Value/Cost of a Good Bed?

[Manhattan]

This stems from a conversation in my build thread... but I figured there may be some who are interested and/or have insight, and aren't following my s l o w build

I have a flatbed, like it, want to keep it... but also have been keeping my eye out for a decent bed. I may have found one. It's a short bed - no rust, no dents, with the gate and lights. Assuming it really is as clean as stated, what would be a fair price for that - S.E. U.S.?

Thanks!

 

[toyotaboy80]

Worth as much as you're willing to pay.

By bed I assume you mean factory box as in short box truck/long box truck? If so, not sure what year you're referring to but 1st/2nd gen pick up from around where I'm from if I was planning on finding a rust free box with minty straight sheet metal I'd probably consider spending $1500 by the time it was in my hot little hands in the interior of British Columbia Canada.... that includes finding one rust free out of the southern areas and getting it shipped to the border and then driving down to pick it up.

But around here trucks got sold factory rusted out....so...lol... if I lived in Arizona and they were dime a dozen then I'd pay fair market value for how often theyre available. Being how old they are I'd imagine even in rust free areas they oughta be $500ish by now? (Which is what I'd expect to pay before any shipping and handling took place)

To figure a better value I'd try and figure out what a complete mint rust free truck is worth in your area and then do a guess on the chances of that truck getting parted out then do some random in head culations on what youd pay for that part. Around here the only factory rust free anythings are southern imports and theyre not cheap.

Goes back to worth what youre willing to pay as there is no pricing/market standard on things like that unless they're readily available and sold all the time. Supply and demand.

Along with the notion of spending decent $$ on a rust free straight box I'd probably have to own a super clean and straight truck that just needed a super clean and straight box.... if the truck wasnt super clean then buying a super clean box is a moot point. At that point if my intention was to own a super clean truck I'd just try and find a super clean original truck.

 

[Manhattan]

Thanks @toyotaboy80 I did fail to add some of the details - Short bed for an '84. And yeah, region is definitely key. The TX, AZ trucks fail before they rust. Everywhere else, the Toyotas run until they rust to pieces. Even in the S.E., most of the beds are either starting to rust, or gone.

You made a good (and kinda funny point) - if the goal is a super clean truck, just find the whole thing. I mostly didn't do that... well, really did the exact opposite. I bought a BEATER. But, the beater was rust-free and has only 58,000 miles and runs like new. The body was "well-used" and the bed was gone. Literally gone - the PO built a very nice flatbed. My plan is to restore the truck and use the the flatbed (I really like the flatbeds) and keep my eye out for a good bed; maybe even buy one and just tuck it away.

 

[yotadude520]

Thanks @toyotaboy80 I did fail to add some of the details - Short bed for an '84. And yeah, region is definitely key. The TX, AZ trucks fail before they rust. Everywhere else, the Toyotas run until they rust to pieces. Even in the S.E., most of the beds are either starting to rust, or gone.

You made a good (and kinda funny point) - if the goal is a super clean truck, just find the whole thing. I mostly didn't do that... well, really did the exact opposite. I bought a BEATER. But, the beater was rust-free and has only 58,000 miles and runs like new. The body was "well-used" and the bed was gone. Literally gone - the PO built a very nice flatbed. My plan is to restore the truck and use the the flatbed (I really like the flatbeds) and keep my eye out for a good bed; maybe even buy one and just tuck it away.

The bed I offered is rust free from an AZ truck....

jussayin.

 

[toyotaboy80]

Thanks @toyotaboy80 I did fail to add some of the details - Short bed for an '84. And yeah, region is definitely key. The TX, AZ trucks fail before they rust. Everywhere else, the Toyotas run until they rust to pieces. Even in the S.E., most of the beds are either starting to rust, or gone.

You made a good (and kinda funny point) - if the goal is a super clean truck, just find the whole thing. I mostly didn't do that... well, really did the exact opposite. I bought a BEATER. But, the beater was rust-free and has only 58,000 miles and runs like new. The body was "well-used" and the bed was gone. Literally gone - the PO built a very nice flatbed. My plan is to restore the truck and use the the flatbed (I really like the flatbeds) and keep my eye out for a good bed; maybe even buy one and just tuck it away.

Hard to beat a 58,000 mile power train on rust free cab and frame.... took a peak at your build thread, I probably wouldn't of passed that up either. In any event I'd consider spending primo $ on a rust free box and not be cheap about it if that's what you want. You've probably already got 100+ hours into the truck + the body shop + new doors and fenders.

Where did you get the new doors anyway? Were they just take offs or legitimate brand new doors? If brand new did they come complete w/ glass/windo-runs and all that?

 

[joseywales]

Another way to look at is this: “What is my truck worth with 58,000 original miles and a beautiful cab with a home brew flat deck” VS “What is a beautiful and complete 58,000 mile ALL ORIGINAL ‘84 Extra-cab 4x4 worth”. I bet if you posted both for sale on BAT, the complete truck would bring $3-5000 more then the identical flat deck truck.

For a straight rust free 1984 Toyota bed WITH gate and lights I’d be expecting to pay $800 or more. They just don’t come up very often from what I’ve seen. If you could get it for less than that, I’d be running fast to go pick it up.

 

[Manhattan]

- @toyotaboy80 the fenders and doors are from an '84 that was parted out - a trim level or two up because they have the vent windows (bonus!). I agree - the only bed that'd go on the truck will be a straight, rust-free bed... and then treated to a 360-degree (rotisserie sounds a bit much) resto to match the cab.
- @joseywales - that's a great way to look at, i.e. what would the truck bring with a perfect O.E. bed vs even a well-built tray-back. Makes dropping a couple grand seem reasonable.

I'm going to snag that bed if passes inspection. And, then likely tuck it away for a while. I really do want to see how the tray-back (come on, it sounds cooler than flatbed) is going to turn out.

Thanks guys.

 

[joseywales]

Struth mate, I reckon a tray will be the business on yer ute, but I’d give that factory bed a squiz, and unless she’s a right goner, I put it up in yer shed.


Hmmm... Does it STILL sound cool? Just don’t let the dingo eat yer baby while you are gone to look at the box. Unless it is really bad, I’d probably still buy it. After all, you do know a good body shop!

 

[G-Cat]

Agree with @joseywales and your plan to purchase and shelf a box/bed/gate for future. Would have been no need to have this conversation but for your over-the-top body restoration on an old beater with an ultra low-mileage drive-train.

 

[Manhattan]

Alright, you guys make some solid points. The bed is on its way to the bodyshop.
The plan is simple:
1. Restore the bed - paint to match the truck
2. Store the bed... for when I get tired of the trayback or decide to sell the truck.

I looked underneath, ran a magnet all over the bed... I couldn't find any bondo or rust. Even the gaps around the gate look good. I guess this is as good as it gets for a 30+ year-old bed in the South East.

I'm not using the drop-in bedliner. If anything, I'll do a spray-in. I haven't thought that far out yet.

 

[Manhattan]

As I mentioned in another post - apparently, I suck at sniffing out rust. Also, I may have the only Bondo magnet in the world. I looked, tapped, knocked, stuck the magnet... All looked good. But the bodyman called and said it's a bucket. So, the hunt continues.

What year range is a bolt-on for an '84 Xtra Cab?
Will later years bolt on with minimal mods? Moving supports/brackets might be cheaper than rust repair.
Do I need a 4x4 bed?

 

[yotadude520]

As I mentioned in another post - apparently, I suck at sniffing out rust. Also, I may have the only Bondo magnet in the world. I looked, tapped, knocked, stuck the magnet... All looked good. But the bodyman called and said it's a bucket. So, the hunt continues.

What year range is a bolt-on for an '84 Xtra Cab?
Will later years bolt on with minimal mods? Moving supports/brackets might be cheaper than rust repair.
Do I need a 4x4 bed?

AFAIK all the Toyota minitruck beds are interchangeable as long as they are the same length.

I'm telling you, you need to road trip out here and get my bed...it's off a 2wd. Sitting at my buddy's house waiting for ya!

It's not perfect, but nothing your body guys can't fix!

 

[Manhattan]

@yotadude520 you're killing me! Tell you what... I'll me you half way and cover your gas

I wonder what freight would really be... I mean, If I drove the '84 in its current unweighted, bouncy form, I'd need at least two appointments with the orthopedic doc and six to eight with the PT... might be cheaper to ship the bed.

A guy locally has (had) a 2-wheel drive Pickup on CL... "body and paint in excellent condition", leather seats, blown motor... $525. Yeah. Of course, he's not responding to any text/call. Guessing he sold it in 10 min. and is too lazy to pull the ad.

 

[toyotaboy80]

Are both boxes era correct? I.e the one with the formed top rail and the one without? Not sure the technical term for the beds. Thought the '84 and earlier trucks had a different box than the '85+ trucks

 

[yotadude520]

@yotadude520 you're killing me! Tell you what... I'll me you half way and cover your gas

I wonder what freight would really be... I mean, If I drove the '84 in its current unweighted, bouncy form, I'd need at least two appointments with the orthopedic doc and six to eight with the PT... might be cheaper to ship the bed.

A guy locally has (had) a 2-wheel drive Pickup on CL... "body and paint in excellent condition", leather seats, blown motor... $525. Yeah. Of course, he's not responding to any text/call. Guessing he sold it in 10 min. and is too lazy to pull the ad.

View attachment 2196342

@Riverrunner - any idea on what it would cost to ship the bed to Atlanta from Tucson?

 

[gnob]

2wd and 4wd beds are different. 4wd has larger "flares"
The bed lip(non fleetside) was used in 84 4wd and 2wd for a few years.

Are both boxes era correct? I.e the one with the formed top rail and the one without? Not sure the technical term for the beds. Thought the '84 and earlier trucks had a different box than the '85+ trucks