How much would you bid...

[etat]

I think i will bid $2500 and just let it ride. I have untill the 21 of april. By then i could get a closer look at it.

$2500.00?  for a 78 one ton?     .......OUCH........

I've seen real good looking later model one ton trucks go at farm auctions for lots and lots less than that.   If I understand sealed bids correctly its not like Ebay bids where your bid just barely bumps the next bid, whatever bid you place  in that envelope is what that you will pay.   :   

Also in my opinion while you do have a use for the contractors box, not many people probably would that would be looking at that truck, in my opinion that makes it worth less.  Around here anyways.                                   

[Furby]

Agree with C! ;)

[isawlogs]

 If I where to be bidding on that Dodge .. I would look into what the box is worth to me ... and that would be my bid . A 78 pick-up aint worth much ..No matter where it came from .  You should be looking at the value of the box and bid accordingly . 

[Mr Mom]

     Thanks alot guys  ;) ;) ;).  Some very good question that have to be answered.
     
     ctate   Sitting here and thing about it and the good info that you all have given, Im going to change my bid.
     
     Isawlogs   My neighbor just put a new contractor box on his truck and spent $7000.00.
That may include the paint and other stuff too.

     That is the problem that i have i never could put a price on anthing.

     Thanks Mr Mom

[HARLEYRIDER]

Usually, fire service vehicles have very low miles, kept in a heated garage all its life, and a over-maintained.
It probably has under 30,ooo miles on it.
Buy it

[Dana]

Up here, and I am sure, where you live, any government agency can go into a military surplus yard and buy the surplus dirt cheap. My guess is that you would find some green under that paint job. ;) With that said a truck like that would bring $ 500.00 to $1200 here, depending on how many people know about the sale.

[bcraw98]

A grass/brush truck has a hard life. One large fire, and the radiator can become clogged with soot and engine temp to the boiling point on a hot Texas summer day. Operators not as skilled as others  hanging up on stumps, riding the clutch, getting stuck in the mud and so on ....................... Of course none of the above ever applies to me  :D .  Our 1990 ford grass truck(well maintained) has about 19000 miles and I would compare it to one of my ranch trucks with about 190000 miles. I don't know how much the bed is worth, but I would consider the truck a highly used low mile truck.

[etat]

I just bought TWO large cast iron wash pots, two very old steel and wood trunks (one in fairly good shape but needing a hinge and the latch off of the other trunk that isn't in so good shape), a double bit ax, a single bit ax, a old corn basket, two railroad type house jacks, a steel eagle that hangs on the wall, a couple of shovels, a carpet moving dolly, a really long steel straight edge, a couple of old paintings, a handfull of old horse bits, a old set of hames, a old butter churn, a really old well bucket, a steel double tree, a couple of old rag tag wood single trees, along with a bit of other assorted junk for..................uh............less than a hundred dollars......... ;D   8) 8) 8)


My Mom, I really hope my information doesn't knock you out of getting the truck its just that I know what that 'I' would pay.  My first work roofing truck was a 78 Ford with a 400 big block motor in it, dual positive traction rear end, excellent shape with a steel bed with sides and a expanded metal talgate and a ladder rack already on it, and.........I gave 15 hundred dollars for it 12 years ago.  When I bought it it had already had the motor professionally rebuilt in the last couple of years, good rubber on it all of the way around, good brakes and I drove it for almost 5 years hard before I sold it. As I said, I only gave 15 hundred for it and this was quite a few years ago.  If you spend a lot of money for this truck and have to do 'anything' to it such as motor, transmission, brakes, anything then soon you've for sure got a lot of money in it.  Also don't forget the price of fuel, which also may very well help keep the cost down.

On a truck that old I think there won't be  a lot of professional people bidding on it, maybe a few such as you that has a use for it around the farm or hauling something.  And for most of these people, the contractor box would just be in the way I think, thats another reason I think it just ain't gonna bring much.  That said, I hope I'm right and didn't give you information that would knock you out of getting a truck that you want.  The thing is in my opinion that if for some reason you didn't get it, well, somewhere out there there's always another one.   

Wishing you good luck...............C. 

[Dana]

C. got to love those auctions don't you! 8) They will start up soon here mostly just household stuff in last few years. The best were the farm auctions but most of those guys have retired. :(

[Mr Mom]

     ctate   I will bid but less than before.
     All the info i can get is very welcome that is why i asked the good people of this forum.
     I dont bid no alot of things but go to some auctions.

     bcraw98   Most grass fires around here are not that big. It Does not look like a grass truck it has a picture of the jaws of life on one set of doors. Maybe it is their equipment truck???

     Dana   That is a good question to ask them if it is ex-military.

     Thanks Alot Mr Mom

[J_T]

Got a compleat fire truck 19000 miiles made it into a log truck good tires 250.00 bucks  8) 1960 I H  8)

[bcraw98]

I thought it was a grass truck since you thought it was a grass truck, but now I think it might be a rescue truck since you think it isn't a grass truck  Rescue trucks have an easier life unless your a combo grass rescue truck like our newest truck. Then you just get double duty  ;D . BTW, if my department ever decides to retire the old Ford grass truck, I'm bettin' it finds a job my way. Everyone thinks I'm just being nice lettin' them head out in the newer trucks, but truth be told, I'm just ridin' the proven battle scarred war horse.

[Mr Mom]

     bcraw98   It could have had a double life but i cant say.



     Thanks alot Mr Mom

[Mr Mom]

     Well i missed the sealed bid auction on the dodge.
     I read the paper wrong :-[ :-[ :-[.
     I did find out that the truck went for $3900. The truck had less than 18000 miles on it.
     That is o.k beacuse that is more money that goes to the mill.



     Thanks Alot Mr Mom

[junkyard]

Don't feel bad that you were not the high bidder. My nephew bought a fire truck He gave the body away to get it out ofhis yard. bought a new dump body for it. Then came the fun part trying to find all of the little things that are on the shelf at the parts store. We spent more time looking for parts and modifying them to work than he did working the truck. When he sold it couldn't get the price of the dump body from it.
The trucks I started out with were old but always figured that the engine and tranny had three miles on it for every mile on the speedometer because they were underpowered and overworked so they spent a lot of time in the lower gears.
                    Junkyard

[Mr Mom]

     Junkyard.....Never got to place the bid read the paper wrong. I thought that they started to collect the bids fri at 1:oo pm but that is when they opened the bids to see who won.
     There is always next time.



     Thanks Alot Mr Mom.