Does anyone else follow the 1981-1993 Dodge truck auctions on Bring A Trailer? It cements my thoughts that these trucks, in exceptional condition, bring good money.

Moderators, I'm not advertising for BAT, I don't own this truck in the pic and don't have any for sale on the web site. I'm just trying to bring attention to the value of our rides in an auction setting.

 

Yes, a pristine low mile original truck like that brings some real coin for sure. I sold the one in my sig 2 years ago for 40,000 and kinda wish I wouldn't have but got tired of it just sitting in the shop.

 

Prices in the classic car market are coming down. People don't have the play money. If you have the money you might be able to swing a good deal from a seller who is in financial straights.

 

As the newest of the 1st Gen trucks approaches their early 30s, I'm glad to see the market is strong for nice units. I have often considered selling a few of mine, but they are all inside, and out of the weather and don't owe me a dime. Maybe in another 5 years I'll start consider thinning the herd.

 

I detest seeing the prices of older trucks on runaway.

I have them because they were cheap and serviceable; not so I can sell them to afford something newer of lesser quality and harder to maintain.

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BHD is talking about thinning the herd of trucks he has saved and / or built over the years.
I REALLY doubt he wants to sell off his 1st gens to get into some new junk truck with a big touch screen on the dash.

 

That's a fact. I have more than enough trucks to keep me occupied for years to come. It would be nice to sell off a couple of the stock gasser units I own to better support my CTD addiction. I've had my eye on a nice super clean '39 Plymouth pickup that needs repowered

 

Knowing that you are eying out the next project already, even with the Road Tractor build just starting to wrap up, makes me feel better.

I was worried I was crazy as I plot out my next Cummins build.

 

Yeah man. Junk is still junk, especially here in the Salt Belt. The stuff that sells cheap is the stuff that needs as much or more invested than the initial cost of the vehicle

I always have my eye on the next build. This Road Tractor unit has been a huge endeavor, and I could have saved a bunch of time and money by investing in a better, and probably more expensive, truck to start with.

This next project, if I can acquire it, will have no other function than to be an obnoxious rat rod.

 

IF I needed a new truck and IF I had the money for a new "truck" I'd gladly pay that for a REAL truck. Doubt that's what's driving these "collector/investor" prices but it is a real factor in the ag business of tractor sales.

BHD, maybe you could have started with a "better" truck but you did manage to keep the chosen one on the road and in service instead of ending up as parts or scrap!

 

The prices of tractors and motorized ag equipment here in BFE Pennsylvania is out of control. Tractors from the 70s and 80s are bringing double what they sold for new and the newer stuff, pre DEF and EGR engines, are really out of reach. And believe that is due to 1) the cost of new stuff, 2) the lack of reliability in the the new stuff, 3) the inability for Joe Farmer to be able to service his stuff without expensive software, and 4) the parts are often just not available.

KRB, I'm glad I found the truck I did and when I did. It just turned into way more labor than I expected. But as I have said the process is half the fun.

 

And you are spot on with your reasons, and in that order too I think.

 

Where I work we have 2 old Peterbilt hoods. 500hp Cats and 10 speeds. Rebuilt. One they dumped 140K into the restoration/rebuilding of. Chicken lights, 8" straight pipes. It has issues luckily they are both local runners. The other one they want to go out and back everyday. It doesn't make sense to run it on a dedicated manufacturer account feeding 3 different factories with parts. He stays 40-50-100mi from the yard. Very expensive to tow it back to town. Our maintenance department won't stock fuel filters for them. They are hard to find in the sticks. I will stay with my electronic Freightliner automatic for my runs. They usually auction them off at 500K.

I am looking to do my '93 350 to pull a camper someday. Lots of things will have to happen to do serious travel.

 

Rug Trucker,
There are plenty 6NZ Cats, N14s and 12.7L Series 60s, running around here, most owned by independent truckers, and they are long haulers, except into California. The ones that I know have spent plenty on an older truck just to stay away from the emissions laden engines usually coupled to an Allison, and they have half as much invested vs new. When i was working in coal country WV most all of those Coal Buckets were glider kits repowered with single turbo engines, for a reason ‐ reliability.

I work newer Mack's and. Freightliner all day and when they go into de-rate there is no work around to limp them home. I will say those trucks are good fleet trucks, because it's hard to find people that are actual truck drivers and just not steering wheel holders. I'll blame it on fitting out these units with ABS, automatics, etc.

It's not that hard to make an older truck reliable, as long as you are the one doing the driving and the wrenching.

 

Gliders AFAIK might be illegal to sell anymore. They used to build them West of Knoxville, Fitzgerald is the name. https://www.fitzgeraldgliderkits.com/about-fitzgerald/

My company just do their Petes for show toys. They usually buy 10 Freighliners for cash in one whack. Auction the old ones off for what they paid originally, or sell them directly to owner ops.