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Good purchase or stay as far away as possible???

PhoenixZorn

PhoenixZorn

1/2 ton status
Joined
Mar 17, 2005
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Location
West Allis, WI
In Watertown (a few miles from me) there are 2 K5s with really ****ty bodies, but newly built engines and dual shock coilover suspension on one, leaf springs on the other. Both of these things are rusted out to the point of the seats sagging, the power windows in the back don't work, but they run great.

Truck number 1 is for sale for $1200.00... it has all the makings of a superb truggy, except for the silly price I have to pay (which the guy says is to cover the cost of the engine rebuild, which I can understand.)

Truck number 2 is also for sale at about $1500-2000... I don't recall, and the body is not in as bad of shape, but still not anything like my rust free 86... Also has a recently rebuilt engine, but again, nothing inside the truck works... including gauges.

Both trucks have 35s and dual exhaust with a very nice, but slight lopey idle to them... both are automatic trannys.

Would any of you buy either of these truck either as a project truck or as a parts truck? I need your opinions... They aren't going anywhere soon, they've been for sale almost a year now, and I don't think anyone is interested currently... I could probably talk #1 down to $800, and #2 down to $1000-1200... both trucks are being sold by the same guy, but his brother owns #1, and was adamant last time I talked to him about getting $1200. I offered $500.oo cash on the spot and he refused.

What should i do? I have plans of making a truggy, so either one would be great in that respect, but I don't think I should pay for a nice engine in a ****ty body... I could get a new engine for a few hundred more than they want to sell for.
 
i would look for one with a nicer body and no motor, then you can put in what you want. you wont know how good they were "rebuilt" anyways.

as luch as i look for k5's, everytime i say i need to buy one, the next few days, there pops up another one at a better deal.
 
Would you buy any K5 for $100 no matter what? I have been offerred this deal and I feel that I would be stupid not to jump on this... Title is clean, I checked.
 
With the stories of people buying trucks with "built 350"s in them, and turning out to POS's, or 305's, etc., I'd never pay for a motor unless I personally knew the history of it.

Just my opinion.
 
I agree!

Doesent sound like a big bargain--you can buy rusty K5's here for next to nothing if you get it before it hits the junkyard--about 500 or less is a common price around here for an older,kinda rusty K5 or pickup that needs other work as well..

I have had my share of "rebuilt" motors that didnt pan out well--I had a six cylinder 292 motor that was "completely rebuilt"--it ran great for 2 weeks,then smoked so badly I could not drive the truck!(66 GMC 3/4 ton 4x4)--I pulled it out and put a 350 in it,and when I took it apart to see why it smoked,I discovered only some new rings were installed
(I suspect the old ones were re-installed after they broke a few of the new ones when they tried installing them!)--and 3 pistons had collapsed skirts,and were rather loose fit in the cylinders--must have been his first attempt at honing and putting a motor together..

I bought the truck at a cheap price,and suspected the motor wasnt much good,but took my chances,didnt mind replacing it due to the truck being decent otherwise--but if I paid over 1000 bucks for it(back then) I would have felt cheated..I see many trucks with "rebuilt" motors in the want ads and swap meets--I'd rather buy one with a junk or fixable motor cheaper and do it over myself--then at least you know how it was done--or drop in another good runner from something else--usually that works out even better and cheaper than most rebuilds do..:crazy:
 
i tend to look at cars/trucks as a collection of parts more than the complete vehicle.

let's say $2,000 gets both trucks home (maybe cheaper, maybe not)

you now have in you driveway:
-4 half ton axles, (which will break with the 35s, they would the way i drive:blush: ), what gears are in them? lockers? limited slips? half ton stuff isn't really good for anything over 33s anyway. you said you want truggys, so they're out. how much $$ can you sell these for?

-2 engines that you aren't sure about. you only need one for your truggy. can you build 2 into 1? do you want a 454 or a diesel or something? if so you'll be selling these.

-2 trannys and t-cases. they're what you want or they aren't.

-8 35" tires. this seems like the sweetest part of the deal to me. what brand of tires? tread depth? you could try to run front and rear dually on 1 ton axles for lots of floatation. that would be cool.

-2 poopy bodies. they're all rusted and stuff. too rusted to cut into a truggy? only you know that. keep in mind most truggys are 4 slivers of fender, half a grille and some hood.

seats and stuff. maybe you have a barn you could put these in for partys, maybe you have other trucks they could go in.

based on what you've told us, i would not buy if i were you. it seems to me it'd be alot easier to cut down a pickup which has better drivetrain for a truggy than to build up a k5.

hope this helps:)
 
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