Good luck in your final decision. I went the older sports cars for the last 35 yrs. Then as I got older I went to a very nice newer ride. Three yrs. ago I bought a 2003 Nissan 350Z with 7900 original miles. It's got 22K now. I can jump in it and go to TX tomorrow if I want. Something to think about.
68 Chevelle- opinions on value?
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Buckmaster
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Lumber head 75
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Buckmaster
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Huckleberry Finn
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Huck- your suggestion of pursuing my cousin's truck might be viable. Erin seems to like it a bit more than the Chevelle. I contacted my accountant today. "How much could we write off as business expense if truck is lettered and honestly used to market/further brand our company name?" He said 50% or less he could get away with. Hmmm. . . that would be a badass mobile billboard.
Huckleberry Finn
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Seems like you could easily put a single 2 x 6 wood rail over the back of the bed with your company name on it. Or just put a sandwich board in the back. Or letter it. It'd be a sweet ride.
Rough cut oak in stake pockets with hand painted lettering on the boards going down each bedside? 2x8 or 2x10 I was thinking.
Buckmaster
Senior Member
If your accountant is good for a $ 10k write off then both the 54 and 68 fall into the same price category.
Given that, I'd go with the 54, have him remove the Chevy Bow Tie off the door and replace with "Hiçk's Lawn Jockey Service". Have him age the paint to look old school, much like the truck. The guys at Gas Monkey Garage have an old truck that's cool. Why not Phil Hicks?
ickle:
If your accountant is good for a $ 10k write off then both the 54 and 68 fall into the same price category.
Given that, I'd go with the 54, have him remove the Chevy Bow Tie off the door and replace with "Hiçk's Lawn Jockey Service". Have him age the paint to look old school, much like the truck. The guys at Gas Monkey Garage have an old truck that's cool. Why not Phil Hicks?
You are seeing advertised price. My cousin told me his cash dollar bottom. Would need 50% or less to put it in same category. Accountant said he can legitimately do 50% or less if truly used as described. The great thing about the 54 Chevy truck? It drives like a modern 1/2 ton truck. Tilt wheel, pwr seats, A/C. . . .he has made a couple 6hr trips to the family reunion in it. I see him all over town driving it. The patina paint job is amazing. Hides blemishes too which means you are more likely to use it and not worry about a scuff, scratch, or door ding like you would on a shiny paint job. I could see Erin and I driving it quite a bit. Can't suck anymore gas than her Envoy. It turns heads. With company name in an old school look, I feel like it would be a creative way to brand your name locally. People would talk about it. Between our modern company trucks around town lettered up, and something like this, plus FB advertising and yellow pages, it is a nice combination. At the end of the day, there are a lot of people in my line of work. Lots of competition means you need to differentiate yourself, brand your name, and be a name people think of when looking for a service. Does the truck mean anything about our work? Nope. Not really. Doesn't matter. When people open the phone book, or search the yellow pages on their phone, if they have seen the name repeatedly and over a long period of time, it at least gets your phone ringing. Once in front of them, it is my job to land the sale and follow through on the service after the sale.
Buckmaster
Senior Member
Update: The Chevelle is sitting in the same barn. Probably could buy it for the same price.
My cousin's truck sold.
I screwed around with the idea of hot rodding an old VW Beetle and putting the company name on it/making it a daily driver. I have always had a thing for tricked out bugs. That idea is once again on the back burner. Not sure it would have the same effect as a truck. The Chevelle? Nothing promotional there. It would simply be a family toy. Where does this bring me?
I started our business with a 78 Chevy. I could write three pages of history I have with this truck. Second body and ready for its third. Second or third engine. Third transfer case. Second transmission. Elcamino transmission we changed output shaft on to match up to transfer case. Bed off 86 Chevy. Doors I don't remember where they came from. After market fenders, inner fenders, rockers, cab corners. . . But just about every piece is ready for replacement again. It would need a frame off restoration. Sadly, I have been putting it off because what I see from the outside. I am afraid the frame is rotten. Pulling it into the shop, pulling the bed off, and inspecting the frame is likely going to verify this. My wife likes the old trucks, but honestly she likes the smell of the old V8 engines and the sound of a good exhaust. She is NOT really a car buff.
In half an hour I am going to look at a 1984 Chevy again. I looked at it this morning and will be driving it this afternoon. I am afraid the best I can do is use as much of my old 78 as I can and do another one which replicates what the 78 looked like with fresh paint and lettering back in its prime. The 84 I will be driving is a great starting point. Brakes, motor, transmission have been done. Owner started on the body. He believes it is more solid than what I saw. It IS more solid than my 78, so I will most likely be making an offer. I need to be honest with myself. I do NOT have the time to do a frame off restoration. I CAN fit in welding in some rockers or cab corners. I can do some basic swapping of doors/fenders. We shall see how it drives out.
My cousin's truck sold.
I screwed around with the idea of hot rodding an old VW Beetle and putting the company name on it/making it a daily driver. I have always had a thing for tricked out bugs. That idea is once again on the back burner. Not sure it would have the same effect as a truck. The Chevelle? Nothing promotional there. It would simply be a family toy. Where does this bring me?
I started our business with a 78 Chevy. I could write three pages of history I have with this truck. Second body and ready for its third. Second or third engine. Third transfer case. Second transmission. Elcamino transmission we changed output shaft on to match up to transfer case. Bed off 86 Chevy. Doors I don't remember where they came from. After market fenders, inner fenders, rockers, cab corners. . . But just about every piece is ready for replacement again. It would need a frame off restoration. Sadly, I have been putting it off because what I see from the outside. I am afraid the frame is rotten. Pulling it into the shop, pulling the bed off, and inspecting the frame is likely going to verify this. My wife likes the old trucks, but honestly she likes the smell of the old V8 engines and the sound of a good exhaust. She is NOT really a car buff.
In half an hour I am going to look at a 1984 Chevy again. I looked at it this morning and will be driving it this afternoon. I am afraid the best I can do is use as much of my old 78 as I can and do another one which replicates what the 78 looked like with fresh paint and lettering back in its prime. The 84 I will be driving is a great starting point. Brakes, motor, transmission have been done. Owner started on the body. He believes it is more solid than what I saw. It IS more solid than my 78, so I will most likely be making an offer. I need to be honest with myself. I do NOT have the time to do a frame off restoration. I CAN fit in welding in some rockers or cab corners. I can do some basic swapping of doors/fenders. We shall see how it drives out.
Well crap. Needs a steering gear box, possibly front end parts. Motor was strong. Transmission shifted hard with the shift kit he has in it. Transfer case grinds going in/out but 4hi and 4lo work and 4x4 is operational. Frame is solid. Seats have been swapped for cloth buckets. There isn't a body part that doesn't need "some" sort of attention but it is mostly rust free. The parts needed to be replaced are readily available. Any work which needs to be done is simple. Nothing I do will make this a "show truck" so it isn't critical to "restore" to OEM standards like an old Chevelle or Nova or Mustang. That is a plus. I have multiple spare transfer case/transmission and some parts for these trucks already so this is a bonus.
I looked at it and looked at his asking price and told him I didn't want to insult him. He laughed and asked what I was thinking? Pulled out some green and he didn't even counter. Guess I have another project. At least I can drive it, use it, and enjoy it as I work on it.
http://limaohio.craigslist.org/cto/5389681658.html
I looked at it and looked at his asking price and told him I didn't want to insult him. He laughed and asked what I was thinking? Pulled out some green and he didn't even counter. Guess I have another project. At least I can drive it, use it, and enjoy it as I work on it.
http://limaohio.craigslist.org/cto/5389681658.html
The 84 Chevy is still sitting. I need to get back to working on it. Spring takes precedence over projects. Seeing my schedule and list of repairs (to include a barn roof) whenever things slow down. . . .I will be into August before I can touch the truck.
That said, I drove past a looked today. Made the mistake of showing it to Erin. All I know is what I saw looking at it. I Teri or appears original. Tires are nice. Looks like an older restoration just pulled out of the barn. Last plated in 2015. Has SS emblems. I don't think it is an SS. Looks like just a Cowl hood and emblems. He has $6700 firm on the for sale sign. Rust just starting to show through in a couple places. Realistically, as a driver it would be 5-10 yrs before we truly needed to make rust repairs and paint. I do not know condition of engine, trans, or rear end. I didn't knock on the door or call the guy. No clue which engine it has. 1972 El Camino for $6700 is all I know.
That said, I drove past a looked today. Made the mistake of showing it to Erin. All I know is what I saw looking at it. I Teri or appears original. Tires are nice. Looks like an older restoration just pulled out of the barn. Last plated in 2015. Has SS emblems. I don't think it is an SS. Looks like just a Cowl hood and emblems. He has $6700 firm on the for sale sign. Rust just starting to show through in a couple places. Realistically, as a driver it would be 5-10 yrs before we truly needed to make rust repairs and paint. I do not know condition of engine, trans, or rear end. I didn't knock on the door or call the guy. No clue which engine it has. 1972 El Camino for $6700 is all I know.
The 84 Chevy is still sitting. I need to get back to working on it. Spring takes precedence over projects. Seeing my schedule and list of repairs (to include a barn roof) whenever things slow down. . . .I will be into August before I can touch the truck.
That said, I drove past a looked today. Made the mistake of showing it to Erin. All I know is what I saw looking at it. I Teri or appears original. Tires are nice. Looks like an older restoration just pulled out of the barn. Last plated in 2015. Has SS emblems. I don't think it is an SS. Looks like just a Cowl hood and emblems. He has $6700 firm on the for sale sign. Rust just starting to show through in a couple places. Realistically, as a driver it would be 5-10 yrs before we truly needed to make rust repairs and paint. I do not know condition of engine, trans, or rear end. I didn't knock on the door or call the guy. No clue which engine it has. 1972 El Camino for $6700 is all I know.
That said, I drove past a looked today. Made the mistake of showing it to Erin. All I know is what I saw looking at it. I Teri or appears original. Tires are nice. Looks like an older restoration just pulled out of the barn. Last plated in 2015. Has SS emblems. I don't think it is an SS. Looks like just a Cowl hood and emblems. He has $6700 firm on the for sale sign. Rust just starting to show through in a couple places. Realistically, as a driver it would be 5-10 yrs before we truly needed to make rust repairs and paint. I do not know condition of engine, trans, or rear end. I didn't knock on the door or call the guy. No clue which engine it has. 1972 El Camino for $6700 is all I know.