I'm looking to purchase a 1972 F 150. (302, C-4 LWB 2WD) It has orginal paint (7 out of 10) and body panels. It's a one owner with 87K and has all service records. What (ballpark of course) do you guys think is a fair price for this??
$500, 'cause that's what I paid for basically the same thing back in '89. Sounds like a nice old truck and probably worth more than I'd be willing to offer, but anything more than $1500 would be too much for me.
I understand what your saying and I agree, But, I see these trucks (in this condition) sell on E-bay and in the Autotrader for around 4-5K. (I've been looking for about 6 months, local and abroad, and this is the nicest I've seen yet. I just wanted some feedback from the Ford community. I'm sure some here enjoy other Ford models, and may have some insight. (before I make an offer)
I'm not into trucks as collectibles, so I end up with my opinion aligned with Dark Buddha. I would think these are fairly plentiful - or at least parts would be in junkyards.
Sounds like you've done a fair amount of value research already, and you seem to be willing to pay the ebay price. I do think that the '70s Ford pickups are great looking vehicles. I can sure understand wanting one.
One point - if you want a tow/working vehicle, I would think a big block would be superior - might be a good point for negotiating. Also, a 30 year old vehicle with 87,000 miles would probably have a lot of problems from not being used.. dry, leaky gaskets and seals, no hardened valve seats, etc.
My advice is to do your best to wait for him to tell you what he wants. If he wants $700, just pay it and be happy. If he asks for more than you want to pay, tell him what you're willing to pay or slightly less and try to work for something acceptable.
The expression I've heard is: the first person to name a price loses the negotiation.
Maybe this is an obvious point - I'm not trying to insult your intelligence. I suck at negotiation, so I always have to think through everything I'm going to say and do before I arrive so I don't leave too much money on the table.
Depends on your location and where the truck has "lived its life". I had one for years; '72, C6 and 360 (later "grew" into a 406) and it was a tank! It also spent its first 16 years in the desert just north of Tucson - no rust. If they don't rust out (look in the same locations as on a classic Stang plus the bed-to-frame mounts); they can be equally (or more) bulletproof as the "SuperDuty" models of today.
I knew a guy who was buying 67-72 F-series' here in Yuma for around $500; doing a quick-and-dirty overhaul and slapping on a Maaco one-coat paintjob; and selling them to guys in the Rust Belt for a minimum of $2500-3K
If it's clean (rust-wise) and running decently, I'd start at $13 - 1500 and see how close the seller would come.
(But then again, I'm cheap)
Rent-a-Racer, I buy and sell a good many cars and trucks, but $4-5 K sounds high to me for a LWB with a small block. I would say more like $2-3 for a long bed. I have a low lieage '76 now (76,ooo mi). It's an original paint (black) shortbed Ranger with a fresh 360, new trans, and new front susp. Also has nice original red interior. I'm only asking $4900 for it.
It sounds like a nice truck, just don't overpay for it !