Is this a good deal on a 78 GMC K10 ?

[davidfite1978]

Looking for my first squarebody. My ideal truck is a 78 GMC K10 (or is it 15? still haven't figured out what the difference is, people that post them for sale don't seem to know either). Posted a thing on facebook yesterday and right away someone responded with one for sale. Here's the details, let me know what you guys think.

$1800
Parked under a tree for 3 years so needs paint
new tires put on right before it was parked (one goes flat after a couple months now, and one has a broken valve stem)
"new" 94 350 TBI motor/tranny was installed right before it was parked
rockers/cab corners are probably pretty rusty or gone but supposedly not much other rust/damage
interior decent supposedly
new edlebrock intake and new radiator right before it was parked
water pump is off
starter is not hooked up
some other piece is off that has to do with 4 wheel drive, dude says it's driveable without it but his son had this piece taken off 3 years ago to get it worked on at a shop (something about bearings or something that needed a press to do the work)

The story is it's a retired guy who's not a mechanic, and it was his son's truck. The radiator and battery went out 3 years ago, his son parked it to start working on it and then found a girl, got married, moved out, etc...

Compared to other deals on craigslist it seems like a no brainer to me (assuming the rest of it is in as good of shape as it seems), but I wondered what you guys thought. If I did buy it, what's the easiest way to transport it home (1 hour)? I can only guess I'd have to call a flatbed tow truck to move it? I can figure out a decent amount of mechanical stuff but I'm not gifted enough to go fix it in his yard in an hour to drive it home.

I'll attach all the pics I have so far. I'm not a guru so feel free to point out anything interesting you see in the pics that I haven't covered in the post so far.

 

[74 Shortbed]

Can't see how you could go wrong for $1800, I'd be out there loading it up on my trailer, or rent a U-Haul or something..

 

[CSFJ]

You'd need to look it over to get the best feel, but, I don't care how "new" the tires are, after being parked in the grass for three years, they're apt to be dryrotted down between the treads. Water pump is off, so the water jacket has been open to condensation and corrosion for three years. Rockers and cab corners were bad when parked, so how much farther has the rot provressed sitting in the yard under a tree? I'm gonna guess, substantially. I've got a bunch of pics of the truck I just parted out, that was stored under a tree for an unknown number of years. I guess I need to get them in a thread. Long story short, I'd let it go for that price, but you need to see it yourself and go with your gut.

 

[davidfite1978]

You'd need to look it over to get the best feel, but, I don't care how "new" the tires are, after being parked in the grass for three years, they're apt to be dryrotted down between the treads. Water pump is off, so the water jacket has been open to condensation and corrosion for three years. Rockers and cab corners were bad when parked, so how much farther has the rot provressed sitting in the yard under a tree? I'm gonna guess, substantially. I've got a bunch of pics of the truck I just parted out, that was stored under a tree for an unknown number of years. I guess I need to get them in a thread. Long story short, I'd let it go for that price, but you need to see it yourself and go with your gut.

Thanks for the advice. I hadn't thought about anything getting corroded with the water pump not being on there.

 

[1987 GMC Jimmy]

At face value, it looks like it has potential. I'd check it out further. It may be a good deal, and I'd be there with a trailer loading it up and paying the guy for that price just like Art said.

 

[Rusty Nail]

With the # of add on caveats, i'm asking myself "why?".
WHY is the water pump removed?
WHY was is deemed OK to lose 4wheel drive for a couple hundred bucks?
WHY is "the starter not hooked up"? Always a bad sign.
If thats the case, no tellin what other hack-job ******** has gone on.
A TBI requires a fancy electric fuel pump as you may know...where is the computer? On the firewall?

Did the truck EVER run after the engine swap?

If yes, then maybe.
If no, then not a chance. Run.

Under a tree? Im concerned about leaking through the firewall. The floorboards may be gone.

I think $1800 is high. Way high. We are all talking about a LOT of WORK. AND A LOT OF MONEY!
Plus it's red!
That guy is spending time painting ******* brackets but didn't put the water pump back on? Bad sign.
Its got a big,expensive, ********* "elite series" air cleaner on it. Bad sign.
Why didn't they put the water pump back on again?
If its got floorboards? And you are willing to BUY a red truck? Id offer $900 IF it EVER ran with a TBI in it.
But i bet it didn't.
That's a collection of parts shaped like a truck.
That's an abandoned project. I'd keep lookin.
There ain't no such thing as an $1800 dollar, 40 year old truck that don't run.

Plus it's red.

 

[HotRodPC]

It is a K1500. Chevy did C/K 10 20 and 30 as well as R/V. GMC did C/K 1500, 2500 and 3500. The GMC badge probably does say 15 for K15.

My opinion would be similar to all of the above including load it up. All those responses above make sense IF it's what it says it is. However... $1800 is alot for a non running truck and as said, it's an abandoned project or project that someone lost interest in for a reason.

You just have to look it over. I'd look over the frame and sheetmetal of the body very well. If that's in good shape with just the normal as to be expected cab corner and rocker rot, and the frame is good, then I'd probably insult the guy and offer $1000 expecting him to say NO, HELL NO !!! Then a few days later be calling you back up to bring your $1000 and a trailer. Buy it on the pretense that you're going to need to find another used carbed engine for it.

Also, noone has yet mentioned that sitting under a tree in the grass, there is a good possibility that mice and/or rats have set up several homes in it by now. Not sure if you have mud daubers in your area, but mud daubers tend to build nests and pull mud and dirt into every orofice possible too and they're a real bitch to get out, especially down in duct work of the AC and heater as well as that engine that's been left open. Just something else to think about. Infestation of insects and rodents kills many vehicles wiring systems too.

 

[davidfite1978]

It is a K1500. Chevy did C/K 10 20 and 30 as well as R/V. GMC did C/K 1500, 2500 and 3500. The GMC badge probably does say 15 for K15.

Thanks for explaining that. I kind of thought that but man... when you're searching for one of these trucks you basically have to search for every possible word you can think of. Seems the owners half the time don't even realize what exact designation they have.



Man. A lot of good replies and comments. I've gone from being super excited and ready to pick it up, to being very apprehensive and almost don't even want to go see it, back to being ready to pick it up. I'm usually the type to have "analysis paralysis" when it comes to buying something, but that usually goes out the window when I have cash in hand and go to see a vehicle in person. I think this time I'll go without any money and just strictly check it out first.

 

[Green79Scottsdale]

You could always bring just $1000 cash with you. Look it over real good, point out everything mentioned in this thread (act like you came up with it all on the spot) and offer him whatever you feel like it's worth. If/when he says no, tell him ok thanks for your time, and that the offer is good for a month or so if he changes his mind.

 

[HotRodPC]

Thanks for explaining that. I kind of thought that but man... when you're searching for one of these trucks you basically have to search for every possible word you can think of. Seems the owners half the time don't even realize what exact designation they have.

You're right. That's why we have a thread called, ******** on Craigslist. People don't even know what they have most of the time. The ones who do know think it's gold.

You could always bring just $1000 cash with you. Look it over real good, point out everything mentioned in this thread (act like you came up with it all on the spot) and offer him whatever you feel like it's worth. If/when he says no, tell him ok thanks for your time, and that the offer is good for a month or so if he changes his mind.

You'd give a month? Not me. Anticipation would kill me waiting that long. I'd be saying, if you change your mind in the next couple of days unless I find something else between now and then.

 

[Honky Kong jr]

I got mine for 400 it ran and was all original, but I'm a cheap ass. Yes it had rocker and cab corner rust and the bed was pretty much **** but it was 400 and I can and did all the metal work. 1800 is a lot to sink into a potentially bottomless pit with the given unknowns. And as been stated above it's flaming red and it has the horsepower killing Edelturd carb. Could be a lot of flash to detract from the more serious issues that lie with in. It could be a diamond in the rough as well. In the end only you know your skill set and how much you wanna dump in it.

 

[Camar068]

I like the offer $1,000 after pointing out everything that you can see needs fixed. Be a good guy with them about it though. If they said no, I'd walk and never look back. For $2500 around here you can find one that's running and actually see/hear whats wrong with it so you actually know what to expect.

I'd feel better if I could spend an hour and get it running. The 4x4 issue (whatever it is) scares me.

 

[HotRodPC]

I got mine for 400 it ran and was all original, but I'm a cheap ass. Yes it had rocker and cab corner rust and the bed was pretty much **** but it was 400 and I can and did all the metal work. 1800 is a lot to sink into a potentially bottomless pit with the given unknowns. And as been stated above it's flaming red and it has the horsepower killing Edelturd carb. Could be a lot of flash to detract from the more serious issues that lie with in. It could be a diamond in the rough as well. In the end only you know your skill set and how much you wanna dump in it.

My C20 I spent $100 on it and rebuilt the transmission and been driving it since. My K1500 I paid $500, drove it with 1st and 2nd, rebuilt the transmission, drove it as my daily driver for about a year and half, then sold it for $2000. My 85 K10 roller I paid $200. An 88 C20 Burb with immaculant interior roller, I paid $50 for and sold it for $600 and didn't do anything to it. A few others I paid $100-$150 for. I think those deals are all but gone now though. With the price of scrap going up so high like it did a few years ago, that changed the values. Now everyone wants $800 for a rusted out POS or more.

 

[Honky Kong jr]

My C20 I spent $100 on it and rebuilt the transmission and been driving it since. My K1500 I paid $500, drove it with 1st and 2nd, rebuilt the transmission, drove it as my daily driver for about a year and half, then sold it for $2000. My 85 K10 roller I paid $200. An 88 C20 Burb with immaculant interior roller, I paid $50 for and sold it for $600 and didn't do anything to it. A few others I paid $100-$150 for. I think those deals are all but gone now though. With the price of scrap going up so high like it did a few years ago, that changed the values. Now everyone wants $800 for a rusted out POS or more.

Like when one could buy late 60s early 70s Novas for a couple hundred. Hell back when I was 18 I bought a 67 Camaro for 700 running and driving...inspected now you pay 5k for a rotted out shell.....Man I wish I had the cars and trucks I had back then.

 

[74 Shortbed]

man i wish i had the cars and trucks i had back then.

no ****... Lol...