Scrapping a truck... my epic journey.

[pfarber]

Ok... everyone has a story how they scrapped a truck and got $1200-1500 for it... or better, that they can't sell for less that X because 'I can get more than that as scrap'.

Well.. the short answer is BULLSHIT. BULL-FUCKING-SHIT. BULL-FUCKING-SHIT-WITH-A-CHERRY-ON-TOP. BULL.... you get the idea. No one has EVER posted a scale ticket showing what they scrapped and how much they got for it. Now I will say that for a brief time around 2010 there was a scrapping craze... but unless you were first cousins with the yard owner you were not getting $1800 per truck. The general average for cut steel is $9-11/100. That's PREPPED STEEL CUT TO LESS THAN 5 FT SECTIONS. Not 'I drug my rusted up CCKW on the lot with 10 flats and got $1800 for it. The last year or so $11/cwt for 9,000lb would GROSS you $810 LESS TOWING.

Well, with that out of the way this is my epic journey to get the most $$$ out of this hulk:

Its a rust bucket.. its has a good frame and driveline.. and I will try and get the most out of it as I can. But most of it will be cut to less than 5ft sections and scrapped. To see if I could ever make the mythical amounts people claim to.

Disclaimer.. the empty weight of a G508 and G506 are not that far off:

G508 11050 Chassis, cab, body, with fuel oil and water 353 (TM9-801 p 17)
G506 7545 Curb Weight, TM9-805 p11

So its less than 2 tons (3500 or so... in dollars, if you got $11/cwt a CCKW would theoretically gross $1215.50 and a Chevy $829.95)

[pfarber]

This post will be updated as I sell items, buy consumables, and incur expenses.

Date	Item	Cost	Total +/-
9/26/12	Fill O2 bottle	-18.03	-18.03
10/1/12	Fill O2 bottle	-18.03	-36.06
10/2/12	Refill Propane and O2 bottle	-36.40	-72.46
10/3/12	Dispose of Trash in cab/bed	-50.40	-122.86
10/4/12	Fill O2 bottle	-18.03	-140.89
10/4/12	Scrapped 700Lbs #1 Steel	+70.00	-70.89
10/11/12	Fill O2 bottle	-18.03	-88.92
10/16/12	Fill O2 bottle	-18.03	-106.95
10/17/12	Scrapped 880Lbs #1 Steel	+88.00	-18.95
11/6/12	Fill O2 bottle	-18.03	-36.98
11/12/12	Fill O2 bottle	-18.03	-55.01
11/21/13	Scrapped 720lbs #1 Steel	+79.20	24.19
2/10/2013	Fill O2 Bottle	-14.84	9.35
2/13/2013	Recert 250Cu/ft and O2 fill	-54.90	-45.55
3/14/2013	Scrapped 700Lbs #1 Steel	+77.00	31.45
3/22/2013	Scrapped Motor Block	+61.60	93.05
3/26/2013	Scrapped Motor Block	+55.00	148.05
3/26/2013	Scrapped 1400Lbs #1 Steel	+155.00	303.05

Gross Profit	678.85
Less Expenses	282.75
Parts Sold
NET PROFIT TO DATE	396.10

[pfarber]

Trash in cab bed were aftermarket seats, and there was some general garbage in the bed. There also is a halftrack tire in the bed, its rusted beyond use, so I will cut out the rim and throw the tire away.

Two other rims are also shot (rusted) and will have the same thing done to them.

[retro-roco]

So-o-o, what kind of shape is the radiator in?? Radiator shop says mine is junk (or at least needs re-cored).

Other "hard to find" parts to NOT scrap unless junk...

front and rear drum/hubs
front axle shafts
rear axle shafts (and nut/seal assembly!)
transmission (especially the internal gears, if in good shape, even if the case is junk)
hand brake parts
transfer case
wheel cylinders (front and rear)
front drive flanges
ANYthing hydrovac related (ie mounting brackets, air breather, check valve, etc)
engine mud shields (if you're lucky enough to even have them)
deep sump oil pan, and oil pump pickup

I'll add to this list as I think of additional things worth saving...

[pfarber]

I'll post everything for sale here first, then after a few weeks ebay.

While my original goal was to just scrap the whole thing, I would be foolishly throwing money away (like the 'vac, rad, axles) so I will extrapolate the expense/scrap fees to the weight of the whole truck.

It will also be interesting to get a value on a 'parts truck'. Not counting the winch setup to move the thing around (that was $400+ easy) I am at $122 and haven't even taken one load to the scrap man.

[pfarber]

First trip to the dump. 700#

They originally tried to say it was mixed with cast because I unloaded in the wrong area (they told me to follow the guy in front) and mixed is like $3/cwt but when I first got there the scale guy looked at what I had and he agreed that my load was #1.

Note that this is CUT metal to LESS than 5ft. If it was bigger than 5ft or mixed the value goes down tremendously. Also the place ABSOLUTELY REFUSES to take tires. These guys are 20+ year scrappers and when I asked them when can I take the tires they said they didn't know a place that takes them. So they have to go to the dump. I don't know if tire shops are required to take tires... so I need to find a home for 10 worn out 7.5x20's. The point is that you show up with tires, most places around here will refuse to take the rubber.

[pfarber]

Filled up the O2 bottle yet again. Using propane I have saved over $150. Generally you use O2 faster than acetylene. Since I have emptied 4 80cu/ft O2 bottles that would equate to roughly 2 acetylene refills at about $70 each. One 20lb tank of propane lasts about 4 O2 80cu/ft O2 cylinders. At the start I used gas a lot quicker because of my ineptitude... never having used propane as a fuel it took a while to read the torch and make the proper adjustments. Now I can dial it in depending on the metal thickness.... saving fuel and time.

Yesterday the hardest cuts I've made were done. I had a rusted DUKW rim and the rubber was simply to hard to do anything with... I couldn't even burn it off. So I had to cut the rim in half.... that took over an hour of cutting, banging and prying. But it was worth about 100lbs of steel (whoo hoo! $10!)

[pfarber]

Dropped off 880Lbs of #1 Steel for a whopping $88... I am almost into the black!

The dump bed is much thicker than a steel bed, so I don't believe that a standard cargo bed would bring in ~$150. The big money is in going to be in the sub frame and dump cylinder... that's IF the scrapper gives me #1 Steel prices.

[pfarber]

Filled up 02 bottle yesterday. Spent mot of the fuel to cut up tire rims. Not a lot of steel, and getting rid of 300lbs of tires is gonna cost.

Still nothing sold as far as parts.

[retro-roco]

I asked you for a list or pictures of what you have for sale, but don't believe I've received either. Hard to know what you're selling without one or the other.

[pfarber]

I don't have a parts list... but there are two trucks, with most of the commonly needed items gone (fuel tanks, tire carriers, bumperetts, original engines, seats, etc).

One runs and drives, but vac is shot. The other is nothing more than a frame and driveline... poor sheet metal.

This is the runner:
Photos are here: viewtopic.php?f=29&t=838

and

This is the driveline frame one:
viewtopic.php?f=29&t=919#p2009

[retro-roco]

Do you have a good radiator in either of them? If so, would you be willing to have it tested? Also needed a rear wheel hub, but just picked up a NOS from VOV. Rear axle bumpers any good? How about hydrovac mounting brackets? I've got drawings of the ones I need, but would still have to have them cut out.

[pfarber]

Today is a great day! I passed into the black!!!

[pfarber]

Got a screaming deal on 250cu/ft O2 bottle off Craigslist. Was out of Cert so had to pay for a test and fill. The 80cu/ft fill was costing about $20 to fill. The 250cu/ft will cost $25 to fill... plus less trips to the gas store. Bottle cost me $125 plus gas & tolls to NJ. Still a great buy. In 5 fills it will pay for itself... with the amount of work to do that should not be long.

Most of the time now is in saving clutch head screws, and whatever sheet metal I can... the dash should be good and some cab metal.... not a lot, though.

[pfarber]

The cab is gone! I tried to scavenge as many clutch head screws as I could from the trim pieces but the rusted heads strip very easily. I got about 10. Best place to get them was from above the windows. Anything on the lower portion of the door was rusted beyond use.

Mixed into this is about 200lbs of CCKW cab that I had for the longest time. I had to dig it out of the mud... it sank about 6 inches in. Still only got 700#. What amazed me is that even though I stripped as much non-ferrous metal off as I could, there were still gauges and wiring on the cowl. Still gave me #1 prepped prices. $77.