One more falls by the wayside

[Jeff Balazs]

I just saw a pilothouse on C/L that bums me out. A while back a fellow down in San Diego area bought it and joined this group. It appears to be a truck I came across a year ago or so. If it is it was and I am fairly certain it is....then it was by far the best survivor I have have come across. Would have been a relatively easy project ....very complete and had great patina. Now by the looks of it not so much.

I sure wish someone serious would have got to it in time. Really bums me out to see this happen. I don't know how the rest of you feel when something like this happens.....but it kind of makes me sick to my stomach. When I looked at it it was a very clean time capsule.

This kind of truck just doesn't come along that often.

 

Jeff                                                                                                                                                 

[ggdad1951]

let me guess..."rat rod"?

[Don Coatney]

Rat rod is better than my guess. Crusher?

[John-T-53]

link?

[Young Ed]

Rat rod is better than my guess. Crusher?

 

People don't usually put crushed trucks on craigslist.

[wdoland]

Painted pink?

[Don Coatney]

I just saw a pilothouse on C/L that bums me out. A while back a fellow down in San Diego area bought it and joined this group. It appears to be a truck I came across a year ago or so. If it is it was and I am fairly certain it is....then it was by far the best survivor I have have come across. Would have been a relatively easy project ....very complete and had great patina. Now by the looks of it not so much.

I sure wish someone serious would have got to it in time. Really bums me out to see this happen. I don't know how the rest of you feel when something like this happens.....but it kind of makes me sick to my stomach. When I looked at it it was a very clean time capsule.

This kind of truck just doesn't come along that often.

 

Jeff                                                                                                                                                 

Link? Pictures?

[NiftyFifty]

They put a FORD emblem on it?.. If it went rat rod, that's the trend these days, going to be more and more go that way...if it went stripped down and left to rot, then that's sad

[Jeff Balazs]

No not rat rod.......more like messed about with and then he gave up. Shame really as all it really needed was some elbow grease and a few ....very few missing parts,

He was certainly very enthusiastic when he first got it.......but I suppose he just wasn't in it for the long haul. His C/L ad says he has too many projects. And my guess is that many people fall into that trap and hardly ever truly finish anything. This is one that would have made an exceptional patina truck but it looks like he ground off too much of the paint for any hope of that now.

 

Jeff

[Don Coatney]

Must be this.

 

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sgv/cto/4947489103.html

 

[Jeff Balazs]

Well as it turns out I was wrong about this being the truck I had looked at. Thank goodness as it would have been a crying shame.

I will post a couple of shots of the one I saw up close and a link for the one on C/L. The one on C/L isn't horrible......just no where near as sweet as the first one. That one was special.

 

I feel better now.....

Jeff

http://sandiego.craigslist.org/ssd/cto/4950645100.html

[NiftyFifty]

Holy smokes....trucks must be more rare in that area for that kind of price in that shape.

[HanksB3B]

Wow Looks Like If Paul Bought It HE Would Be Done

Hank

[Jeff Balazs]

Holy smokes....trucks must be more rare in that area for that kind of price in that shape.

What you don't understand is that the market here (SoCal) has over 25 million potential buyers. Makes a difference to be sure. The one on C/L wont get that price.......more like half if he is lucky. The one in my photos and sorry they are not better was a bargin at $7000. Nicest survivor I have seen to date.

Jeff

[TrampSteer]

I saw a 51-ish 1/2 ton for $5300 at Donut Deralics two Saturdays ago. I just wanted to take his rear bumper and tire carrier. Looked total stock. Rough, but driven in. I took a picture of the 4-sale sign if  you need an extra truck for your helper Jeff.

[Jeff Balazs]

I saw a 51-ish 1/2 ton for $5300 at Donut Deralics two Saturdays ago. I just wanted to take his rear bumper and tire carrier. Looked total stock. Rough, but driven in. I took a picture of the 4-sale sign if  you need an extra truck for your helper Jeff.

Ya Mike.....Sean is wise to that notion He has been around for my entire project and helped with a lot of the dirty work. Let's just say he knows better. There has been a 49 panel truck listed in Costa Mesa for a while now.....have you seen it. Looks pretty decent in the photos.......

 

I suspect there may be a few hundred of these trucks in SoCal including the desert. Based on what I have seen so far the one in my photos would have been the best find. I am really glad I was mistaken about the identity of this particular truck....means it is probably still intact and that is the way it should stay. Most here run between 1k and 4k......and are really only candidates for the truly serious builder. Mine was one of the 1k ones 

 

Jeff.

Edited April 1, 2015 by Jeff Balazs

[1TonDirtyMopar]

Funny you mention that Panel truck Jeff.  I've been keeping an eye on it (as if I had time or space to work on that one too).  One day I'll have a panel truck.  That one in Altadena doesn't look too bad looks solid and complete.  Plus it's a 5 window.  If I could I totally would.

[NiftyFifty]

Wow.....be lucky to get $7000 for a semi resto completed truck up here, but we lose a lot more good candidates to rust issues, and more 3/4-1 1/2 ton models then 1/2 I find. I'm actually thinking I'll get an appraisal done after I finish this go round, our insurance bases it off original value if you don't.

[John-T-53]

Ya Mike.....Sean is wise to that notion He has been around for my entire project and helped with a lot of the dirty work. Let's just say he knows better. There has been a 49 panel truck listed in Costa Mesa for a while now.....have you seen it. Looks pretty decent in the photos.......

 

I suspect there may be a few hundred of these trucks in SoCal including the desert. Based on what I have seen so far the one in my photos would have been the best find. I am really glad I was mistaken about the identity of this particular truck....means it is probably still intact and that is the way it should stay. Most here run between 1k and 4k......and are really only candidates for the truly serious builder. Mine was one of the 1k ones 

 

Jeff.

 

I definitely saw a handful of them on the road and parked on the street when I lived in OC for three years. Including one panel. Also saw a handful in Palm Springs for sale at the auction. Up here in the bay, I've only seen one or two in 5 years.

 

There's one parked in San Mateo on Hilltop Road near El Camino (about 1.5 miles from me):

 

https://www.google.com/maps/place/17+Hilltop+Rd,+San+Mateo,+CA+94402/@37.5702919,-122.3371725,56m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x808f9de1a521a367:0xd4fedf78f8a8920f?hl=en

 

Also saw one parked in Brentwood (not OJ's neighborhood).

[Jeff Balazs]

Yes there is usually a few here for sale at any given time......but as I said they are mostly candidates for a long term frame off project....and by the time you are done....lots of money will have been spent. IMO that blue 53 was as close to factory stock and fresh as you would ever be likely to find. All it really needed was some new window gaskets and a bit of tidying up. There was no rust or rot either.

 

Jeff