I'm looking at an original 1930 pickup. All the parts are there. Metal is straight, painted faded with expected wear. No rust. Tires need to be replaced but new tubes hold air. Seats were restored to look like original several years ago and still look great. Engine looks all original and like it was taken care of but has not ran since seller's father shut it off several years ago. Oil & coolant were drained when parked. For some reason, the carb. is off.

Any thoughts about this truck. I have never seen one but it looks cool. MAIN QUESTION: What would a reasonable price be considering it is not running?

It is very difficult to value a vehicle without a more complete description. How is the wood? Is is close cab or open cab? Does the engine turn over or is it stuck? Does the radiator leak? What type of box?

As you describe it I would not pay more than $ 3-5K. If roadster pickup might double it.

Chipper, thanks for your post! Anyone else?

At this point I have only looked at pictures. From the information I have been given, I THINK the wood is OK, the engine turns over. Don't know about the radiator. It is a closed cab, not a roadster. I will ask the owner to put oil and water back in it before I go look at it. I plan on taking my Optima 6V with me to see if the starter works, etc.

It is almost 3 hours away so any ideas and advice I can get here will help me decide if it is worth the trip. At this point, the owner wants more than you, and another member, suggest. The two of you are very close to the same value (on the low end).

I can't give you a value, but check the brakes and wiring under the dash, and tailpipe from the engine to the tail.

There are 2 values in my view.
Option 1: If the truck is in "near drivable" condition and that is what you intend it for, i.e. no more than perhaps $1,000 to have it ready for occasional cruising (no restoring required), then perhaps it is worth rare "Sunday driver" money, say $6,000-$9,000 depending on rarity and condition.
Option 2: If you plan a full restoration, then an in depth condition survey is needed to assess appropriate price. As most restorers know, often just about everything in these old cars needs restoring or refixing or replacement in order to achieve a decent restoration. As such, paying high money for a starter project only to cast off a lot of the starting stuff can make the overall project very pricey. For example if 30% of the wood is poor, a good restorer may decide to replace 100%. If engine compression is low, a full motor overhaul at $4,000 may be needed. While original wheel seals and bearings, kingpins, and brake linings may pass, a restoration would likely require replacement. And stripping painting and new upholstery would be perhaps $10,000 as you may know. So it is tricky to decide how much to pay for a starter project, as you want the best starting package at the lowest possible price. $2500-$3000 for a decent starter is ideal, $8,000 too much in my view unless it is a rare vehicle.

Chipper is spot on- If the seller wants much more then the 5k, don't bother driving 3 hours.
Plenty of nice cars come up, with a little patience.
As everyone said, once you start spending to restore, it never ends.
One of the wisest things I ever heard in the old car hobby when I first started, was that it is far cheaper to buy a done car.
It is true, the only problem is many of us don't have large budgets to get into the hobby.
Good luck on whatever you decide.

Thanks for all the posts. I have already told the owner his price is way too high in my opinion and all of yours. I also told him he could get more for the truck if he would get it running again. If it were rebuilt properly, as he says, it shouldn't be that difficult.

I would leave the body and paint just as it is. It looks good enough to drive original just like it is. It needs some new tires for sure as the ones on it are dry-rotted but new tubes hold air. Seats were redone several years ago and still look good.

I'm not planning on making a special trip to see it but it is only about 15 miles from where my son and his family live so we will look at it the next time we visit the grandkids, if it has not sold.