Results 1 to 7 of 7

Thread: what is it worth

  1. #1

    Default what is it worth

    i have the opportunity to purchase a 68 M715. it is an ex fire truck.
    it has 18,xxx miles. all original drivetrain, starts runs drives stops etc. has been inside the fire station or the current owners garage most all of the time. has a nice, fairly new soft top and original bows. there is no tailgate, but the normal bed butchery is not there. no extra holes drilled, and no significant bed rust from underneath. there are a few brackets and widgets added. they will be pretty easy to do away with or live with as there is nothing major done to it. it also comes with a tank and pump all of the fire hoses, all in working order and in great (visually) condition. owner said the pump engine will start right up. the interior is in decent shape, seats need a recoverering. tires are decent tread NDTs

    so what do you think it would be worth?

    cliff notes.
    missing tailgate. 0 rust. most FD mods are easily correctable. has an operable tank/pump system. newish soft top. stock driveline.

  2. #2

    Default

    Ryan,

    Sounds very much like mine.

    Mine has/is:

    Painted white

    Hard top

    Good 11.00 tires

    12 volt converted

    Nice bench seat

    Electric hose reel

    15hp Briggs pump engine -- runs off the main M715 gas tank.

    260 gal steel water tank

    My $3,201 was high bid of 23 bids on eBay Feb-16-06.

    http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Jeep-...QQcmdZViewItem

    The pumping gear alone is worth at least what I paid at auction.

    I'm very happy with it -- as is -- and have no regrets about what I paid.

    The only thing I have added is Selectro locking hubs.

    I can post some pictures if you haven't seen some.

    Hope this helps

  3. #3

    Default

    Ryan
    Mine was an old brush truck from the Carbondale Fire Dept. from Carbondale, Kansas. The pump and hose reel had already been removed. The truck had already been converted to a small block Chevy and 12 volt. The canvas top was missing, but all the original bows were still intact and in good shape. The truck was also an original winch truck. The tires were 7.50 - 16 mud tires mounted on the original wheels. Overall the truck was in very good condition......possibly an 8 or 9 on a scale of 1-10. I stole mine at $1000 and $ 500 worth of dump truck work......I was prepared to pay $3500 for it.....but luckily the guy never knew what treasure he had I should think the truck you are looking at sounds comparable in condition...and I would think in the $3000 / $4000 range. I am by no means an authority on the values of these trucks......but that should be a fair price for the buyer and the seller......I hope you get a bargain like I did!! Good Luck with your Deal.

  4. #4

    Default

    I'd suggest that the value or worth depends on what you intend to do with the truck. The prices noted below are based on the vehicle description you've provided and are my personal opinions. However, photographs would provide a great amount of additional information, as there are small nuances that I believe alter the value greatly (such as whether the vehicles retains all the original bolted-on equipment and/or how it's been painted).

    As an extreme example, if you intend to own a classic truck for a use that required a water pump and expected to retain the value by limiting the mileage use, the worth might be $4-5K. I own a brush fire truck that I use on the farm for burning ditches, specific watering, etc. The body is rust free, although not perfectly straight, retains almost all of the original equipment (minus seats and blackout hood light), and the original paint finish is found inside the cab, under the hood and fenders, etc. The value of this truck to me is in the range noted above.

    If you intend to own a clean, stock version of a classic truck by eliminating the add-ons, and restore it back to an original form, the current worth might be $2500-3500K. I wouldn't expect to recoup much money through the sale of the fire apparatus. The work involved in lightly restoring the truck might bring your final costs to $6K, leaving you with a good value or worth for a future sale.

    If you intend to own a truck for the classic look, but expect to modify the drivetrain, etc., the worth might be $1500-2K, as there are clean bodied trucks out there that have drivetrain issues, and the trading market becomes much more limited in the sale of these trucks. Folks that are not mechanically inclined would choose not to purchase the bad motor, tranny, etc., types of vehicles. Had the Rifle truck been straight and retained all the original equipment, its value would have been in line with the sellers price (i.e. bad motor).

    Location and the expense to transport the vehicle also play an important part on the cost or worth associated with any vehicle. Many folks ignore the costs of hooking up the trailer and driving 1000 miles or more to get that "good deal" truck. The numerical values I've noted above would be inclusive of all associated costs.

    I also own a heavily modified truck that starts, runs, stops, etc., like it was a newer vehicle. Although there was a high expense associated with these modifications, I still only value the truck at about $7-8K. The value also drops each year I put additional miles and wear on the newer drivetrain components. In the years ahead, I'd expect this one to continue decreasing in value, as opposed to the brush truck, which should slowly increase or at least maintain its value.

  5. #5

    Default

    i will modify the vehicle. its in my blood to modify vehicles. i do it for a living. the asking price is 5500. the truck is basically in my backyard and therefore i am willing to spend more so i don't have to travel. the pumping system will be sold if i buy it to help recoup some purchase price. my semi long term plans are to replace pretty much all of the drivetrain. it will be mostly daily driven eventually and it is goint to be used for a light commercial fire wood hauler as well. it will be a light wheeler and a camping trip vehicle. i forgot to mention that the truck has a non stock winch that is electric.

    my main concern is to get a vehicle i can drive until i start modifying it. i also want to start with a decent vehicle. now if i could find a decent bodied vehicle that was cheaper and didn't run i wouldn't mind that either. as for original parts, the ones i am most concerned by are the soft top bows and the tailgate. the gate i am less worried about becaus i can just build a similar one if need be. i also don't really want to mess with title issues. i would prefer a truck that is currently titled. so far the truck i found is all of that, just more than i really wanted to spend. i am not to worried about future value.

  6. #6

    Default

    One thing that raises my immediate attention is the NDT's, no matter the good condition. You may find these tires not suitable for your immediate daily use, and you'd be another $500 invested in new rubber. However, some folks may attest to the satisfactory nature of NDT's.

    The truck you are reviewing may be worth every penny to you personally. Although, it might be a decision regretted later when that rough drivetrain unit shows up for sale next week, or month, etc. I'm sure the local proximity makes the truck very tempting.

    My modified truck (350 crate, NV4500, NP205, SOA, axle rebuilt, etc.) was to be used as a weekend runner, but it is still like driving a 40 year old truck once one has become accustomed to modern vehicle conveniences like softer springs, quiet cab, no rattles, etc. (and I refer personally to a 1 ton diesel pickup - not exact creature comforts as is).

    I only offer this advice as a friendly and helpful "devil's advocate" point of view and hope that it helps you make a good decision for you.

  7. #7

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by MarknessMonster View Post
    One thing that raises my immediate attention is the NDT's, no matter the good condition. You may find these tires not suitable for your immediate daily use, and you'd be another $500 invested in new rubber. However, some folks may attest to the satisfactory nature of NDT's.

    The truck you are reviewing may be worth every penny to you personally. Although, it might be a decision regretted later when that rough drivetrain unit shows up for sale next week, or month, etc. I'm sure the local proximity makes the truck very tempting.

    My modified truck (350 crate, NV4500, NP205, SOA, axle rebuilt, etc.) was to be used as a weekend runner, but it is still like driving a 40 year old truck once one has become accustomed to modern vehicle conveniences like softer springs, quiet cab, no rattles, etc. (and I refer personally to a 1 ton diesel pickup - not exact creature comforts as is).

    I only offer this advice as a friendly and helpful "devil's advocate" point of view and hope that it helps you make a good decision for you.
    i agree with about everything you say. as for the tires i am not concerned as my daily commute is less than 2 miles. I will have my nice truck (04 chevy HD) for a while after the purchase of anything. i am sick of making a payment every month. in my eyes the cost of the truck payment and associated expenses is not worth the reward.

    as for the idea of a truck showing up minutes after the cash trades hands, i am concerned about that too. i seem to be a magnet for these kinds of situations.

    prior to the last few years, creature comforts were non existant in my vehicles. i really miss that part of it. simplicity is bliss, and my wife will have a nice vehicle for longer trips either way.
    thanks for all of the help
    ryan

Similar Threads

  1. Worth It?
    By BOHICA in forum Open Discussion
    Replies: 26
    Last Post: August 9th, 2008, 11:07 PM
  2. speedometer worth?
    By the1968jeepthing in forum Open Discussion
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: January 11th, 2008, 02:26 PM
  3. It's worth it
    By twostorms in forum Open Discussion
    Replies: 13
    Last Post: July 28th, 2007, 10:15 AM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  


Site Upgrade, Design Modifications & Administrative Support by:
Palm River Enterprises LLC, IT Solutions
President: Tom King, User ID=teking
This site is owned and operated by:
M715 Zone, LLC
President: Jon Schmidt, User ID=brute4c


If you have any suggestions, comments, problems or questions, contact:  brute4c@m715zone.com
Use of this site means you understand and agree to our TERMS OF USE

Copyright Notice:
This web site is subject to the protection of the copyright laws of the United States and other countries. Except for Personal Use Only, you may not modify, copy, distribute, transmit, display, perform, reproduce, publish, license, create derivative works from, transfer, or sell any information obtained from any part of the M715 Zone website without the prior written permission of M715 Zone, LLC. Written permission can only be obtained by contacting brute4c@m715zone.com

Copyright 1998-2024