keep on fixing things

[wazzabie]

The k5 has been sitting now for several years. It has been in the family for along time. I've put some money into it but not all that much. I''m about ready to replace the entire fuel system. It needs body parts and is a rust bucket. It has come to the point where the average person would junk it but I hold on to it cuz it has been one owner so long. I'm looking into the absy where it is going to get alot more costly. Future work can be.. body seals, body pannels, rockers are almost missing, tail gate, engine work (engine has about 140K on it and never has been rebuilt. Plus with the cost of fuel I question just how much I will be spending on this. I justify it with the tought that a new Tahoe or truck would be much more money and not as good as these old trail rigs. anyone else goes through the same thoughts.?

 

[jonrpick]

The k5 has been sitting now for several years. It has been in the family for along time. I've put some money into it but not all that much. I''m about ready to replace the entire fuel system. It needs body parts and is a rust bucket. It has come to the point where the average person would junk it but I hold on to it cuz it has been one owner so long. I'm looking into the absy where it is going to get alot more costly. Future work can be.. body seals, body pannels, rockers are almost missing, tail gate, engine work (engine has about 140K on it and never has been rebuilt. Plus with the cost of fuel I question just how much I will be spending on this. I justify it with the tought that a new Tahoe or truck would be much more money and not as good as these old trail rigs. anyone else goes through the same thoughts.?

Yeah...

You've heard the expression, "I'll drive it till the wheels fall off"... Well, on these trucks, when the wheels fall off, you just put new ones on.

Seriously, they are indefinitely maintainable. 1973-1991 means 18, EIGHTEEN years of OEM parts to choose from, not to mention the aftermarket replacement parts, and we won't even get into upgrades.

My Saab gets twice the gas mileage as the K5. The K5 is paid for, and the Saab costs $392 a month for the payment, and $144 a month for insurance, BEFORE I even put gas in it.

You tell me, which is cheaper?

 

[supersize75k5]

how much do you drive?


the above statement about the saab only works if you don't drive an excessive amount.


when the truck starts letting you down, becomes a headache, leaves you stranded etc..also factor in your time and effort.

I love my old junk and pride and joys just as anyone else..but a time comes when you decide to commit to the truck and fix it or dump money in it.. or take the easy road and let her go or get another one.


sad part is that for what a decent set of off road tires cost for our trucks you can buy a whole nother running beater.

 

[jonrpick]

how much do you drive?

the above statement about the saab only works if you don't drive an excessive amount.

How so?

Let's assume a combined highway/city average of 15mpg on my K5, and 27 on my Saab (fairly close).

At my last job, I commuted roughly 300 miles a week.

K5: (300 miles / 15mpg = 20 gallons) * 4 weeks = 80 gallons * $3.75/gallon = $300 a month.

Saab: (300 miles / 27mpg = 11.1 gallons) * 4 weeks = 44 gallons * $3.75/gallon = $166 a month.

So the K5 obviously uses more... + $75 a month in insurance, equals $375 a month, total operating costs (discounting oil changes, etc).

The Saab... $166 + $144 (insurance) + $392 (payment) = $702 a month. FAIL

when the truck starts letting you down, becomes a headache, leaves you stranded etc..also factor in your time and effort.

I love my old junk and pride and joys just as anyone else..but a time comes when you decide to commit to the truck and fix it or dump money in it.. or take the easy road and let her go or get another one.

sad part is that for what a decent set of off road tires cost for our trucks you can buy a whole nother running beater.

Well, my truck is stock. I haven't been driving much lately, because I haven't been working for a while.

A SBC is way easier to work on than the Saab's motor. Trannies are easy to come by and swap, same with transfer cases and axles...

Parts are way cheaper too.

I think a big part of my opinion is that I don't see mine as "old junk", although many would disagree. Properly maintained, it shouldn't let you down any more often than a new car. My motor has less than 10k miles, less than 3k on the tranny, and the axle is being rebuilt right now. I'm swapping in a t-case with less than 10k on a rebuild, and the only thing not brand new in my rear brakes is the parking brake strut and lever.

I *should* be good to go for a while...

 

[wazzabie]

What I'm finding is that it is less costly to buy a good running K5 then it would be to fix my K5. I just moaning cuz I'm about to start shelling out some serious cash to get this running again. But once it is running it is worth it.

 

[jonrpick]

What I'm finding is that it is less costly to buy a good running K5 then it would be to fix my K5. I just moaning cuz I'm about to start shelling out some serious cash to get this running again. But once it is running it is worth it.

My personal approach is to learn how to fix everything on the truck. I haven't tackled a complete engine build/rebuild, or a tranny yet...but they're on the list.