Calling it quits?!?!

[andhar]

About 3 months ago I bought an 89 K5 and I was happy as a pig in sh!t but unfortunatly my jubilation wasn't a lasting one.

Today I inspected the underside of the blazers floor panels and unfortunatly it's not a pretty site , it needs work and to be honest alot of work, This is my first truck and I wanted to do so much with it, I am just wondering how far I can take this thing and if I should just dump it the project.

Basically it needs a tranny and thats going to cost $1800 for a Heavy Duty one with 12k Garauntee on parts and labor if it should ever die on me.

I would need to fix the floor panels and the ext rust which doesnt look all that bad cept for the rockers and parts of the doors (small parts)

In addition to the tranny I would have to lift it 4" and I would like to put 35s on there and eventually swap axles to a 3/4 ton.

Is it worth it, is it really worth the time and $ to rebuild this truck?

 

[Corey 78K5]

[ QUOTE ]
Is it worth it, is it really worth the time and $ to rebuild this truck?

[/ QUOTE ]
If You truly love it then yes. Or You can go out and buy a $40k SUV to cruise the mall parking lot. /forums/images/graemlins/deal.gif

 

[big83chevy4x4]

does that trans come with vasoline? cause thats getting screwed. /forums/images/graemlins/yikes.gif

i can build you a 700r4 that will handle abuse for $1000 with a 6 month 6000 mile warranty.

 

[BlazerGuy]

You can't let a few bumps in the road stop ya. If all that's wrong with the truck is it needs a tranny and the floors replaced, then you're already ahead of lot of people. Don't worry about the lift and axles just yet, focus on getting it roadworthy first. A built trail vehicle isn't worth a damn if it isn't realiable. 1800 bones is way too much for a tranny. Shop around or consider swapping to something different(TH400, 350 etc). If your just starting out and this is your daily driver then you might wanna stick with the 700, since it's a bolt-in deal. We've all been in your position, our K5's were stock and ran like sh!t or didn't run at all. And the rest is history...

 

[Wraparound]

I was taken for 2400.00 on a rebuild when I was 19

 

[79Stomper]

It could be a whole lot worse than a little rust and a tranny. Like they said previously shop around if you are going to have someone fix your tranny because /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif that is alot of $$$$.

 

[andhar]

Thanks for the encouraging words, I guess I have some thinking to do, in all honestly I love blazers and am in love with Burt Gummers truck along with alot of the trucks on this site.

I guess I need to figure out exactly what my level of commitment is, and btw how hard is it to replace the floor pans my bubby says its pretty simple and to just weld in some sheet metal over the spots that have rust.

also does anyone have pics of a blazer in woodland camo I cant seem to find one.

 

[79Stomper]

I ahve thought about of getting rid of mine several different times, but have never done it. I have had a blazer for some 11 years now and would miss it. I am going to Paint mine in Digital Camo /forums/images/graemlins/peace.gif, give me a few weeks and have some pics floating around here.

 

[bablazer73]

Well, Andre. You know my take on it. If it's gonna be a trail rig, patch up the floors, cut the rockers, Maybe swap in a 4spd/205 combo, or even a 4spd/208. If you want to stay auto, I have a 400. Needs rebuild, but hell, 50.00 it's yours! It had a 208, But had to swap the 208 into a buddies plow truck. Or just find a th350 to stuff in it.
AND LETS GET GOING!!

 

[blazin topless 75]

Don't quit now! The fun is just beginning...seriously, I know how you feel-I just dropped $1725 on a '75 (not counting the $735 I paid to get it shipped here)and it has issues. needs a passenger floor, quarters, rockers and probably rocker boxes, has a funny knock that I'm trying to find, the trfr case is scr$%ed up, I need to have a front drive shaft customized for it, and that's not going into the electrical that was provided by the mickey mouse club. I'm probably a sucker for paying that much for it, but I'm determined to fix her up. I get depressed when I go out to do something and find more wrong... and I'm trying to figure out where to start. But the only thing between me and the truck I want is time and $$. Project trucks take plenty of both...that's why they call them moneypits. Think about all that you're going to learn about the truck as it goes...and you'll have pride in the knowledge that you rebuilt it! /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[andhar]

thanks again guys, I will shop around but thats one of the best prices I got for the tranny.

I don't have the mechanical know how to put a tranny in myself, and the price I was qouted included a heavy duty tranny with 1 yr 12k garantee so if anything was to happen in that time I wouldnt have to pay anything out of pocket to get it fixed.

 

[89K1500Chevy]

I blew up the same 700R4 3 times over 2 years and it was always around 500 for the rebuild with perfomance parts But the prob was it was Still a 700R4. Good for 2wds and cars... Not 4x4 action So for 500 I built up a TH350 with 2500 stall/redline race clutchs/heavy duty sprag/700r4 to th350 swap kit/all new parts. Its strong and catchs all 3 gears. Dont spend 2000 or even 1000 on a 700R4. Just find a Transmission Guru and become friends with him like i did. Ronne "the Hammer" cox builds my trannys from now on infact i need him to build one for my blue truck.

 

[jakeslim]

I am just starting to drive my k5 around after 3 years! I stored it for one and half years, worked on it for last year and half, and now and only now can i drive it....geezz, but its great to drive it now and worth every penny, bloody knuckle and cursing.