Thoughts on a 1979 K5

[K5dreamer]

Ok, so its not a first gen (what I reaaaaaaally want), and its not a full convertible (what i really want), but its got the factory SM465/205, has a "strait rust free" body, and seems to be relatively unmolested aside from a 2in lift and aftermarket stereo.

Wondering what y'all thought about this one as my next rig, to drive as is for a year or two, and then swap the diesel and 1 ton axles under, and maybe at some point swap the windshield frame/doors/top and MAKE it a full convertible. (well.... pay someone to do it)

Here's the ad's on the truck...

http://kpr.craigslist.org/cto/3315120369.html

http://eastoregon.craigslist.org/cto/3279984257.html

It's a 40 hour drive, 2650 miles or so. I'd probably do a few side trips along the way, (especially if I can talk my girlfriend into coming with me) so call it 3000 miles just for setting aside gas money. figure it will probably get 12 mpg on the highway depending on gearing? so roughly 250 gallons to drive it home. at $4/gallon, thats an even $1000 in gas money

plane ticket $300 one way. food, drink, sleeping in the truck, random road trip expenses another $700? to make the total cost of the trip $2000, plus the cost of the truck.

Sound about right to you guys?


Also, in my purousing I found this link.....

http://oregoncoast.craigslist.org/ptd/3269708967.html

Havent contacted the guy yet, but if he still has the windshield frame, doors, and top.... should I pick those up while I'm out there? and how would I transport it back? Can I bolt the full vert top on backwards? and leave the half cab at a dump somewhere out there? drive back with the full vert top facing the wrong way but bolted to the bed rails? then just take it strait to the bodyshop to have the windshield frame and bodywork done to do the full convertible conversion?

is part two of this just another one of my hair brained schemes?

 

[K5dreamer]

added bonus, my sister lives in Portland and I haven't visited since she moved out there. It would be a chance to go visit and have her yell at me for buying another truck lol

 

[tRustyK5]

Part two is nutty IMO.

The truck itself looks like a decent survivor from what I see. Interior definitely needs some love, but at least it's original. i'm thinking you could probably snap it up for $2000 easily enough.

Maybe one of our Oregon guys might take a closer look for you before you commit to flying out there?

 

[sweetk30]

Maybe one of our Oregon guys might take a closer look for you before you commit to flying out there?

x10 million for the win. an un biased opinion and no dreams of what could be rolling threw your head when someone else checkes it over for you.

pay a member a few bucks to check it over for you and save a world of crap.

 

[K5dreamer]

Part two is nutty IMO.

The truck itself looks like a decent survivor from what I see. Interior definitely needs some love, but at least it's original. i'm thinking you could probably snap it up for $2000 easily enough.

Maybe one of our Oregon guys might take a closer look for you before you commit to flying out there?

haha, yeah, thought part 2 was a bit dumb, but ya never know, Ive reaaaaaaaaalllllly got that full convertible bug, dunno if anyone noticed

x10 million for the win. an un biased opinion and no dreams of what could be rolling threw your head when someone else checkes it over for you.

pay a member a few bucks to check it over for you and save a world of crap.

and you both are absolutely on point, If it turns into something more serious I was already planning to ask if anyone can check it out for me first. Just wanted to see If I had a relative grasp of what buying a truck on the other side of the country and driving it home involved. I called the guy but left a message, so I dont even know if its still for sale, so I wasn't gonna bug anyone just yet to try and go look at it. When I get in touch with the seller I'm going to ask for a crap ton more pictures of the typical rust spots and such to pour over and post up here for review.

 

[tRustyK5]

You might be a little optimistic about the cost to return back with the K5...especially if your girlfriend comes along. Three or more days of living out of a K5 is gonna get really old, really fast. I'd budget for some motel rooms, and have at least $500 for on the road repairs.

As for the full vert swap. my "plan" would be this:

Get the truck home, take care of all the niggelty crap you need to get it reliable all while watching CL and CK5 for a full vert windshield frame and topper as near to you as possible.

What I did with my Jimmy once I found one for sale 350 miles away, was to chop my hardtop off leaving 2" of steel at the top of the windshield frame. I cut my doors as close as I could, then loaded me and my daughter up for a little roadtrip. Once I got to chevyfume's place we threw his hardtop on my truck, bolted down to the bedsides, threw the windshield frame in the back and drove home.

 

[K5dreamer]

You might be a little optimistic about the cost to return back with the K5...especially if your girlfriend comes along. Three or more days of living out of a K5 is gonna get really old, really fast. I'd budget for some motel rooms, and have at least $500 for on the road repairs.

As for the full vert swap. my "plan" would be this:

Get the truck home, take care of all the niggelty crap you need to get it reliable all while watching CL and CK5 for a full vert windshield frame and topper as near to you as possible.

What I did with my Jimmy once I found one for sale 350 miles away, was to chop my hardtop off leaving 2" of steel at the top of the windshield frame. I cut my doors as close as I could, then loaded me and my daughter up for a little roadtrip. Once I got to chevyfume's place we threw his hardtop on my truck, bolted down to the bedsides, threw the windshield frame in the back and drove home.

Shiny. so earmark $3000 for the return trip. should be plenty. my better half is really the bread winner in the relationship, and as a feminist, has no issue pulling her own weight, and often pays for things, so that should help. If I cover the logistics money, she'll be totally happy to cover all the "fun" expenses, and likely food and hotel rooms. she has been talking about needing a vacation from work lately

and you're absolutely right on the full vert idea, although I have strong doubts about finding said parts "near" me. but i suppose I could always just rent a trailer and go pick it up.

I would likely not spin any serious wrenches till next spring or summer, and in fact would likely drive the truck as is until I sorted out the rebuild on the diesel engine, and axles. so it may be a year or two until I start modding the truck. that time would absolutly be spent addressing all the small maintanence and repair issues with the truck.

 

[ryoken]

you could have it shipped for 1/2 that...

 

[wage92]

that seems like an aweful lot of money being spent to go get a k5, youre paying more for the trip than the truck itself.

 

[nocok5]

It's not like these era Blazers are extremely rare and hard to find. Even first gens are out there in decent shape. If what I personally wanted was a first gen I would save some of that travel money and put it towards the price of a vehicle closer to home. I bought my 1970 Blazer for 5k and think it was in good or better shape than the one you are looking at based on the picture. Might be tougher to find on the east coast but if I was going to travel for a vehicle it would be to the dessert somewhere. I love a road trip as much as anybody and have travelled all over the country for cars and a dog so if the experience is what you're after I say go for it, but I bet you can find a better or equal vehicle much closer to home without looking too hard.

 

[K5dreamer]

you could have it shipped for 1/2 that...

Honestly, hadnt even thought about that, if the girl isnt interested in a vacation roadtrip, thats a strong suggestion to consider while the cross country trip would be a helluva fun experience, its also days off from work, and more money, and absolutely would fall under "want" vs "need".

that seems like an aweful lot of money being spent to go get a k5, youre paying more for the trip than the truck itself.

yeah i noticed lol, but alot of the cost is just the trip out west and driving back. cant really be avoided. I figure it would cost me the same to get a "desert" truck as well. If I'm shopping for a rust free truck I dont see anyway around that cost (aside from Ryoken's suggestion to have it shipped) unless I'm missing something.

It's not like these era Blazers are extremely rare and hard to find. Even first gens are out there in decent shape. If what I personally wanted was a first gen I would save some of that travel money and put it towards the price of a vehicle closer to home. I bought my 1970 Blazer for 5k and think it was in good or better shape than the one you are looking at based on the picture. Might be tougher to find on the east coast but if I was going to travel for a vehicle it would be to the dessert somewhere. I love a road trip as much as anybody and have travelled all over the country for cars and a dog so if the experience is what you're after I say go for it, but I bet you can find a better or equal vehicle much closer to home without looking too hard.

the blazers themselves aren't all that rare, finding one thats not a disaster, and in my price range is. All the ones "near"" me are either half completed projects, rust buckets, "great candidates for restoration" or clean on the outside and then wiring nightmares on the inside. Ive backed off the first gen requirement (still totally hoping to finding one) and even slacked on the full vert (still hoping to get one), to focus on what the brotherhood has pointed out is the bigger issue for someone like me with no body work experience and no welding skill.... as little rust as possible. This truck has the drivetrain, no rust (supposedly), is not a hacked apart wiring fire hazard, and has the body style of the 2nd gen convertibles so the swap would look better than it would on a newer truck IMO.

The cost of the truck and trip is around $5000, and out here I cant find a full convertible truck (manual or auto) that isnt a basket case for less than $7000, and those are still rough. Out here on the east coast people certainly feel these trucks are made of gold and platinum and are asking a premium. For a "rust free" truck, which usually means fully restored, the asking prices are usually well above $10,000, quite a few are asking over $20,000... and the one in mind even had lift blocks.

Not trying to be argumentative, but just trying to let you know what I've been dealing with and why I would consider the long journey cross country for a clean unmolested rig. I keep hearing about these rust free, original condition, manual trans, daily driver, first gen trucks on the east cost for $1000, but I'll be darned if I can find em.

 

[wage92]

Honestly, hadnt even thought about that, if the girl isnt interested in a vacation roadtrip, thats a strong suggestion to consider while the cross country trip would be a helluva fun experience, its also days off from work, and more money, and absolutely would fall under "want" vs "need".



yeah i noticed lol, but alot of the cost is just the trip out west and driving back. cant really be avoided. I figure it would cost me the same to get a "desert" truck as well. If I'm shopping for a rust free truck I dont see anyway around that cost (aside from Ryoken's suggestion to have it shipped) unless I'm missing something.



the blazers themselves aren't all that rare, finding one thats not a disaster, and in my price range is. All the ones "near"" me are either half completed projects, rust buckets, "great candidates for restoration" or clean on the outside and then wiring nightmares on the inside. Ive backed off the first gen requirement (still totally hoping to finding one) and even slacked on the full vert (still hoping to get one), to focus on what the brotherhood has pointed out is the bigger issue for someone like me with no body work experience and no welding skill.... as little rust as possible. This truck has the drivetrain, no rust (supposedly), is not a hacked apart wiring fire hazard, and has the body style of the 2nd gen convertibles so the swap would look better than it would on a newer truck IMO.

The cost of the truck and trip is around $5000, and out here I cant find a full convertible truck (manual or auto) that isnt a basket case for less than $7000, and those are still rough. Out here on the east coast people certainly feel these trucks are made of gold and platinum and are asking a premium. For a "rust free" truck, which usually means fully restored, the asking prices are usually well above $10,000, quite a few are asking over $20,000... and the one in mind even had lift blocks.

Not trying to be argumentative, but just trying to let you know what I've been dealing with and why I would consider the long journey cross country for a clean unmolested rig. I keep hearing about these rust free, original condition, manual trans, daily driver, first gen trucks on the east cost for $1000, but I'll be darned if I can find em.

oh trust me i understand, i just got mine this past spring from massachusetts, and i drove 4 hours to get that because it was supposedly "rust free" and its pretty good but its definitely not rust free . I just keep telling myself, pretty much any vehicle this old is going to have SOME rust, its just up to you to find one with the least amount Just keep looking, dont be in a rush to buy one and look into the shipping deal and i would even be interested in knowing how you would go about shipping one. Keep us updated!

 

[K5dreamer]

man... why is it everytime I have a soapbox moment my foot just kicks me in my non-existant tonsels.

http://onslow.craigslist.org/pts/3314252238.html

asking price is $1000 more than the one in Oregon, but otherwise seems pretty similar, except for the 383

greyhound bus ticket is $90 (vs $300 plane ride)
fuel (@12mpg and $4/gal) will be $120 (vs $1000)
no need for hotel rooms or motel rooms $0 vs $?
I can do this in an overnight trip no problem, so food and other expenses are a non issue.

Only issue would be if there were any rust problems really.

I'll shoot the guy off my seemingly standard inquiry email and see whats up.

Y'all think this is a better truck for me to be looking at? (pending the outcome of initial critical review based on feedback and pictures of course).

 

[wage92]

looks pretty clean man, and that 383 (if hes telling the truth) is icing on the cake! and at that distance you could almost drive down one weekend to look at it before you commit to buying.

 

[K5dreamer]

looks pretty clean man, and that 383 (if hes telling the truth) is icing on the cake! and at that distance you could almost drive down one weekend to look at it before you commit to buying.

Yup, with my Jetta, that 720 mile round trip could be done on a single tank of diesel, with some to spare. and some fuel for the driver too.

 

[wage92]

when i first read that i couldnt believe it was 720 miles, but you are in n. va and the k5 is in s. nc haha i didnt realize that, still might be worth it though.

 

[1BEATK5]

The k5 in eastern Oregon should be rust free. It's desert out there.

I can see the usual rust bubbles on the other one. Still not a bad deal though.

 

[Greg72]

The k5 in eastern Oregon should be rust free. It's desert out there.

I can see the usual rust bubbles on the other one. Still not a bad deal though.

Unless you know the complete history of a 40 year old truck, it's not safe to assume that it's lived it's whole life in one part of the country...

To the OP: keep saving your money. If you want a 1st Gen, then commit yourself to saving up and buying one. Otherwise you are just wasting money on a "compromise" vehicle that you'll never be 100% happy with.

You must be young, I sense impatience in your posts....


-G

 

[K5dreamer]

Unless you know the complete history of a 40 year old truck, it's not safe to assume that it's lived it's whole life in one part of the country...

To the OP: keep saving your money. If you want a 1st Gen, then commit yourself to saving up and buying one. Otherwise you are just wasting money on a "compromise" vehicle that you'll never be 100% happy with.

You must be young, I sense impatience in your posts....


-G

The force is strong with this one....

I guess young is a relative term. 29 years by the calendar, 3.5 years according to my girlfriend

I dunno, Ive been without a truck for a few years now, and its just starting to hit home. I miss it, my girl misses it, I just put a bunch of money into my jetta to keep it on the road and pretty and reliable, and im worried bout some yahoo t-boning me in a snow storm and totalling my daily driver. The idea of having a K5 with large aftermarket bumpers is comforting to me. and thats just outside of wanting a rig to go camping in again, and drive in movie theaters with lawn chairs in the back and all that jazz.

 

[Jester1]

I don't know how to attach craigslist to here so I will give you directions.

Go to Bozeman Montana craigslist and look around a Aug 23-26 posting. 71 been redone. Have seen the rig and it is nice. Has been trying to sell for a while. Will probably drop on price. It is here in belgrade. Attach the listing here and see what the boys think. Would be happy to do some leg work for you and possibly a place to stay if it is truly the dream rig.