Today's Value Of An '85 F250 4WD w/a 460?

[Gary Lewis]

Yes, it is CRAZY!  And I can't explain it.

However, there are things going on that may be contributors:

Cost Of New: The problems the manufacturers are having getting electronics for new vehicles makes those vehicles more expensive, so are people willing to spend more on older ones?

 Electronics: The issue on electronics has been in the news a lot of late and there have been reports of the vehicles being nothing but rolling computers.  That may have people wondering how much in the way of electronics they want on their truck for the long haul.

Projects: COVID-19 has given many people a new focus.  Many are turning to recreation, and that's driven the cost of RV's and boats sky high.  (We just sold our 2002 boat for 95% of what we paid for it 7 years ago.)  And working on project vehicles can be seen as "recreation" so have lots of people started new projects?

Might these be contributors?  What else?

[kramttocs]

Falls into your last point but I know several people that are putting their home improvement projects on hold due to the abnormal prices in that market. Funds for a budget like that could be getting reallocated to a vehicle project.

[Gary Lewis]

Abnormal?  My brother just told me of someone he knows that had the price of the house they are building go up by $100K due to the cost of materials!  And Steve/Foxford33 is building a garage and the trusses have a looooong lead time and a much higher cost than expected.  

So I can see people saying they'll wait on the home projects and plowing the money into a truck.

[kramttocs]

Ouch. That word might be a slight understatement.
Would be an interesting time to be taking an economics class.

[ArdWrknTrk]

The market is "fickle"    

You mention electronics (and the shortages)
Perhaps it is just people deciding they don't want EFI, air bags and lane assist, as much as the trouble today of finding a forge with any capacity to create them?
These are simple trucks you can fix without a stereo microscope or a dealer programmed part.

Not much 'automotive' is cutting edge as far as chips go.
I'd imagine automotive microprocessors are still in the mid 20's nm range, while the truly huge forges at TSCM and Samsung are all out on the smallest euv they can produce.

Covid shouldn't have any effect on loggers or yarders.
They don't work close enough to be effected by restrictions.
The industry making cutbacks while not envisioning how much people would put into their homes if they were confined there 24/7 is where the problem lays.
Softwood lumber and panel goods are as high as I've ever seen them. (except in a natural disaster zone)

So yeah. Work on an older truck.
Not the commitment of ripping your roof off.
And when done you can use it to tote building materials to your house!