1985 D150 Royal SE - Should I Buy or Not?

[Swissing]

Hey guys...newbie here. Looking for some
expert opinions...I’m thinking about buying my first old truck. I’m not a car expert by any means but have basic knowledge and love to learn from people smarter than me and not afraid to put in some elbow grease.

I’ve found an 85 D150 Royal SE that I really like. Odometer reads 101k, owner says it runs well and has no severe mechanical issues that he knows of. Originally listed at $1500 but I offered $800 and after 2 weeks of rejecting me, he came back and said he would do $800 cash. I’ve attached pictures to this post but here’s the issues...
Needs a bumper, big dent in right fender, missing rear trim on both rear exterior, rear wheels are new but front will need replaced before next year, windows don’t roll down, missing 2 cabin vents, a/c and heat don’t work, no radio, tear in bench vinyl.

Other than items mentioned, body looks great. Not a lot of rust.

I’m not looking to dump $5 grand In this truck. I’m not capable of rebuilding engines nor do I want to replace. Do you think this is a good buy for $800 or should I look elsewhere? Thanks for the help!

 

[crazzywolfie]

i would pay $800 any day of the week for something that clean. you could get more than that parting it out. heck you could probably get $800 for the cab alone with how clean it is.

 

[reek]

buy it, buy it now! My $800 dodge looks way worse than that.

heater may be an issue in Nebraska but a radio is an easy fix. taking the inner door panels off may show you a simple issue with the window. I know my 72 d100 just needed a jiggle and some lube to get the window to move again. and a decent seat cover is still pretty inexpensive.

 

[Swissing]

Thanks for the replies! The only thing that is scaring me off a bit is replacing the heater and do you think I'm going to be able to find any rear trim to get that replaced? I'll be honest and say that my wife is worried about it sitting out in the driveway and looking like crap, haha. Obviously, I don't think it looks like crap, but without a bumper or trim, it's not the prettiest thing in the world, haha.

In terms of mechanical stuff, from my understanding the 5.9L V8 on these things are pretty well built, right? I guess as a newbie to old trucks, my biggest concern would be that I buy it, and it's just a constant headache with engine issues. I just want someone to tell me I'm wrong on that, haha.

Also, anywhere besides Ebay and Rock Auto that I can get parts like vents, trim, etc? Thanks a lot, guys.

 

[crazzywolfie]

for the most part ya they are very reliable. as far a trim goes those can sometimes be hard if not impossible to find sometimes since they were not used on all trucks. the heater is likely not too hard to fix as long as it don't leak. if it is leaking it needs to be replaced. if it is just clogged it can sometimes be cleaned out with it staying in the truck.