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Getting a new truck.

colbystephens

colbystephens

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So I visited my grandpa yesterday and first thing he says when I walk in the door is, "So when's that truck out there going to go home with you?" He was referencing the '83 C20 that I've been eyeballing for years.

I've been wanting a pick-up for a while now, because my Blazer has lost its utilitarian versatility in favor of pure-wheeler because of the cage and rear floor mods, etc. I'd really like to have a crew cab 4x4 because it's a bit much to take 6 people and a dog in my Blazer up into the snow outside of town - and all I really need is a decent 4x4 for that - not a built crawler. I also want to be able to collect firewood and haul my sculptures and materials around...

Anyway, it's got 90K original miles on it (454/400/14ff), been parked for the last couple years. My grandpa is kinda stupid sometimes tho. He is really frugal with his money, but it translates into being a cheap ass sometimes. Someone told him that he had an exhaust leak, and it would be expensive to have the head machined down. So, he pulls the head off and tries to FILE the thing flat BY HAND. :doah: So, needless to say I'm going to have to pull the heads off of it and have them checked out/machined. :mad:

I think I'll clean it up over the next year or so and sell it and get a 4x4 crew cab later on. For now, it'll be perfect for summer time needs. :D
 
I bought an 82 C-20 for a backup vehicle and was forced to use it 1/2 of the winter.I was amazed the places it would go with studded snows and felt like a caddy after driving straight axle trucks for so long.IMO everyone needs a pickup.Good Luck and have fun with it.
 
Man your g-pa doesn't get out much huh? That's crazy with 90k original miles

while my grandpa maintains his truck very well he still managed to put over 300k on his '95 :eek1:

Good luck and it'll probably make ya a good truck once you get the heads fixed ;
 
well, it's his farm truck. he doesn't do any farming, he just has a large property and needed a way to haul branches and other yard debris around. he's rather ill - killing himself with emphysema, so it hasn't been driven in years by anyone except me.

he lives a couple hundred miles north of me, so i gotta save up for gas money to get it here... :haha: what do you think - 8 mpg w/ that 454 at best? that's a little different than my 21mpg 6.2 on 38's! :D
 
colbystephens said:
well, it's his farm truck. he doesn't do any farming, he just has a large property and needed a way to haul branches and other yard debris around. he's rather ill - killing himself with emphysema, so it hasn't been driven in years by anyone except me.

he lives a couple hundred miles north of me, so i gotta save up for gas money to get it here... :haha: what do you think - 8 mpg w/ that 454 at best? that's a little different than my 21mpg 6.2 on 38's! :D
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yeah that'll hurt the ole pocketbook.

didn't take into consideration the farm truck thinking :haha:
 
$65ish to get it here, i guess. :) here's a question: since the mileage is always going to suck severely with the BBC, does it make any difference if i cruise at 70 or 75 from what i'd be getting mileage wise at 55-60? i've read some guys have no difference between towing and unloaded with them, but i assume it's not towing a large load...
 
you're turning more rpms so i can't see it staying the same with how much faster you go :dunno:

I generally don't go faster than 60 in anything i drive though unless i'm on the highway. I've had my truck to 75

My Blazer i had to 90 once but it was really screaming
 
colbystephens said:
he lives a couple hundred miles north of me, so i gotta save up for gas money to get it here... :haha: what do you think - 8 mpg w/ that 454 at best? that's a little different than my 21mpg 6.2 on 38's! :D
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Keept it at 55mph and......well, thats about it. :haha:

You know, you could always keep grandpas' old beast and build it into a crew cab with crew-cab or suburban scrap parts, if you have any welding ability. It'd be a great keep-sake and its got the drivetrain you want........
 
I've thought about that - putting a front axle under it, divorced t-case, cc body. It doesn't have the drivetrain i'd want - I'd only keep the 14ff in it. plan is to get a crew cab and put a cummins in it, manual trans. ideally I'd get a one ton single rear wheel and put the dana 60 in my blazer and put the dana 44 under the crew cab.

i don't think i could put an 8 foot bed on this frame with a crew cab body either. i like the idea of the swap, but it just isn't reasonable. i don't have much sentimental attachment to the truck, so it won't be hard for me to give it up for what actually suits my needs later on.
 
My one ton and Burb both get the same mileage at 55 that they do at 75 its a big block it doesn't care except when all four are opened up then you can watch the gas gauge.
 
interesting. what is that mileage? do you think $65 for 200 miles at 2.40/gallon seems about right for estimating what it will cost for me to bring it down here?
 
My one ton gets 8 on propane or gas loaded or unloaded suburban gets aound ten going to Moab at 75-80 or around town. Which would you would probably need a little more then the $65 in both cases. Where is it at?
 
It's in Salem, Oregon. I'm basically on the border of Oregon and California on I5. ;)

200 miles divided by 8 mpg = 25 gallons times $2.50 a gallon for gas (it's actually $2.30/gal right now) = $62.50.
 
colbystephens said:
I've thought about that - putting a front axle under it, divorced t-case, cc body. It doesn't have the drivetrain i'd want - I'd only keep the 14ff in it. plan is to get a crew cab and put a cummins in it, manual trans. ideally I'd get a one ton single rear wheel and put the dana 60 in my blazer and put the dana 44 under the crew cab.

i don't think i could put an 8 foot bed on this frame with a crew cab body either. i like the idea of the swap, but it just isn't reasonable. i don't have much sentimental attachment to the truck, so it won't be hard for me to give it up for what actually suits my needs later on.
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yea,with what you want to do it wouldn't make any sense to use that truck as a starting platform if you don't have any sentimental attachment to it. Especially if all you were going to keep would be the 14BFF, when they're practically a dime-a-dozen these days

A cummins-powered crew-cab will be 'saweet!
 
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