Should I buy it? T3-C

[njranger]

Hey Guys,

Been a while since I've been on here. A T3-C appeared down the road from me over the weekend with a "For Sale" sign on it. I stopped on Tuesday and looked it over and got the phone #. Looked again last night and spoke with the owner. Here's my assesment:

Pros:

Tub is pretty good. Straight , not too many dents. No visible rust throughs.
Data plate intact (paint covered).
New tires on 16" rims.
Tailgate good. No visible rust throughs.
Fenders good. No visible rust throughs.
Lights work.
Landing leg good.
Wooden sides with stainless top rails installed in the stake pockets

Cons:

The frame is pretty well shot. Lots of renforcing plates and gussets on the outside. Underneath it's swiss cheese.
Floor shot and covered with diamond plate.
Original hitch replaced with a modern 2" ball (not that bad, but not original).

He's asking $300.00 for it. I figure I offer $200.00 (he said he had that much in the tires) and see where it goes. What do you guys think. I'll try to get some pics tomorrow, but by then it might be in my driveway;)

Thanks,

[vajeeper]

Sounds high to me unless you're really needing a trailer now.

[DanStew]

All things considered it is not that hard to make a new frame for it. The tub and such i found to take alot longer to make. $200 for a tub with good axles landing legs and such, wouldnt be bad. Not like they are maknig them anymore.

[Boyink]

Hmm...

Just for comparison - -7 years ago I paid $75 for what you described plus bad tires, rusted fenders and non-original wheels.

Sounds like a $100-$150 trailer to me, tops. It's quite a job to replace frame and floor.

[Robert Bills]

Another perspective:

The average "going rate" for unrestored M416 trailers in Southern California is $750-800. Condition will move the price up or down from there, with this model selling for as little as $300 and as much as $1,500.

WWII trailers and the M100 sell in the same wide price range, but with a slightly stronger market due to the "collector value" factor.

A civilian Bantam can sell for as little as $200-300, but most are in the $500-750 range for a totally unrestored but otherwise complete trailer with "some" rust and body issues.

Even though the trailer you are considering needs a new floor and total frame replacement, $250-300 is not an unfair price when one considers the cost for a repro tub, hitch casting, landing leg, wheels, axle, tires, etc, which would cost considerably more than $300 to replace. However, this will be a more difficult trailer to restore than an M416 because the tub is welded to the frame rather than bolted on. Whether or not it is the trailer for you will depend upon how much metal work and welding you can do yourself vs. paying someone else. You might be better off with a trailer in better condition even though it will cost more.

There will always be someone with a story of a perfect or nearly perfect trailer obtained for almost no money. However, these are rare and finding one is pure luck. You can search for months for the least expensive restoration candidate in an effort to save a few hundred dollars. Or you can buy a trailer at a fair, but not necessarily the lowest price, get it finished and start using it. It really comes down to convenience, the value of your time, and how long you are prepared to wait before you have a functional trailer.

[willys59cj5]

Great advice Robert! Couldn't have said it any better. I found an M416 that was a good deal, but after new tires and DMV fees....still cost me $1000 in the end. Looked at sand blasting and painting by a local trailer place and that put the price in the end up to $1700. I could have purchased a fully restored
T3-C for about the same price. Still happy with my $650 M416 and with new tires and a solid tub, I will sand blast it and paint it on my own time....that is when I get some free time.:)

[njranger]

Hey Guys,

Thanks for the replys. I'm going to go by there this morning and make him an offer. I'll post back later with the results. . . :)

Thanks,

[njranger]

Hey Guys,

Well it's sitting in the driveway:). Price ended up being $250.00. Probably more than it's worth, but like Dan said, they'e not making them anymore. I'll post up some pics later.

[njranger]

Pics as promised:

http://i336.photobucket.com/albums/n342/njranger/Bantam%20T3-C/th_Trailer9-7-08001.jpg (http://i336.photobucket.com/albums/n342/njranger/Bantam%20T3-C/Trailer9-7-08001.jpg)
http://i336.photobucket.com/albums/n342/njranger/Bantam%20T3-C/th_Trailer9-7-08002.jpg (http://i336.photobucket.com/albums/n342/njranger/Bantam%20T3-C/Trailer9-7-08002.jpg)
http://i336.photobucket.com/albums/n342/njranger/Bantam%20T3-C/th_Trailer9-7-08003.jpg (http://i336.photobucket.com/albums/n342/njranger/Bantam%20T3-C/Trailer9-7-08003.jpg)
http://i336.photobucket.com/albums/n342/njranger/Bantam%20T3-C/th_Trailer9-7-08004.jpg (http://i336.photobucket.com/albums/n342/njranger/Bantam%20T3-C/Trailer9-7-08004.jpg)
http://i336.photobucket.com/albums/n342/njranger/Bantam%20T3-C/th_Trailer9-7-08005.jpg (http://i336.photobucket.com/albums/n342/njranger/Bantam%20T3-C/Trailer9-7-08005.jpg)
http://i336.photobucket.com/albums/n342/njranger/Bantam%20T3-C/th_Trailer9-7-08006.jpg (http://i336.photobucket.com/albums/n342/njranger/Bantam%20T3-C/Trailer9-7-08006.jpg)
http://i336.photobucket.com/albums/n342/njranger/Bantam%20T3-C/th_Trailer9-7-08007.jpg (http://i336.photobucket.com/albums/n342/njranger/Bantam%20T3-C/Trailer9-7-08007.jpg)
http://i336.photobucket.com/albums/n342/njranger/Bantam%20T3-C/th_Trailer9-7-08008.jpg (http://i336.photobucket.com/albums/n342/njranger/Bantam%20T3-C/Trailer9-7-08008.jpg)
http://i336.photobucket.com/albums/n342/njranger/Bantam%20T3-C/th_Trailer9-7-08009.jpg (http://i336.photobucket.com/albums/n342/njranger/Bantam%20T3-C/Trailer9-7-08009.jpg)
http://i336.photobucket.com/albums/n342/njranger/Bantam%20T3-C/th_Trailer9-7-08010.jpg (http://i336.photobucket.com/albums/n342/njranger/Bantam%20T3-C/Trailer9-7-08010.jpg)

[aallison]

I think for the cash, that's a good deal. Will take work to restore but damn good deal