Help on deciding on a 1976 F100 purchase

[dakonthemountain]

Hey guys!

Long time no write. Life and family responsibilities sure do get in the way!

Anyway, I have a chance tomorrow to purchase the following truck (I want a toy!!!)

http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/cto/1482279160.html

It's a 1976 F100 Ranger XLT with 85,000 original?.. miles, original paint and interior (at least it looks like it in the pics) It has an automatic, AC (comes on, but not cold.. not an issue for me), a 302, no rips in the seats or damage in the interior. New radiator, tires, hoses, vaccum can (he thinks) and plug wires. It has a Wisconsin title, so it's got some rust, but according to the current owner, only over the rear wheel wells, and only "through" on the driver side for about an inch. I will crawl under it and inspect (with a hammer!!) for frame rust, and if it has that, I'll walk away. I can get it for $700. He says that is what he paid for it, and he has done nothing to it since. It will cost $300 to register it in California (our rip-off state!!) He is leaving the state next Tuesday and is apparently desperate to sell it. It's been advertised for 2 weeks and he started the price at $1,500. He states it runs really well with no issues and would drive it anywhere (of course.... )

Here is my main question. Do you think I could have the rust over the wheel wells repaired (even with bondo, though I'm not a fan), or would you replace the bed completely (you can kinda see it in the pics) Which would be cheaper? Remember, this is a 4th vehicle for me and I am not interested in using it for anything other than going to the hardware store, hauling plants from the nursery etc. In other words, not for any hardcore work. Burt, my current '77 is only used for pulling my travel trailer.

I don't want to get too emotional about this, but I really would like it and am excited about the potential (and deal!)

Thanks for your comments!
Dak

 

[dragogt]

Hell man, the price is right Do it.

 

[miottimouse]

dak,any thing can be repaired someone has put a 78/79 lariat interior seats/door panels that were not available in 76 so thats a bonus [not original mind you] but good looking truck and price seems right regurds joe

 

[5.0Flareside]

that is a very good looking truck. i think you should go for it. and replacing those wheel wells can be gone about many different ways. as far as replacing the whole bed. itll be nearlly impossible to find a bed in that good of shape with NO rust.

 

[dakonthemountain]

Thanks guys. I forgot that those seats were not available in 76... Good call Joe! If nothing else, I could part it out and update Burt to an XLT with the complete racetrack around the bottom, on the tailgate, etc., but I would hate to do that to a basically good truck. I'm not sure I will be able to go see it today though, as last night we got a pretty good dumping of snow and I sold my 4X4 last week! My Saturn has those Spokes Spider chains, but the roads may not be plowed for a number of hours today so I may have to stay home and sit by the fire doing nothing instead...

Actually, I would rather go see the truck!

I'll let ya know if I do.
Dak

 

[bucks77ford]

That's a pretty nice truck for the price.

 

[Alvin in AZ]

What?
DAK, are you friggin nuts? :/
Don't you dare buy that rusted out pickup from Wisconsin. :/
You are in Kalifornia... $500 tops for anything from the rust belt.
Crawl under that sucker and you'll know what I mean right away.
It's muddy, live on a dirt road...
http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/file12/F150-9inch.jpg

-------------------------

Also... x2 on what Joe caught.
IME, that sucker's not 85k if the seats had to be changed out.

My 142k '75 F100 parts truck had the original seat in it and had just begun
to show signs of needing work. Same mileage as my own '75 F150, I bought
new, showed the same signs 10 years before and same mileage.

As soon as I read Joe's post I actually thought of something.
Prob'ly nothing new really. :/
But before buying a truck, post pics here and let us pick over them.

I had no idea those seats weren't originals! :/
But I do have a pretty good idea of how many miles the seats will go.

Looked at a '68 Bump, guy said 35k.
Looked it on the inside, no kidding!
All original, even the red carpet looked good.
Ooops the alternator had been swapped out... hmmm... (prob'ly noisy)
Looked through the glove box found an old AZ registration... 135k.
Ahhh... now it all fit together.

Didn't buy it.
The axle housing, frame, etc looked like it was from the rust belt. (ick)

Alvin in AZ

 

[dakonthemountain]

Hi All,
Didn't buy it. NO WAY< NO HOW!!!!!! (though I did think about offering $500 for it as a parts truck, but I just don't have the place or time to do that) "A little rust" turned out to be actually a little NOT rusted. It never ceases to amaze me on how different people's descriptions differ! A snapshot: Door frames rusted through, cab corners rusted through (didn't even bother getting up on the cab to see the drip rails..), Entire bottoms of both doors rusted so bad they were CRUMBLING!. Wheel wells in back both had 1" plus holes over the entire wheel well! RUST, RUST, RUST... Very sad truck indeed! It ran GREAT though, with solid brakes, no firewall rust, new BF Goodrich tires and nice newer Ford rims. Registration expired in August of 2008. He'll never sell it here as a drivable truck. Oh well.... It was fun looking!

Now I REALLY know how lucky we are out here on the west coast. I feel bad for you guys back east looking for trucks after seeing this one!
Dak

 

[5.0Flareside]

Hi All,
Didn't buy it. NO WAY< NO HOW!!!!!! (though I did think about offering $500 for it as a parts truck, but I just don't have the place or time to do that) "A little rust" turned out to be actually a little NOT rusted. It never ceases to amaze me on how different people's descriptions differ! A snapshot: Door frames rusted through, cab corners rusted through (didn't even bother getting up on the cab to see the drip rails..), Entire bottoms of both doors rusted so bad they were CRUMBLING!. Wheel wells in back both had 1" plus holes over the entire wheel well! RUST, RUST, RUST... Very sad truck indeed! It ran GREAT though, with solid brakes, no firewall rust, new BF Goodrich tires and nice newer Ford rims. Registration expired in August of 2008. He'll never sell it here as a drivable truck. Oh well.... It was fun looking!

Now I REALLY know how lucky we are out here on the west coast. I feel bad for you guys back east looking for trucks after seeing this one!
Dak

dang too bad. that was a good LOOKING truck. but i guess the pics did lie to us.

 

[Alvin in AZ]

1) It was fun looking!
2) Now I REALLY know how lucky we are out here {i}n the west...
3) I feel bad for you guys back east looking for trucks after seeing this one!
Dak

I couldn't agree more on -all- that!

But.
If you go up the coast like Santa Maria etc and check out their old vehicles,
they'll look like the rust bucket you just looked at. Sad but true. :/

------------------------

Walked up and looked under the fender behind the tire and said...
"I'll buy it " This is what I saw...
http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/file12/BroncoDSfront.jpg
Here's a couple more pictures I took as soon as I got it home...
http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/file12/BroncoDSrear.jpg
http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/file12/BroncoTC.jpg
(I disconnected and chained up the drive shafts for towing)

http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/file12/BroncoDamage.jpg
http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/file12/BroncoColumn.jpg

Here's the Craig's List ad...
http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/file12/BroncoAD
Made July 1990 and the mechanic got carried away with the model year.

Alvin in AZ
ps- Cost me $100 to get a title and took a couple months waiting for it.

 

[Alvin in AZ]

dang too bad. that was a good LOOKING truck.
but i guess the pics did lie to us.

BTDT on a '91 Bronco 302 5 speed a kid was trying to sell.

Craig's List ad said $1100 but he dropped it to $900 on the phone, went and
looked at it, his grandpa had driven it out from -Michigan-.

Being out here dropped its value out through the holes in the floors.

Saw him keep the ads up, dropping the price over and over never mentioning
the rusted out -everything- and finally someone bought it for the engine and
transmission, I'd guess. Bet it went for less than $500. :/

Hmmm... you know, that baby would have been nice cheap transportation for
someone driving -back- to the rust belt tho. It had been well taken care of
and had low miles.

Too bad about the salted roads back "east". {shrug}

Alvin in AZ