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Little help with buying a blazer

J

jjplagg

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Aug 26, 2012
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Location
Cedar Rapids, IA
Hey Guys
Im in the market to get a blazer. Ive had several 70s and 80s GM vehicles in the past but this would be my first K5.

I came across this today:
1977 Jimmy
Engine, tranny drivetrain rebuilt
4 inch lift with 33s
He did everything several years ago and doesnt use it in winter to much (it is in wisconsin)

The issues:
Heater fan recently started making noise
Small oil and tranny leaks - said it could use new seals
Has some rust bubbles but rockers and that are good
New mini van seats, but the drivers seat isnt sliding
No ac unit but hook ups are still there.

Asking $3,800
This would be used to small stuff around town and weekend camping trips.
It is 4 hours from me so wanted to get some thoughts before i decide to drive out there.
thanks!

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In all reality to give an intelligent answer on this I would need quite a few more pictures.

Looks like newer paint so the rust bubbles could be the start of the gallons of bondo used not holding up and rust comign through.

Need undercarriage photos, close ups of the bubbles. Better pics of the inside.

Rust happens alot on the tailgate portion and the tailpan. Need pics of those.

Looks pretty clean overall but like I said hard to tell from just a couple pics
 
blazinzuk said:
In all reality to give an intelligent answer on this I would need quite a few more pictures.

Looks like newer paint so the rust bubbles could be the start of the gallons of bondo used not holding up and rust comign through.

Need undercarriage photos, close ups of the bubbles. Better pics of the inside.

Rust happens alot on the tailgate portion and the tailpan. Need pics of those.

Looks pretty clean overall but like I said hard to tell from just a couple pics
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Agree, what he said. Need more pics, and some close up ones too. It does look clean, but BAD stuff is easy to hide.
 
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This is a well put together write up of what to look for in buying a K5

http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=276543

Have a look through that. A lot of good info on what to look for when buying from a distance. And if the seller doesn't want to take specific pics, walk away. 9 out of 10 times they are hiding something.

My favorite part of that add
"Has some rust bubbles but rockers and that are good"
Rust bubbles = not good. There is no quick and easy fix for that as anything quick and easy will come back to haunt you in a relatively short amount of time.
 
Unless I am mistaken I see a rust hole through the sheetmetal in that picture of the drivers side door open. Look real carefully at the bottom right of the door opening and it looks like a little bubbling and maybe even a hole?

If that is correct, then the rear passenger side kick panels are most likely shot. That's a deal breaker for me.

If there is rust bubbling, I'd avoid it like the plague. Unless it's going to be a throw-away truck.
 
think there is a hole.


Metal is more important than paint, just cuz the truck is shiny with a new paint job doesnt mean its good. Youre better off getting a truck that has paint that doesnt look as good but is solid and not rusty.
 
Looks like mine when I got it (clean).:haha: That engine looks nice, with dual batteries and headers. Pretty sweet!
 
$3800 is a pretty good price also. That motor is really clean (almost dealer clean). Look and see how long he's had it and take it on a long test drive but that does look sharp:waytogo: I would be proud to get mine in that good of shape. But pictures always look better than what it is
 
Also though, "dealer clean" motors can hide lots of stuff if recently cleaned and not drove much. Leaks and all that can be clean and hidden if not heated up properly and a few miles put on it.
 
454Sub said:
Also though, "dealer clean" motors can hide lots of stuff if recently cleaned and not drove much. Leaks and all that can be clean and hidden if not heated up properly and a few miles put on it.
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You got it. I am extra careful if I am looking at a vehicle that has a spotless engine. It means that it probably has a lot of leaks, but was cleaned to hide them.

I want to see a dirty engine. I call this an "honest engine" because you can see the leaks (there usually are some) and how bad they are.

You can, of course, look on the ground if you know for sure where the vehicle is parked every day. Lots of spots on the ground will show you how bad the problem really is.

And yes, while rust can be fixed, that's up to the buyer. If you're looking for a project truck then any problem can be fixed. If you're looking for a summer toy for a year, who cares? But if you want to keep it for a long time, and don't want to always be working on it and never driving it, then maybe re-evaluate the condition.

I'm the kind of guy who only wants to install a new stereo and drive it. I'm over fixing something every week! :haha:
 
Yes, to me a clean motor throws up signs...If they haven't had it long, I figure they bought it dirty, cleaned it up, and are trying to sell of to me for a profit or are hiding something. But if it had low miles,1 owner, and was that clean I would be like scoreee:woot: Still looks nice though either way! I've bought around 50 cars off craigslist and most of the time they are hiding something but 99% of the time its nothing major
 
496truck said:
Right, but would you pay $3800 for a truck that needs all that bodywork?
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Based on the photos there are lots of other positives to the truck that may warrant the $3800 pricetag. For example, the interior looks clean so he won't have buy much there. If the lift kit is springs all the way around that helps. The tires look good so no upfront cost there. If the drivetrain checks out he's really ahead of the game. If rust is all that's an issue is say you're well in the ball park...depending on exactly how bad the rust is of course.
 
I guess it's all about perspective. I have no problem diagnosing/repairing/swapping engine and drivetrain and even replacing interior stuff when it's warranted. But bodywork, to me, is a huge expensive time consuming pain in the arse.
 
496truck said:
Right, but would you pay $3800 for a truck that needs all that bodywork?
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Exactly.

For a little more than $1k over that price you can get a truck from CA or AZ that has zero rust and doesn't need hundreds of hours of work. If you buy a rusty truck you will likely spend far more than $1k on parts, tools, and time.

That is, if you're looking for something to drive and not have to restore.
 
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