1978 K2500 GMC

z85 · September 20, 2005

Going to sell my old friend. Its a 1978 k2500 GMC with a .20 over 350 4 bolt with about 40k on it, turbo 400, part time kit in the 203 case, warn hubs, 14 bolt rear, dana 44 frt, true duals w/crossover and turbos, late model stock wheeels. Had it done over about 2 yrs ago with all bodywork and clear coat paint, dark metalic brown. Southwest truck, no rust.

Color matching camper shell with carpet kit, interior original and in pretty good shape. Custom suspension at about a 2 in lift. Chrome Rhino grill guard.

Great! nice truck, whats my problem? I have nothing to compare it to. Every other 78 is mostly ratty and old.

Whats it worth??

What would you pay??

R Dogg 56 · September 22, 2005

My dad recently sold his '75 GMC K15 High Sierra for $4,000 to get his '03 Sliverado 1500HD. If memory serves, he paid 6 to 7 grand for it. It had a 2-4" lift, 31" rims, dual exhaust, a rebuilt ZZ3 350ci, TH350 auto (I think), and a painted to match grey tonneau. With all the stuff your truck has, I'd say it's worth about 10k on the low end. High end, maybe 12k? Purely guessing at this point. I'd be willing to pay 10k for it if you would take off the camper shell and do any cosmetic work on the bedrails if the shell moved around and scuffed the paint. Rust-free may also contribute a increase, albeit slight, in the sale price.

Edit: If it's a '78, your truck is a K25, not a K2500.

z85 · September 22, 2005

My dad recently sold his '75 GMC K15 High Sierra for $4,000 to get his '03 Sliverado 1500HD. If memory serves, he paid 6 to 7 grand for it. It had a 2-4" lift, 31" rims, dual exhaust, a rebuilt ZZ3 350ci, TH350 auto (I think), and a painted to match grey tonneau. With all the stuff your truck has, I'd say it's worth about 10k on the low end. High end, maybe 12k? Purely guessing at this point. I'd be willing to pay 10k for it if you would take off the camper shell and do any cosmetic work on the bedrails if the shell moved around and scuffed the paint. Rust-free may also contribute a increase, albeit slight, in the sale price.

Edit: If it's a '78, your truck is a K25, not a K2500.

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z85 · September 22, 2005

You're right R Dogg, it is a K25 3/4 ton.

I'll post some photos later on tonight after I scan them.

Sure you don't want the shell? It's only a couple of years old, I bought it when I had the paint done, real nice "ARE" cab high with dark tint windows and carpeted roof in the inside, front slider.

Z85

Here's some photos, if you see anything that looks like scratches it's my old scanner. I dont have any really good ones until I get my digital camera tomorrow.

I took these at the park for my insurance company of the horse trailer, not the truck. I pull the trailer with a late model.

I have to admit I was a little surprised at the price, I didn't think it was worth that much, but again I was clueless. If you're serious make me a offer by PM and I'll give you a deal.

Z85

R Dogg 56 · September 24, 2005

Like I said before, I was purely guessing at the price to sell. Looking back, I think you might be right in saying that the numbers are a little high. Sure is a clean rig, though. I need to graduate college, get into law school, get a good-paying job, and find a house first. Finding a truck can wait. Financial and social security (not that kind of security) cannot.

Good luck with the sale. The new owner will enjoy it.

Larry · September 27, 2005

Z85,

There is an azz for every seat but it all depends where the azz is sitting.

A very clean and tastefully detailed New Mexico truck (NM license plates???) like this one is pretty common in the rust free/salt free southwest for some those of us living in Gods country but for some poor sucker living in the salt belt may pay upwards of 10K to 15K for a truck like that since he has not seen that clean of old GM sheet metal for 20 over years.

I sold (just the cab and chassis less rear axle and bed) an original 1968 GMC cab still wearing it’s original white paint that I bought in 1991 as a second owner to a fellow in Missouri for $1800. In my neighborhood it would have sold for $300 as trucks and parts in that condition are too common. Pitty those salt belt Midwestern fellers. GMTC may be many things to a lot of people but it is not a good site to sell to a pre-city boy GM truck before trucks were the thing to have. Do yourself a favor and post your truck HERE as this seems to be the site for people looking for the good old stuff.

Funny about the Red wanting you to talk the topper off. I am getting ready to buy a cab high SnugTop for my 78 SWB. You wouldn’t believe how hard it is to by a topper for a 20+ year old truck. Only SnugTop and one other topper manufacturer still offer a topper for a 73-87 SWB and they both want around $1200 for a topper!

z85 · September 27, 2005

Thanks for the link Larry,

You know before I was thinking of selling people would stop me and ask if it was for sale. I could use them now. Still not sure what to ask. You never do get the money you put into them back out!

Check out "ARE" brand toppers for a 78, they still make em, but it's not in the catalog.

I still have a buildable virgin 400sb waiting for it. I guess I'll keep it for something else.

BTW - that 427 tall block would make a hellava stroker motor for someone.

Z85

R Dogg 56 · September 28, 2005

So I'm just a poor dumbf**k Midwestern sucker?

Wow.....

Larry · September 28, 2005

Z85,

The medium duty tall block 427 in our K20 tow truck is big time broken. My dad let the smoke out of it in 1997 and it has been sitting in his storage lot since. Something about a big bang cruising down the highway and 8 big round dents in the hood seem to tell me something bad is wrong. ( The 8 big dents is only a joke) I have been back in CO for 4 years and still haven’t had time to tear it apart but cannot part with the truck due to the sentimental value that I have in it since he bought it new and I learned how to drive in it. I was running AAA tow calls in it when I was like 17. Poor truck....

R Dogg,

Please don’t take personal offence, but…yeah, in general you poor fellows pay the price for good ole classic sheet metal. Don’t blame me…..blame your DOT for using road salt. Just because a state receives snowfall is no excuse for any DOT’s to use the cheap solium or calcium based solid deicers when there are much less corrosive deicer alternatives. I was a Midwest dude once too when I lived in Detroit and had friends that paid dearly to have good solid rust free trucks and parts transported into them. Like I say….there is an azz for every seat and if that azz lives in an area where good solid stuff is hard to come by…then he will pay the price one way or another. It is the basic supply and demand principle