1977 c10 worth one owner 63k miles

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RoryH19

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Well I live in TX and I'd start at 4k. It's a long bed, stripper model with a 305. Since it doesn't run you don't know how good/bad the engine or trans are.
At least I see an ac compressor, I think. A must in this area. I would also get on the ground and check for rust in the floors and rockers. Not surface but holes or thin metal.

Also I wouldn't get it running either until the deal is done.
He will think it's worth more and harder to negotiate.
Good luck.
 

Crankshaft

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C10
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Grit dog all good points and I had some of the same sentiment The current owner is older but no one can wash the thing or put a battery in it for the guy? It’s for my wife I have owed her a classic Chevy truck for 24 years. I was looking for unmolested 350 automatic power steering/brakes AC driver quality. No power options is better to me on an older truck not going full resto.
 

idahovette

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@Crankshaft , if you check it out and looks good and you can get it for your price, do NOT hesitate. As time goes by it gets harder to get things done in a timely fashion. Plus you will gain a ton of brownie points when you bring it home for HER!!!!!
 

GregL

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There's plenty there to like, but at $7,500 there's much more to dislike. Grit dog's post is spot on.
I think this seller is wrong by $3,500.
All the risk is on you. Seller must be laughing. And nobody is going to pay $7,500 for this hay bale.
As mentioned above it's almost as base a model as you can get, except for the A/C. And I can promise you that, having restored many vintage A/C systems, you can easily spend $1,000 or more to rebuild that system properly. Complete brakes, wheel cylinders, calipers, master cyl. etc. How about all suspension components? At 44 years old you know they're going to need attention as well. Seat cover says the vinyl is probably shot. Radiator? Water pump? Carb work, fuel pump, hoses, belts, Transmission? Tires? Where does the risk/cost end? You'll be spending $3,500 on this truck in a flash.
A filthy dirty dirty, non-runner, base model that probably needs complete paint too?
$4,000 and not a dime more.
 

Buickspec6231

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I agree. Its worth what you are willing to pay and your location in this Country will have an influence on the price. A rust free, low mileage, truck in the snow/ice/salt covered roads of Central New York (where I live) will be worth a whole lot more to a buyer than the same truck in Central Texas or Kansas. Also, I like to think an easy way to tell if the odometer is reading accurately or has rolled over is to check the ball joints. If the ball joints are riveted in, I would feel pretty confident its original miles. If they are bolted in, I would think your mileage has rolled over.
 

Octane

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Where to start….
First, lazy slobs like the current owner just piss me off.
Second anyone who can’t at least clean it up and have it running….see my first gripe, lol.

Third, it’s not chocolate brown, that’s the dirt! It’s a maroon color.
4th it’s a super low optioned truck, so any “upgrades” if you restore it, would need to be added.
5th, engine and trans could be good for another 50000 miles or you could make it halfway home only.
6th, if you plan on fixing it up, any parts that are a “B” or lower in condition (paint, interior, trim, etc) will need to be rebuilt or replaced anyway. So not really “better” than a part or paint job that is a C or D condition.
And if you’re just looking for a spot and shine driver then there is some value to “decent looking” parts.
7th. “Original miles” means nothing. It’s not verifiable so who cares. Looking at the brake pedal pad though it’s very probable it is original miles. Again like the asthetics, 45 year old brakes, and all other parts are just as likely to fail or need to be rebuilt or replaced as a truck with 3x the miles.
We've bought trucks and corvettes that are survivors like this one.Had to replace carbs,water and fuel pumps and mostly if not entire brake system due to internal rust and corrosion.Gosh,the list goes on and on.We had a saying...it's better to wear out than rust out.Except for lack of rust here,it can be leaky seals and corrosion.Or you can fire it up and run it 3 weeks before you get hit with the storm. Lol
 

RecklessWOT

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If it's true that the only reason the truck hasn't been run in a year is because of a dead battery, why doesn't the guy just go to walmart or the like and buy the cheapest battery he can find for like 75? bucks? The difference in price for a truck that runs and drives vs a truck that "will run with only a little work" is huge. Dude should put a battery in it and run it through an $8 automatic carwash if he really wants to sell it. Hell, at least spray it with the garden hose for a second or two. If I saw a truck that was that dirty and didn't start unless I brought my own parts and put in my own effort, even here in the land of rust despite the thing looking pretty solid and having low miles I wouldn't dream of giving anywhere near $7500. It's a 2wd with a 305 that doesn't even start. What's the seat look like under that cover?

Though I will say don't let the fact that it's been sitting for a year or two make you think you absolutely need to drop the tank. See how it goes before you commit to a big task like that. Couple year old gas certainly isn't a good thing, but it doesn't suddenly turn to varnish in there after a set period of time. I've got a parts car in my driveway that still runs and drives (rusty and smashed, but mechanically fine), it's been off the road since 2013 and I'm sure the gas that's in it now is a mix of that old gas from back then and some I added from a gas can probably 3-4 years ago. It still starts and runs just fine. It's not super happy, but honestly if I were to put the thing back on the road I wouldn't even consider dropping the tank, I would just top it off with fresh gas and maybe a couple cans of seafoam, change the fuel filter and run it till darn near empty. Then maybe change the filter again, fill it up with fresh gas and another can of seafoam, and carry on with my life.
 

bucket

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I agree about the fuel tank. In most cases, just sitting for a year or two generally doesn't hurt them much. If at all.

Check the fluids, put a battery in it, dump some fuel in the tank and pour some fuel into the bowl vent. Then see if it fires up.
 

Shorty81

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The prices on these old GM Trucks are insane. Bucket and I was walking around the show at Richmond, rough 2wd trucks started at $5000. A couple rows over there was a 85 K20 original paint but rough shape asking $26500. ????WTF??!!?? More than one person asked to buy my ole Chevy. Crazy I tell ya. These prices are stupid crazy.
 

peats

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just for reference, i recently bought an '83 k10 short fleet diesel, running,driving, new tires,shocks,trans rebuilt, springs,brakes, seat not damaged with rusty wheel wells and rockers. 67k miles for $5,ooo. did i mention it has a working Meyer power angle plow?!. i personally think that 2wd truck is overpriced. you will have to go through everything to make it safe and reliable. expect to spend another $3,000 to get it right and you still have a 305. $4,000 would be a good number for that truck,leave it in original patina, paint is a whole other story.
 

cstew47

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If I were to by that truck, I wouldn't go over 5k and then I would jerk that 305 and put in a 350 or even 383.
 

Zoomalot

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Take a snap of the Odometer! (mental or actual).
If the numbers do "NOT" line up perfectly on a horizontal plane, (No variation at all) then the likelihood that it's had an
odometer roll is "huge" due to the rolling mechanisim within the tumbler?
Or the odometers been replaced?
Lots of **** and abuse on that one!!
Criminal!!!
 

Grit dog

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Grit dog all good points and I had some of the same sentiment The current owner is older but no one can wash the thing or put a battery in it for the guy? It’s for my wife I have owed her a classic Chevy truck for 24 years. I was looking for unmolested 350 automatic power steering/brakes AC driver quality. No power options is better to me on an older truck not going full resto.
Older like 80 and can't get out of the rocking chair without a walker, or older like 60s and can't get out of the recliner if it means "work" to be done?
Totally agree on clean body and less power options = more desirable in my personal book too, that was actually one of the 2 downfalls of the '86 we bought last year. I would have preferred crank up windows and maybe AC only, but since the AC, CC, windows, locks, tilt, delay wipers, etc all worked good, I was willing to overlook the luxury items! (LOL)
I jumped early on the Covid tax...had only been looking half heartedly and then when the Rona hit, it seemed like everyone was looking for a "project". (Note, had nothing to do with that for me. Old truck to fix up was already on the radar for our younger boy. Covid just sealed the deal when I lost out on a coupl trucks that sold quicker than I'd expected them to.

So what's the deal? Do you own a '77 C10 yet?
 

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