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Can I repair my truck for $3500, or should I just buy another one?

Jessie James

Jessie James

1/2 ton status
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Location
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So I've been looking at replacing my 1991 Blazer with another of the same. I'm thinking of doing this because my truck has a number of issues.

First, rust. (Surprise! :haha:) So the rear passenger floors and kick panels are gone. Completely gone about 12" up the side of the cab, and about 8" in from the side towards the middle of the floor. The rocker panels are gone. The rear tailgate pan is shot, so the hinges for the tailgate are no longer mounted to the truck. While the floorpan back there is okay, I am guessing it has to be cut out and replaced to replace the part that goes from side to side with the hinge mount. There are also 1 or 2 body support structures which are rusted out. Otherwise there is a lot of surface rust on the body and frame which doesn't seem too bad.

Second, blown head gasket. Valve job is needed. Otherwise the engine runs very, very well. I figure I do a valve job and I'm done.

Third, transmission. It's dead. Needs to be rebuilt or replaced.

Forth, the interior is crappy. The dash, carpet, door panels, cargo area panels, and headliner are all shot.

Fifth, the tires need to be replaced, as they are 10 years old.

Sixth, the tailgate glass mechanism needs several parts replaced, like the part that holds the glass to the arms, and the cover and bolts. The gate key does not work.

I can do a lot of work myself, like the interior. I don't know how to weld, or fix the transmission, and I'd have someone do the valve job (I'll pull the heads) and resurface them.

My budget is $3500.

I'd like to have it re-painted, and I'd like to get a soft top, but that's not crucial. My paint is in excellent condition for some reason.

So what's your take on this guys? Is it smart to keep my truck, or sell it and just buy one that needs less work?
 
Pics?

Based off the description, I'd sell and buy something in better shape! It sounds like you've got a LOT of work needed to get yours back to good condition. $3500? If you are patient and keep an eye out, you can find a good, solid runner for that much! That way you don't have to battle a ton of rust and mechanical problems! :eek1:
 
And more ...

Unfortunately it's dark and raining, so the last shot of the truck doesn't do it justice. The paint is in great shape. Very shiny, nearly immaculate. The cap needs paint, but once I take it off the thing looks darn good!

blowedupmotor87 said:
$3500?

Here ya go!!!:
http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=268230

For sale from a brother too! If I had the cash I'd love to pick it up! :thumb:
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I actually looked at that truck this weekend. While the rust isn't as bad as mine, it has lots of other small issues that I don't want to deal with, especially for that price.

IMG_3403.JPG

IMG_3404.JPG

IMG_3405.JPG
 
I should add that while my budget is $3500, most trucks at that price level still seem to have issues. So I really would be looking for a truck around $2500 - $3000 and then have a little cash left over to fix whatever needs to be fixed.

The previous truck I looked at which was $2500, for example, needed:

Injectors
Complete exhaust - headers, cat, muffler, tailpipe
Ball joints or something else front end related.
A/C work
Vent control work
Carpet
Tires
Paint
Repair the cap as the owner drilled holes through it to mount eyebolts. :doah:

I didn't do a full inspection because the fact was that it was not drivable, and I needed to be able to drive it 7 hours home AND tow my car behind it.

So ... that's my point.

I'd pay more for a low mileage CLEAN truck, but I'd have to get a loan. I saw a 1991 with 42k miles on it for $6800 which I was all about, but it sold yesterday. :flipoff7:
 
well what you really need to do is use some of your budget for an airplane ticket
fly out and get something from a non-rust state
that way you can feel better about fixing up a truck that's not falling apart

I'd hate to loose a CA truck to you lol, but it's an idea you might want to think about. I over paid for my 85 now that the engine doesn't work, but I could have patched it together for cheap. Paid 1400. But the interior is crap, had no gauges, etc. BUT, it drives really nice, has zero rust, decent seats out of a mid 90s truck, AC/heat works, and passed smog.

There are tons of rigs around here that are in nice shape but have boat anchor engines or trans. Buy for a good price and you're ahead of the game by a SH!T load.
 
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I helped a buddy of mine pick up a parts blazer one time that had perfect looking paint but, that was about all that was holding the body together, LOL! It was completely rusted out behind the paint, but the paint looked mint!

Yours still looks to be salvageable but, it's gonna be a lot of work! If you can do body work yourself, it would be doable but, if you have to pay somebody else, it is gonna get PRICEY fast!!! If this is a long term project, you could take it as a learning experience and start learning to weld! There's been quite a few guys on here that have started a project like your rig with little to no prior knowledge and ended up with a great end result. :thumb:
 
K85 Octane said:
well what you really need to do is use some of your budget for an airplane ticket
fly out and get something from a non-rust state
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I've seriously thought about that. I'm just so skeptical of sellers. Every seller I have worked with has conveniently "forgotten" to tell me of many, many issues with their trucks. Now if they told me up front, I'd be totally cool with that.

There are a few out there which sound cool. One needs a tranny. Ok, I can do that. One needs a rear end. Okay, fine. But that means I can't drive it, which means I won't know about ... high speed vibrations, bad brakes, engine stumbles, front end issues, etc. That is a deal breaker for me.

I'm looking at a truck that is 18 hours away, for example. The guy wants $4500 for it, said he bought it for $7k from CA. Says it's really clean. Okay, sure, I'll bite. So I called him and spoke to him for a while and finally get him to email me some photos. It's clearly got issues with rust as well, I can see it from the photos. He advertised the truck as rust free. To top it off, the photos he posted in the ad are NOT current. They look like the photos from when he bought it 4 years ago! So I don't truck him, no way I am flying out there. If I do, then I am stuck with no way to get home unless I pony up $600 for a return flight.

So basically, I have to see it in person or get someone to do a REAL careful inspection, and I hate to put people out like that.
 
blowedupmotor87 said:
I helped a buddy of mine pick up a parts blazer one time that had perfect looking paint but, that was about all that was holding the body together, LOL! It was completely rusted out behind the paint, but the paint looked mint!

Yours still looks to be salvageable but, it's gonna be a lot of work! If you can do body work yourself, it would be doable but, if you have to pay somebody else, it is gonna get PRICEY fast!!! If this is a long term project, you could take it as a learning experience and start learning to weld! There's been quite a few guys on here that have started a project like your rig with little to no prior knowledge and ended up with a great end result. :thumb:
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The other half of the issue is that I don't want a major project. I just want a clean rig to drive. I can do the little things, but I'm getting older and just don't like tearing into cars any more. I've owned over 110 cars so I've had my fun ... :D
 
Jessie James said:
The other half of the issue is that I don't want a major project. I just want a clean rig to drive. I can do the little things, but I'm getting older and just don't like tearing into cars any more. I've owned over 110 cars so I've had my fun ... :D
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You are going to look for awhile if you want to spend $3500 on a truck and not have to work on it. You have the last of the K5 (91) and you see what kind of shape your truck is in. Your looking for a 20 year old truck and expecting it to be in pristine condition for cheap.

Seems like you have to start a major project or get a bigger truck budget.
 
I'm fine with increasing my budget, but it's got to be for a clean non-modified truck. I'm willing to go upwards of $7k to $8k for something immaculate.

I wish I had snagged that 42k mile one for $6800. Doh!

Otherwise, if I had to buy something which needs work, $3500 is about my limit.
 
dont forget oregon and washington. a descent truck around here goes for 2500-3500. and pretty easy to find. no or very little rust.
in oregon we find a nice body and keep putting engines i them. unlike you poor people who find a good engine and keep butting it in different vehicles.:D
if you want somthing looked at near portland- just let me know.
 
Thanks, I have feeds setup for all the major cities in the US. I miss driving my K5! :(
 
My K5 is actually pretty solid and I am looking to replace it too... I love the platform, but hate sheet metal work! If your truck is that rusty in places you can see, it is 10x worse in places where you can't... I doubt you can repair it for 3500 bucks, but if you were to buy one of those trucks from say Arizona for about that much then swap all your goodies over, you can probably pull it off
 
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