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Got Me An '85 Jimmy

S

super k

1/2 ton status
Joined
Dec 4, 2004
Posts
209
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3
Location
Old Line State
I sold my '90 a few years ago due to the big "D". Things aren't much better yet,but I managed to grab this '85 last summer. I saw an old guy with the hood up on my way into town and stopped to see if I could help. His Duramax was stalling. In talking I came to realize who he was and that he used to have a basic bone stocker Jimmy with a 6.2. He said he still had it,the motor had been replaced 4-5 thousand miles back,it's just sitting now,and he'd consider selling. I was thinking of it as a donor for my '91 Suburban that has sat needing a motor since shortly after the X left. When I went to look I saw it was pretty darn nice,so I bought it to drive. Plans were to just get it good for a little travelin' & adventure rig. I figured just slap some 11.50/32s on a set of 8" steelies and put in some good tunes,both I have. Then I found out two things,tires took a big jump in price (WTF?) and 11.50/32s are getting to be less available. I started thinking I'd be happier with a 2-3" lift and 33s. But the way my money's runnin' and with the plan being "keep it simple" (and cheap) I've decided to go ahead and part out my Suburban. I'll take the Tuff Country springs,9000RSXs,axles,brake lines,35" MTRs,3" exhaust,and tilt column for the Jimmy. The Jimmy has a 700r4 that works fine,so that'll stay for now. The Suburban has a 4L80E that I'll save for later in either the Jimmy or '72 K2500 Sierra (soon to be 3500).
Anyway,that's the story and here's the Jimmy:

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That's not rust (through) in front of the rear tire. It's a spot where the paint is popped off and surface rusted. There's only a few surface rust spots on this thing,probably from sitting. The body is real clean. The original vinyl seats are still nice. It has 98,000 on it. It had a/c,am/fm,power windows/manual locks,and that's about it. Oh,yeah...auto hubs. Got that covered. The Suburban's axle has Warn Premiums already.
 
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I do,but they must be on my laptop my son kidnapped (his went south). I'm stuck with the old Frankenstein laptop that has no battery and dead screen. Has to be plugged into an old monitor. I'll grab that thing or take some more. The speaker hole area is shot in the dash pad,along with other cracks...go figure. But,I already picked up a sweet original in great shape. I like that this thing is Doeskin Tan w/Buckskin interior. I think it was ordered for a local county parks department that uses this color. It has a plug in the cowl on the left side where it probably was getting another antenna. The guy I bought it from,a farmer,was the original owner and the dealer it came from only sold GMC trucks and White tractors. This recession killed them. But,that was a cool dealership.
 
NICE SCORE!

Rebuilding after the big "D" sucks but you're not alone! Don't give up on it and keep going little by little.

I'm finally gonna get mine out and start tinkering again after it sitting for 3 years because of the big "D".

Good luck with it!

-Phil
 
Mine was my present to myself (and my dogs) after the D.
 
Yeah,it's been tough but nothing will stop me and my truck thing. Just slow it up a bit. I gave the guy his price but asked him to take payments...1/2 up front and I'd do my best to get it paid in about a month. This was lasy June and I managed to make it happen. My '72 has been waiting for it's transition for a few years.I have 1t axles,6" lift,wheels,tires,shocks,all waiting and every time I think I might get started my '92 that I'm keeping alive (my work truck) ends up needing something. I figure I'll get to swapping the Suburban stuff on this thing now,then have a back-up so I can tear into the '72 truck.
Here are a couple pictures of the Jimmy interior:

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Here's the Suburban I'm robbing the stuff from. I really liked this thing but something has to go. It's been sitting since '06 with a blown motor. I just can't do it all like I used to:
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The Jimmy should be a lot of fun. I'd like to get a soft top for it if I can sell a thing or two while I have some jobs to pay bills. Meanwhile I pulled a pair of sliding windows (privacy tint) from a crusty '91 Blazer a friend parted. I want to scuff the frames up and paint them satin black.
 
Yeah, that Suburban looks too nice to part out. That Jimmy looks damn nice on those stock steel wheels with the factory hub caps though.

Martin
 
I popped the hubcaps on there. The Suburban is a 6.2 also. I considered dropping a 350 in there. The whole beauty of the thing is it did all I needed and got 20 mpg. Dropping a 350 in there would change all that. The driver side quarter is caved in,the surface rust on the top is real bad,the rear rockers have rust,and behind the rear wheels has started since it sat (holes). That picture was like '04. Oh yeah,and some jerk ran into the front left corner a couple weeks before the motor went. So,the bumper,grille,core support,and one fender need replaced. All this is fixable,but hasn't happened yet. My plan was to find a clean $2-3k 'Burb and swap bodies & motor. But I just haven't had that kind of money in the last 5 years. I had a lot of nice stuff I had to get rid of,like the '90 Blazer. I bought that new and had it for 18 years. I was a Silverado but with vinyl,roll-up windows,solid color,and fixed side windows. It was red with black top,manual hubs,and 4spd. I wish I still had that. Then there were my two '72 K/20s. Both loaded Custom Camper models. One was a Cheyenne Super and the other a Custom Deluxe with the Highlander pkg. I had a mountain of choice parts cuz I'm in it for life. It's been a lesson in knowing when to let go,because I never let go of anything. My house still hangs in the balance. So,less is best right now. I'm getting down to the Jimmy,the '72 K2500,the Harley, and my '92 K3500 SRW work truck. I still have a '71 C/30 wrecker and '71 K/10 SWB to get rid of. The shortbed was a dream project that I am using parts for on the K2500 because it's more practical if you can only have one. I'm a contractor and have to have something good to work out of and the K2500 is my back-up truck for my aging '92.
 
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Here's the '90 Blazer I had:

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It was the family car. No lift,except some spring work on the front to level it up. It sat nose down when new. It had Hecko Hyrdro shocks,Helwig sway bar in the rear,Auburn Gear posis front and rear,headers/duals w/Flowmaster 40s,Alpine stereo with Polk Audio speakers,and walnut on the dash and door panels. I never really wheeled it.
 
What kind of wheels are those? reminds me of the old mags on my parent's 79 ramcharger. are those 33s stuffed in there?
 
COCHEV said:
What kind of wheels are those? reminds me of the old mags on my parent's 79 ramcharger. are those 33s stuffed in there?
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure those were called Turbo-Vecs, They were10" with 12.50/33s. It handled great. I liked how a '90 Blazer still had a style that was tied back to '73 and wanted wheels that took it back. And,wanted it to look custom,yet still tough. It was my wife's car after all. I had my trucks for real wheelin' and work. At the time I bought that I was driving an '84 K/20 Silverado Camper Special for my business. It had a 6.2/TH400 that I added a Banks Turbo and Gear Vendors o/d to.
Here's a picture of the same kind of wheel,in 8.25 x 16.5 that I hadon my '72 K2500:

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Here's the truck with them on:

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Thanks! That's the one '72 3/4t 4wd I'm left with. I had three,all sweet and well optioned. This one was going to be my camper rig with a Phoenix low profile,not too lifted,overdrive,and generally better distance driving. The Cheyenne Super I had was going to be the showy one because it was a full-tilt loaded truck that I had gathered a ton of N.O.S. for. The Custom Deluxe (Highlander) was my trucky truck for general use playin' and workin'. I had 1t axles for both,but sold one set and the other set goes under the white truck this summer,I hope. I have Tuff Country springs,12.50/37 SSRs,and 8.25 x 16.5 steelies and hub caps for it. The only thing hanging me up is I want to do a high-steer crossover on it and funds are tight. I'd go ahead and just do the lift but these axles have 3.54s and that's just too lame with the 37s. I also have a NP465/205 combo I'd like in there. The Highlander was a 4spd and I really liked that better.
Here's the Highlander I sold. I was trying to keep it and sell the GMC,but everyone was more interested in the blue paint and already lifted truck. It's not like I hate the GMC or that I couldn't lift it easily,so I took an offer (from a friend) and let the Highlander go:

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