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In the market for another K5 or truck. Need advice.

nad

nad

1/2 ton status
Joined
Dec 29, 2005
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Location
Festus, MO
Okay, so most of you probably don't remember me, I have been on the forums for a few years, and had an 87 GMC Jimmy lifted w/ blocks on 35" tires that was basically a pain in the ass and didn't perform very well.

I since sold it because I got a new job and had to get a decent daily driver to get back and forth. So I bought a 2005 Silverado for that.

Since then I've bought my first house with a 2 car garage and 25'x25' pole barn, so I now have room for another old Chevy.

I've found a few nice ones in the area that I am considering, and I'm really looking for something under $3000. Problem is, here in MO, every one I find is badly rusted and needs a ton of body work and patching etc. I did that all once before with the Jimmy I had before, and I don't wanna go through all that again. Patching floorboards, scrubbing everything underneath with a wire brush and painting, all that stuff is too much for me.

So I've come across an 85 K5 Blazer for $2500. Guy said he moved here from California and the truck is 99.9% rust free. That is very hard to find around here so it's hard to pass this up.
But....
He claims it has:
305 carb'd motor, long tube headers, magnaflow exhaust
700R4 Transmission
NP208 T-Case
8" Pro Comp Lift (Blocks in rear) Which makes me worry
37" Tires (Makes me worry more)

Judging by the pictures he's provided me, it looks to be a really straight, rust free truck, but the interior looks to be torn to hell.

Now for me, this truck needs to be fairly streetable. I want it to be functional off-road as well, but it will not go on a trailer to get where it's going, it needs to be highway driven, street driven, etc...

The thing I'm worried about is, when I had the other truck with 35s and a 305/700r4/np208 combo, it was a dog.

Here are some pictures of the K5 in question.
IMG_0160.jpg
IMG_0163.jpg

IMG_0162.jpg

IMG_0161.jpg



Okay so my main question is, if you were in my situation, would you guys buy this. Remember, I don't have a bunch of extra cash to completely redo the entire setup.

Or, would it be better for me to buy something like a K20 that's already got a sturdy transmission/tcase/axles etc, and lift it up myself.

Give me some insight on this. Thanks in advance.
 
Welcome back man.

Doesn't look bad to me...but I doubt those are 37's. Looks like 4-6" of lift and 35's to me.

If it feels bad don't buy it, simple as that. I bought my K5 in Seattle last summer for $1800 and drove it back east. I spent less doing that than I would have buying a decent but rusty one here or in Michigan (where I used to live).

Random, but what gears were you using to turn the 35's? If you put big tires on but keep the stock gears you're guaranteeing it will be a dog.

Also, what do you want? Truck or Blazer? I have both so I don't have that question but it'd suck to buy one and wish you had the other the whole time.
 
I would rather have a K5 just because I love the versatility of them. I can put the dogs in the back, or take the top off and have a convertible. But I love any old Chevy trucks.

I think the K5 looks solid as hell, but I thought the same thing you did. Doesn't look like 37s at all. Looks nearly identical height to my old setup (4" lift w/ 35s). But that's not the thing I'm worried about.

I keep reading all these build threads of all the extensive fab work people go through to eliminate lift kits and stuff. So that makes me wonder if I would be better off starting from scratch with a factory truck.

I'm sure whatever I get will end up with a 14bff and D44 front at least, but I just don't have the time/fab skills/work area to do some of the crazy stuff these other guys do.

My old setup had like 3.07 gears in it, which is obviously the problem. I wasn't confident enough to try changing gears in it, and my long term plan was to wait until I found a good deal on a D44 and 14BFF with matching 4.10s or 3.73s.

Thanks for the input AJM.
 
I say go look. Take lots of pictures and report back. If it's skeezy run. Can't hurt.

Could be the guy doesn't know wtf he has. Seen that before. Might be a deal, especially when you crush him with the news his truck has a horrible interior, ugly paint (I actually like it), ONLY a 305, and a shorter lift and smaller tires than he says it has. But you'd be willing to offer him x in cash since you'll have to put so much work into it.

Times are tough and people need cash. You have that pole barn, you can toss it in the back and let it sit as you gather parts. Not to mention folks are parting out stuff and selling off their parts pile a lot more now as they need cash or realize they will never build/finish/start/whatever their dream. Guys report finding 3/4 ton axle combos for $250-300 all the time, just gotta look. Not to mention we have a bunch of you Texans on here.

Yep, you definitely needed deeper gears.
 
Definitely not 37's...

Durango Radial XTR's

http://www.stephanietires.com/Dean/Durango Radial XTR-L.htm

Not available in a 37...

I'm gonna say it's a 4" lift with blocks in the rear and those are 35's. Not terrible, I wheeled with rear blocks for about 4 years and it was fine. The Pro-Comp front springs are very stiff though...

Body looks OK, but the interior looks brutal. Most important, from what I can see the floors look solid and that is a big deal. Adding seats and stuff isn't the end of the world.

Might want to ask when he bought those tires. Found a recall on those while doing a search on them.

http://www.tiredefects.com/cooper/durango-radial-xtr-tire-recall.cfm

Rene
 
Thanks guys. I'm still waiting on a tax return check. But I plan on going to look at it some time next week. We shall see.
 
AJM, I was planning on picking it apart and trying to talk him down. I love the paint as well, I actually wanted to paint my old Jimmy like that but the paint on it was too nice.

I check local craigslist and other sites daily for other options that pop up.
 
That's not a current pic. No way there are that many leaves on the trees there. Thinking it's an older pic and has since replaced tires.

You need to see it in person, I don't see any pics of the typical Blazer problem areas. If the body is solid, everything else can be fixed to your liking fairly cheap and easy.
 
He took the pictures with his phone by my request. Here in MO, it's spring and nearly every tree has green leaves on it by now. The pictures he put on C-List were in the dark. So I requested more recent pics of interior and body.
 
Well the search continues. While I haven't gotten a chance to look at the Blazer in question above, I did go look at 2 other trucks today.

First one was a 77 K5, and it was a downright mess. Rusted out, ghetto-rigged floorboards, random car seats bolted to floor, no back glass, body beat to hell. So that one is out of the question.


But... I did stumble upon an 86 GMC K10 SHORTBED w/ 8" of lift and brand new 37" Super Swampers.

Pros:
Body was straight
Interior was decent
Brand new 37" swampers and wheels
Brand new shocks all around
Brand new front lift springs
Hardly any rust whatsoever, a bit on the rockers
SOLID floor pans
Rebuilt TH350 w/ 208 T-case
Comes with lots of extra parts.


CONS:
No driveshafts. Since he lifted it, he never got a driveshaft for it. (He says a longbed shaft will fit perfectly, not sure I believe that)
NO EXHAUST (Running open manifolds)
E-Brake line is cut
Linkage to trans not hooked up since he swapped the 700R4 for the TH350
Trans/T-case crossmember missing (in bed of truck)
Says it runs, but couldn't get it to start while I was there (Turns over fine, he *thinks* he has the distributor 180* out)
No front clip (Headlights/grille, core support and radiator are there)

Anyway, I'm just trying to think whether this is worth it or not. He's asking $1900 for the truck as it sits. Problem is, that means I have to try to pick up where he left off, hoping I can make everything fit and work properly, which I don't trust myself doing.

Also, how accurate is he on thinking the long bed driveshaft will fit the shortbed w/ 8" of lift?

Other problem is, some of this I can't do myself, such as exhaust, and possibly fabricating a driveshaft to make it driveable so I can take it to an exhaust shop....

Anybody think this is worth it?
 
I'd rather get a running stocker in similar condition for that much or even a bit more. Then build it YOUR way.
 
Exactly what I was thinking. But since this project is not yet finished, I could always make adjustments, yet still have a new set of 37s.

Thanks for the advice.
 
resurrected_jimmy said:
My first thought after reading the OP's aversion to rust was get on 35 south and buy 1 down here.

http://houston.craigslist.org/cto/1667547224.html
Click to expand...


LOL

wanna know something funny?

i bought that truck.
and have since found this forum.

it wasnt nearly as nice as the guy claimed. but i spun a rod bearing in my "toy" (that i was daily driving) and needed a driver. and now i have a side project to enjoy ;)

kind of wishing i went with a late 70 model truck tho... maybe ill sell it when i get my toy back up and running to get an older one to daily.
 
nad said:
Exactly what I was thinking. But since this project is not yet finished, I could always make adjustments, yet still have a new set of 37s.

Thanks for the advice.
Click to expand...
Yeah but 8" to clear 37's? Sounds like it even has blocks in the rear...

Probably some Superstiff 8" front springs, tall ass blocks, hokey steering setup, BAH!

Meanwhile you still have to make it move.
 
Yes, add-a-leaf + 6" blocks in rear. Not sure about the steering setup. And making it move will probably be a challenge. I have an issue with picking up where someone else left off, because I have no idea what's been done and what's needed....
 
Well if that's the theory we're going off of, then the original one that I still haven't looked at should be counted out too, or not?

I'm gonna go look at it tomorrow afternoon if I have time. I figured if nothing else, I could pull the 4" lift blocks from the rear and do a shackle flip and 1" zero rate so it will still clear 35s...
 
Eh, 4" of lift isn't so bad. Also fairly easy to deal with. Still not convinced it's as tall as the guy claims it is. Worth taking a look at.
The one you just described today screams "I can't finish this for X reason so I'm selling it cheap" to me.
 
id pass on the pickup.way too many undone projects.it'd take too long to get it roadworthy and just sounds like a bad idea.go with your gut and if there seems to be something hokie i wouldnt mess with it.that blazer in the first post looks real good and has what looks like was said a 4 inch lift and 35 inch tires as was already said.but i dont see any badrust areas.id tell him you give him 2 grand and see what he sais.money talks and if you show up with cash on a second return trip to look at it,he will probably cave.
 
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