W350 search, disappointing waste of a day looking at a truck

[stillsmokin]

Today me and the wife made a 200 mile trip into Kansas to look at a 93 W350. I had missed a local truck about a week ago and decided to get after it a little more. The truck was originally from texas but ended up there. The guy had sent me some pictures on my phone of the truck, which led me to believe it was good enough to warrant going and taking a serious look.

I loaded the oldsmobile with tools and various first gen extras and set out this morning with green to back up my mouth. When I got there it wasn't quite as good as I had hoped, it had been in kansas for longer than a few years. I knew the front bumper was bent and I was told there was a little ding in the fender, it had all original paint, and the title had not been branded. What I saw needed a bumper, grille, the fender was trashed, and somebody had misjudged the overhead clearance somewhere and crushed the roof skin badly which was never mentioned. There was plenty else wrong and the brakes were out since a wheel cylinder blew out yesterday! Oh and it was an automatic, but I was trying to see a manual in its future.

So, I was looking at a truck that needed a little more work than I wanted to put into it for the guys asking price. After I saw the roof he said "I don't know how that could have happened" I guess I'd take 6 for it . I politely told the guy it was more of a project than I was wanting and I needed one that was a little less of a project (since the puller is enough of a project in itself). I reached to shake his hand and thank him for his time, he says "what would you give me"? I was reluctant to say since I was off in the way backwoods off of three miles of minimum maintnence roads, but somehow I said "the last one I bought like this I gave 4 for". Of course he wasn't coming off of 6, so I BS'd with him a bit and left peacably, he must have thought I wouldn't leave without it. It was a good truck for someone, but I need to find something a little more presentable and a little less project.

On a good note my 236,000 mile cutlass ciera got 28-30 mpg on the trip and I swung through missouri and picked up some fireworks on the way home . This was the furthest I had ever ventured to buy a vehicle, it was a waste of my time. I saw some beautiful areas less travelled. I hope people will appreciate when I have a W350 to drag the puller around with. Today, I was thinking back to when I bought the puller, I had looked at 15-19 first gens. All were overpriced and rode hard. I had given up all hope of finding one and this one just fell into my lap, almost exactly what I wanted. $2500 less than all those others. Must have been some sort of devine intervention, could sure use some now...

[bgilbert]

What a shame. Was it the one Ike posted a CL link to in here? A blue ex cab dually? And how the heck did Andrew score such a deal on his w350?! I'm actually looking for a reg cab dually myself.

[stillsmokin]

I didn't see the link, but the one I missed in Crete, NE was a blue ext. cab dually. Some kid got a bank to caugh up 8 large so that was a sad deal. The craigslist ad was changed, I was wanting to look at it for a few weeks, but it was deleted, but it wasn't sold, and I found out too late. The blue one was alot spendy anyway. The one in Kansas was a 2 tone red silver ext. cab dually. All of them so far had rust free bodys, which I think is the focus of my search.

Andy had one of those lucky days when his came around, he works around people, and I do not. Its hard to network that way.

[oldestof11]

Looking for a dually or srw? I will keep my eyes and ears open. I am assuming 4x4 ext cab?

[stillsmokin]

looking for a 92-93 W350 (1 ton 4x4) dually, extended. I would like to find an LE with a manual transmission. I'm just trying to avoid rust buckets. I need it for pulling the gooseneck a 1-2 thousand miles a year to events. I would ideally like to find one that was in real presentable condition, older owner uses it to pull a camper etc. It don't have to be a show truck, but it needs to look like somebody gave a damn about taking care of it. Some of the damage i've seen on these rigs over the years is terrible and the owners always think they have gold.

[CumminsPower59]

Two weeks after I found my 92 W250, I found a 93 W350 Club Cab, 5 speed truck, factory tach, red in color, gray interior, owned by the original owner, never seen snow, 144k miles. Pulled a camper its whole life. The whole truck didn't have a speck of rust anywhere, it sat in a garage in the cooler months. Had all of its maintenance records from day one, and the original window sticker. It was only $7k. I was angrier than all get out when I found it, it was exactly what I had been searching for. Hated to let it go

[stillsmokin]

Two weeks after I found my 92 W250, I found a 93 W350 Club Cab, 5 speed truck, factory tach, red in color, gray interior, owned by the original owner, never seen snow, 144k miles. Pulled a camper its whole life. The whole truck didn't have a speck of rust anywhere, it sat in a garage in the cooler months. Had all of its maintenance records from day one, and the original window sticker. It was only $7k. I was angrier than all get out when I found it, it was exactly what I had been searching for. Hated to let it go

Sounds like the truck I am wanting to find. Seems like so many are 12 hours away or more and I'll only have a weekend to run to get one, if I am lucky! I would love to find one close enough to drive out, get it bought and bring it home.

[Mark Nixon]

Goes to show that you can drive (thousands) of miles and still end up looking at junk.
Ask Andrew and I about last week's foray.
BTW, I've got enough decent parts to put a 1 ton 4x4 E/C 5 speed together, but is it really worth having?

I did just find this '81 Crew Cab 2WD Chevy from AZ with "no rust" that I'm going to go look at to-morrow.
It's only 4 hours away.
Dunno WHY I like these things, they're boxier than a DODGE.



Mark.

[CumminsPower59]

Years ago I use to be a Chevy guy, all I wanted was a crew cab K30, or any K30 for that matter... Never could find one. I wanted it because it came with a D60 front, and all that was around here was K20's and I spent lots-o-cash repairing the 10 bolt and D44's that I busted over the years when I would go out wheelin'...

[stillsmokin]

Goes to show that you can drive (thousands) of miles and still end up looking at junk.
Ask Andrew and I about last week's foray.
BTW, I've got enough decent parts to put a 1 ton 4x4 E/C 5 speed together, but is it really worth having?

I did just find this '81 Crew Cab 2WD Chevy from AZ with "no rust" that I'm going to go look at to-morrow.
It's only 4 hours away.
Dunno WHY I like these things, they're boxier than a DODGE.



Mark.

Mark, I'm shocked. Thats 2 chevys in a week you've looked at! Funny thing is I only used to be a chevy guy, as all this asian import trash began to litter our highways I really began to appreciate all of the good old trucks. In my eyes the chevy K30's, Ford F350 4X4s, and dodge W300/350 represent the last good dependable trucks a guy could afford to own. FWIW, I have thought about that running gear you have over there.

Years ago I use to be a Chevy guy, all I wanted was a crew cab K30, or any K30 for that matter... Never could find one. I wanted it because it came with a D60 front, and all that was around here was K20's and I spent lots-o-cash repairing the 10 bolt and D44's that I busted over the years when I would go out wheelin'...

Yeah, I have a 29,000 mile 1986 air force K30, crew cab, SRW, and a beat to hell 83 K30 "chub" dually, I had 12 other GM square corner trucks before these. the K30s were tough finds, there aren't very many to be had. My workhorse is an immaculate 70,000 mile 99 (old style) chevy K2500HD, 454, NV4500. It's the only vehicle I ever bought new, I checked off the boxes and they built it for me, it may have to go to pay for the W350, some mods, and to pay off some bills.

[Mark Nixon]

Mark, I'm shocked. Thats 2 chevys in a week you've looked at! Funny thing is I only used to be a chevy guy, as all this asian import trash began to litter our highways I really began to appreciate all of the good old trucks. In my eyes the chevy K30's, Ford F350 4X4s, and dodge W300/350 represent the last good dependable trucks a guy could afford to own. FWIW, I have thought about that running gear you have over there.

Well, the last thing I care to own wears a Blue Oval.

Jeff, if you think about it, in many ways assembling a truck from choice parts and doing a re-paint can be as good as buying a nice, low miles, rustfree truck.
The advantage is that, if you have the time, you can pick and choose the parts, the disadvantage is the time gathering and assembling, plus having a proper place to do it.
The other problem is that no matter how cost-conscientious you are, if you're picky (And I know you are!) you'll have just as much in an assembled-from-many-parts truck as you would buying a nice clean low miles one.

You'll only trade the grieving about the hunt for a nice truck for the grieving about the hunt for the PARTS for a nice truck.

I'll say this much, finding nice PARTS to piecemeal one together a little at a time is MUCH easier than finding "that perfect truck" that you can afford.

Mark.

[oldestof11]

Mark, that looks like a 4x4. Hubs are sticking outta the wheels.

[ellis93]

Mark, that looks like a 4x4. Hubs are sticking outta the wheels.

Sure Does,looks like old school Warren lockers with the gold twist locks.

[ellis93]

What I wouldn't give for a cherry 1/2 ton square body

I've had a 1028a3 K30. Never gave a problem except for having the glow that turd 6.2 twice in the morning to get it to start. I think that truck could have been awesome with a cummins in it but I couldn't come up with the parts to do it affordable cheapest I found was from old bread trucks and most setups were missing pieces. Got irritated and sold all of it plus I didn't have the time to screw with it anyhow

[stillsmokin]

Jeff, if you think about it, in many ways assembling a truck from choice parts and doing a re-paint can be as good as buying a nice, low miles, rustfree truck.
The advantage is that, if you have the time, you can pick and choose the parts, the disadvantage is the time gathering and assembling, plus having a proper place to do it.
The other problem is that no matter how cost-conscientious you are, if you're picky (And I know you are!) you'll have just as much in an assembled-from-many-parts truck as you would buying a nice clean low miles one.

You'll only trade the grieving about the hunt for a nice truck for the grieving about the hunt for the PARTS for a nice truck.

I'll say this much, finding nice PARTS to piecemeal one together a little at a time is MUCH easier than finding "that perfect truck" that you can afford.

Mark.

Mark, I couldn't agree with you more. I have thought about buying a 2WD 5 speed truck in texas and swapping frames, I'd swap in a NV4500 and a dana 80 while it was apart. But, then I have yet another project and looking at the cost I'd have 5+ into that plus my time. Plus, I'd have to go to texas to get the other truck.