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Introduction 72 Jimmy

A

audaciousduo

Registered Member
Joined
Dec 27, 2013
Posts
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Location
Fernie
Hello Folks,

Just a hello and introduction. I've been the owner of this 1972 Jimmy for about three days. I owned one back in the late 1980's an regret selling it. I've done several frame off restorations from muscle cars, land rovers, land cruisers and a 1977 Bronco. This is the first K5/Jimmy I've attempted. The truck is originally from Medford Oregon and is almost completely rust free. I looked at quite a few "rust free" trucks before I bought this one. Some of those "rust free" trucks had more plastic than a Fiero. So I've got a solid truck to start with. The Plans are: electronic ignition, TBI conversion, NV4500 swap, HD front and rear diffs with a 4.10 ratio rather than the current 3.07 ratio. I'm thinking Dana 60's front and rear. New paint as the current paint job is 15 years old and terrible but the sheet metal is all there! The old 350 4bbl runs very well and is fine for what I'm going to use it for. Here are a few pic's of the base line!:D

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72 Use

I spend a ton of time fly fishing in the middle of nowhere so I needed a truck that could pull my small 4x4 tent trailer with the family and had enough room in the back for a dog the size of a cow moose. So the payload capacity needed to be at least 140 pounds. I'm pondering between a 4" and 6" list, the moose has a poor vertical and lifting her usually results in a noxious gas release. I'm not a hard core off roader, "anymore" so It's going to be a fun bush truck for those family camping/fishing trips.

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audaciousduo said:
I spend a ton of time fly fishing in the middle of nowhere so I needed a truck that could pull my small 4x4 tent trailer with the family and had enough room in the back for a dog the size of a cow moose. So the payload capacity needed to be at least 140 pounds. I'm pondering between a 4" and 6" list, the moose has a poor vertical and lifting her usually results in a noxious gas release. I'm not a hard core off roader, "anymore" so It's going to be a fun bush truck for those family camping/fishing trips.
Click to expand...

I would suggest a 2" lift and run 33" tires. That combo would be very family/moose-dog friendly.
 
Welcome to the 1st Gen brotherhood..... new member, paid membership, and a nice looking truck. Well played, sir! :waytogo:

For a mild, recreational truck you are definitely overdoing it with plans for a D60 axle (front & rear). Save that money for something else.... the NV4500 swap will surely cost you a LOT more than you are expecting (search for BP71K5's thread on his swap for ideas & costs) :yikes:

1/2-Ton axles will be fine for anything up to 35 - 37" tires (with a few strategic upgrades). If you stick with 33's there's probably very little reason to do much more than just freshen up the seals, and balljoints and u-joints.

As with any 1st Gen, there are bound to be a few unpleasant "discoveries" along the way.... so be careful not to spend your entire contingency budget on new parts right away. Some of that money will probably be needed for a few unexpected issues as you spend quality time with the ol' girl.

I'll say this too: Avoid the temptation to tear the entire truck apart right away to start a massive buildup. Springtime is coming..... pull the hardtop off that thing, and enjoy the sunshine for a few months FIRST!!! Keep a list of the small things that bother you, and tackle those as little weekend projects (things like greaseable bushings and new rubber body mounts make a HUGE difference). Clean up any rats nest wiring, get all the gauges working....make sure the heater (and/or A/C) works correctly.... stuff like that.


-G
 
Fun Project

Thanks for all the advise. My plans are to have her on the road for spring, early summer and paint her up next fall. I could probably live with the half ton axles and 35's if the gears were not so darn high "3.07". I'm leaning toward an SM465 already, those NV4500's must be made of precious metal inside, man they are pricy!. What I'm looking for is a 3/4 or 1 ton 4x4 with a standard transmission and better gears for an axle and transmission swap. I'm pretty capable of most mechanical and auto body repairs but automatic transmissions and setting up differentials are time consuming when your not a pro. It's cheaper to find a complete parts truck than have the axles set up with new gears where I am. I'll fix what little rust I have to deal with, go through the suspension and swap out the points before spring. Come fall she's getting blocked out and doused with the original midnight metallic blue. The light blue both inside and out is a little to much.

I tend to go over kill on the 4x4 end of things because some of the places I go are really in the middle of nowhere. We have some rather large predators in the back 40 here and it's not uncommon to run into bears and large cats. I had an unpleasant encounter with a sow grizzly last year for the first time. Usually they want nothing to do with you but this one did not want me on her turf and bluff charged. My dopey, gentile giant of a fishing partner put on the show of her life and turned the bear leaving the contents of her GI tract on the ground in the process. :bow: Thats why I need the cargo capacity for the small moose and now carry a shotgun for the first time in 30 years in the back country. I ruined a perfectly good pair of underwear that day and shortened my life span I'm sure. Reliability and capability are paramount to me. I've broken axles in the past and spent the night in the bush. Albeit they were series Land Rover axles and weak. I used the electric locking differentials on my old land cruiser all the time in some harry spots chasing that elusive bull trout or secret fishing hole. When in doubt, go stout! Thanks for the warm welcome and good advise. I'm sure I'll be picking a few brains before I'm on the road.
 
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