another body swap question

[K5dreamer]

Hey guys, as yall know, ive got full convertable envy, and want to do a manual swap. I may have found a doner. 1969 K5, SM465/np205, 1/2 ton axles, six cylinder engine. the price is on par with what you west coast guys get, which kinda blows my mind.

Problems

1. Will a 69 body even bolt to my 86 frame? or are there significant mods ill have to do?

2. It looks like it was stored without the top on, under a pine tree, so according to the guy, the "sheetmetal" is useless, which is why he's selling it as a parts truck. but as far as i can tell, its just the rockers and floors that are bad. the dash looks perfect, the front clip seems to be ok, ill be asking him for more photos, the quarter panels for instance. Ive heard with the first gens, the rust is alwys worse than you think it is though, and at the very least i can tell the rockers are almost completely gone, so im wondering if this is even worth the effort.

Im also going to email him and see if he has a more solid truck, with the same full convert, manual tranny, NP205, the doors and the top..... maybe that baby blue one next to it

PICS

 

[chulisohombre]

looks pretty much like mine when i started and still havent gotten all the rust yet.if its that bad,the rockers and boxes would either have to be repalced or boatsided and recovered.underfloor would be almost gone if it looks that bad from the top.it can all be redone but most will tell you to look for a better body.will cost you alot of time a sheetmetal and then more time to make it correct again.i will some day get there.look at greg72s metal work on the 69-72 forum to see what is involved in a complete rebuild of floors and rocker areas.tha blue one does look much nicer.lol.whats the number of that guy again......i believe the body mounts are nowhere close to fitting on a newer blazer and a first gen.so they have to be moved to fit it.ive never measured but im sure someone else has or done this b4

 

[bp71k5]

Lots of frame differences. Why not just use the 69 frame?

With those pics, the floors, rockers, bottoms of the a-pillar, are most certainly gone. Door bottoms and windshield are also good rust sponges at the bottom.

Lots of work, but you'd have to do lots of work on it to swap frames anyway.

Also beware of the rear quarter area behind each door. Lots of space to hold water.

Also, the front grill is 71-72 so I'd check whether it's really a 69 if that matters.

 

[K5dreamer]

guess i didnt really think about using the older frame. Guess I was assuming the military frame was tougher than the old school frame. Any pro's and con's to that approach?

I did just order a set of 6in BDS springs for the 86 K5. and plan on using the 6.2L diesel. figured there would be less modification needed to keep that engine in that frame.

Never really thought of using the M1009 as a parts doner to upgrade a first gen truck. That actually seems alot smarter now that you mention it

would i run into issues running the super duty shocks on the first gen truck?

Definatly not looking to redo all the sheetmetal, so i did email the guy and ask about the other trucks he has. Just to see what my options were.

 

[bp71k5]

I don't know the strength of different frames, but I doubt there's any difference between 1/2 and 3/4 ton. No idea about 1 tons though.

I don't know what the guy was asking for the orange one, buy most any 69-72 is going to have a lot of rust unless it was well cared for. Be prepared to pay a price for something that doesn't have those problems.

If you can get the orange one for cheap enough, at least you don't have to feel bad cutting it up and modifying it. If you want a convertible and don't mind a 73-75, those are probably easier to find in better condition without paying through the nose.

 

[K5dreamer]

yeah, im starting to worry that the orange one is biting off more than i can chew from a repair standpoint. but he's only asking $350 for it as a rolling chassis. I figure with the NP205, SM465, wagon wheels, and a bunch of good parts, its worth at least that.

But id rather not just buy a truck that I need to part out.

The new job is gonna give me alot more useable spare time, with a more real world work schedule. (god i dont know what im going to do with saturadays and sundays off). So ill be making alot more progress on the truck. But that dosnt mean i want a major restoration project. Well see what the guy has to say about the other trucks hes got.