have the car in the rolling stage all metal on and adjusted with the gaps set. When he loaded the car on the trailer to leave I was kicking myself so hard. What seemed to me like an lot of work to get it to that point was'nt so bad. I also know that you have health issues that are keeping you from doing the work that you used to be able to do but I just hate it for you to see it end that way, unless your okay with that then let it roll and some one will get some really great stuff

[BMERDOC]

Leave it alone for a minute and then get back to it. Don't part anything and don't sell it. Forget about it for a minute, trim down some of your bigger ideas and make it happen. We all get down sometimes! ChevLoRay, ChevLoRay, ChevLoRay! (fade off chanting cheers)

[ChevLoRay]

I hear you on the roller thing, but this thing is completely apart. Okay, the rear trailing arms are attached to the chassis, as well as the front crossmember, but that's it. It's at a stage where someone can reassemble it or modify it as they see fit. But, it was a relatively rust-free truck, with the exception of the firewall. That was the result of a previous owner using some non-automotive RTV on it to stop rain from leaking into the cab....and not knowing that the leak was from the fresh air ducts that were full of leaves, etc. Live and learn.

The only body rust that it had other than the cab is a little bit of pinholes in the passenger door, at the bottom of the door where the door bottom is attached to the outer skin.

The bed had a tiny, very light ding on the right rear. The truck has never been wrecked and that's saying something for a 43-year old vehicle. I believe that the odometer reading of 113K is correct, based on how clean the chassis was when we tore it down. It was amazing to me.

Yeah, it's a drag and I know that parting it out may be a drawn-out event, but someone may come along and just want to make me an offer that I can't refuse. Someone, somewhere wants what I have. I just have to let them know.

My interests now lie in swapping an LS engine into my '96, along with a 4-link for the rear. Yeah, that's what I want. I don't need 2 trucks. The one I can drive right now....is the one I want to keep.

[Sillyoldman]

The OP is asking "Whats it worth". If and when the truck or parts become available they'll need to posted in the "For sale" area(s). Please do not ask to buy parts on this thread.

[ChevLoRay]

Sorry for posting it incorrectly, but I am well aware of the right place to list parts for sale, as well as the right way to sell them. Sorry for my failure to pay attention. I was just looking for some insight into what avenue to take. Thanks for your help, SillyOldMan.

[sir_talk_alot]

NOOOOOOOOOO! NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO and ONE MORE FREAKING NO!!! DO NOT GET RID OF IT. PLEEEEEEEEEEAAAASEEEE, look im sure adam would be willing, id come down when i can to help you put it back together. look there are not very many of us forum brothers around here, and im hoping that you and adam will be part of the club this summer/ fall, his truck is apart too. we can all take turns helping each other. i just hate to see you give up, especially so close to home. im 45 mins away, i can make a little road trip. man, that makes me sad to think of it going away, does it really hurt to sit on the back burner? is it costing you money for it to sit?, if its not, let her sit for awhile, get your current truck finished, just focus on that one, and then when your either frustrated with that one, or get the flame to your butt to work on it, do it. i cant tell you what to do, but i really hope you'll reconsider....i know adam will put in on this one.

[dubds10]

If you sell it as a complete project, you'll need to give the title and VIN tags with it for most people to register it depending on where it goes. Or do you just mean the title and VIN aren't for sale seperately?

You'll get more of course if the title goes with it vs just parts. It'd also be worth a lot more if the cab has no rust to be fixed. Unfortunately most projects at that stage usually only bring in $1000 or so. I see tons like that for sale and everybody takes a big loss on them.

Nate

[ChevLoRay]

Title and vin tag stay with the chassis. Didn't want anyone to think that they're available separately. Okay, maybe. If someone wants to buy a legitmate vin and title....I'll throw the chassis in for free. How's that?

[dubds10]

It is illegal to sell vin tags and titles together WITHOUT a truck.

[ChevLoRay]

Keepin' it legal. What happens after it all leaves my sight is beyond my foresight. If I have the money...it isn't mine any longer. But, no title and no tag without taking what it all belongs to....

About 25 years ago, there was an enterprise that was oriented toward national listings called Car Locators of America. I had the Arkansas listing authority. I got a call one day from a guy who wanted to buy a burned-out Caddy...specific year and body. So, I talked to a friend who had a towing business. It was at that time that I learned that there are people who need vin tags and titles to legimize their ill-gotten gains in vehicles. So, as long as I am up front and real....then the sale is legitimate and a done deal.

[dubds10]

Yeah my buddy & I part out classics to new vehicles and one buyer wanted an import shell with title that was damaged pretty good but was fixable. Said he had a second damaged one so wanted to combine the two which is legal up here. You almagemate the titles or just use one and declare the other car as being used. So that's all fine and dandy, he takes the title and car. Two weeks later the cops are calling my buddy asking him about this car. Turns out the guy was running a chop shop lol Not our problem and the paper trail was clean and legal to be parting the car out, so they were just making sure that car wasn't stolen too.

Ya never know these days, but as long as we keep clean then no problems. Older vehicles nobody really seems to care much about, just mainly the newer vehicle as they are actually worth $

Nate

[starvinartis]

Hang in there ChevLoRay, the sun will shine again!

[ChevLoRay]

Yeah. I've located an '83 C-10 that needs my engine and transmission. It's a SWB Fleetside and has a minor flaw on the passenger side of the bed, between the wheel opening and the front of the bed. If I can do some trading, I think a MAACO paint job will be quite adequate and I'll have a new plaything.