Trucks are hot and so is collecting and restoring them. But just like air-cooled Porsches and 1969 Chargers they can be expensive to restore. There are later trucks becoming really collectible that might be in decent shape because they are newer. If you snag the right one you can enjoy your appreciating buy without the cost of restoration. But which older trucks are hot and appreciating in value?

Our friends over at Hagerty Insurance track auctions and also know when newer trucks catch the collector’s eyes. How? Because they insure them. They’re the first to know. Right now they see these as the hottest trucks just coming into the collector market. These are trucks from the 1970s and 1980s for the most part, so there should be nice examples if you don’t get antsy and buy the first one you find.

You can afford these

Our friends over at Hagerty Insurance track auctions and also know when newer trucks catch the collector’s eyes. How? Because they insure them. They’re the first to know. Right now they see these as the hottest trucks just coming into the collector market. These are trucks from the 1970s and 1980s for the most part, so there should be nice examples if you don’t get antsy and buy the first one you find.

The best part is these should be around $10,000 in nice condition so they’re affordable. And they’ll not lose their value unless you ram one into a tree or something. Keep it decent and it will never lose value-and that’s something you can’t say for a new F-150 or Ram Classic.

1980-86 Ford Bronco

Part of the increase in interest in these Broncos is because all Broncos are getting more attention with the all-new version ready to hit next year. These early-1980s Broncos were still based on full-size pickups so they benefit from there being lots of new and used parts. But like we said you should be looking for examples that don’t need a thing. These dent side Broncos also benefit from the nice redesign of 1980. With the price of first-gen Broncos continuing to increase it was inevitable it would pull all older Broncos-even the Bronco II. 

1961-66 Ford F-Series

These 1960s Ford trucks benefit from there being so many produced and in the variety of that production. Also, they’re just a cool vehicle that can be snagged for a lot less than an equivalent car of the era. From our Los Angeles digs we sometimes still see them being used as regular work trucks. Part of the reason for that is the weather, which is kinder to sheetmetal. California cars do rust, but it’s usually from the top down. So, if you’re looking to purchase a west coast example look at rain gutters and around the windshield and rear window. Moisture gets trapped in the rubber seals causing rust out in some cases.

1973-91 GMC Jimmy

With Blazers and Broncos being so hot you would expect the Jimmy to be part of that bump. Really, any short wheelbase truck from this era is hot right now. That includes those with six-foot beds as well as examples like this Jimmy. As with the third-gen Broncos, these benefit from the amount of new, used, and repro parts that circle around its pickup counterpart. Don’t forget the first three years had removable tops, so you could enjoy a convertible in the summer. In 1976 a half-cab design tried to help with sealing issues the earlier versions had.

1973-79 Ford F-Series

Pretty much encapsulates everything we’ve mentioned with the other trucks in this listing. The 1973-79 F-Series is coming on strong according to Hagerty and tops their list in this category. They’re good-looking, easy to work on, and they are abundant. In median condition, you should be able to find a good one for under $12,000. Don’t forget smog checks in California start with 1976 models, so 1973-75 trucks may see higher prices. Also, don’t forget the odd-looking long-wheelbase Camper Specials that were low production and increase in value because of that.