new tracks

[eliwhitney907]

hi all!!  so I am considering purchasing a second OC3 that is for sale locally.  what entices me is that the old feller was in the process of a restoration in which he made it as far as completely re-pinning the tracks.  what concerns me is that is as far as he made it and it has remained dis-assembled for an unknown amount of time.  I have not yet seen it in person but my wife says it the same configuration as mine.  the old feller is asking 1000 for it simply because of the repined tracks. I don't think I could re-pin my own tracks for less.  does anyone know what a fully restored OC3 should go for on average?  I know that one could not expect to get any return off restoring one in bad shape but I just want a number to throw out as I negotiate. my other concerns are rain into the engine and freeze breaking cylinders head and block as well as rust.

[ObsoElitist]

I am always buying old cars and trucks. With a dismantled or non-operative machine, I usually base my lowest offer on its value at the scrap yard, and go up from there depending on many factors. A rebuilt set of tracks is a great find, so if yours are badly worn don't let them get away. I got lucky, my tracks and sprockets show very little wear and as an indicator of the machines condition led me to offer more.
I would probably offer $800 just because it sounds fair and a 20%-off counter offer is not insulting, and consider the tracks the thing you are buying and the rest of it free spare parts.

[eliwhitney907]

well I was considering buying it for 1K  but my wife misled me as to his asking price.  seems he had 1k into the tracks and he is actually asking 2600.  I bought mine in operating condition for 3k.  needless to say we will not be making a deal. since I bought mine the front idler wore out and is flopping around.  the track pins have also got very loose.  all things I checked closely before I bought it.  I think it must have been stiffened up from setting and loosened up when we put some hours on it.  I have a 100 ton press at work that I can use to service the tracks I will just have to remove the cleats in order to feed the links through.  Zimmerman has the front idlers rebuilt but I may look into rebuilding my self once I see if the idler housing is or is not damaged. 

that old feller does not realize that working on these are labor of love as you will not get your money back if you should sell it. I think he see's my interest as $ signs but to be honest I would not even consider more the 1 k after looking at it.  Zimmerman has track kit for 750 for both tracks

[eliwhitney907]

just finished overhauling my final drives and front idlers.  my OC3 is back in business