Just Got a 75 K5!

[ZooMad75]

Great site! My buddy turned me on to this site as well as finding me my K5. Not that I needed another vehicle (my wife says) but I could not pass up on a somewhat virginal 4 speed Blazer.

We were both cruising through Arizona on business when we got to talking about this blazer another guy had that he just sold for cheap. It sucked because I would have liked to have it. That weekend he calls me and lets me know that the kid that bought the Blazer just "windowed" the block on the 350 and he still owed 300 for it. He wondered what to to...The guy that sold it took it back and offered it to me. Sight unseen I say yes. From what my friend says, it has only a little rust around the wheel openings and rockers, but thats it. The truck has a sm435 4 speed, np205 t-case, Dana 44 front and 12 bolt rear axle. Outside of the swiss cheese 350, $500 sounded good to me.

I already have another 350 lined up to swap back in and am thinking of some bushwacker cutout flares to fix the rusty wheel openings and replace the rockers with new metal. My plans are not for a show rig, but decent trail ride to go mix it up in the hills when I move back to Colorado from Michigan this summer. /forums/images/graemlins/k5.gif

I'll be hanging around to build up my knowledge on the K5 since the rest of my rides are of the 2wd variety.

 

[Z3PR]

Welcome to the site. I was consittering the Bushwacker fender flairs myself, but decided to just trim the fenders instead. This is a great site, it's helped me alot on deciding what parts/mods will work best for what I'll want my K5 to be able to do. Everything you do will effect something else with your rig. Post up on what your plans are and I'm sure pleanty of people will reply with what has worked for them, and what problems they've ran into.

 

[ZooMad75]

Thanks! I've spent a good part of the afternoon checking out the product reviews and other areas of CK5. I think I already got an idea for the rusty rockers....Cut them out and install the Rock Sliders from 4X4 Iron. Since I'll probably dent the crap out of the rockers anyway and they are rusty, why not put in the sliders? All it takes is money!

Since my 75 is has the full top, I'm planning on some top off fun for the summer. I found the product review on the STC fastrac top, but does somebody make a Bikini top for the 73-75 models? So much to do.....

 

[Z3PR]

I'd say the most poppular mods are lifts, and axle swaps. It all comes down to what you want to be able to do. I'm building my 76 K5 more for exploring old trails here in The Black Hills national forest. I enjoy going camping, but I don't want to go to some camp grounds with who knows who all might be there. I like getting deep in the forest where most people never go. So for the off roading I'll be doing, I decided on a 6" suspension lift, 3/4 Ton axles, and 38" tires.(Fender trimming required for those big tires) My rocker panels are rusty also, so I'll be getting some rock slidders when ever I get around too doing the body work. I'd also like to get a soft-top, but it'll be awhile befor I'm at that point. Anyways, figure out what you want to be able to do with your rig, and go from there. I kinda got ahead of myself, and now I'm redoing the rear suspension. Planning is a good thing !!! Wish I'd done that myself in the first place.

 

[ZooMad75]

My plans are basic. Get out into the hills and play. Maybe a little camping too. I want to be able to run some good colorado trails, so a lift is going to be in order. Right now mine is sitting on 31's and I'm guessing stock suspension. I guess since I have not seen it yet. However, my buddy who found it has a ton of experience with these and thinks it might have a mild lift because it sits higher than normal to him. I'll know more when he picks it up next weekend.

I'm definately on a budget for sure so I have to pace myself or the wife is going to make me "off" some projects. That includes my 69 nova and 64 chevelle, which aint going nowhere!

First order of business will be to get the running 350 in to replace the swiss cheese version in there now. (the kid must have rev'd the snot out of it in granny, not knowing any better!) At that point I'll assess what I can do next. I've got a hell of a list already started. The good news is it has what I wanted. Full top, 4-speed/205 and is relativly clean. The rest is up to what I can imagine and the pocket book afford!

 

[loudnowlouder]

congrats!
great vehicle to get started with, cruisin on a nice day with the top off will be tons of fun!

not to high-jack the thread, but i see your name is rob z....you wouldnt happen to be rob zombie would you? heheh first thing that came to mind when i saw the name..

good luck and have fun!

 

[ZooMad75]

I've been called Rob Zombie a time or too in college. Memory's foggy, but I have to belive some beer was involved. Lots of it!

 

[ZooMad75]

My buddy brought my new toy to its temporary home today and I got pics! The truck has some small issues bodywise that are not an issue that Cut out flares and Rock sliders won't fix. The interior is bone stock (with the original 4 speed tilt coulmn!), short of the 4 runner seats that have been swapped in and a new 12" Grant wheel. It even has the original manual hubs (that will be replaced shortly).

I think that the truck is great starting point, not abused and beat to crap. But it has the drivetrain I wanted. not bad for $500... /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

My new toy!