Brent B3B Posted February 27, 2015 Report Posted February 27, 2015 Joe, have you driven by this to take the snow off the barn roof? take some 4x4's with you to shore up the roof and when the owners come out and ask what you are doing, explain you are protecting your future truck and that should get the conversation started... if they don't come out leave a note explaining what you have done...... come on Joe do it! 1 Quote
52b3b Joe Posted March 2, 2015 Author Report Posted March 2, 2015 That would definitely get the conversation started. I should take a drive out there this week and see if the barn has held up all the snow and ice we have gotten! I've been thinking about, but work keeps getting more busy and my free time keeps becoming more busy as well. I'll go over and take a couple pictures of it again and try to talk to the owner. Next week is the day light savings time change, so I'll have more day light after I get off work which will help. 1 Quote
52b3b Joe Posted July 20, 2016 Author Report Posted July 20, 2016 I'm bring this back up again two years after it started.... I've still been think about the truck and I never did hear back from the owner so I thought I'd give it a shot again. Given that it's a very nice evening here, decided to take my 52 now that it is on the road. My wife and I hopped in the truck and headed over to it. It wasn't looking hopeful when we were pulling up to the barn, the entire main barn is down now, but the add on section the Dodge is in is still standing somehow. The truck is just as I saw it last time, so I drove to the owners house, and to my disbelief he was outside in his front yard. He was smiling when he saw my truck and when I got out he remembered me. He told me he figured I'd come back again. Long story short, he is now very willing to sell the truck after seeing my 52. I would like to buy it, but I'm not sure what it's worth. He threw a number out there that I don't like too much, but I'm pretty cheap to begin with. It has a fair amount of rust, and it's been sitting since 1980 in the same spot. I know it will take a lot of money to get it going. I'm not sure I'm ready for another big project financially and I don't exactly have space for it. What do you guys think is a fair offer? I would hate to see the barn crush it! Quote
Plymouthy Adams Posted July 20, 2016 Report Posted July 20, 2016 I think that without pictures, details of what is consider by you a fair amount of rust and minus the very figure the ole man quoted you..we have little to go on... Quote
52b3b Joe Posted July 20, 2016 Author Report Posted July 20, 2016 I thought I had the picture attached! I didn't take great detailed pictures, but there are holes in the cab. The area between the doors and fenders are rusted through, and the steps on both sides are weak. The back lower edges of the hood will need work. The frame looks ok, and the can floors seem fine. All the glass is intact. The truck appears 100% complete with all trim and the updraft carburetor. I am assuming the engine is locked up. The owner gave a price of $3000, but I want to know what you all think a fair price would be. I've found other cabover trucks online for sale in that price range that appear nicer. Quote
Young Ed Posted July 20, 2016 Report Posted July 20, 2016 That price seems double to triple what it should be. Good luck hope you can save the old beast. Quote
Plymouthy Adams Posted July 20, 2016 Report Posted July 20, 2016 I am not so sure the cost of things up north and the availability...but here in the south with that price tag color it gone... Quote
NiftyFifty Posted July 20, 2016 Report Posted July 20, 2016 Rare truck in my neck of the woods, but that said, I passed up a running one last year for $2600, so that price is pretty high for what that truck needs. For me, I can't imagine anything but a complete frame swap to a newer Dodge big truck frame, with a diesel, so all I value is the body...id say $1000 is a fair number for the truck..but not much more Quote
Brent B3B Posted July 20, 2016 Report Posted July 20, 2016 I would need to do more research on the engine and brake parts..... But 3k around my area will get you the sheet metal on a 1.5ton COE. I think it looks good.... Offer him $2600 if the motor isn't frozen Quote
pflaming Posted July 20, 2016 Report Posted July 20, 2016 (edited) I feel quite confidently that the bed and hoist are worth $2,000. So now your investment is much less. 4mula's perception is not mine, yet I respect that, but that direction does not preserve a piece of automotive history. I know I uniquely view history because I even hate to see it forever covered by paint. The attached picture may be my next project, because it is the last truck my father owned. Edited July 20, 2016 by pflaming Quote
Desotodav Posted July 20, 2016 Report Posted July 20, 2016 We rarely see the COE models here in Oz, so I'm sure that it would be snapped up really fast for the asking price here. I wish you well with it Joe as it sure looks like a nice original old truck. Quote
48Dodger Posted July 20, 2016 Report Posted July 20, 2016 If its in fair condition....its worth 3 grand. I've been shopping the COE market for several months now and bought sheet metal for a 1941. Cab, Hood, Doors, Fenders and miscellaneous parts ran me 1500. The COE world is not the 1.5 ton or 1/2 ton world.....its a much smaller community of trucks. I hope you get it Joe, sounds like a good deal. 48D 1 Quote
ggdad1951 Posted July 20, 2016 Report Posted July 20, 2016 PUMA was 4k...not running, no driveshaft and no bed.....rust in all the same places (a little more advanced on this one than PUMA) but the trim work looks perfect still and I'd say it's worth 3K all day long. Get it and be welcome to the COE world! heck if I had 3K available I'd buy it! 1 Quote
52b3b Joe Posted July 20, 2016 Author Report Posted July 20, 2016 I'll going to give it some more thought, and I need to find a place to store it. Here are more pictures. Quote
NiftyFifty Posted July 20, 2016 Report Posted July 20, 2016 I can appreciate originality, but when I think of the issues with finding the even rarer parts for these trucks, compared to a 1/2 ton and the fact in its stock state that it's likely a 40/45 mph tops highway vehicle, and the roughness of the ride, I can't imagine the investment without creating a useable and productive vehicle. Some guys may want a $20,000 short miler, but I guess I'm not that well off...If I build a coe, it's going to be built as a modern chassis hauler that can take one of my other toys down the road as far as I need it to go, that or a camper conversion....but again...it's all in your tastes and budget, but pretty rare that you can even build a stock, no paint roller for under $10,000 Quote
Brent B3B Posted July 20, 2016 Report Posted July 20, 2016 Joe, if his number was 4k, would your number have been higher also? I think this is a different situation than what I am use to. usually the seller is wanting to sell and has listed it somehow..... since you are pursuing the vehicle (for me) it puts a different twist on a potential purchase, I would throw him a number and be willing to walk away, but keep the door open 2 Quote
pflaming Posted July 20, 2016 Report Posted July 20, 2016 I agree with Brent, pick up 30 crisp $100.00 bills. Lay them on the fender one at a time and I would slow down at $2200 and VERY slowly add three more. Then I would step back 10' and say no more. Go home either with a $2500 truck or a wallet full of $100.00 bills. JMPO. Quote
Ralph Pearce Posted July 21, 2016 Report Posted July 21, 2016 And if you go with Paul's approach, I'd set a paper-weight on top of those bills (while maintaining eye-contact) before backing away. 1 Quote
pflaming Posted July 21, 2016 Report Posted July 21, 2016 Ralph, I wasn't aware that the wind blew in SJ. But Joe is in Ohio so your idea is well taken. 1 Quote
52b3b Joe Posted October 2, 2017 Author Report Posted October 2, 2017 Well, I guess I'm a member of the Big Dodge Truck Club now! After over three years of thinking about this truck, I finally made an agreement with the owner. After taking a drive by it with Merle last week, it kind of pushed me over the edge to buy it. I kept going back and forth in my head on what to do, but now that its done, I feel great! We agreed on a price, and I'm hoping to pick it up next weekend. About an hour after I got off the phone with the owner, he pulled it out of the barn and aired up the tires for me. All the wheels roll and tires hold air (I was worried about that). He seemed excited that I was getting it and that I'd get it back on the road. He sent me the picture below. The bad news, it that it's definitely going to have to sit awhile before I can do anything with it. I'm fairly sure my wife would kill me if I start working on it right away lol. She was ok with buying it as long as I park it for a while. I still have my dad's 48 Desoto project to keep me busy in the meantime, but man is it going to tough not to tinker with it! On an side note, my wife and I were on our way to dinner in the 52 when the owner of the cab over returned my call, so I guess you can say I bought the 53 while sitting in the 52. (It was a nice Fall day to take the truck out. We put about 75 miles on it round trip) 7 1 Quote
Brent B3B Posted October 2, 2017 Report Posted October 2, 2017 Geeze, so soon! congratulations! (Good job Merle!... ) Quote
John Rogers Posted October 2, 2017 Report Posted October 2, 2017 Thats so cool. Congratulations !! John Quote
Merle Coggins Posted October 2, 2017 Report Posted October 2, 2017 AWESOME!!!!! It was fun to be able to go out there and see it with you and Mary last weekend. It's great that you were able to finally seal the deal. Merle Quote
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