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Daily Driver?

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K5HOONIGAN

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Hey everyone, new to the forum. My first car was an 87 K5, which I have since sold. I'm looking to buy a 69-75 K5 this spring with the intention of daily driving it in the summer. How good or bad do you think these trucks fair as DDs? A lot of it will be around town driving, with a good amount of 250 mile trips. I remember what my 87 was like, i'm assuming the older models will be a little worse?
 
I DD'd my 87 for about a year. Stock and lifted. It wasn't horrible. you're gonna want to find one that's as stock as possible with nothing more than a 31" tire for those long trips. Unless gas prices don't bother you.

And you know new england. I hope you're planning on finding one in a rust free part of the country and shipping it up here.
 
It would really depend on what you buy. Around town driving is a lot different than a 250 mile road trip. I'd be looking for something that had been mildly restored and EFI in the interest of fuel efficiency. Four wheel disc brakes and a sensible lift are also things to think about

Just my two cents, I'm by no means a K5 expert. I got my '69 K5 around thanksgiving, so those are the items I would be thinking about. Mine gets driven daily, it has a thirsty v8 with a broken gas gauge so I don't know or care about mileage. It doesn't on many long trips but it makes daily trips around town. Good luck on your quest.:waytogo:
 
Yea, unforunately gas could be an issue. It will more than likely be stock at first, but I will want a smaller lift and bigger tires at some point. Going out of the "salt belt" is a must haha, thats also why I said i'll be driving it the summer only, there's no way I would put it through a VT winter, that's what I have a beater audi for :)
 
There are some for sale in the classified section right here on this site. May need to be a paying member to get in there. Maybe you can look at the ads but can't reply or something.

On that same note, there are plenty of people here willing to check out a truck across country that is local to them and give you an unbiased report on it, take pics, etc. Being a paid member here helps in that aspect also.
 
I daily drove mine for 6 months - 40 miles a day - before I took it apart. :D Had to fill up every 4 days if all I did was go to work and back...

I just sold my dodge, so now it's back to my only vehicle:D If you want comfort and economy it's not gonna happen. If you love driving older vehicles for what they are it's more than doable. Just remember that older stuff NEEDS the regular maintenance and stuff like checking the oil when you fill up needs to become second nature again. Everything else is gravy:waytogo:
 
Dd'd my 85 for a year almost. I loved every second of it. Hate the frequent gas station stops but i can live with it. You would be amazed the comments you get driving a decent looking one around, that does it for me :waytogo:
 
I love my '76. It's my DD/work truck/camping-hunting-fishing rig.

Honestly, it gets used as my DD & work truck because I need to haul stuff around, sometimes on unpaved roads or on muddy sites. If I could do my job without the hauling part, or without the need for 4x4, I would definitely pick something else to drive every day. Gas mileage is awful, and with fuel up around $4/gal, it gets expensive in a hurry. Of course, having a carb and a 203 doesn't help much.

I guess you need to look at your DD needs and go from there. If you don't care about gas and like the idea of riding around in a topless K5, with room to carry people or gear, then have at it.
 
I drove my 72 K5 just about daily back in the late 80's,when all I had was that,and a '69 GTO...the Blazer was my first choice for winter driving,as I hated getting the GTO salty..I worked 70 miles away and commuted every day,a 90 minute trip,and though the Blazer wasn't exactly a caddy,I liked it a lot (and still miss it!)--I liked sitting up higher and being able to see over other vehicles,and you got a lot more respect on the roads in that thing too.............................................................................................................................................................................................................I put a power leather bench seat it from a Lincoln to improve driver comfort,and I dont recall ever feeling sore or beat after a long drive in it....about the only gripe I had with the truck was the gas mileage,and I wasn't really satisfied with the 4 speed I swapped into it to replace a dying TH350..I liked it better with the automatic,3.08 gearing and a 4 speed sucked...I also had a 1971 CST K5 and a 1975 2WD Blazer that I drove daily after I sold the 72,which I owned for over 8 years!....and a 1971 GMC K1500 too....I prefer my old GM's over any newer vehicle,if not for the gas costs,thats all I'd own probably...
 
All things considered, it's more condition, than anything.

Think about what would SUCK to commute in, and buy the opposite. :D
 
Been DDing square bodies off and on for 15 years. As much as I love the sm465, if you are going to be doing a lot of stoplight/stop and go crap, a slush box sure is nice. Stock height to 2" lift for best ride quality. Q jet, or retro in FI...

Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL
 
I don't know if anyone has said this, yet;
But I'd pay VERY close attention to the steering, and joints, etc.

Nothing worse than a DD, w/ Death Wobble. :haha:
 
Well its good to know that some people are willing to check trucks out for you. I know I could be a lot more comfortable and save a lot more money in something else, but I want an old k5 again, and you only go around once. An FI swap would definitely be in the plans at some point if I end up getting one.
 
fear_nothing said:
I'd be looking for something that had been mildly restored and EFI in the interest of fuel efficiency.
Click to expand...

I have been following this thread as well. I want a K5, found one, and going to go look at it but I am still weighing this decision out.

The one I found was a 84 w/ carb. Realistically how much more fuel efficiency do you really get w/ EFI vs. a well set up carb?

I do not want to hijack thread but if you wanted more MPG's isn't the cheapest thing to just drop a J-code 6.2L in there (I know the motor ain't all that but hey 20mpg seems worth it)
 
jamacee said:
I have been following this thread as well. I want a K5, found one, and going to go look at it but I am still weighing this decision out.

The one I found was a 84 w/ carb. Realistically how much more fuel efficiency do you really get w/ EFI vs. a well set up carb?

I do not want to hijack thread but if you wanted more MPG's isn't the cheapest thing to just drop a J-code 6.2L in there (I know the motor ain't all that but hey 20mpg seems worth it)
Click to expand...

Yes, but you can only properly tune a carb so much. Temp, humidity, altitude, etc. all effect the efficiency and that can change on a day to day basis. Yes you can get decent mileage out of a properly tuned carb, especially a q-jet, but it won't be as good as FI. Simply because FI compensates for everything on the spot (in the simplest description).

And I do agree, a diesel will net the best mileage overall. But typically isn't cost effective to swap into a truck that is not already equipped.
 
A full interior, including carpet, insulation, fresh appolstry really make a huge difference.

Also OVERDRIVE is a huge thing to be looking for. But finding a full vert with overdrive swapped in is very hard to do. So you may have to do that yourself.

EFI as mentioned before greatly improves drivability. I used to be a die hard carb guy, then I smartened up after getting frustrated with constant carb adjustments and waiting for the engine to warm up before I could drive anywhere. With EFI its start up and go which is important for a DD.

I used to daily drive my K10 for almost 6 years before gas prices got the best of me But even now I still have no problem driving it anywhere.
 
I plate and insure the following:

1982 K30 3+3 long box 454 SM465/NP205, Dana 60/14bff 3.73's, 36x12.50x16.5 TSL's
1985 K5 350, TH350/NP208, 10 bolt/10 bolt, 3.08's, 31x10.5x15 BFG All Terrains
1987 V10 long box 350 TBI, SM465/NP208, 10 bolt/10 bolt, 3.42's, 31x10.5x15 BFG Mud Terrains
1988 V10 Suburban (heavily modded) 350 TBI, SM465/NP208 Dana 44/14bff, 4.10's, 315/70R17 BFG All Terrains
1990 K5 350 TBI SM465/NP203/NP205 Dana 60/14bff, 4.56's 325/85R16 Michelin XML's
1995 Carpenter 71 passenger school bus.

The 1985 has a blown engine in it right now. I am not sure if I want to replace it, or just haul it to iron. I drove that the most last summer. I just put an engine back into my '90 K5, and have now been driving it the most. I would say you definitely want EFI. I have grown to hate carburetors. Other than the poor gas mileage, I love DD'ing the odd hunks of ****. I would also recommend an overdrive if you go automatic, or an SM465. Some people seem to not like the SM465's. I love them. If I put an engine in the '85 K5, and keep it on the road, it will get an SM465 when the automatic lets go. If you do go with an SM465, the hydraulic clutch does make it easier on your left leg.

Martin
 
82355 said:
Some people seem to not like the SM465's. I love them. If I put an engine in the '85 K5, and keep it on the road, it will get an SM465 when the automatic lets go. If you do go with an SM465, the hydraulic clutch does make it easier on your left leg.

Martin
Click to expand...

I agree on both of these. I plan to run EFI in the near future for cool-factor/reliability for when anyone else drives it, but I can honestly say my carbed 355 is as reliable as they come. Turn the key and go pretty much. I've put upwards of 400 miles on it at a time and I've never had anything smaller than 38's either...

I love my 465 also. I don't think the gearing is bad in them, and they are plenty strong! I have the hydro clutch as well and it is very nice:waytogo:

The biggest thing to realize is that an old truck is louder, less efficient, many times less comfortable, and not nearly as smooth as a newer vehicle. There is a ton of slop in the driveline of an old truck like this. Put leaf springs in the mix and it's bumpy. They "stink" a little (according to some people) and don't get the same mileage. What I love about old iron is that they're not the same crap everyone else is driving. I love the looks I get running my blazer around town. Little kids about pee every time I drive by. If you can deal with the "cons" I'd say go for the old K5! There'll be days where you'll get very mad at it and maybe yourself, but every time you get behind the wheel you'll remember why you wanted it in the first place:waytogo:
 
Yep.

Oh, and you'll want a complete interior. My big K5 had the interior stripped by the previous owner. I hate it. Factory Silverado trim goes a long ways to making them more enjoyable to drive.

Then again, Silverado wasn't a trim level yet in the earlier models you are looking at.

Martin
 
I just quit DDing my '91 almost 2 weeks ago. My 40 plus mile daily commute was costing me $100 a week just for the blazer... I miss driving it, and it kills me to see it just sitting there, but if gas predictions are right it'll be costing me almost $150/week by summer... I think mine was about as fuel efficient as possible with all my modifications, its just hard to get a brick to get good mileage. I never thought I'd say it, but I may end up selling it all together, we'll see what happens. I hear the new Fiats are nice...:haha:
 
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