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Life changing decision

Thanks for your advice guys...

Your problem is that you have been dogging it something fierce. I've never seen someone work so hard at not working. Honestly, start somewhere and finish it. Then move on to the next thing. Sitting there not being able to decide what to do doesn't get it done any faster. Honestly, a monkey and two giraffes can rebuild two axles in a weekend (I know, because my first time it took two days).
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I don't get what your saying? I'm working really hard at not working? I'm confused...

i would sell it for what you can get out of it, and then invest that in the Jimmy. the Jimmy is the keeper for sure right?
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The Jimmy is the keeper...it's in better shape overall, and the engine has been rebuilt in the last 10 years (I think).
I will probably sell what I can get out of it, then just invest in the jimmy like you said. I want to have a flexy suspension and 1 tons, and big tires...but I know I shouldn't because the biggest truck I have driven is the Jimmy...which has stock suspension and 32" tires (excluding the furd...which has a bit bigger tires) But I have read many times on here people saying they used a lot of money upgrading there rig...and I think someone adviced the rest of the board to have a goal, and learn from that. If I just get 4" of susp. lift and 35" tires...there is approx. 1000 dollars. Then when that gets boring I will want bigger tires, axles, and maybe more lift...there is probably 2000+ depending on tires, and axles.
Maybe I am just trying to take the easy route by only building it up once... opinions? It's just that I dnt have a lot of money...I can't get a good job for a long time (school, then university) so every dollar is valuable... everything I can save is good.

But like I mentioned...I am a dumbass...I shouldn't have thought I could ahve gotten profit out of it by restoring it, then selling it. Watching too much TV :surepal:
I said it once, and I'll say it again. I am moving so space is going to be SMALL... having 2 trucks, plus tools in a double garage will suck. Especially with the SMALL driveways in town.
before I blabble on and on...I am saying this...the blazer isn't that valuable...hence why I was planning to sell it AFTER. But yeah, I will probably try to sell it/part it out. I don't think I can re assemble it because my spring bushings are shot, body mounts are gone...a lot of bolts were cut...fuel and brake lines got messed up... I personally think I am best off selling/parting it out..instead of selling it as a whole "parts" truck.

Stave, don't give up so easily! if I gave up on my blazer everytime it got hard or got expensive, I would have walked away immediatly after I bought the k5 shell for 200.00 ! now I've got over 17 thousand in this poor thing and I'm starting over again w/ rebuilding the old 500 caddy and building a fullcage(that I'm almost done with) and I'm a poor married student with 4 kids and a crappy job and 17 months still left in school. If I can do it, you definatly can! just build slowly, thats what I do!
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I'm not giving up. I'm just moving on...I was over my head when I thought I could restore it and sell it.
I could still keep it and have it as a trail rig...and use the jimmy as a DD...but with gas prices and my low budget, I will probably look for a CHEAP fuel effiecent car to use for transportation...then use the Jimmy when I want, and wheel it.
Like I said, space is a big concern, the guy I talked to last night said a car is a lot smaller than the blazer, so it will be easier to fit at a new house.
I am definitly keeping the jimmy though...I love that rig.
Besides the power/drivetrain...is much of the blazer worth anything? Maybe I will start a for sale post next month with a bunch of the small parts...although its better to just sell here...hardly anyone wants to pay shippiong from canada.

I know that if I bought a 50's pickup or sedan I'd LOVE it each miunte (except maybe during the grunt moments) to restore it. Restoring the blazer now, to me, is a bad idea. Especially with the 350 on gas prices. Plus, I'd know I would enjoy the old vehicles to restore (50's pickup or sedan) more.

ANYWAYS I will probably sell it like I said. Put some money to the side for school, and spend the rest of my "wants"
 
I'm not too much of a problem solver...and always struggled with that...but I have a solution if no one buys the body...I can cut it up and use the fenders, bedsides, hood, front clip, etc for spares for the Jimmy...just in case anything happens to it.

Anyways. Thanks.
 
IMO, unless you are a professional body man or fabricator, you'll never get more $ for your rig than you put into it in parts... atleast, not enough to be worth the effort. (this theory assumes the rig doesn't have collectors value... which K5s pretty much don't) IMO you should sell the useful parts for as much dough as you can get (ebay, whatever) and then use the $$$ for your Jimmy. Pour all that work/$/love you were going to put into the blazer (and sell) into your Jimmy instead. I don't know about other people, but after I work on a rig for a few years (and a few thousand $$$) I don't ever want to part with it. Make that kind of commitment/bond with a rig you're going to keep... in your case, the Jimmy.

j
 
My advice is to make a plan for the jimmy and stick to it, save for the things you really want so you only buy things once. I bought my 1 tons, and than had to sell my front 60 to get another 60 that i couldent pass on. i did alright on that deal, but most of the time you wont get that lucky.
If you want a 6in lift save for that and get it, dont go with a 4 first and than a 6, your wasting money.
If you know you are going to 4 link it in the future, dont spend money on good springs, get cheap ones till you can afford what you really want.
This is what i have done so far on my truck and it has worked out pretty good so far. :D
 
beater_k20 said:
yes, bond with your Jimmy.... :haha:
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haha funny.

Dale, yeah I will try to make a plan and stick with it. But I don't exactly know what I want out of the Jimmy. :crazy:

Thanks guys...
 
My advise is go wheeling. The more you go wheeling, the more you will figure out what you want and need. I built 3 rigs before I did the frame off on my blazer. I spent 10 years wheeling to figure out what I liked and what kind of terrain I preferred, so when it was time to do a full build, I knew what and how I was going to build it. Like some of the other guys were saying, it does not matter what you build if you do not know how to drive it. Get the experience behind the wheel and much of the rest will come to ya. And before you start to build make sure you want to keep it or don't mind losing the money you put in to it. I have $20k in mine and did 95% of the work myself. Not to mention it took a couple of years to build and will never be finished. It is not a bad thing to do a mild build first. 1 ton and anything over 35's is going to get pricey. I have out-wheeled many a built 4x4 in my 95 2wd 1/2 ton. It is more about the driving skills at first, than a bullet proof rig. Just my opinion.
 
The other thing to remember is that the best thing about chevy trucks is the "bolt on" availability. Keep one blazer and build parts as you need-want them. Go wheeling, use your truck and then decide IF you want upgrades. Rebuild them to whateever specs you want and bolt them on!
No singe blazer part takes up too much room. You can rebuild axels in your basement where its nice and warm!
It will also keep you focused on one mod at a time and help you do it right. This approach also allows you to buy "other" things because your not waiting on funds to "complete" your rig.
Just my two cents :D
 
Well I am going to part it out/try to sell it.
I'm going to make a list of parts I have (interior and exterior) then maybe put an add inn the for sale section for the smaller parts, and try to sell the rest locally in the newspaper. For the body, I will use the fenders, doors, hood, etc as spares if they don't sell. And the rest that no one wants, and I can't use...will go to blazer heaven...

Thanks.
 
Since I have seen your trucks in person I'll give you my opinion. Rather than spending $1500 or worse yet $3000 fixing that rusty body, drive down south to WA state or Oregon and pickup a rust free K5 for under $1000.

I just paid $800 for this perfectly straight, rust free '86 GMC Jimmy
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It runs beautifuly with a low mileage GM crate 350, 700R4, NP208 and stock axles. Only problem with it is a cracked flex plate plus little things like missing shifter knobs. You could drive something like this home or trailer it if needed. Crossing the boarder is the only problem, but as long as you have clear paperwork it isn't bad. You could simply drive something like this home, repaint it (learning paint and bodywork) and possibly fixing a few minor things then turn around and sell it for the local going rate of $5000+. I've done pretty much the same thing with hauling rigs to the midwest to resell.

You are not going to fix that rusty blazer for less than $7000-8000 or more. You don't make money doing major rebuilds like that. your best bet is to just sell the parts off of it now for as much as possible and take that cash down south and buy a nice rig to work on. I would have no trouble helping you find anything like what I just got either. I think it took me about 8 hours to make that drive the last time too. :grin:

Feel free to PM me if you want to work something out and find a nicer truck.
 
Steve, another thought... Don't build the Jimmy before you start wheeling. Keep it on stock springs and 32-33" tires and go wheeling. You need to learn how to wheel and a stock K5 can go many places just fine. Just don't go wheeling alone, find a club in your area that goes out on a regular basis. I've been wheeling in my stock K10 longbed pickup and have no trouble following the guys in stock Jeeps and Toyota's. I usually have a better time than them on the hills too with all my V8 power :grin:

The parts you have left over from your Blazer could be spares for the Jimmy incase you break stuff. Keep the axles, tranny, tcase, drivelines and other items that are easiest to break. Sell off the extra parts like interior and things that you probably won't break. Scrap that blazer tub but keep the fenders and little stuff.

1 year from now you could just throw on a used lift kit and 35" tires and keep wheeling, going farther and doing more with your truck, slowly add modifications like better bumpers and a winch etc as you find a need for them. Then a couple more years down the road you will be ready for the 1 ton axles and 40 inch tires and know how to use them well.
 
I think you have the right idea to part out the blazer and put all your time and money into the Jimmy. Unless your money grows on trees you will go broke trying to pay for two projects. I've had my Jimmy for a year now and already put in $4,000 & I have not even got any fun stuff yet like my lift, tires ext. :frown1: But if you know 4wheeling is something you really want to do and your gonna stick w/ it the money and your parents & friends saying 'your crazy :screwy: buy yourself a little car' won't matter. Good luck with whatever you decide to do. :D
 
kennyw said:
Steve, another thought... Don't build the Jimmy before you start wheeling. Keep it on stock springs and 32-33" tires and go wheeling. You need to learn how to wheel and a stock K5 can go many places just fine. Just don't go wheeling alone, find a club in your area that goes out on a regular basis. I've been wheeling in my stock K10 longbed pickup and have no trouble following the guys in stock Jeeps and Toyota's. I usually have a better time than them on the hills too with all my V8 power :grin:

The parts you have left over from your Blazer could be spares for the Jimmy incase you break stuff. Keep the axles, tranny, tcase, drivelines and other items that are easiest to break. Sell off the extra parts like interior and things that you probably won't break. Scrap that blazer tub but keep the fenders and little stuff.

1 year from now you could just throw on a used lift kit and 35" tires and keep wheeling, going farther and doing more with your truck, slowly add modifications like better bumpers and a winch etc as you find a need for them. Then a couple more years down the road you will be ready for the 1 ton axles and 40 inch tires and know how to use them well.
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Good idea Kenny...
I guess I should get to a better statis of wheeling, so when I do upgrade, I am ready. The only thing that will work from the blazer is the axles...the tranny/t-case is a th350/205 so the tranny is different, and te np205 is obvisouly different, and the driveshafts (i'm pretty sure) are diffrent lengths.
Although I don't think I would break any parts very soon (knocks on wood) it's possible. I want to sell the axles because the front one has got some new parts so it would be worth a bit more...still deciding.
In regard to your other post, thats a good idea to get a good, rust free blazer to work on instead of the rusted out blazer of mine...but I don't think I want 2 anymore. As I have said before we're movign to town, so I won't have as much room. And I don't work fulltime...so I won't obviously have money for both.

Thanks guys...
 
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