Buying First Truck

Me and my dad are working on buying a truck. He was an o/o for 20+ years and I'm just now getting into it. We're not looking into hauling cross country, just local stuff. We're starting a small construction business and we need something to tug around a mid-sized dozer and excavator. Nothing major. The truck probably wont be run every day, unless we decide to buy a roll of trailer (the scrap business is pretty big around here). So far, we've got it down to 3 trucks. We both want something mechanical so we can both work on it. He's old school and that's the way I was tought so the electrical stuff isn't quite down our alley. We're not big time, so price is a factor. Trying to keep it under 10k.

The first one is an 85 'Pete 359. It's got a 3406B Cat, a 10spd, day cab, tandem. Truck looks pretty clean. The bad part is it's got a spun bearing and it needs a few tires and wheels. Paint, too, maybe. But other than that it looks like a pretty nice truck. Listed for $8,500

The second is a 79 Autocar. Can't remember the model. It's got an NTC-350 Cummins and a 13spd Eaton-Fuller. Day cab, tandem. The guy says it runs and has it listed as "driveable". It looks solid, just some surface rust on the fenders. Listed for $6,500

Finally, I don't have my eye on a specific one, but this is what I want. Mack R600, 350 2v, day cab, tandem.

I guess it all comes down to a matter of opinion. But our options are limited because of the prices. These are two trucks that we can afford, and you can find those Macks pretty cheap. I just want something reliable and simple. It doesn't have to be fancy, it just needs to pay the bills. I'm just hoping that some of you seasoned vets can offer me a little bit of insight about these trucks as I'm only 22 and really haven't spent much time around the older stuff. The truck will spend most of it's time hooked to a lowboy, roll off, or dump trailer. Any insight, suggestions, advice, whatever would be greatly appreciated. Thanks guys!