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Camper Special K20/ Lots Of Pictures

also it idels kinda rough the guy said it was tuned for the montains. my Grandpa is say its not worth what hes asking. i think the big concern is the distance factor 120 miles, i dont know how safe i would feel driving a truck that iffy all that ways. it had a camper on it for most of its life, it towed through the montian passes. and looking how beat to hell the body his how well was it taken care of mechincly?
 
For that kind of money (a grand or so), the best you can hope for is a solid buildable core, IMO. And that's what this truck appears to be in the photos you posted. It's going to need attention and tinkering for sure, and it's going to leak oil and drink gas like there's no tomorrow. You'll be lucky to break 10 MPG with fulltime 4wd, no OD, and a carb.

Unless you find a steal- which is possible but may take awhile (and luck), it's going to take 2-3X that much coin to pick up a solid running truck with few/ no issues. Especially up north.

That is most definately a fair price, assuming it has no major mechanical problems that will require immediate attention. You aren't going to find a 3/4 or 1 ton truck that age that hasn't been worked.

If you're willing to put a hundred bucks and a weekend or two a month into the thing it should be a good truck. If you're not, I'd look elsewhere. Or spend more initially. That's the beauty of these trucks, you can rebuild everything on them fairly cheaply and easily. But you can expect to spend a fair amount of time and/or money doing it, depending on who does the work. Just about anything that age is going to require a fair amount of TLC.

FWIW, I paid $2500 for my '80, and I feel I got a hell of a deal on it. That's for a (rust free straight bodied) truck I feel comfortable driving anywhere, with a rebuilt drivetrain and a fair amount of aftermarket parts on it. It leaks a little oil, and drinks gas, but it is reliable and easy to fix.

Your other option if you're strapped for cash is to look for a truck with a blown motor or trans that doesn't run, pick it up cheap, and fix it.
 
i got time i am borowing my grandpas van for a dd, he says use as long as you need. hell around winter he said he will even throw a set of snow tires on it.

I really dont like working around the winter though. hey right now its only 48 degrees out.
 
I drove just 30 mile short of Dubuque Iowa.:eek1: bowtiepower00 i dont know where in Iowa you are but i sounds like you got a simular rust problem as here in wisconsin. i am assuming they use salt in Iowa to
 
Xtremegmc80 said:
man i miss cold weathers..... come faster!!!
Click to expand...

it suck because the window in my room is broken. i am wearing my jeans and a very thick flanall jacket and i am still cold.
 
for a good deal i should probaly stray away from craigslist.

What i am probaly gonna do should i decide no to this one is stop looking.
good deals allway popup when your not look. see some reverse phycolagy.
 
I'm in Des Moines. Not sure what they use on the roads here but there's lots of rust. I'm pretty meticulous when it comes to cleaning/ maintenance/ etc. I try to go the extra mile to make sure my junk doesn't rot. And, I don't buy rusty vehicles to start. I hate rust. (Who doesn't?)

Personally, I really like Craigslist, that's where I found my K20. But that was in AZ, where there are lots and lots of trucks for sale. Far slimmer pickings up here. You just have to be willing to deal, and avoid those who think their things are made of gold. After someone's been sitting on something for a couple of weeks/ months they are usually willing to deal.

Ask around, and check the farmers. Lots of rigs with for sale signs sitting in front of farm houses. I know guys who drive the backroads when they need a rig. Everything has it's price.

The local small town classifieds are good too, I picked up my 68 Nova for a grand here in IA, no rust on it either- minor assembly required, though.
 
A good way to tell if it came with a cat is to look at the gas filler if it has a door then it most likely did have a cat, 78 was a option year for the 1/2 ton stuff you could get them or not so the DMV people were wrong. Probably prisoners answering the phones anyway :D . The truck looks like a good deal for around a grand.
 
The emissions thing varies by year, by model, and by region. You could buy a new 86 K30 w/o cats in the right areas of the country. Anything over 8600 GVW is not in the same class as the K5's, K10's and sub 8600 GVW K20's (the ones with 14SF rears.)

In CA, and a handful of other Smog Nazi areas, cats would have been installed. My '80 was in Phoenix, which even smogs motorcycles, and my emissions sheet said cats were not factory installed or required on my truck, which was smogged and had AIR injection. Federally, older (pre 87 or so) HD light trucks are not required to have cats. That is a regional call, typically only required in major metros that did/ do emissions testing. The truck in question probably never had cats on it, factory.

If we're talking about LD trucks, 1/2 tons and light 3/4's, than yes, cats and in some cases AIR injection would have been/ are required.
 
even if it didnt come with cats you still have to have cats unless it older than 68'

What a ghey law
 
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Should not be the case, the DMV or who ever can't make you retrofit a car to fit new laws, even CA doesn't do that and they are the worst for emissions.
 
I dunno, I say buy it. Offer the guy a grand and tell him you're calling him if it doesn't make it home. Sounds like a nice enough guy and the truck looks decent. You aren't going to find another like that with as good of shape as it is in. For less than a grand you could have it driving down the road happily.
I no longer care about good windows, straight panels, or nice paint...gimme no rot and I'm happy.
My wife would kill me but I'd jump on a truck like that if it showed up locally for that price.
"TWO BIG UGLY TRUCKS!"

I think the smog thing is wrong as well. Called the cops or the local inspection place? I dunno about WI but in Michigan the Secretary of State's office is NOT on the "good place to get correct answers" list.
Even if you have to put cats on it wouldn't be hard at all. Two cats off of eBay, a sawzall, and a few clamps/band clamps and problem solved.
 
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