What is my pickup worth?

[jacktruck]

So I have a 1948 Dodge B Series 3/4 ton truck in my garage from my uncle. The car has its engine completely rebuilt about 5 years ago, then the cab was restored and repainted (he took the engine into the shop and also apparently claims he put $16k into the body), but I'm not so sure about the bed's condition. It's been sitting for about 2-3 years and the engine has very few miles on it. I'll include some pictures. There are a couple spare parts (including glass) in the bed, but mostly nothing that clean. The car is missing finished headlights and most other trim pieces. It's a very clean car and I'm new to the Dodge trucks, so with an engine tune and clean up of the car, what do you guys think it would be worth currently and what would it be worth restored? Thank you

-Jack

 

 

Edited July 27, 2019 by jacktruck

[keithb7]

I'm interested in hearing what others say on a value. My gut tells me an incomplete truck, partially restored or not, seems to pull in considerably less dollars than a ready to drive truck. Seems most folks want a driver. Seems to me with each passing year, less folks are looking for a project that someone tore apart, and now needs a new finance manager.

[chrysler1941]

Burned my fingers several times in the past with projects, so called complete and incomplete and never again. In my opinion, projects others took apart are only good for parts. 

[Ranger]

What! 16K into the body??? Can’t see it. Are you sure it isn’t $1,600? At this this point, as Chrysler1942 said, it’s parts. 

Edited July 27, 2019 by Ranger

[casper50]

if he put $16000 into the body it's worth a lot less than half of that as it sits. Completely finished getting $16000 might be possible.  As stated no one wants someone else's torn apart project.

[YukonJack]

The problem with project cars is, it's a harder project for the guy that's trying to put it back together than the guy that took it apart. Some people take things apart and don't label them or bag and tag small parts. Parts get lost or misplaced and you never know if you have everything. 

[TodFitch]

Just because someone put $16,000 into a project doesn't mean that it is worth anywhere near that amount.

 

My rough rule of thumb when I was fixing up my old Plymouth was that for every dollar I put into it I was raising the value by 25 cents. And in many cases I think I was optimistic about that. I strongly believe that the cheapest way to have a nice vehicle is to buy it completed.

[Eneto-55]

3 hours ago, TodFitch said:

....  I strongly believe that the cheapest way to have a nice vehicle is to buy it completed.

I agree, but I also think that the best way to know that your vehicle was done right is to do it yourself (or at least oversee each step).  And with that, comes the confidence you need to feel that it will not let you down on the side of a road someplace far from home or friends.  I guess I've seen too many vehicles that look totally rebuilt on body & interior, but if you look under it (or sometimes just in the engine compartment), it's a whole different story.  And that seems sad, because it can make you question the quality of the body work as well.  As they say, bondo covers over a multitude of "sins" - "sins" that will show up later.  From that perspective, judging by you can see of this PU, it looks like the body work was done right.

 

[jacktruck]

18 hours ago, keithb7 said:

I'm interested in hearing what others say on a value. My gut tells me an incomplete truck, partially restored or not, seems to pull in considerably less dollars than a ready to drive truck. Seems most folks want a driver. Seems to me with each passing year, less folks are looking for a project that someone tore apart, and now needs a new finance manager.

So would the right answer to be to finish the restoration myself and sell it complete?

[keithb7]

If you are so inclined to do so, you could restore it yourself and sell it. Keep in mind the quote above is sad but true. For every $1 spent your sell price goes up 25 cents.

Restoration to me, is a hobby I enjoy. I know I won't get back all the money I put into it. Those days are gone it seems. 

 

Maybe take a look here at the finished 1948 restored Dodge trucks. See what the asking prices are.  Remember those are asking prices. Not actual selling prices.

https://classiccars.com/listings/find/1948/dodge

 

Edited July 27, 2019 by keithb7

[Dodgeed]

I dunno if the asking prices listed on the '48 restored Dodge trucks in the above post are reasonable or not; but, they all pretty much seem high. There have been a couple of other threads posted here lately of a couple of trucks in Canada that were real nice looking, and listed in the $6k (US) range. It seems that a basic, solid, mostly finished truck can be had for under $10-12K (US). Naturally, nicer ones are gong to be in the mid teens, and then the really nice ones are going to be way up there, depending on how much of a "show" vehicle it is. 

 

Looks like yours is a great candidate for someone who wants to do a major project. Many such project folks don't want to tackle someone else's project because they have to undo what was done, which is harder than just starting yourself w/a project base vehicle. You're going to need to find a special person who wants to take on your truck. They are out "there", but, hard to find. If you're persistent, and have lots of time, you'll eventually find one. 

[pflaming]

Where are you located? 

[Young Ed]

On 7/27/2019 at 3:03 PM, Eneto-55 said:

I agree, but I also think that the best way to know that your vehicle was done right is to do it yourself (or at least oversee each step).  And with that, comes the confidence you need to feel that it will not let you down on the side of a road someplace far from home or friends.  I guess I've seen too many vehicles that look totally rebuilt on body & interior, but if you look under it (or sometimes just in the engine compartment), it's a whole different story.  And that seems sad, because it can make you question the quality of the body work as well.  As they say, bondo covers over a multitude of "sins" - "sins" that will show up later.  From that perspective, judging by you can see of this PU, it looks like the body work was done right.

 

this is so true-when I was first starting to hunt for a station wagon there was a beautiful first gen falcon wagon in red with the wood grain sides. Then one of the last pictures showed it up on a lift and the entire floor was license plates!

[Plymouthy Adams]

were they all from the same state in sequence to show an ever evolving state of repair or did this car get around and has them from hither and yon....I also do not like seeing a power puff job, that is one that shows the body in nice state of repair and new paint yet the engine compartment, trunk, passenger compartment and underbody has had zero attention to detail.....compartment lids hide a multitude of sins....and SHORTCUTS.

[NiftyFifty]

It’s not a high gloss paint job, and factoring in that a lot of parts, trim, screws and clips will be missing or some un useable, needing everything that would go into it to put it back on the road, I’d say you have a $4-6000 truck there that will be hard to move to anyone except someone with the knowledge of what goes where and how.  It is a bit of a blank slate for customization, but then again being a 3/4 ton hurts it, and again knowing what all would be needed to build, it needs another $10,000+ just to fully complete.

 

Sadly all the above comments are true on your investment value and paying for bodywork doesn’t increase the value, it just puts it in line with any truck done properly at home.  

[ggdad1951]

Fenders missing the vrivets?

[Todd B]

On 7/27/2019 at 6:41 PM, keithb7 said:

If you are so inclined to do so, you could restore it yourself and sell it. Keep in mind the quote above is sad but true. For every $1 spent your sell price goes up 25 cents.

Restoration to me, is a hobby I enjoy. I know I won't get back all the money I put into it. Those days are gone it seems. 

 

Maybe take a look here at the finished 1948 restored Dodge trucks. See what the asking prices are.  Remember those are asking prices. Not actual selling prices.

https://classiccars.com/listings/find/1948/dodge

 

After looking at these I think I need to ask way more for my 1953 semi and matching trailer.  

[Frank Elder]

On 7/27/2019 at 6:13 PM, jacktruck said:

So would the right answer to be to finish the restoration myself and sell it complete?

Lets be clear, is this your truck now or are you selling it for his family ? If its yours and you sell it at say 5,000 or even 2,500 as an example, right now as an unfinished project you are not out one thin dime. If you are trying to recoup the 16,000 that you never spent in the first place, then you are being greedy.

Do you have the skills time and money ? Then that would be the route to go.....caution, you might end up wanting to keep it ....lol.

[Big Easy]

JackTruck - look at the auction site “Bring A Trailer” (“BAT”)... three B series trucks were auctioned in the past year or so. One brought 17k+, one brought 14k+ a couple of weeks ago, one fizzled out and didn’t sell a couple days ago at 8k+

 

They were all nice drivers... nowhere near show, but far from spiderweb rust buckets.

 

It’s an odd market. They seem to be worth twice what they were, say three years ago. But there’s a wide range and not that many solid comps out there.

 

You can find a nice solid driver out there for $5k and trucks that are usable “canvases” for rebuilds for 1k to 2k.

 

But you can also find average drivers listed for 3k to 12k, and nice restores 8k to 25k... then you see frame-offs for 35k to 40k.

 

But none of those numbers mean anything unless you know the final sale price... i.e., BAT, EBay, Mecum, Barrett, etc.

 

So, short story long, depends on who wants the truck when you offer it for sale. I know, I said a lot without giving you any real answer, but I follow this pretty closely, and that’s what I’m seeing.

 

Best - good luck.  

 

 

[lonejacklarry]

The short (but most accurate) answer is that the truck/parts are "worth" what someone will pay for it.   The buyers actually set the worth not the seller.  The seller can ask whatever he/she wants for the truck/boat/ used ladder, etc. but the buyer determine the worth to him/her in the end.

 

The previous answers were correct in that a disassembled truck is a pile of parts and, historically, that pile will not bring as much as an assembled running truck.  Now all you have to do is figure out what someone will pay.  Come up with a realistic number and list it.  If the phone does not ring then you set the price too high.  

 

The people on this forum are great fans of old Dodge trucks.  Their numbers are far less than a 60's Mustang forum, for instance, and the market reflects that. 

[Dodgeed]

15 hours ago, Big Easy said:

JackTruck - look at the auction site “Bring A Trailer” (“BAT”)... three B series trucks were auctioned in the past year or so. One brought 17k+, one brought 14k+ a couple of weeks ago, one fizzled out and didn’t sell a couple days ago at 8k+

 

They were all nice drivers... nowhere near show, but far from spiderweb rust buckets.

 

It’s an odd market. They seem to be worth twice what they were, say three years ago. But there’s a wide range and not that many solid comps out there.

 

You can find a nice solid driver out there for $5k and trucks that are usable “canvases” for rebuilds for 1k to 2k.

 

But you can also find average drivers listed for 3k to 12k, and nice restores 8k to 25k... then you see frame-offs for 35k to 40k.

 

But none of those numbers mean anything unless you know the final sale price... i.e., BAT, EBay, Mecum, Barrett, etc.

 

So, short story long, depends on who wants the truck when you offer it for sale. I know, I said a lot without giving you any real answer, but I follow this pretty closely, and that’s what I’m seeing.

 

Best - good luck.  

 

 

Those numbers quoted all seem very reasonable to me, and reflect my experience as well: $5k to $40k, depending upon the conditions, and the buyer's desires. ?

[ggdad1951]

I doubt I could (or that I would) sell FEF, frame off resto, for more than 15k....any number above that is fantasy in my mind.,

[Jeff Balazs]

I agree with most everything said here. Very hard to put a sale price on something that is not finished. If I had to guess ....somewhere in the $3k to $5K range. If it were a well sorted runner then perhaps $6k to maybe $8k.

One thing worth mentioning is that because it is a 3/4 ton it is actually a more desirable to someone who wants to actually use it in stock form. The longer wheelbase of 116" gives it a dramatically better ride than the more common short wheelbase 108" 1/2 ton versions.

Hth; Jeff

[Reg Evans]

27 minutes ago, Jeff Balazs said:

 The longer wheelbase of 116" gives it a dramatically better ride than the more common short wheelbase 108" 1/2 ton versions.

Hth; Jeff

 

Yes sir.....My butt agrees !

[Big Easy]

I chimed in earlier on price ranges... but I've never heard or seen anyone address a 4 speed (granny) Fluid Drive... Fluid Drive worth more, worth less, or neutral (not taking into account the extra $600 the hood emblems will cost you because of the scumbags that hoard the emblems sell a set for $600... if you can't tell, I'm short one "fluid drive" script hood emblem if anyone has one laying around).

Edited August 9, 2019 by Big Easy
Add photo