I wouldn't be scared!
My 82 K20 had sat 2 years with a blown 6.2 in it,with the replacement boneyard motor sitting in the bed waiting to be installed--it was installed in the truck when I bought it,but the owner knew nothing about diesels,and had to get it out of the dealership's parking lot he worked at,so he sold it cheap to a friend of mine..who sold it at a slight profit to me,since I'd have to do quite a bit of tinkering to get it running..it had a freshly rebuilt TH400 in it,and supposedly the 6.2 they put in had 80,000 original miles (I don't believe that,but who knows)..
Anyway,after replacing some cracked rubber fuel lines,and using one of the dual tanks only(other one leaks,so I swapped the lines to the other one),a set of new glowplugs,and I got her fired up!--it plowed my driveway all last winter,we had 25 storms,and 9 feet of snow..I'd have been screwed without it--my other plow truck, a 74 K20 ,had lost reverse,and it was so rotted I cut it up and scrapped it!
That 1000 dollar K5 diesel Burblover is selling looks like a good deal--I'd be all over a K5 with a diesel,had I the cash--it would make a sweet plow truck,easier to manuver,and more room for all the junk I like to carry too..after seeing how my diesel plows,a K5 with one would be the berries!---a suburban is nice too,you can sleep in one if need be,and despite the size and wheelbase,they can go anywhere a longbed pickup can..a diesel one would be my first choice in a burb..better fuel milage!..
..
I'd say buy it before its too late,after you hear it run of course (if possible--I gambled on mine,and won...) wont hurt to jew him down on the price if possible,but 1500 is a fair price if its not rusted..
