A tale of two 5yd dump trucks....

[GManBart]

Okay, maybe it's not exactly a tale so much as looking for advice/comments.

I'm looking for a 5yd dump truck that will primarily be used to move fill and asphalt millings on my property. I may use it to run to the local quarry (l10mi or so), but that would be about the farthest I can see going with it. Since it's mostly going to be a site truck I'm looking for something inexpensive.

I've found two trucks on Craigslist that are in my price range (within $100 of each other), and sound reasonably solid (waiting on pics of one). One is a 1977 Chevy C65 with a 366 gas engine, 5spd trans and a 2 speed rear axle. The other is a 1977 International 1600 Loadstar, gas engine (waiting on confirmation, but likely a 345) , 5spd trans with a 2 speed rear axle.

Anything in particular that might sway you to one or the other assuming they're in similar conditon?

 

[bcp]

Compare prices of the same wear parts: brakes, clutch, tires, u-joints, etc.

Parts availability in your area.

How it feels to drive.

Bruce

 

[Fawken]

How much? I've always wanted one.

 

[SimS]

^^^^ Parts are going to be easier to source on the Chevy. Of course the overall shape of each truck would be #1. It's probably a toss up as far a functionality. Have Fun.


SimS

 

[Diamondpilot]

Okay, maybe it's not exactly a tale so much as looking for advice/comments. I'm looking for a 5yd dump truck that will primarily be used to move fill and asphalt millings on my property. I may use it to run to the local quarry (l10mi or so), but that would be about the farthest I can see going with it. Since it's mostly going to be a site truck I'm looking for something inexpensive. I've found two trucks on Craigslist that are in my price range (within $100 of each other), and sound reasonably solid (waiting on pics of one). One is a 1977 Chevy C65 with a 366 gas engine, 5spd trans and a 2 speed rear axle. The other is a 1977 International 1600 Loadstar, gas engine (waiting on confirmation, but likely a 345) , 5spd trans with a 2 speed rear axle. Anything in particular that might sway you to one or the other assuming they're in similar conditon?

The C65 will be much easier to get parts for. We have a 76 C60. It's a pig! 50 mph is optimistic and gets about 3 mpg and with a 25 gallon single saddle tank you really have to plan accordingly. With that said we paid $1600 for it and it's been solid.

I will tell you that if I need more than 2 loads I can hire a quad axle truck for $75 per hour. He can haul 3 times the C60 so when you factor in fuel its cheap to let him make the run.

Tires and brakes are the big expenses on these. You can wrap up $3000 in each or $6000 in both.

Chris

 

[AGRIMAN]

I have 1977 Loadstar with 32k miles. It has a 16" foot grain body with a dump. I still use it every year to put oats in the bin. I'm not afraid to load with soybeans/corn and head to the elevator.

I have never had any problems finding parts. I went through the entire brake system 2 years ago and the local NAPA store had everything I needed.

 

[GManBart]

Compare prices of the same wear parts: brakes, clutch, tires, u-joints, etc.

Parts availability in your area.

How it feels to drive.

Bruce

I think general condition and how they feel will be my biggest factor. I'm not terribly worried about parts availability for either, but I expect the Chevy would be a bit easier.

 

[GManBart]

How much? I've always wanted one.

They're asking just under $3K, which isn't all that unusual. I'm just worried I'll get there and find a badly cracked frame or significant frame rust (I expect cab/body rust).

 

[GManBart]

The C65 will be much easier to get parts for. We have a 76 C60. It's a pig! 50 mph is optimistic and gets about 3 mpg and with a 25 gallon single saddle tank you really have to plan accordingly. With that said we paid $1600 for it and it's been solid.

I will tell you that if I need more than 2 loads I can hire a quad axle truck for $75 per hour. He can haul 3 times the C60 so when you factor in fuel its cheap to let him make the run.

Tires and brakes are the big expenses on these. You can wrap up $3000 in each or $6000 in both.

Chris

I actually have a lot of miles behind the wheel of tandem dumps, transfer trucks and mixer trucks, so I know exactly what you mean about brakes and tires. The International says it comes with extra wheels/tires and the tires on it are decent...but haven't seen pics yet. The Chevy seems to have good tires, but the pics aren't closeups. The kicker is that neither truck is that far from me, but they are in opposite directions, so it wouldn't be easy going from one to the other.

I have a neighbor who has a connection with a local excavating company, and they've brought in thousands of yards of good fill for free the last couple of years. When it rains a lot and they can't get into their normal yard (I'm not 100% sure why, but I think they do it to be a good neighbor), they bring the fill here. It's not on any sort of schedule, but it's free. I have a lot they can dump in that's only a couple hundred yards from where I want to start adding the fill. So, they'd drop it off in bulk, and then I'd move it to exactly where I want. With the backhoe and a dump truck, I shouldn't have a problem moving it as I get the time. Still, even if I paid someone to bring in the fill they wouldn't be able to get where I want it, so I'd wind up moving it myself anyway.

 

[GManBart]

I have 1977 Loadstar with 32k miles. It has a 16" foot grain body with a dump. I still use it every year to put oats in the bin. I'm not afraid to load with soybeans/corn and head to the elevator.

I have never had any problems finding parts. I went through the entire brake system 2 years ago and the local NAPA store had everything I needed.

Which engine and trans does yours have?

 

[hslogger]

I am a biased Cornbinder man. The Loadstar is heavier built from the ground up. Parts are always obtainable in wrecking yards for either of these trucks. The Loadstar will have either a 304 or 345 in it. Not a lot of the 1600 trucks came with a 392. I would make sure they both have power steering and crawl under them, check the Emergency brake assembly and dash components and interior for wear or abuse. IHC doors can be in bad shape. The cowl right under the windshield is prone to rust and rot, INSIDE, ie the fresh air vent going in to the cab. That can be rotted badly. Dash parts and switches for the Chev will be easier to find new. The most important thing if you buy the International, take the serial number to a dealer, pay them twenty bucks or what ever they want and get the factory line setting sheet. It tells what each component is and is the key to replacement of parts and components in the drive train.

 

[Loadstar]

You can get a line setting ticket and get a good laugh from international if you try to buy something. Loadstars are long time obsolete. Need a good heavy duty truck parts place around. I wouldn't worry about the cost of tires because you can feed either truck used tires. Check frames, check suspension with prybar, jack up steers and check king pins, check steering play/box. Trucks at that age are survivors been to heck and back. So lucky for you, you can't show them any new tricks.

 

[JerryK]

Since you live in the beautiful state of Michigan, you should also talk to someone that owns/drives a truck like that on the roads. Some guys are ditching the older trucks and buying newer because of State Police inspectors. They have really clamped down on making sure the trucks are 'road worthy', especially when they see something older on the road. If it is something you are just going to use on your property, or close by, is one thing.

 

[crazyal]

I've got an old Loadstar, a 1700 awd. It has to be the toughest thing I've ever owned. I was looking for a 1 ton with 4wd so I could plow my driveway with it. But prices were through the roof. It came with a 345, from what I understand the 392s were all 4 barrel, while most 345s were 2 barrel. The engine sat for years so it needed to have the valves reseated (possibly upgraded for unleaded gas) but I never got around to it. A local highway department had an auction and I picked up an old hose truck that they turned into a truck to spray to keep dust down on the dirt roads. I did an engine swap only to find out that it had a 446 in it so I have lots of 345 and 392 parts laying around that will go to the scrap yard when the price of steel goes back up. I haven't needed anything lately but in the past I found several salvage yards that were full of old loadstars. There's a lot of old IHC school buses out there. Yards love to keep them to store used parts in. I think you'll find that the old Loadstars were built to be a truck, not fast and never going to be fast. But the engines have probably twice the steel in them.

 

[GManBart]

Since you live in the beautiful state of Michigan, you should also talk to someone that owns/drives a truck like that on the roads. Some guys are ditching the older trucks and buying newer because of State Police inspectors. They have really clamped down on making sure the trucks are 'road worthy', especially when they see something older on the road. If it is something you are just going to use on your property, or close by, is one thing.

Well, my neighbor has one, but he never goes far. My other neighbor has several big rigs and does mostly long-haul work, but some local as well...he had an older tandem dump he sold a year or so ago. I can ask both of them, but I'm really not planning to go far with it.

 

[GManBart]

I've got an old Loadstar, a 1700 awd. It has to be the toughest thing I've ever owned. I was looking for a 1 ton with 4wd so I could plow my driveway with it. But prices were through the roof. It came with a 345, from what I understand the 392s were all 4 barrel, while most 345s were 2 barrel. The engine sat for years so it needed to have the valves reseated (possibly upgraded for unleaded gas) but I never got around to it. A local highway department had an auction and I picked up an old hose truck that they turned into a truck to spray to keep dust down on the dirt roads. I did an engine swap only to find out that it had a 446 in it so I have lots of 345 and 392 parts laying around that will go to the scrap yard when the price of steel goes back up. I haven't needed anything lately but in the past I found several salvage yards that were full of old loadstars. There's a lot of old IHC school buses out there. Yards love to keep them to store used parts in. I think you'll find that the old Loadstars were built to be a truck, not fast and never going to be fast. But the engines have probably twice the steel in them.

That reminds me of the old Mack mixer truck I drove for two summers....it maxed out at 63mph and I was fine with that! I'm definitely not expecting anything fast, and having been in an accident with a car who ran into my mixer (ran a red light), I'm never in a hurry when I'm driving anything big....they all lived, but it was within inches of being fatal.

 

[AGRIMAN]

Which engine and trans does yours have?

It has the 400 with a standard 5 speed with a 2 speed axle.

 

[Loadstar]

Anybody have diesel loadstars?

 

[hutchman]

Back in March/April I picked up a nice 1982 S-1900 with the DT-466 in it.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Compare prices of the same wear parts: brakes, clutch, tires, u-joints, etc.

Parts availability in your area.

How it feels to drive.

Bruce

2X on all points