Advice on K5 converted to pickup...

[K5 Pickup]

I am close to buying a restored 1970 K5. Restoration was 15 years ago, been lightly used since. Very clean, rust free, appears solid.

The problem is the guy converted it to a pickup and apparently to restore it to as original the TOP needs to be cut off, as it is now permanently attached.

The bed needs to be opened up again, it will
Need buckets installed, a back seat, carpeting...anything else I am missing?

Any insight into what a cost might be?

Places near me in NJ I can have do the work?

Any advice on getting a cap back on? Thinking maybe I just go with a roll cage and a soft TOP.

I can get the truck for under $20K as is, just want to know if it’s worth it.

No AC, but has heat, 350 Chevy engine, 350 turbo auto transmission, has a lift, 33 inch tires (by 12.5), 15 inch rims. 30K miles but it’s really unclear what that means since restoration. Also unclear if the drivetrain is original.

Should I buy this thing for $20K?

How do I post pictures?

 

[diesel4me]

You must make several posts here before pictures will show up..
Others here can explain how better than I can..(not very good with computers)..

As for the truck,it would have to be mint,mint,mint ,to be worth 20 grand..(to me at least!)..

It was a popular thing back some years ago around here to make a "shorty" pickup out of a K5 by shortening a pickup bed and using the roof off the cab & the back wall..

I had a chance to buy a '76 K5 around 1993,that was converted,the guy put a 454 in it with a SM465..
I loved the looks of the truck,that year had a steel roof already,so all he had to do was graft in a back cab wall from a pickup,and make the short bed for it..it had a nice paint job,he built it for a "shop truck"..

The guy was a body shop worker who worked out of his own shop,he offered it to me for $2500...the thing was not 100% mint,but much much nicer than the K5's and pickups I owned at the time..I was stoked!..

I was all set to go buy it,but decided to take it for a test drive first..
It was very powerful,drove nice,and though the ride wasn't the smoothest with stiff 2" lift springs,I told him I'd be back to buy it that friday after I got my paycheck,and money out of the bank..
He sold it to another guy for $3500 on thursday!....

 

[muddermilitia]

There's a minimum post count before you can start posting pictures. I don't know how many but I think it is around 10 or 15.

I sure wouldn't spend $20k on something I plan to cut the roof off of. I would look elsewhere

 

[K5 Pickup]

Yeah, I am going to pass.

Too bad, it looked really nice