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Help with a budget.

M

MotoDad883

Registered Member
Joined
Dec 23, 2024
Posts
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Location
Provo, UT
Hey all! New poster here. I'm looking into building a K5 for a family rock crawler/overlander. Right of the bat my first hurdle is fitting all 6 of us, and maybe the 110 lb black lab. My thought is to have 4 bucket seats instead of the rear bench plus a jump seat. Keep an isle open down the middle. Has anyone ever seen this done? I would love some guidance on swaps and parts to ultimately find out how many internal organs I'll have to sell to afford a build like this. I have experience building Jeeps, powetrain, lifts, steel fab etc. But not with the K5. Does anyone have a parts list and suggested budget? I would want it really solid to take a beating. Able to drive on the road, but primarily for 4x4. I'm thinking the following:
- At least 38" tires on bead lockers
- Beefy axles to handle said tires, 1 ton?
- Disc brakes
- Lockers front and rear
- Lifted enough for flex but not be too tall
- Fuel injected motor, LS 350?
- Roll cage
- 6 seats
- Spare tire carrier and cargo rack
- Beefy front and rear bumpers
- Winch
- On board air
- A/C not needed, but for sure a heater

I'm completely open to ideas to make it a capable, sturdy, fun, family wheeler worthy of Moab, elk hunting, overland camping, etc. Thanks in advance for your help!
 
MotoDad883 said:
Hey all! New poster here. I'm looking into building a K5 for a family rock crawler/overlander. Right of the bat my first hurdle is fitting all 6 of us, and maybe the 110 lb black lab. My thought is to have 4 bucket seats instead of the rear bench plus a jump seat. Keep an isle open down the middle. Has anyone ever seen this done? I would love some guidance on swaps and parts to ultimately find out how many internal organs I'll have to sell to afford a build like this. I have experience building Jeeps, powetrain, lifts, steel fab etc. But not with the K5. Does anyone have a parts list and suggested budget? I would want it really solid to take a beating. Able to drive on the road, but primarily for 4x4. I'm thinking the following:
- At least 38" tires on bead lockers
- Beefy axles to handle said tires, 1 ton?
- Disc brakes
- Lockers front and rear
- Lifted enough for flex but not be too tall
- Fuel injected motor, LS 350?
- Roll cage
- 6 seats
- Spare tire carrier and cargo rack
- Beefy front and rear bumpers
- Winch
- On board air
- A/C not needed, but for sure a heater

I'm completely open to ideas to make it a capable, sturdy, fun, family wheeler worthy of Moab, elk hunting, overland camping, etc. Thanks in advance for your help!
Click to expand...
You need a three row suburban!
 
MotoDad883 said:
Hey all! New poster here. I'm looking into building a K5 for a family rock crawler/overlander. Right of the bat my first hurdle is fitting all 6 of us, and maybe the 110 lb black lab. My thought is to have 4 bucket seats instead of the rear bench plus a jump seat. Keep an isle open down the middle. Has anyone ever seen this done? I would love some guidance on swaps and parts to ultimately find out how many internal organs I'll have to sell to afford a build like this. I have experience building Jeeps, powetrain, lifts, steel fab etc. But not with the K5. Does anyone have a parts list and suggested budget? I would want it really solid to take a beating. Able to drive on the road, but primarily for 4x4. I'm thinking the following:
- At least 38" tires on bead lockers
- Beefy axles to handle said tires, 1 ton?
- Disc brakes
- Lockers front and rear
- Lifted enough for flex but not be too tall
- Fuel injected motor, LS 350?
- Roll cage
- 6 seats
- Spare tire carrier and cargo rack
- Beefy front and rear bumpers
- Winch
- On board air
- A/C not needed, but for sure a heater

I'm completely open to ideas to make it a capable, sturdy, fun, family wheeler worthy of Moab, elk hunting, overland camping, etc. Thanks in advance for your help!
Click to expand...
No offense man, but, this belongs in the garage, not the driveway. Driveway is for projects underway, not plans.
Not trying to bust your balls. Rules are rules.
Obviously, bosses are OK with it. So, so am I…
 
Last edited:
MotoDad883 said:
Hey all! New poster here. I'm looking into building a K5 for a family rock crawler/overlander. Right of the bat my first hurdle is fitting all 6 of us, and maybe the 110 lb black lab. My thought is to have 4 bucket seats instead of the rear bench plus a jump seat. Keep an isle open down the middle. Has anyone ever seen this done? I would love some guidance on swaps and parts to ultimately find out how many internal organs I'll have to sell to afford a build like this. I have experience building Jeeps, powetrain, lifts, steel fab etc. But not with the K5. Does anyone have a parts list and suggested budget? I would want it really solid to take a beating. Able to drive on the road, but primarily for 4x4. I'm thinking the following:
- At least 38" tires on bead lockers
- Beefy axles to handle said tires, 1 ton?
- Disc brakes
- Lockers front and rear
- Lifted enough for flex but not be too tall
- Fuel injected motor, LS 350?
- Roll cage
- 6 seats
- Spare tire carrier and cargo rack
- Beefy front and rear bumpers
- Winch
- On board air
- A/C not needed, but for sure a heater

I'm completely open to ideas to make it a capable, sturdy, fun, family wheeler worthy of Moab, elk hunting, overland camping, etc. Thanks in advance for your help!
Click to expand...
The only fuel injected LS motor that is a “350” is an LS1. Only made a few years

350 is an early engine. Most of the blazers and suburbans you’ll see are 350 power, some being injected

LS engine would be a swap, that incurs cost and adds difficulty, but is a better choice for power unless you know what you’re doing with a 350
 
Bent77 said:
$20k
Was the number that hit in my head
Click to expand...
While I love the sound of that number. I’ve blown atleast that much on stupid shit odds and ends and mine doesn’t even run yet.
Now, I’m not saying you can’t do it, I want you to do it, just so you can say you did.
But, I’m afraid reality will set in at some point.
 
BoondocK5 said:
While I love the sound of that number. I’ve blown atleast that much on stupid shit odds and ends and mine doesn’t even run yet.
Now, I’m not saying you can’t do it, I want you to do it, just so you can say you did.
But, I’m afraid reality will set in at some point.
Click to expand...
I always tell people to add 20-30% to what you actually price out.

Eventually the dumb things add up that weren’t on that list. It’s been a consistent number for inflation in most of my builds
 
Melinda just rolls her eyes when I say “I’ve only got $X amount into my Chloe”
The Dana 60 with all its cool race parts I’ve got for it, realistically, probably $2500.
Even my 14 bolt with the spool, the gears, bearings the diff cover. Is atleast a $1K
Coyote beadlocks $1K, not to mention the week of getting beat up installing them.
4 wheel Parts wanted $1500 to install those beadlocks. I wasn’t paying it. The install sucked bad.
My doubler from Northwest fab. Was almost $1K plus the 2 day build.
I spent almost 750 for my front A bomb bumper, which still isn’t finished.
I’ve got atleast $5K into the 8.1 liter.
Atleast $1K into the T400 new converter flex plate, and associated little parts to make it work.
Tires, yikes TIRES! Close to $8K into the tires I wanted. Now I think I should have went bigger.

This is what happens. It just snowballs
To call it a money pit, is the understatement of the century!
I’m not trying to talk you out of it, in fact, quite the opposite.
Just remember, at some point…
 
BoondocK5 said:
Melinda just rolls her eyes when I say “I’ve only got $X amount into my Chloe”
The Dana 60 with all its cool race parts I’ve got for it, realistically, probably $2500.
Even my 14 bolt with the spool, the gears, bearings the diff cover. Is atleast a $1K
Coyote beadlocks $1K, not to mention the week of getting beat up installing them.
4 wheel Parts wanted $1500 to install those beadlocks. I wasn’t paying it. The install sucked bad.
My doubler from Northwest fab. Was almost $1K plus the 2 day build.
I spent almost 750 for my front A bomb bumper, which still isn’t finished.
I’ve got atleast $5K into the 8.1 liter.
Atleast $1K into the T400 new converter flex plate, and associated little parts to make it work.
Tires, yikes TIRES! Close to $8K into the tires I wanted. Now I think I should have went bigger.

This is what happens. It just snowballs
To call it a money pit, is the understatement of the century!
I’m not trying to talk you out of it, in fact, quite the opposite.
Just remember, at some point…
Click to expand...
At some point

Moar Powa!
 
BoondocK5 said:
No offense man, but, this belongs in the garage, not the driveway. Driveway is for projects underway, not plans.
Not trying to bust your balls. Rules are rules.
Obviously, bosses are OK with it. So, so am I…
Click to expand...
Hey no worries, I wasn't sure which and flipped a coin.
 
Bent77 said:
The only fuel injected LS motor that is a “350” is an LS1. Only made a few years

350 is an early engine. Most of the blazers and suburbans you’ll see are 350 power, some being injected

LS engine would be a swap, that incurs cost and adds difficulty, but is a better choice for power unless you know what you’re doing with a 350
Click to expand...
Ok, I was looking at crate motors and I definitely like the idea of newer power, like a 6.2 L assuming it'll fit.
 
Bent77 said:
Twin transfer case
Click to expand...
I thought that's what that meant but didn't want to look stupid if I got it wrong. I might get to that eventually but I think for our purposes it's not really needed. Maybe I'm wrong and someone will convince me it's necessary.
 
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