My costs to get the '69 "Right and Reliable"
 

Boy it adds up quick! Still need to get the washers and left brake light working but at this point I would drive it 1000 miles round trip without batting an eye.

Just thought I would throw this out there although the prices from NAPA are at my cost not retail.


ebay - 1969 Chevrolet C10 = $5,000

ShiftRite - Transmissions - Tailshaft housing = $62

Jegs - Trans Kickdown Cable Bracket/lever - 510-20-121 = $22
Jegs - Trans Kickdown Bracket 700r4 510-20-95 = $22
Jegs - LOCKUP KIT FOR 200/700R4 890-376600 = $90

Transmission Center - Seals/Gear = $27

Creekside2 - ebay - Speedo housing/gears = $118

LMCTruck.com - WINDOW REGULATOR-RH - 38-6571 = $40
LMCTruck.com - WINDOW REGULATOR-LH - 38-6570 = $40
LMCTruck.com - LAP SEAT BELT-BLACK - 38-2249-BL = $50
LMCTruck.com - ESCUTCHEON DOOR/WINDOW-BLACK - 38-6527-BL = $8
LMCTruck.com - LIGHT WIRING KIT W/SWITCH A/R - 38-1275 = $13
LMCTruck.com - DOME LIGHT LENS-CLEAR - 36-4205 = $10
LMCTruck.com - SOCKET-TAIL LIGHT-RH - 36-3543 = $5
LMCTruck.com - LED LICENSE PLATE BOLT SET - 36-4506 = $15
LMCTruck.com - DUAL DRINK HOLDER-BLACK - 38-8200 = $30
LMCTruck.com - LARGE MACHINE SCREW-SS - 30-0411 = $8
LMCTruck.com - DOOR PANEL WASHER - 30-0748 = $8
LMCTruck.com - SHIFT INDICATOR DIAL-W/TILT - 32-7235 = $10
LMCTruck.com - DUAL VOICE COIL SPEAKER - 38-8564 = $70
LMCTruck.com - KICKPANEL SPEAKER SET - 38-8520 = $130
LMCTruck.com - LIGHTER ASSEMBLY - 38-5004 = $15
LMCTruck.com - WINDOW CHANNEL KIT-CUSTOM - 38-5620 = $80
LMCTruck.com - WINDOW HANDLE-CHROME KNOB - 38-6710 = $20
LMCTruck.com - WINDOW CHANNEL KIT-CUSTOM - 38-5620 = $80
LMCTruck.com - GLOVE BOX - 38-5212 = $13
LMCTruck.com - GLOVE BOX LAMP ASSEMBLY - 36-4500 = $15
LMCTruck.com - DOOR WEATHERSTRIP SET - 38-5953 = $50
LMCTruck.com - INSIDE DOOR LATCH CONTROL-LH - 38-6564 = $15
LMCTruck.com - BUMPER-DOOR/FINGER GUARD A/R - 30-1820 = $2
LMCTruck.com - OIL PRESSURE SENDER TUBE KIT - 36-1923 = $17


Right Stuff Detailing - Frt Disc Brake conversion - TSD 6316 = $795

Craigslist - 700R4 transmission = $200

Wheel Medic - Wheel Repair/Center Caps = $400

GMCPauls.com - 69-72 Chevy Factory Service Manual - MAN2269 = $25
GMCPauls.com - 67-72 Chevy Wiring Diagram - SRW220278 = $5
GMCPauls.com - 67-72 Factory Assembly Manual - MAN5 = $40

Lonestar Car Parts - ebay - Dual Snorker Air Cleaner - CQ-W-460A = $207

Early Classic Enterprises - Shocks and relocator kit - 902-6372-SK = $209
Early Classic Enterprises - Round mirror - 06-18403C = $24
Early Classic Enterprises - Tach kit - 05-7780 = $269

dbleggi79 - ebay - Guages Cluster = $170

NAPA - Brake light switch - SL186 = $11
NAPA - Transmission filter kit - 17936 = $13
NAPA - Front transmission seal - 17458 = $4
NAPA - O-ring - 17154 = $1
NAPA - Radiator cap - 7031697 = $5
NAPA - Upper radiator hose - 7368 = $13
NAPA - Headlight pigtail - LS6479 = $4
NAPA - Wire loom clip - 784287 = $10
NAPA - Wire loom clip - 78428 = $10
NAPA - Alternator belt - 257450 = $17
NAPA - Lower radiator hose - 7352 = $34

Aarow Radiator - Radiator repair = $60


Total = $8,514

Re: My costs to get the '69 "Right and Reliable"
 

Well, Where are pictures so we can see what it all looks like?

Re: My costs to get the '69 "Right and Reliable"
 

Did you do the work yourself? How many hours of labor??

Re: My costs to get the '69 "Right and Reliable"
 

I know what you mean!!! I just put $11,000 into my motor, tranny and rearend on my $5000.00 budget!!!
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Re: My costs to get the '69 "Right and Reliable"
 

Shared misery is always the best - I stopped totaling after a while. Now I just toss receipts into a folder.

Not to take the thread in another direction, but you mentioned you haven't gotten the washers working yet - after fighting with the mechanical pump for months, a few rebuilds, etc, I finally gave in and got a universal electric pump. I made a mounting bracket out of sheet metal that enabled me to mount it on the wiper motor, based on a thread on this board that I now cannot find to repost, but I can post pics if needed.

Works differently than the mechanical one (you have to hold the button in to keep it spraying) but it works, which I never could get the mechanical pump to do.

Re: My costs to get the '69 "Right and Reliable"
 

It's getting ridiculous nowadays what stuff costs.

I've got a saying I use.....

"I can take a running truck, pull the engine out and set it on the ground and then drop it right back into the truck, and it will cost 100 bucks minimum, and that's not doing anything other than r&r".

Antifreeze, a hose clamp or two, electrical terminal, maybe some exhaust donuts. You can just vaporize money and not feel like you've done anything at all.

I quit counting long ago. It's still cheaper than liquor and hookers I guess.
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Re: My costs to get the '69 "Right and Reliable"
 

Glad Im not the only one, I just put the receipts in the drawer now. I quit counting at around $7800.

Re: My costs to get the '69 "Right and Reliable"
 

The best part is that when you sell your truck, you'll get it all back - NOT!

Re: My costs to get the '69 "Right and Reliable"
 

Labor was 90% done by yours truly and the rest by some of my employees. Not sure how long I spent since it was all done a little at a time over the last 4ish weeks. I have access to a twin post lift so none of it was that difficult. The worst part was waiting for parts to arrive.

I have always had an unwritten rule that you should plan on spending half of the purchase price to get it right. Of course this doesn't work in all cases but is a nice rule of thumb if you are buying something decent without any major issues.

My "other" ride is a 1977 Jeep CJ7 (304ci, automatic, full-time 4wd). That one got a bit out of hand so I just throw the receipts away and pretend I am not buying stuff for it. ;)

I consider everything on the list to be necessary for safety/travel comfort. When I own something older it has to be able to go 7-10 hr round trip, without any preventable issues, before I am happy. The only thing that is fluff is the air cleaner. Dual snorkels just look cool!!

I need to wash it and then I can take some pictures. Maybe I can convince the wife to bust out the bathing suit for a photo shoot.:rolleyes:

Re: My costs to get the '69 "Right and Reliable"
 

You're still half the cost of a new Kia, and you've got a vehicle you can be proud to be seen in, isn't disposable, and can only go up in value if you take care of it.

As others have said, please post pics of the truck. I'm partial to '69 trucks myself

As for the bikini pics, yes please:lol:. But, be forewarned... one of the puritans on the site may flag your post, and it'll get deleted. So, PM them to me first lol.

Re: My costs to get the '69 "Right and Reliable"
 

This reminds of when I was a kid and used to count how many beers I drank so I could brag to my friends. Then one day somebody said something how much money I was spending and that was the end of that :lol:

With my truck, unless its something I know I may have to return, receipts get thrown on the dresser until the wife throws them away.
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Re: My costs to get the '69 "Right and Reliable"
 

If you are doing it as an investment, you're doing it for the wrong reason. Very few cars will appreciate in value. But hey.....You've gotta have a hobby.

Re: My costs to get the '69 "Right and Reliable"
 

I think you may be wrong on that. But Im guessing of course:lol:

Re: My costs to get the '69 "Right and Reliable"
 

try rebuilding a mopar....3x the price and harder to find parts

Re: My costs to get the '69 "Right and Reliable"
 

IMO, it's all about building the truck but not building yourself into a hole if that makes sense. Buy it cheap, make it look appealing.. Do it right (not saying cut corners) but watch the budget to the point you dont put more into it than it would be worth to someone else. If you plan to keep it, then .. well. Go for it. But if there's an 'itch to build again you have to be careful where you put the money. The right money in the right places will bring a profit. Having the know how and doing what you can on your own (to me) is more valuable than having a fat checkbook to pay someone else to do it.

Just my .02 Watch what you spend, absolutely but watch where you spend it is equally important.

Re: My costs to get the '69 "Right and Reliable"
 

I've never kept receipts.I figure I got in it what I got in it.I don't need to know and Ole'what's'er name sure don't need to know.I enjoy the tinkering and building along with the driveable project.I enjoy the people in the Hobby(the ones here most of all) and I figure I'll spend what I spend and if I sell I'll get what I get but I wont have any regrets.I'm almost to the same attitude with my 401 K.

Re: My costs to get the '69 "Right and Reliable"
 

If I had all the money I put into old cars and trucks over the years, I would be financially better off for sure, but what good is money if you can't spend some of it doing what you enjoy?
I would rather live my life and enjoy the ride along the way, than scrimp and save every penny just so that my kids will have a lot of money to fight over after I'm gone.

Re: My costs to get the '69 "Right and Reliable"
 

A sweet old chevy for under 9 grand sounds like a great deal to me, good job.

Re: My costs to get the '69 "Right and Reliable"
 

I''m right there with all of you, I know it is an expensive past time. I do enjoy doing it, and will build more.

Now on the part about putting more in it than it's worth, that is so true. But what just bumfuzzels the heck out of me is I have seen to many threads about so called low mileage survivors, and of course some of them had the patina thing going on with them. And some of them are so plain jane (that I fall asleep just looking at them), no power nothing, bottom of the line trucks that people will buy outright for way to much money. What gives with that? They are buying a truck that IMO will need a whole lot of money thrown at them to make them reliable drivers, instead of going out and finding one already on the road to recovery that someone has done all the hard work on and what is left is the easy part.

Re: My costs to get the '69 "Right and Reliable"
 

You're supposed to add the receipts up so you know how much you spent? You guys are way more brave then I am. When I do a little quick math I find I have spent a bit north of 30k on a 20k budget and the truck isn't completely finished yet. I have been driving it for about the last 14-16 months or so and I did do everything except the interior my self so I was able to save some money there.

Do I get to deduct the money I made with the truck for the 27 years I used the truck for work before I lost my mind and decided I wanted a "Hot Rod"? If I do then I think I'm ahead of the game...by about $6.

Re: My costs to get the '69 "Right and Reliable"
 

I have a great big pile of receipts that I haven't looked at since the piling began. I think they are worth something if some jack wipe decides to rearrange my sheet metal. I can show them all to the insurance guy and hope to get more than $900 bucks for it. Then buy it back for pennies on the dollar and take all the good stuff off for the new build. I should have bought one already restored, but what's the fun in that. Plus I don't trust other people's idea of restored. It's already over 40 years old, and full of po's crap repairs. When I'm done, I'll have something I dig, and will last decades. I don't want to even think about having to buy a new vehicle to replace the p.o.s. I bought new 5 years ago, because it's all worn out already. Plus try finding an 8' bed these days!

Re: My costs to get the '69 "Right and Reliable"
 

Lot's of good comments/opinions!! I keep track because if I didn't thing would get out of control quick. I have a known problem with "While I'm in there/it's apart fever"..:lol:

There was a picture request so.....

http://pic50.picturetrail.com/VOL163.../407476136.jpg

http://pic50.picturetrail.com/VOL163.../407476137.jpg

http://pic50.picturetrail.com/VOL163.../407476138.jpg

http://pic50.picturetrail.com/VOL163.../407476139.jpg

These are a few pics of where most of the work gets done. I usually have to go on the weekends since we are closed Sat. & Sun. I am very fortunate because if I don't finish something OR get jammed up and need help I can just leave it, take a shop truck home, and finish it when we reopen on Monday.

Main shop:

http://pic50.picturetrail.com/VOL163.../407476143.jpg

http://pic50.picturetrail.com/VOL163.../407476145.jpg

Other shop:

http://pic50.picturetrail.com/VOL163.../407476144.jpg

Re: My costs to get the '69 "Right and Reliable"
 

Oxmarqt, that's a very nice looking truck.

Re: My costs to get the '69 "Right and Reliable"
 

Whenever possible on what a 'hobby' costs (my truck is not a DD) I go with the 'head in the sand approach'. I never want to know what it costs - or I probably wouldn't do it!!! One of the biggest shockers to me was a few years ago when my wife started keeping books on the computer and categorizing expenses. Now the totals are just a keystroke away.

She'd asks "You know how much you spend on the boat?? Your old truck??? The kid's 4-H animals???"" NO NO NO! don't want to know! Ha ha. Good on you for being able to keep an accounting and share it!

Re: My costs to get the '69 "Right and Reliable"
 

Truck is beautiful too. Well done.

Re: My costs to get the '69 "Right and Reliable"
 

In 30++ Years Building Trucks and Harley's I have Never Keep Track Of What I spend... Don't Care or Want To Care.... What I Spend...
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Re: My costs to get the '69 "Right and Reliable"
 

Looks like I will be updating the list shortly.

Went to Kent, OH this morning from Columbus. Beautiful weather and the truck was running great. Halfway through Akron the RPM kicked up a bit and I went Uh, Oh! Got off the freeway at Rt. 43(Brimfield) and it wouldn't shift out of first. Crap!!

Parked it at a Holiday Inn, called a friend to pick me up and went to a meeting I had scheduled. After the meeting I called AAA and had it towed back to Columbus. Thank God for AAA Gold membership as the tow only cost me $65 since the first 100 miles are free.

Back to the drawing board. :)

Re: My costs to get the '69 "Right and Reliable"
 

sorry to hear about the trans, but that is one nice truck....

Re: My costs to get the '69 "Right and Reliable"
 

Yeah, I hear you. It's the same with anything though. I've been surprised how quickly eating out can add up. Hundreds in a month, if you're not careful
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Re: My costs to get the '69 "Right and Reliable"
 

That's a very nice truck at a reasonable cost.

Labor costs can be a killer!

I keep all my receipts too, I just never ad them up.

Re: My costs to get the '69 "Right and Reliable"
 

Yeah...nice truck?

Re: My costs to get the '69 "Right and Reliable"
 

In 2004, I "finished" my first truck. A '72. It was nice enough to get a little spread in Classic Trucks (March, '04).

For some unknown reason, I decided to sell her. Pay some bills, or something. Maybe it was because she was "done". I don't know.

I live about 40 miles from ECE. The guys are top notch. I spent $$$$ there on the '72. So, I took an ad to hang on the bulletin board...
Still hadn't decided on a price. So, I asked them. I think it was Stan who said, "We'll, see what thery are going for first." "And, here's a pen and paper."
"Figure out what you have in it."

"Naaaaw!", I said. "I don't want to know." "Besides, most of the parts came from here, anyway." "You really think I should add 'em up?"
"Just to make me feel bad and you feel good?"

Long story short, I added 'em up. Not down to the nut and bolt. But to a pretty good guess.

"$26,000," I told (I think it was) Stan.

He said, "Okay...now cut it in half."

I build everything with my own two hands, short of paint and insides of the big driveline parts. Just like every bike I ever built.
Just like RAT1968. I build 'em to own 'em. If I decide to sell 'em, I'm the loser. In more ways than one.

I appreciate those that have a better handle on the disease than I. You guys that get a good starter and make it pretty and serviceable...
...More power to ya. That's an art in itself...And a big part of that is knowing when to stop.

I never, ever think about the cost/value ratio. Unless I feel like beating myself up. Of course, I got more stupid when I stopped drinking and,
well,.....everything else... in 1981.

So, I still have two hobbies that are, overall, less expensive that the $%^t that I *used to do*..

One is Permanent Designated Driver. Second is turning a wrench.

Re: My costs to get the '69 "Right and Reliable"
 

This is the thread I've been looking for, so I must resurrect it and hope you guys will validate my first post here ever, for I have been a lurker :devil:

I would love to build an old "reliable" truck. But I am finding that it likely can't be done for even the cost of a new truck (or at least a gently used F-150)!

I was reading down the list of parts from the OP, and got to the $100 he spent on the 700R4 on craigslist. I couldn't open a webpage fast enough before I was searching all over craigslist in my area (Austin, TX, which sucks, btw, because nobody here is into old cars. Guess they can afford new ones and keep their muscle cars locked up in garages or museums). Anyway, I obviously didn't find anything, but laughed so hard when I got to the OP's post about his tranny giving out. Sorry OP. But that confirms my suspicions about the "Right and Reliable" title of this thread. Unfortunately, he'll have to spend the $1300 or so for a transmission like I've been reluctant to buy from BowtieOverdrives. Then have it installed by a pro (in order to validate the warranty), so on and so forth, and the cost keeps going up and up.

This saddens me greatly because I stand to inherit a 1970 Chevy C10 from my father, who is the original owner of the truck. It was the first car that I ever worked on when I was a kid, and it has held a dear place in my heart. But after building several old cars, praying and hoping and sinking $$$$ to make them reliable, I am all but completely reluctant. The other cars I could sell, even at 1/2 what I put into them. But I could never sell my Dad's truck. Should I sink this kind of money into a hobby, knowing it likely won't eve make "daily driver" status? There's the Dilemma.

Like hunting, unfortunately, building a reliable older car/truck has become a hobby for the wealthy (or those that could have been wealthy). :waah: