We currently have and old gas F700 with hydraulic brakes that we use around our farm. For onsite and 5 mile radius use it fine but we no longer feel comfortable with it on the highway much due to heavy play in the steering and weak brakes. We just bought a midi excavator 17k pound machine and we are looking for a better truck haul it with. I know I want air brakes this time and I prefer a diesel. I would like to find a 90-95 IH with a 466 and air brakes with under 200k miles and a dump bed but that seems to be almost impossible in my price range of 5-7k. I have found 2 trucks that i am interested in that need a little work. The first one I went and looked at today is a 88 IH with 466, 5sp with 2 spd rear and 10' box dump. The truck is owned by a local small concrete company. They parked the truck 4-5 years ago when they bought a truck with a larger bed that could haul more concrete demo. The guy handling the sell for them is their mechanic who knows nothing about the truck other than the fact that the concrete company bought the truck new and the owner told him it ran good when it was parked. The truck is rough from sitting. The windshield is shattered, the side window is busted out, the front tires are trash and have split open, the rear tires have 95% tread but are dry rotted/cracked, the bed bottom needs reskinned, the cab amd bed need paint, and the pto pump and rear axle are leaking fluids. Obviously this is a project truck best case. The odometer reads 58k miles which based on who owns it I think its possible that is actual mileage. So the trucks has lots of negatives but I think I could get it for $1200- $1500 plus towing cost. The glass, tires,leaks, paint and bed are fairly easy fixes just not cheap. I am more concerned about what might be wrong with it that I can't see from it sitting for so long. Engine/transmission issues, brakes etc. What do you guys think is it worth trying to fix it or is the risk too high? The other truck is a couple of hours away so I haven't seen it yet. Its a 88 IH with 466 air brakes, 6 spd and a 16' flatbed dump with 250k miles. It needs a windshield,the bed needs new metal and the dump cylinders need repacking. I think I could get this one for around $4500. I like the fact that this one has a 16' bed but the bed is a tread deck so it would need to be reskinned or covered with smooth steel. This truck has also been sitting for a few months but is currently drive able. Which one seems to be the better bet? Or do I just keep looking?
From how you describe the first truck I wouldn't walk but run away from it. You could easily sink several thousand in glass, tires, paint and leaks in that truck quick and not have something operable. The second truck sounds better but it's hard to give advice without seeing either one.
Buy a truck that runs and drives unless your looking for a project have deep pockets and a glutton for punishment for example how do you know the steering isnt loose on something you cant drive? Ect
The only way to buy the first one would be to hear it run, preferably up to temp. and I would try to dump the bed also. Check the frame for rust jacking also. $1000.00 would be top dollar. If you have a shop to get it in then maybe it would be worth it but I'd factor in new glass and a seat also. If the drivers side glass is gone I might walk because the fuse panel is fragile at best, even when they were new. Just my thoughts, sane people may disagree
The first one would only be worth only scrap value. That way if you got it home and didnt want to fix it you would be ok. Unless the second one is real good it would steal need 2000.00 or more to make it useable and its allong ways away. I aways end up with something needing alot of work because it dont have the time to look and i hate looking. One thing i always like to do and is a good ideal is go look at something and go home and go back and look agin you will see alot of stuff that you missed the first time.