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80' or 84'???

T

theitalian404

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Hi. Im so pumped!!! I have a choice of getting a 1980 K-10, 350, automatic, no rust, average paint job, bent up front bumper..working conditon for $1800. Or a 1984 K-10, with a 88' front end, 350, 4-speed, Horribly faded paint job, no mirrors for $1600. what would ya'll choose? any difference in suspension from 80 - 84?? all replies/comments welcomed!

thanks,
anthony.
 
theitalian404 said:
Hi. Im so pumped!!! I have a choice of getting a 1980 K-10, 350, automatic, no rust, average paint job, bent up front bumper..working conditon for $1800. Or a 1984 K-10, with a 88' front end, 350, 4-speed, Horribly faded paint job, no mirrors for $1600. what would ya'll choose? any difference in suspension from 80 - 84?? all replies/comments welcomed!

thanks,
anthony.
Click to expand...

Shouldn't be any difference in suspension. The axles might be different but I don't know the years well enough to tell you for sure.

As for your choice, it depends on what you intend to use this truck for. As a DD it might be nice to have an auto...whereas for a wheeler the manual would be hard to beat for durability.

Any more specifics on the trucks or their intended usage?
 
they should have the same suspention, but they may have different number of leaves depending on options.

the 80 would have (if original) a th350 with a slip yoke np205 tcase with a 10 bolt front and 12 bolt rear.

the 84 would have (again if original) a 305, sm465/np208, mechanical clutch, with 1350 ujiont. 10 bolt front and 10 bolt rear.

personally i would get the 84, mainly because of the 4 speed, i also perfer the newer front end. mirrors are nothing and a dozen cans of rustolium and it'll look better than now.
 
i still wish i would have gone with a manual instead of the automatic k5 that i have. but i would check out the electrical and the injection on both and go from there. you dont want to deal with something that will cause major problems for you in the future. what are your plans for it?
 
the np203 stopped in 79 and the np208 started in 81, the only tcase available was the np205. in 80 the np205 started the slip yoke on the tcase.
 
Hi, it wouldn't be a dd until May of 05'-that's when I get my liscense. Until then me and my buddies will be wrenching on it, and taking it on private trails. Im sure my father would go ahead an get it insured, and registered, as he did with my S-10 Blazer. But yes, when I get my liscense it will be a daily driver, and weekend rig. And yes, they both have the original transmissions. Yeah-im going for the manual as well! My S-10 was a automatic..and I hated it. I do intend to drive it hard on the trails, and mild mud. I plan on 35's and im thinking a 4 inch lift...and sawzall! :D :bow: Also, lockers front and rear. The only thing im giving up for this truck is my Fourwheeler, which I think is a more mature choice...i'd rather have a 4x4, than a racing fourwheeler, and no rig at all...right?
 
big83chevy4x4 said:
the np203 stopped in 79 and the np208 started in 81, the only tcase available was the np205. in 80 the np205 started the slip yoke on the tcase.
Click to expand...

That may be what GM states but that is not always the truth. A good friend of mine Matt (az-k5) has a 1980 K5. It should have had a 205 but it didn't. It had the 203 in it. Most 1980 K5's probably had the 205 but some take it for granted.

I personally would go with the 4speed/208 truck. The combo offers alot lower gearing and is probably the better plateform for a buildup. That is especially true if you want the 4 speed. 4speeds in K5's are not the most common and have a certain cool factor in my book.

Harley
 
4in lift and 35s... probably wouldn't only have to do minor trimming to your front fenders
 
Get the SM465 manual. It's the best, and indestructible. Plus you can always find a NP205 from earlier years to put in it (my '79 w/ SM465 has the NP205, I'm not sure when they stopped using them in this combo). That's the ultimate grenade-proof setup. I run 40" Boggers (19.5 inches wide) and this combo doesn't even flinch.
 
Mud would be the only place it MAY become troublesome. On trails you can't beat it. A nice addition is a hand throttle on the shifter. You can get a kit from Rubicon Express for like $30, or you can make your own from a bicycle shifter. Then you can clutch, brake, and gas all at once! (Also very excellent if you like LSDs). I still prefer the manual, hands down.
 
Go with the '84. I have an '80 k10 and the thing is a nightmare because 1980 was an inbetween year for the trucks. You'll find that some parts are year specific, some are 80 and older, and some are 80 and newer. It's a hassle.

I prefer manual transmissions. But I also like the np205's near indestructability. However the np208 also has a better low gear.

Just some things to think about.
 
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