Posted by Eric B. [99.100.188.129] on Monday, September 23, 2013 at 23:12:52 :
In Reply to: I missed original longer post.....email it? posted by mark [24.205.43.201] on Monday, September 23, 2013 at 22:36:41 :
With something as unusual as a 1957 to 1960 Dodge truck there is no baseline to go off of. There just aren't enough trucks selling to create one. The value varies more truck to truck than model to model. I've seen clean trucks sell for $1,200 and other trucks of the same model with the same options in nearly the same shape bring over $5,000.
If you limit yourself to 4wds and nice original trucks with no major modifications then you have the 1958 to 1960 W300s with 9 foot beds on top. Those seem to have a high demand when they are in nice shape.
All the W100s and W200s are too variable. Generally speaking a short bed W100 is worth more than a long bed W100 and a W200 is worth more than a long bed W100. A V8 truck is worth more than a 6 cyl. A 4.10 truck is worth more than a 4.88 truck. Winches add value. Sometimes the Sweptline bed adds value.
W500s bring a decent price, but I've never seen one top the value of a W200 in the same condition. Most people don't want them as they are too big.
The weird stuff like Lil' Mo's (I've watched several guys buy super clean Lil' Mo's just out of the fire station rebody them as a standard W200 pickup) or special bodied trucks don't have as high a demand. Sure two or three guys REALLY want them, but they don't tend to want to pay high dollar. Even Town Wagons and Town Panels don't often bring the premium I would expect. The super weird factory stuff like the 1960 W200s built for the Navy with the 9 foot bed (instead of the standard 7 1/2 foot bed) are rare, but I've never even seen one sell so I can't say what the demand would be. Keep in mind that those trucks were 4.88 6cyls with a 3 on the tree and that reduces interest. I'd bet the rare parts they came with like the 9' bed, winch, and 19.5s (if the parts are in nice shape) are worth as much as a complete field find truck. Same with the one known original 1960 W200 Town Wagon. Rare, yes. Cool, yes. Valuable, maybe? It is hard to put a price on a one of one and there is no historical sales data.
If I was to invest money in a truck in the hopes of a high resale I'd find the cleanest standard 1957 or 1958 W200 with a pickup bed that I could find. We've all seen that one super nice bog standard truck bring more than 90% of the rare ones out there. The more people who might be interested the higher the possible price.
Super clean restored with nice paint or super nice original with nice patina rule the roost as with most things.
2wds. Sweptsides are the top dollar and everything below them in worth a ton less. Yet I've seen a restored 1960 D100 Town Wagon bring over $25,000 at auction and that caught me by surprise.
In other words there is no hard and fast rule. Like I said at the beginning there is more variability truck to truck than there is model to model as long as you are talking the smaller trucks with pickup beds. Condition, Condition, Condition.
Eric
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