Would you buy a 30 year old truck with 51 miles on it?

[Citydude]

I just drove a 75 model to Alaska. All original just as I bought it at a junk yard. My suspension was still good. Putting a log loader on an 85 Mack now.

I love Macks! Real trucks for real work.

 

[PuffyC]

My mother had a car in similar condition - 24 years old but only a couple thousand miles. Always meticulously maintained by the dealer she bought it from. That was the car that taught me age was just as important as mileage when it came to used vehicles.

 

[redman135]

At that milage I think the truck was stationary run, ie just the engine running. Expect to replace the diff bearing and gearbox bearings as condensation will has rusted or etched the bearing hard facing and the bearing will fail rapidly as the hard facing breaks off.
Good bidding.

 

[Hay Dude]

I'd be very cautious.
Auctioneers Sell vehicles, they don't Buy them..


can you verify ANY of these claims ? could have started one of his daily drivers for phone verification

Like you, I love looking and buying old vehicles, equipment. Several years ago, I drove with a buddy, his truck and trailer 7 hrs one way to buy a very rare vehicle - verbal confirmation of purchase, and a certified bank cheque. Upon arriving for the $2300 El Camino purchase, I realized that it was a legitimate mess, and a project, extra parts, no papers, bill of sale only, out of province too. I was able to confirm the VIN and the vehicle status, but it was NOT a $2300 vehicle to me, and it was only very loosely as described. I offered $1200 or walked away with an empty trailer for the return trip. Once I got it home, it was a project. Two years later, and nothing done to it, I sold it for $3500. Never again, that out of province stuff was a hassle.

Apart from my reservations about an online / distant auction, it may well be worth bidding. Good luck.

There’s a complete set of pictures. Here’s one.

 

[Hay Dude]

At that milage I think the truck was stationary run, ie just the engine running. Expect to replace the diff bearing and gearbox bearings as condensation will has rusted or etched the bearing hard facing and the bearing will fail rapidly as the hard facing breaks off.
Good bidding.

Yeah, that’s a possibility I was concerned about. Thanks
Probably time to move on…

 

[oosik]

No - I would not buy that vehicle. When I buy vehicles - I buy brand new. I'm not looking to buy something that needs repair work. Life sends me enough problems to handle - I do not need to purchase problems.

 

[dodge man]

I restored a 70 Challenger convertible in the late 1980’s that had sat untouched for about 15 years. The engine had been rebuilt, installed but never run. I squirted some WD 40 in the cylinders and it started and ran fine.

The car I restored was mechanically pretty sound. Sitting wasn’t as hard on it as you’d think it would be. The big think is it was stored in a garage with a concrete floor. It wasn’t exposed to a lot of moisture. How was this truck stored? Concrete dry floor or gravel and moisture?

 

[Hay Dude]

I restored a 70 Challenger convertible in the late 1980’s that had sat untouched for about 15 years. The engine had been rebuilt, installed but never run. I squirted some WD 40 in the cylinders and it started and ran fine.

The car I restored was mechanically pretty sound. Sitting wasn’t as hard on it as you’d think it would be. The big think is it was stored in a garage with a concrete floor. It wasn’t exposed to a lot of moisture. How was this truck stored? Concrete dry floor or gravel and moisture?

Definitely in a garage with a floor. It looks pretty immaculate.
steering wheel, armrests and floor mat shows zero wear. Frame still pretty shiny, so no ground moisture under truck.

Remember, this is a 29 year old truck (1993)

Steering wheel still has “grip”, not shiny.

 

[dodge man]

It will most likely be in better shape than you think. It will also sell for a stupid high price also. If you find out what it goes for let us know.

 

[crashz]

At that mileage I think the truck was stationary run, ie just the engine running. Expect to replace the diff bearing and gearbox bearings as condensation will has rusted or etched the bearing hard facing and the bearing will fail rapidly as the hard facing breaks off.
Good bidding.

I bought a rear axle for a pickup that had the same issues. It sat for many years and the ring and pinion gear rusted so bad that the mating surfaces pitted. Since it was only one part, I was fine doing a full rebuild (bearings, seals, gears, etc.) but it was a lot of work. And that's one piece only.

However, that axle was sitting outside under an old truck in the dirt. This truck you are looking at was clearly stored in a dry location. If you are serious with the truck, I would grad a bore scope camera and poke it into the rears and trans just to check the condition.

 

[Hoodoo]

I would be tempted but I like old trucks so not the best advisor
I just bought a '03 Chevy 2500 with 130k miles. Got it for $11k. Been replacing little stuff like windshield washer pump, rear door handles (extended cab), AC condenser pump, Etc. Engine and Tranny were good and that's what I bought it for.....
I'm probably gonna put more into it than I thought, but I won't have monthly payments at the end.
Throw in a bid and see what happens......?

 

[ultrarunner]

Depending where you are emission tier would be a deal breaker...

Many perfect older trucks are no longer legal in trade... might be ok for farm use but not for hire.

I passed on a very sweet deal from a retiring family excavating company...

The new tires and aluminum rims worth the price of the truck but it could no longer legally used in trade in California without repowering....

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

I love Macks! Real trucks for real work.

We had a Mack dump, f700 and dump trailer, skid steer, parked on our property. Needed them all the next day, so checked them. Somebody had stole every battery and stole the keys. I got everything going overnight except skid steer. Sent a guy 1 1/2 hours away to be there when they opened to get a key. Good ole thieves.

 

[LHF2019]

In 2007 or 2008?? I purchased a 1999 CK3500 4 door dually with 34,xxx miles on it. I think dry seals are the downfall but when fixed you still have new truck. This truck had bad axle seals. Things are meant to be ran not just sit. However mine still sits a lot. I think it might have 101,xxx on it now. Less than 1000 miles of winter driving. The first 5000 miles may not be your friend. Bid accordingly. With low mileage like that it will be hard to compete against people with stupid money.

 

[1NHman]

Take a look what new trucks are going for and that may answer your question. New equipment is great if you can use it regularly, 12 months a year. Think about the investment in planters, sprayers and combines that sit 10 months a year but tie up a huge amount of capital. I say go for it and bid on this truck.

 

[OpsPops]

Keep in mind that the 1990 odometer isn't an electronic one. It could easily be rolled back without anyone being aware. Even the electronic ones can be falsified if you have the skills and equipment.

 

[sixdogs]

I would try to buy it but suspect it will go for more than it should. Seems like it's in good enough shape since he started it and I'll bet backed it up and stepped on the brakes. Things like this can be hard to buy because too many buyers get emotional and forget the accounting aspect of things. I'd buy it.

 

[thorn]

My parents bought a new 1976 Chevy pickup in the fall of 1975. It was garage kept most of the time and only used occasionally. It would sit for months at a time. I learned to drive in it. In 2000 my dad gave it to me and I used it on and off and was mostly in my garage or barn. It had 70,000 miles and it was burning oil and blue smoke out the exhaust. We didn't have too many problems with it, rust here and there, same clutch, and I replaced the radiator before I sold it in 2016. My dad put a new carb in it in the late 90s. I wonder since it sat a lot without use, did it help wear engine parts (rust?) faster that caused it to burn oil before 50,000 miles?

I wish I had kept it, but I had no time to work on it at the time. Now my son is getting to driving age and it would have been a nice project we could have worked on and maybe kept it in the family another generation.

 

[Paul in TN]

These trucks were popular in the 90s because you could buy them cheap. But they have problems. Dash gauges and lights lose continuity. Heater duct let’s outside air in. And the DT 466 engine is expensive to maintain. It has a super high pressure fuel pump that cause hard starting. Don’t use ether when starting in cold weather. Use a block heater.

 

[MFO]

I bought a tractor that was almost 15 years old with only 50 hours on it. After doing what I needed to do to get it running, I had a tractor with only 50 hours on it. I'm a minimalist and don't do too much work that a thing needs. If it's been parked inside and run regularly, there might not be too much that needs doing.