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Need advice on a cheap reliable 4x4 to replace my CUCV with

MEANSTREAK K30 said:
Is it cause the m1009 are 24 volt? Other than that they are the same as a regular blazer for the most part , aren't they?
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82355 said:
No.

Martin
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Dabba said:
Why then? 700? Gov bomb?
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I'm going to respectfully disagree with Martin here. Aside from electrical differences, the M1009 rigs are pretty much what you would get if you stripped down a stripped-down diesel K5. One of the differences is that they got TH400 trannies instead of the 700R4 that the K5s usually got.

If you are comfortable with the stripped-down-ness and quirkiness of an M1008, and you're aware of the gov-lock failures (which are by no means unique to the military rigs), I'm not sure what negative advice to give.


If you aren't familiar with these rigs, and you don't like electrical wiring, you will probably get annoyed with the electrical modifications eventually. If you don't like having a loud tin box on wheels, with no insulation, no features, no dome light, no interior linings, and the most basic of hardware, CUCVs are not for you.



I'm guessing that Martin's complaint is that they all came with 3.08 gearing. Am I right?
 
308s make it better on the highway though. Forgot they had the 400 too.

Honestly the 24v/12v system is pretty simple and effective as long as you don't jerry rig it.
 
Dabba said:
308s make it better on the highway though. Forgot they had the 400 too.

Honestly the 24v/12v system is pretty simple and effective as long as you don't jerry rig it.
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How much you want for your M1008?
 
Dabba said:
308s make it better on the highway though. Forgot they had the 400 too.

Honestly the 24v/12v system is pretty simple and effective as long as you don't jerry rig it.
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I agree, for a truck without O/D, I'd much, much rather have 3.08s than 4.56 gears. As far as final drive ratio goes, 3.08:1/TH400 is equivalent to a 4.4:1/700R4 combo. If you're wanting good highway performance I'd say that 3.08/TH400 is too much gear, not too little, especially if you're running stock tires. But I know there are plenty of folks who disagree with me. And once modifications come into play the simple answers go out the window. One of my rigs is quite happy with 3.08s AND overdrive. But I wouldn't recommend that combination with 37" tires. :doah:

As for the electrical discrepancies, it's slightly annoying that my CUCV doesn't match my 2 civilian trucks, but aside from that I have few complaints. The higher cranking speed is a nice feature, IMO.
 
I had a 2000 Tahoe I bought for $3500. It was super clean and super well maintained. It had 170k on it and it was a super good and reliable truck. These trucks are good for 300k usually however once over 200k you'll start getting some little things going on you but its all easy and cheap for the most part. The clean ones are out there you just have to find them. I wouldn't be that afraid of high mileage. They're so comfortable too, they feel like driving your living room around.
 
Don't forget the Isuzus. They had Troopers, Rodeos and Amigos. All decent and capable vehicles w/ readily available parts.
 
Now Im back in the rav4 or crv thing. Just something not crappy that has part time/full time 4x4/awd. Preferably early 2000s with lower miles.

Thanks guys it seems I have quite a few options
 
There are a lot of options I knew little about! Honestly I like the civic dd and the cucv system I had haha.

But I've been researching all your suggestions so I have a better idea now. Now lets just see what I can afford
 
If you are looking for a nice daily driver, a CUCV is not the answer.

There is a lot more difference between a civilian model, and a CUCV than the gearing. Especially as crappy 3.08 gearing was available on civilian models too.

Martin
 
82355 said:
If you are looking for a nice daily driver, a CUCV is not the answer.

There is a lot more difference between a civilian model, and a CUCV than the gearing. Especially as crappy 3.08 gearing was available on civilian models too.

Martin
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For some people maybe. I drove mine with 3.08s and 37s 60 miles a day. It's really not that bad. Maybe I'm not that picky
 
82355 said:
If you are looking for a nice daily driver, a CUCV is not the answer.

There is a lot more difference between a civilian model, and a CUCV than the gearing. Especially as crappy 3.08 gearing was available on civilian models too.

Martin
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I know that, I was simply speculating as to your least favorite part. If the O.P. is familiar with the M1008 rigs, he should already have a good handle on the drawbacks of the M1009 series as well. I would not call them nice DD rigs, they are stripped-down strip-down models. But lots of us are fine with that, for one purpose or another. In my case, I'm planning on adding some of the amenities back in, and I would have been equally happy to find a diesel civilian truck. But if he has an M1008 and likes it, I see no reason to dissuade him from an M1009. :dunno:

Dabba said:
Honestly I like the civic dd and the cucv system I had haha.
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Some people here like driving a CJ Jeep 200+ miles to NH and VT too--but I wouldn't want too...bone jarring short wheelbase squirrely thing with cramped seats for that many miles ?..not me,my back would kill me after 20 minutes...

My diesel pickup is no Caddy,but its bench seat is more comfortable than a lot of other vehicles I've had..I find the truck not very suitable for longer trips due to the noise level of the diesel,and the harsh ride though..but I'd drive it far,if I had too...

A friend of mine had two 1990's Isuzu Troopers,both were pretty tough,always ran good,didn't need much for repairs--only thing that killed both was frame rot,after racking up nearly 300K on both..they were pretty comfortable too,for a 4x4..due to rust issues they sell fairly cheap up here..

There are tons of 90's and 2000's Suburbans and Tahoes here that can be bought "cheap" needing engine or electrical work,but often those have real high miles and rust issues too,most of the time..

You can run into a few good deals on some that folks are just getting rid of due to them not being very good on gas,once another problem that'll cost quite a bit to fix pops up..

You may want to look into any state or town auctions in your area,some good scores can be had on former fire dept or town office ,DPW,"fleet" vehicles there...
 
I dunno. Fleet vehicles are good beaters, but as someone who has driven multiple fleet vehicles, they tend to get the snot beat out of them.

Honestly, If I found an 80s civy K5 6.2 in mint condition that might be something I would do. But we all know how rare those are and the price they fetch, which leads me to just get something newer for the same money.

That said, after I graduate I am definitely looking for a mint M1009 and a deuce. Eventually I'll swing one tons under it. Along with a 74 K5, a burb, truck and I'm sure many more!

Now isn't the time though.
 
Another vehicle that seems to be going for cheap these days , that more and more people are buying is the chevy trail blazer/Colorado /canyon.
 
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