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Convince me to keep the K5 please!

Russell

Russell

3/4 ton status
GMOTM Winner
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Jun 23, 2000
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Location
Rocky View County, AB
So, I am at something of a crossroads...

My K5 is my baby, don't get me wrong! I love the thing to bits, but life has made it really difficult to work on it, and as I get older, the motivation to get things done is less and less too... As some of you may know, I moved way up North to take a job in the Albertan Tar Sands, and property up here is crazy expensive. I've decided to just keep renting for a little while longer till a better deal shows up on the market as far as housing goes, which leaves me with no place to put the K5, so it is just sitting out at my parent's place right now.

The good with it:

6.2L turbo diesel engine
NV3500 5 speed stick / NP241
1 ton axles
Winch
OBA (York Compressor setup)
Very good condition for our area


It needs:

- New heads to step up to the more modern fine threaded short injectors, injection pump, injection lines, injectors and head studs
- New rear axle (have a 14BSF I'd like to put in, but needs re-gearing)
- New driveshafts (needs long slip / high angles from Tom Woods)
- Total suspension overhaul (talking links)
- Bigger tires
- New windsheild
- Bumpers front and rear

Add all the above up, and we are talking thousands of bucks for not a whole lot of gain, and I am still left with a mid 80s rig that doesn't perform as well offroad as I'd like (tippy in our really off camber terrain, rides rough, no wheel speed with the diesel), and is a PITA to haul around on a trailer all the time. Not only that, but the truck is way too dimensionally large for the Jeep dominated trails, and is too heavy to get pulled out by the Jeeps I wheel with all the time (only one or two other K5 guys in the area)

So, my current thought is to sell the Jimmy, and put the money towards a ready built 2003 Jeep Rubicon I know of. Its in much better shape, has all the right upgrades done, and can be comfortably be driven on the highway as a commuter to keep from racking up the 1k a week miles I am putting on my $30 000 Duramax right now.

So, should I keep the K5 and spend thousands more on it building it to be what the Rubicon is out of the box, or do I sell and go to a more common / supported Jeep chassis and use it as a commuter to make my Duramax last a bit longer

Never thought this would ever even be a consideration, to tell the truth!

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Why would you downgrade to a semi floater just out of curiosity?

Martin
 
keep the K5! everyone wheels jeeps.

and if nothing else park it for now and wait until you can have a place for it.

and just take care of the D-max and the thing should last forever. a freind works at an excavating company that runs D-max chevs as work trucks and they beat the **** out of them and they all just keep goin and going.
 
Not that I don't like driving the Duramax, just that I am gonna mile it out in just a year or two if I keep racking up the miles as quick as I have been. Rather keep it for towing / hauling etc rather than just commuting.

The Jeep is cheap, and as you said 79RustyK10, everyone wheels Jeeps. Makes things at lot more convenient when everyone's spare parts will work on your rig, and you are sized the same so you can go to all the same places.

Oh, and as far as the semi floater goes -- I don't see it as a downgrade at all. Much smaller housing size which increases ground clearance, it has an ARB air locker in it, and is still a beef house no matter how you look at it.
 
Keep the Jimmy , you'll need it for the Alaska trip next summer.




And jeeps are for Cheerleaders
 
Honestly, no rig is ever done. You will buy the jeep and continue to mod it because that's what men do. Your going to probably spend more in the long run. Why not do like stomis and build you a nice little s10? Or if you want to get rid of the dmax for the miles your putting on it then DD the k5? You have the 6.2 so you will get good mpg
 
I know you're a diesel guy, but what about a gas engine swap for the K5. A 5.3 or 6.0 would have more power everywhere, and you could get all kinds of wheel speed for mud, hill climbs or whatever.




And yes, Jeeps are for cheerleaders lol
 
You'll prob be lucky to get 12 mpg in that jeep if it's lifted and stuff already. My buddy just bought a 03 and he gets 14 with a 31 inch tire
 
You gota do what you gota do right.Personaly I would never want a deisle for the simple reason parts are expensive.A good old small block for me.Look at it this way.There is still a lot of blazers and jimmys out there in good shape and good prices so you can always get another if you want.Its just a bunch of rubber and steel.
 
Your right its a terrible rig, you should give it to me for disposal. Pm me your parents address and i will come take it off your hands for you for FREE :haha:
 
So I typed out this big long response. Deleted it all. How much do you like to drive your blazer?

That is all. If you love your blazer now you will regret getting rid of it. You may end up loving the jeep too but you know you enjoy driving your blazer.

Even if its a couple years before you can really get to work on it, it will be worth it.
 
You've already made up your mind...

I'm not giving you the approval either way...

10 years from now, you'll either miss the old K5 and wished that you had never sold it... Or, you'll be staring at it trying to figure out how to afford the time and money for the next thing in a long line of building...

Hard choice, but you have to make it... No one else can do that for you...




Or, you could always flip a coin...:D
 
It's like trying to decide if you should dump your ol' lady for that cute young waitress that keeps smiling at you. You know you're tempted to but do you want to leave something that you're so familiar with and invested so much time, energy and money on. Either way you'll be second guessing yourself 10 yrs later playing the 'what if' game.
 
You could always hook up the chain with the Jeeps and show them who's boss...

My friend got stuck in a Jeep once, coming out of a creek crossing up a steep hill. So I hooked my K10 up backwards and pulled him out. His engine stalled as he let the clutch out and I pulled him up the hill and out and jump started his engine for him at the same time...

My sister had a Jeep once, it was a cute Jeep. Had the 4 cyl with 33s, wouldn't get out of it's own way. Accelleration was stellar, went from 0 - 60 in 2.3 weeks.

And how can you sell the K5 after it has that awesome crossover steering?
 
You have already made your decision. Why else would you ask on cK5 if you should get a jeep :(?

Now you just need to acknowledge your decision.
 
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