So I have a buyer for my jeep, which hopefully will lead me to focus on the k5

[76k5grrl]

The jeep has been "for sale" forever. Never listed it, just always considered selling when anyone asked. Yesterday I had a guy finally offer what it's worth, just random meeting. Figure it's a sign for me to let it go, so I'm going to.

What I'm looking for is an honest tally of what it would take me to do the following with the k5:

Replace engine and transmission. Ok with rebuilt, not terribly concerned about craziness because its a daily driver. Want to stick with 350 and manual transmission. Need to fix speedo, figured all that kinda goes together.

All new suspension.

Exhaust work.

Re-wire.

Replace both doors and hood.

Rough paint.

Herculine inside.

2 new tires- probably a/t.

Front and reat bumpers.

Change tailgate to "windowless".

I think that's it.

No body work/rust repair. I have a lot of rust but for now its back burner...

Is it naive to think 5 grand could get that done?

 

[454Sub]

I could do all that for under 5 grand. But I crawl junkyards, can rewire myself, can paint and rebuild a motor and a tranny.

A simple wiring harness out of a newer junkyard truck would cost 20$ probably. Get doors and a hood for 250$ maybe. Bumpers maybe 100$ tops for nice ones. Around here from full length headers back to tips including everything on duals is 175$. Not mandrel bent but gets job done and works great.

Now would be a wonderful time to ditch the carb, and run a TBI harness and rebuild the TBI unit. Better driveability and reliability. Plus addition of dome light wiring and door switches, losing them terrible glass tube fuses, great time to pull serpentine belt off same rig as well. Plus with a stock type motor it will handle it with minimum work. Plus the harness would be 15 to 20 years newer. You could wash it in your sink and stretch it out in your living room and make sure of no shorts, clean it up and rewrap it in loom and take and make it nice and weatherproof within reason. And then you might as well get Windstar fans while your doing all that and mesh them into your harness all nice and neat. And viola, done for way less than 5k and you have money left over to do whatever you want.

 

[79rustyk10]

Of have to say it would be nearly impossible to do that on a 5K budget. It's not just the parts that add up fast, but the little misc parts, tools and supplies that drive costs way up too. Not to mention if there's something you have done at a shop.

I'd start picking away at safety, and drivability stuff, after that get to appearance type stuff.

 

[TheBeast_88K5]

Aww.... Yer selling yer.... Oh, wait... NEVERMIND.


Hooray for money!!!

 

[big dan]

I would guess $5k would take a big chunk out of it but I have $3k in my engine/tranny alone. Of course that is an ls swap but I did the harness work and reprogram and no rebuild on the tranny.

If you do the work yourself, which Im sure you're capable, and hunt for deals its possible but definitely pushing it.

 

[454Sub]

Shes not looking to do an LS swap though. A 350 that has no need for major machining work can be rebuilt for well under 1000$. Rings and bearings = 250 + valve job 150 + gaskets 100$ = 500$. Toss in a Mellings oil pump and still fly in under 600$. The crank and rods if no work is needed are free as she has them. If it is a already running motor which it is, it obviously doesnt have any serious out of round rods or crank journals or a spun or toasted bearing would have made itself known. Machine work is what eats up cash, but a stock motor doesnt need line honed, bored, or any of that really. Especially if its never spun a main or trashed a rod. Now decking the block is a good idea, but in all reality, you can skate without that as well, shes not building a Top Fuel or Pro Stock motor. And hell, you can rent a 4in hone and use a power drill that everyone has access too and hone it yourself and never take the block to a shop.

Really it depends on your skill level and how much work your willing to do yourself. On my mudtruck, I dont pay anyone to do anything as I either figure it out, or gather a friend or two and we figure it out. Only thing I have yet to try is interior stitching and fitment, and thats my next leap of faith. Thats part of Hot Rodding, to which we belong, is to experiment and try everything. Its all part of the fun. And worst to worst, your out your time and some junkyard parts.

 

[76k5grrl]

Really it depends on your skill level and how much work your willing to do yourself. On my mudtruck, I dont pay anyone to do anything as I either figure it out, or gather a friend or two and we figure it out. ........
.. Thats part of Hot Rodding, to which we belong, is to experiment and try everything. Its all part of the fun. And worst to worst, your out your time and some junkyard parts.

This is basically what my ex and I did 10 years ago, rebuilt a useable 440 ourselves. I have done it before. My resources now are considerably fewer though. I don't mind pulling the engine and putting it in my apartment but it might not be realistic weight-wise. I had been looking forward to rebuilding the transmission on my own.

Most new wiring harnesses are plug and play aren't they? That, I know nothing about. And yes, I would like to get away from the glass fuses.... And find a way to make intermittent wipers work...

Have never actually done suspension myself but have been around in the garage while others have so that I am comfortable with.

Remember, I don't have a garage. All my work is done behind my apartment, which magically somehow my landlord is ok with. But once I tear it up I Will have to commit to putting it back together in a timely manner.

I know a guy from my vet who kinda owes me a favor- I found his lost dog roaming my neighborhood and recognized it so I brought him home- he does "classic" restoration and has expressed interest in working on the truck. He and I did discuss chipping away at safety stuff first, but I do have to consider operational performance as well and the k5 is becoming a little squirelly engine and tranny wise.

 

[dhcomp]

This is basically what my ex and I did 10 years ago, rebuilt a useable 440 ourselves. I have done it before. My resources now are considerably fewer though. I don't mind pulling the engine and putting it in my apartment but it might not be realistic weight-wise. I had been looking forward to rebuilding the transmission on my own.

Most new wiring harnesses are plug and play aren't they? That, I know nothing about. And yes, I would like to get away from the glass fuses.... And find a way to make intermittent wipers work...

Have never actually done suspension myself but have been around in the garage while others have so that I am comfortable with.

Remember, I don't have a garage. All my work is done behind my apartment, which magically somehow my landlord is ok with. But once I tear it up I Will have to commit to putting it back together in a timely manner.

I know a guy from my vet who kinda owes me a favor- I found his lost dog roaming my neighborhood and recognized it so I brought him home- he does "classic" restoration and has expressed interest in working on the truck. He and I did discuss chipping away at safety stuff first, but I do have to consider operational performance as well and the k5 is becoming a little squirelly engine and tranny wise.

Haven't read much of the history on your blazer, and your attachement, so don't be offended by this statement.

BUT, if you are looking to drop around $5k, and your rig ACTUALLY needs all those things, have you considered finding another rig to begin building?

In the right location, you can buy a damn nice k5 for $5k, and be $$$$ ahead. Just seems like you could start this next phase way ahead in a different rig, based on the condition description you give.

 

[76k5grrl]

Haven't read much of the history on your blazer, and your attachement, so don't be offended by this statement.

BUT, if you are looking to drop around $5k, and your rig ACTUALLY needs all those things, have you considered finding another rig to begin building?

In the right location, you can buy a damn nice k5 for $5k, and be $$$$ ahead. Just seems like you could start this next phase way ahead in a different rig, based on the condition description you give.

That's what my boyfriend said. Pretty much exactly.

I had considered trading what I have plus cash for something that needed no work.... That's a novel idea... A vehicle that needs nothing but maintenance.

That idea is not off the table. In fact, I wondered if any of you would say that.

 

[dhcomp]

That's what my boyfriend said. Pretty much exactly.

I had considered trading what I have plus cash for something that needed no work.... That's a novel idea... A vehicle that needs nothing but maintenance.

That idea is not off the table. In fact, I wondered if any of you would say that.

Its not that you'll find something that needs NO work, but something that is a lot closer, and just needs personalization.

Do you use the full vert? You are already in a smog rig, so going newer wouldn't hurt.

Take this $5k, search west coast craigslist in the $4k range, leave money for shipping, and put what you can get for your rig into mods/upgrades/personalization.

 

[dhcomp]

I swear i won't pollute the hell out of your thread with ads, but just a quick example of what's available out here...

http://reno.craigslist.org/cto/4027680508.html

'91 Chevy K5 Blazer 4x4 - $2390 (reno)

A/c works, runs great, new battery. Around 190xxx miles.






Or another 76....

http://redding.craigslist.org/cto/3999743998.html
1976 chevy blazer k5 great shape 4000 must see or trade - $4000 (Redding)

1976 blazer new crate motor 6" lift 35 's also has ac it all hooked just needs to be charged it has to many new parts to list runs awesome . 4000 obo. if interested call 530-355-7149 . No paypal also it's a federal heavy half ton .

 

[kennyw]

I would never want to try to do that much work in an apartment setting. Replacing bumpers is one thing, but pulling motors and wiring may not be looked upon favorably for very long. To top it off, you already have rust issues that will keep the value of your current rig down no matter how much work you put into it until they are addressed.

My suggestion is to take your $5K and start with a rust free rig that runs great from the beginning. You won't find a perfect rig in that price range, but you will find rigs that don't require $10K of body work to be worth $5K.

 

[diesel4me]

I agree 100% with that...no sense in dealing with rust when you can find trucks THAT nice down there for less money that are well worth sinking some money into...just think what those 2 pictured will look & run like if you put 5 grand into them,instead of the one thats rusted?..
I wish there were one truck as nice as those up here for that money!..

The trouble with anything that was rusty,it is just a patched up rotbox in the end,no matter how pristine you may make it,and you'll never get any money back for it--and the rust needs to be fixed FIRST,before its worth spending a dime on the drive train......sentimental value is worth something,yes--but you have to draw the line somewhere too..

 

[kennyw]

There is another option, buy a used motor and transmission to rebuild while your rig is still together. Then, the swap could be done quicker. Then, sell your old stuff after the swap.

 

[76k5grrl]

Oh man.


Well, this is why I asked.

I have to choose. Either I put jeep money into k5 or k5 money into jeep.

What to do, what to do....................

The k5 is inherently bad$$ but needs some safety work and yes, it will be a "rotbox". Do I care? I dunno. If I put the work into a solid drivetrain I would probably never ever sell it, so what does it really matter what its later"really worth"?

The jeep needs far less work and could become a lot bad$$ with a much smaller investment... 5 grand into the jeep would be... Like almost too much money. It doesn't need that much.

But I absolutely cannot keep both.

 

[dhcomp]

Oh man.


Well, this is why I asked.

I have to choose. Either I put jeep money into k5 or k5 money into jeep.

What to do, what to do....................

The k5 is inherently bad$$ but needs some safety work and yes, it will be a "rotbox". Do I care? I dunno. If I put the work into a solid drivetrain I would probably never ever sell it, so what does it really matter what its later"really worth"?

The jeep needs far less work and could become a lot bad$$ with a much smaller investment... 5 grand into the jeep would be... Like almost too much money. It doesn't need that much.

But I absolutely cannot keep both.

I vote sell both, buy/build a nicer k5. But you already knew that

 

[Highpsi]

Sounds like you're at a crossroads now, but I have to say that I agree with the advice to just take the money and find yourself a new rig.

I did a complete custom rewire on my truck, and I don't want to overcomplicate this but I had lots of resources to accomplish this task. (Garage, free wiring parts/ pieces, tools needed etc.. etc..) Of course that gets easier with a painless wire harness or something, but just suggesting a re-wire is a pretty big challenge. Not to mention I was able to leave my truck sitting, disabled in my garage for the better part of one winter.

I know it is easy to get attached to a vehicle, and probably if you're feeling that way about yours it isn't easy to just move on and abandon the idea of fixing yours. At least you can think about alternatives now and do what's best for you in your situation. Anything can be done with enough money and time, but I know I am personally guilty of underestimating the scope of my projects sometimes!

Good luck and keep us posted!