You are right - $1500 is too much for a truck you can’t drive away. I’ve bought several and the most I’ve paid was $600 for Rusty. His engine ran but he had a blown rear diff and two bad driveshafts. About $1000 later, for a total of $1500, I had a very drivable truck with good tires, newly rebuilt engine, but with a number of other issues to deal with.
If you can get it for less than $1000 I’d consider it. But, since you can’t drive it you won’t know what all is wrong with it. So, scope it out closely to see if you can make one good truck with the bits and pieces you have.
Gary, AKA "Gary fellow":
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Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
Blue: 2015 F150 Platinum 4x4 SuperCrew wearing Blue Jeans & sporting a 3.5L EB & Max Tow
Big Blue: 1985 F250HD 4x4: 460/ZF5/3.55's, D60 w/Ox locker & 10.25 Sterling/Trutrac, Blue Top & Borgeson, & EEC-V MAF/SEFI