Thinking of buying '79 K5

[mogulmasher]

This is my first post on this site......well I was a member about 4 or 5 years back and lost interest sort of. My first vehicle at 16 was a '79 K10, then I owned a '87 K10, and a '85 K5. I've since had a couple of kids and have stepped up to my current civilized '98 Yukon....nice truck but I have always missed having a solid axle GM truck. This past weekend I found a '79 K5 in just about the most perfect rust free condition you could find here in NH. I have not been able to keep this truck out of my head....it hits a sentimental nerve being a '79 like my first truck of 8 years (hated to see it go!!!) but could still accomadate the family being a K5.

Now the problem...I also have a fully restored '71 Nova that the old man and I restored back when I was in high school. It's never been a driver, just a show car and nice weather cruiser. Hasn't even been on the road the last 2 years, just sits in the garage. Obviousily would break my heart to see it go, but I can't have both.

Problem with K5 is money is tight in the household right now and it would have to be a daily cruiser for me as the wife usually uses the Yukon for soccer mom duties. All my older rigs have been from New England and needed rust repair, so it was no big deal to me to always be doing body work on these to keep 'em on the road. This one must be a southern truck, what would be the best way to protect it now if I were to get it and have the body last a few years of NH winters (i.e. salt destruction!!!) until I could get a winter rig and retire this one to summer duties????

My old man is a retired body man, so I'm quite experienced doing the work. I just am lazy and have always said I'd still be driving a solid axle chevy if it weren't for the constant rust repair.

Sorry for the long post......I'm just torn and looking for advice. I hate to be the guy that kicks himself in the butt after getting rid of my Nova when I'm older I just miss my '79 so much too.

 

[randy88k5]

Well, I would say get it because of its condition, but you have to think of the money before you jump into a project. I would not get rid of the Nova yet, because you'll miss it just as much when it leaves.

Getting a Blazer is ok, usually you can get them for a pretty good price, but you will nickel and dime yourself to death doing repairs and upgrades as you see fit. Believe me, the bug bites you quick.

I would keep a line on the Blazer, but wait until you are a little more financially stable so that you could have both the truck and the car. Who knows, you might get a better deal on it in a year or so, especially if the truck doesnt move diring that time.

Im sure someone else will chime in and give some more advice. Just remember you have a family to support before you jump into another vehicle project.

 

[1985_K5_Silverado]

I could regret getting rid of the '69 Mach I that I drove in high school (late 70s era) - but if I still had it, I'd be hesitant to daily-drive it and leave it in parking lots, and full-coverage insurance for such a theft target would not be too cheap.

In any case, if money is tight, that's the last time you need to be spending dollars on a vehicle that isn't needed to get to work, or needed to help you do the work. You're married, so run the idea past that woman with your ring on her finger.

 

[mogulmasher]

Thanks guys. Unfortunately your telling me what I don't want to hear but is right. Just so rare to find these trucks in this good of shape up here I just feel like I can't pass it up. Plus, I just hate newer trucks....I do all my own repair work and just hate working on newer ones.

Owner of the dealership has these kinds of trucks for sale from time to time...he's a big GM car/truck collector. I'm sure he travels for them and brings them back to NH. Maybe I could see if he could get another some other time......

 

[mogulmasher]

Well, I'm thinking about doing it.....odds are the Nova is going to be picked up in a day or two. Blazer still sits at the same dealership, sure they are willing to take a lower cash offer at this point! If all goes as planned could be at the dealership by this Sat with cash in hand wheeling and dealing.

Odds are if I get it I'll likely park it in garage for a few months while I get it more like how I want it and continue cruising the 'ol grand am to work. Fortunately with sale of Nova I should have a decent surplus of cash for parts/modifications. Wife should be okay with things though, we've been talking about me DD the K5 (I only drive 24 miles total each day) and getting rid of the '98 yukon and grand am to get her a newer 'hoe or yukon.

Wish me luck!!!!

 

[blazinzuk]

I think you are doing the right thing even though I have never had a nice muscle car, I would like to think I would drive it and when I stopped doing so I would probably sell it. Cars are meant to be driven not looked at. good luck with the Blazer

 

[mogulmasher]

I think you are doing the right thing even though I have never had a nice muscle car, I would like to think I would drive it and when I stopped doing so I would probably sell it. Cars are meant to be driven not looked at. good luck with the Blazer

Thanks man. Yeah I know what you mean about meant for driving. That's pretty much what it came down to, car got about 600 miles of use in 4 years time!!! Just ended up being something clogging up the garage. Kinda sucked having to worry about always keeping a roof over its head and storing it winters. A K5 will be lots more flexible that way for sure....plus its definitely more of an all weather rig and not have to worry about it in mall parking lot and what not.

 

[fireplug]

Interesting...I've been slowly making the same decision for about a year.

I'm living in the same climate, so I understand the dilemna with storage, and care of your summer car, and worrying about the Blazer rotting away during the winters.

I'm soooooo freakin' envious of the guys in the south!

So far, I have gone this route. I bought a Blazer that was only fairly straight, mostly because of the smog exempt. I figured I'd be less concerned about bashing it up if it was already rough around the edges. And ideally all the money I put into it for a while will be drive train related. If the body goes in a couple of years, then I'll do a tear down, frame up, or go down to Arizona and drive home with a rust free shell.

The summer car, still sits and waits. I'm worried I regret losing her. And if she does go, the money should probably go towards a mortgage and not another car or my Blazer. Time will tell.

 

[mogulmasher]

Interesting...I've been slowly making the same decision for about a year.

I'm living in the same climate, so I understand the dilemna with storage, and care of your summer car, and worrying about the Blazer rotting away during the winters.

I'm soooooo freakin' envious of the guys in the south!

So far, I have gone this route. I bought a Blazer that was only fairly straight, mostly because of the smog exempt. I figured I'd be less concerned about bashing it up if it was already rough around the edges. And ideally all the money I put into it for a while will be drive train related. If the body goes in a couple of years, then I'll do a tear down, frame up, or go down to Arizona and drive home with a rust free shell.

The summer car, still sits and waits. I'm worried I regret losing her. And if she does go, the money should probably go towards a mortgage and not another car or my Blazer. Time will tell.

I hear ya with the jealousy with the guys in the south and deserts......at least until I start snowmobiling each winter and remember why I live in the cold!!!

I'm sure I will regret getting rid of car to some degree, matter of fact I was suppose to call the guy yesterday to "seal" the deal, but couldn't bring myself to doing so. I'm getting more pumped about K5 now though, so I'll make arrangements when I get home from work tonight.

At least for me there is another hot rod project in the works if I feel I'm missing having a street machine. Got a '52 Chevy 5 window pick up in shop ready to get rolling on. It's a rust free California truck....me and the old man are throwing a '86 'vette irs in it and likely a mustang II front end.

I'm kinda thinking like you, I'm gonna do the best I can to rust proof the perfect body it has (undercoating, line-x, etc?) and just drive it for a few years as a dd. Once the budget allows I'll buy another truck for dd duties and retire k5 to pleasure vehicle. At that point would likely do a restoration.

So....anyone got some good rust proofing tips for these trucks??? Maybe I'll start another topic regarding this for input.

 

[diesel4me]

no easy outs...

I've had several "nice cars" in past years,like a 69 GTO,66 Buick Wildcat,66 Electra 225 hardtop,and a few first generation K5's and pickups,several 73-87 style pickups..all were in "nice" shape considering they were "new england" iron,but that was because their former owners had garages,and drove them sparingly during winter,and hosed them down after off roading or driving on salted roads..

When I bought them,at first I had NO garage,not even a carport..all the vehicles I just listed had to sit outside,and despite me being rather anal about getting them salted or dirty,they rusted out rapidly--it was not long before my trucks once mint rockers and doors had rotted badly,and soon I was driving patched up hulks of my formerly "nice" vehicles..

I tried doing frame off restorations,painted all the undersides and frames with POR-15,and many other special rust converting/preventing coatings,and all fell off in about 5 years..it was heartbreaking (and still is!) to watch a vehicle you love get consumed in just a few years up here..is this what you want this 79 K5 to be up against??..you can rest assured it WILL rust rapidly in NH,no matter what you do to prevent it!..there is no "miracle" paint or coating that will conquer salt and mother nature here--you can slow it down,but not stop the rust..

I'd say you'd be better off with one less "minty",that you wont be afraid to USE in nasty weather,or put a dent in,or leave parked in a not so desireable location..I've had trucks that I didn't even want to carry stuff in the bed,because they were "that nice"..but why have them if your afraid to scratch it??..

I'd have kept the Nova,but I know it IS a burden to have several vehicles,and not having enough cash to keep them all registered and insured ,and I hate letting a nice vehicle sit in a garage for long periods of time..but it will only increase in value as it ages,if kept in dry storage..

The bottom line is if you really want older vehicles,and want to keep them in nice condition,I'd say you'd have to MOVE..Arizona is the place to own a rust free vehicle,and not have to spend a lifetime trying to keep it from rotting away..you might make one last 10 years in NH--but after that it'll be junk,just like all the others here...

 

[cbbr]

I'm always surprised that you guys don't just buy cars off of autotrader or ebay and have them shipped. Its only about $500 to have one shipped, and you would save more than that on bodywork alone.

 

[fireplug]

I'm always surprised that you guys don't just buy cars off of autotrader or ebay and have them shipped. Its only about $500 to have one shipped, and you would save more than that on bodywork alone.

For me it was mostly, the uncertainty at the border, and the point of sale. If I was buying off of someone here I'd feel better for sure, but some yahoo that knows I'm not coming to see it?

 

[mogulmasher]

I've had several "nice cars" in past years,like a 69 GTO,66 Buick Wildcat,66 Electra 225 hardtop,and a few first generation K5's and pickups,several 73-87 style pickups..all were in "nice" shape considering they were "new england" iron,but that was because their former owners had garages,and drove them sparingly during winter,and hosed them down after off roading or driving on salted roads..

When I bought them,at first I had NO garage,not even a carport..all the vehicles I just listed had to sit outside,and despite me being rather anal about getting them salted or dirty,they rusted out rapidly--it was not long before my trucks once mint rockers and doors had rotted badly,and soon I was driving patched up hulks of my formerly "nice" vehicles..

I tried doing frame off restorations,painted all the undersides and frames with POR-15,and many other special rust converting/preventing coatings,and all fell off in about 5 years..it was heartbreaking (and still is!) to watch a vehicle you love get consumed in just a few years up here..is this what you want this 79 K5 to be up against??..you can rest assured it WILL rust rapidly in NH,no matter what you do to prevent it!..there is no "miracle" paint or coating that will conquer salt and mother nature here--you can slow it down,but not stop the rust..

I'd say you'd be better off with one less "minty",that you wont be afraid to USE in nasty weather,or put a dent in,or leave parked in a not so desireable location..I've had trucks that I didn't even want to carry stuff in the bed,because they were "that nice"..but why have them if your afraid to scratch it??..

I'd have kept the Nova,but I know it IS a burden to have several vehicles,and not having enough cash to keep them all registered and insured ,and I hate letting a nice vehicle sit in a garage for long periods of time..but it will only increase in value as it ages,if kept in dry storage..

The bottom line is if you really want older vehicles,and want to keep them in nice condition,I'd say you'd have to MOVE..Arizona is the place to own a rust free vehicle,and not have to spend a lifetime trying to keep it from rotting away..you might make one last 10 years in NH--but after that it'll be junk,just like all the others here...

Point well taken diesel4me. My first truck was a '79 K10 and over the course of 8 years of owning it I redid rockers, cab corners, floors 3 times (once was the initial rebuild). Of course it was new england truck in bad shape to start with. In the begining I spent the money on GM doors and fenders and they never showed any signs of rust right to the day I sold the truck. Matter of fact I saw truck for sale a few years after I sold it and doors and fenders were still solid. Made me a believer in GM replacement panels with the electrostatic primer applied to them!

At least for this winter I could continue driving wife's grand am to work and save k5 maybe for just towing sleds up north.....and I always pressure wash truck and trailer following a trip up north. One advantage is whenever we go out as a family we'll probably continue to always take the yukon.

Has anyone on here ever put a fiberglass tub on their k5 like the ones from US body source? I know they are pricey, but would last forever. I would think a fiberglass tubbed k5 with GM reproduction sheet metal hung off it would last a long time!!!!

 

[fireplug]

73k5blazer might chime in. He's building his up right now. Looks sweet. Price is high, but I'm like you, I keep coming back to this idea.

 

[diesel4me]

If I sound bitter--I AM!...

Sorry if I sounded negative in my previous post--but I've lived here in MA all my life,and have had to watch my prized posessions be reduced to piles of brown flakes ,and iron oxide dust too many times..now after seeing that,I have little ambition to own anything "minty" or nice anymore..when I think of all my time,effort,and money I wasted patching those vehicles up more than once,I feel sick.... (yes,one truck I had ,a 71 GMC K1500,I did floors and rockers 3 times,and eventually the entire cab floor and back wall,the gas tank was the only thing holding the cab together!)..I did this to all my vehicles,until I got so disgusted with them I sold them cheap...

I hate seeing rust free rigs being brought up here to die an early rusty death..but I will agree its the easiest/cheapest way to get a rust free truck around here--there isn't many that survived without at least some rot somewhere in this area..but in the end its a waste of a nice truck if you ask me..had you moved to where you got it from,you'd never have to watch it rot away!..

Another reason I no longer desire a "minty" truck is I am hesitant to USE it,for work and other chores..that,and the fact the morons here who drive around with no regard for someone elses vehicle--they just assume run into you than yeild,"key" it in parking lots,and I dont like leaving a nice vehicle parked in places I'm unfamiliar with,fearing it wont be there when I return,or it will have parts stripped off of it,etc..

I feel better off with a "decent" truck that isn't "too" nice...one that wont attract theives or vandals,and I'm not afraid to use as a truck..