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need advice on a k5

KansasTwister

KansasTwister

1/2 ton status
Joined
Jun 19, 2009
Posts
2,737
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Location
Lawrence, ks
Guys got an 84 k5 for sale, 305 4 speed and 208 t case (i assume). Wants 300 for it, 305 smokes, body is rough and rusty (i have a decent cab if the floors are completely gone from an 82 2wd)

Thing is, im a college student, 19, and i want something 4x4, mainly for a toy. Its cheap enough, in my price range, and running/driving with a title. Glass all good, etc. I get paid thursday, ill have more than enough cash (offer him 250 at first), and if motor goes south i was gaven 2 free 350s (one supposidly rebuilt)

Ive already got an 86 k5 silverado, all the options, etc, i bought from my brother for 800, rust free, new 32" tires with it, but motors been out for 5 years (305 that smoked, just like the 84 no lies) and in my opinion its too clean of a body to offroad. Id rather make it a driver (was thinking a 5.3/4l60e and np241 swap but funds dont stretch that far). It needs a motor, but been sitting in on grass for 5 years, so i assume all the brakes, rubber lines, trans and transfer case seals need to be changed. Also, i wasnt the one who took it apart, so finding what went where is a beech (doesnt help pops has my motors are in the bed of a truck under a camper blocked in, and dad has so many cars no room to work on or move anything around anymore)

I really want to make my 86k5 a nice driver, but i want to make it nice, so i was thinking get this 84 for a trial rig/beater, cheap enough, running driving with a title, and i could part it for more than id pay for it. Then i can just gather parts for the 86 little by little until i get it ready for a 5.3/4l60e. Plus my 86 is a downer sometimes because ive got money in it, and ive never driven it, only dreamed of it. A running/driving project/toy you can enjoy even if your bank account drains. Ive only been able to watch the 86 sit from either money and no time or time and no money (mostly the second).

Guess i just want someone to say either its a good idea, or put your funds torwards something better. I have a 77 c10 thats my dialy driver right now, rusty but trusty, and im not in any need of a new daily driver anytime soon, but 4x4 would be nice for winter and offraod un.

I dont need this truck, it would be nice to have in my opinion, and cheap enough, or i could flip it for more cash towards my k5 (in spotty primer, i could paint it, maybe in camo, sell it as a hunting truck). Either way i see it my 86 will more than likely continue to be neglected. I never have anyone around to help me with it, dads got his own toys, and buddies are talk no walk.


Sorry for the rant, probably more than you wanted to hear about me, Just need advice on the best step to take, ignore the thing all together, try to flip it and at worse break even, or buy it and enjoy it (college+calc and business homework+30 hour work week= hardly any me time). You guys i assume have been in similar situtations, and have wisdom beyond my years, i can simply see the seperate paths, not know which one to walk.
 
I say buy it. If not, Lawrence is close, give me the number.

Martin
 
You know wheeling a truck and keeping it nice are not mutually exclusive right? Just have to know when to swallow your pride and take a strap or winch cable and for heavens sake a set of good sliders would be the first thing. If the K5 is the truck you like build it.

Too many projects and too little money means alot of junk sitting around not doin anything.

I say don't buy the truck build the k5 make it nice how you want it and wheel it.

I rockcrawled my 73 for 2 years before I got the first dent in it. Not little rocks either, just have to be careful and not let your ego get the better of you. If you can't do that than yes buy the beater truck
 
82355 said:
I say buy it. If not, Lawrence is close, give me the number.

Martin
Click to expand...

Scared me till I saw it is where he lives!

Buy it and wheel it like it was stolen! Keep the RUST FREE K5 in good shape. You guys make us rust belters cry and cringe every time you say wheel a clean truck :doah:

The price is right you can part it and make money in worse case.
 
I think im just gonna use the policy, when i get paid, if its still there, then its ment to be, if not oh well.

Ive got plenty of land to store stuff, so no worries on junk sitting around. Dads got 1.3 local and 30 an hour south, plus uncle has like 10 5 minutes west of my parents house.
 
well, if he still has it thursday, im going to try and go look at it, maybe buy it. Might just tag it and wheel it and drive it, may just try and flip it fast for a little cash, or he may sell it or i may look at it and find too much wrong. A hydro clutch would be a plus, nonair would be a plus, i think it can only have a 208 case correct? not a 205? and also what gears do you think would be in the axles? If it had 3.73s it would be worth it just to put under my 86 in place of the 3.08s.
 
My only advice is to not get too many projects...you'll want to start dumping money into each one.. If you already have a blazer you want to fix and have more time than money I would put my money in it till you got it driveable/close to where you want it before I bought another one but thats just me
 
oh well, he didnt respond, im throwing 300 into another bank account and going to try to skim 100 or 200 off each check for savings, i dont have much of one right now, but im young and little bills so i need to start.
 
I used to do the same thing as you're doing. Looking back I realized it would have be far wiser to buy vehicles like that and PAINT them and sell them.

99% of the time when someone came to look at the cars I was selling, they looked horrible. Mis-matched fenders, doors, hoods, interior, etc., but I had new brakes, new tranny, valve job, you name it - all new mechanicals. The problem was that they simply did not LOOK good so I lost a ton of money every time.

If I were to do it over again, I would buy vehicles which required less mechanical work and could get away with a $100 paint job IF the plan was to resell it for a profit.

Now many years later if I am looking to profit, I will only buy vehicles which have not been taken apart by anyone, never wrecked, have overall a solid base to start from, and only requires elbow grease to get things going. To me, that means stuff I can unbolt and replace, maybe a valve job, change the fluids, lubricate some stuff, etc.

However, with that said, I can't believe how much money I wasted on trying to make money on cars. Now I take my money and invest it and use the profits from my investment accounts to buy toys. :)

Tip: Save up and buy a house so you can pay less tax to Uncle Sam. Then use that money to buy a truck!
 
so was i lol. Guy never responded, figured he sold it.


And im hoping to buy some acreage to build on. Im still in college, and working for fast food currently since construction died. i am hoping to get a better job, then start saving more, then ideally my first purchase after college will be a big plot of land with lots of trees, set my house back in the woods with a huge shop. Till then, ill be lucky enough to get by.
 
thats how i started. i had a broke ol rusty no floor having pile i used to wheel with someone gave me, and i had another k5 same year that was nice i drove as a daily driver. its kinda nice having two trucks the same style cause you can rob parts off the beater for the nice one or vice versa.
 
Well truck came back on craigslist at 250, no wiring harness, no rear driveshaft, motor supposidly had a bigger cam and threw a timing chain before, so im saying its not worth it. It may have a 32 spline 465 208, what guys on here told me.

heres the link if anyones interested.

http://kansascity.craigslist.org/pts/1508477458.html


At one time he told me it ran and drove, but he never did now i guess, supposidly an orange colored 307. First come first serve he says, and its not worth me getting a trailer for. If it rain and drove and clear title id play with it, but too big of a money pitt from the get go for me.
 
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