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trying to decide what to buy.

Mikey von

Mikey von

1/2 ton status
Joined
Dec 21, 2005
Posts
1,546
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5
Location
Burney, CA
So, I am looking for something cheap to drive since my suburban is down with engine problems. We get snow here and my driveway requires 4x4. Our other car is a camry. We have two little ones. We moved into the house we are building, but it still is far from done. Home Depot and Lowes are 60+ miles away, so it sucks having to borrow my buddies truck, plus it is a ford.

I have been looking on craigslist and found there is quite a bit out their in the $1000 range. I have really wanted a long bed, for hauling stuff, getting firewood, going to the dumps, plus they just look cool. :D

I still get tempted by k5's though. It would be nice to have a back seat, so we can put my boys (still in car seats) in the back instead of the front. That way we could also go places as a family. I plan on getting my burb running once i finish the house, so next year sometime most likely in the summer. So the family thing is nice, but not critical once the burb is going again. I still feel safer having the boys in back instead of the front.

How much room is in the back of a K5 with the back seat removed? Can I fit a full 4'x8' sheet of ply? What about tow capicity?

any thoughts on my delema?
 
I recomend a long box 3/4 or 1 ton pickup, if you want to get firewood and such, a K5 could work, but wouldnt be nearly as good at it. The standard cab would be enough for the family, but legaly to seat more than the 3 people, at least in NY, you'd need a crew cab, which if you like a Burb, and the looks of a longbox, a crew cab long box would be pretty sweet to find, often they go cheaper due to people just not likeing such a gigantic truck.
 
I am thinking truck also. I all know is that the snow has started to fall (hopefully not stick too much). I have this one in my sights.

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/903478309.html

Inside600x450.jpg


ChevyRightRear.jpg


engine2.jpg


these are answers to some questions I asked;

brian,


Can you give me a run down on the mechanical condition?


Any misses or knocks?[Brian Redlich] Runs Great. no problems
Belt squeal?[Brian Redlich] The power steering pump will loosen occasionally(needs new bolt)...but no squeals unless this happens
Start good?[Brian Redlich] starts right up. I have been having issues with the battery lately...if it sits for more than 2 weeks it needs a quick charge
Overheat at all?[Brian Redlich] Never
Slopping steering?[Brian Redlich] I just put a new steering box on it ($180.00) steering is good for its age
How are the brakes?[Brian Redlich] Good as far as I know
Shift good?[Brian Redlich] The trannie leaks if it sits so it would need fluid occasionally. But shifting is fine. I think it has a shift kit in it.
Death Wobble (shaking steering wheel at certain speeds)?[Brian Redlich] nope
Oil leaks?[Brian Redlich] The oil pan and the transfer case leak. Nothing horrible. But it will leave a spot in the driveway
ect, ect??
Tire condtion? [Brian Redlich] about 35-45% left.
what part is new, the bed or the cab?[Brian Redlich] the bed
was it wrecked?[Brian Redlich] nope
clear title? [Brian Redlich] yes

Hi Michael,
I answered your questions below in Blue. As for the price I am firm if you want to take it with the Demon Carburetor. If you would like me to swap it out with a carter carburetor I can do that...I would then be willing to take 1,000 for it. When i took the carter off of it it ran ok...but it was underpowered and would chug and die when stopping hard.

what do you all think?
 
sounds like a decent buy to me, if its a running driving 3/4 ton its worth a grand, easily. It may need some maintenance, or seals, but parts are all over, and cheap for these trucks.
 
I know you are looking at a particular rig already, but if you want something you can move everyone around in, how about a K5, and a small utility trailer?

Trucks are handy, nice to not have to hook anything up to it, etc., but no fun when trying to move more than two people around, which limits their usefulness. (at least to me)

And with a later K5, if the stuff isn't TOO big, you CAN fold the rear seat up, which gives you dry storage without having to buy a canopy.
 
I completely agree that having 4 seats is nice (that is why I have a suburban). i do own a trailer, but I really need something that will be able to handle larger items without a trailer. I make frequent trips into town (60+ miles) and need larger construction type items (doors, plywood, ect. ect.). It would suck to have to hook up my trailer, which is kind of large, for all these trips.

Can anyone comment on the difference between a Demon carb and a Carter carb as the seller talked about?
 
My first reaction is to say "sixpack", i.e. crew cab. I looove mine, as there is very little it WON'T carry.

The crewcabs have two benches and seat six adults comfortably, or three or four people and stuff. The back area can hold an amazing amount of (fill in the blank: camping gear, office equipment, furniture, etc etc :haha: )

However, at nine to the gallon, I don't take it unless I really need to. It's also friggin HUGE and the parking spaces are increasingly smaller, so I end up having to park at the outskirts of the lot and take up two spaces. Turning's also a PITA, but some of that is 'cuz it's a dually :D

Also, all the sixpacks have longbeds, so they're friggin ocean liners. Sometimes I think a shortbed would be nice, and other times I wish I had a 10' flatbed on it :haha:

The problem is you can't scale down, and that's why the trailer idea comes up. You can have a more practical smaller vehicle and then scale up as you need to.

But for sheer utility, as well as sheer scare-people-the-hell-out-of-your-way-merging-with-traffic, you can't beat a bigblock sixpack :deal:

-- A
 
To answer some of your questions ...

As to the carb, if it were me and I was buying the truck, I'd take whatever was cheaper, and put a Q-jet on it. I don't understand the damn things, but when set up by someone who knows them, they're good basically forever.

With the seat down a Blazer has about a 5.5" long bed, i.e. a bit short of a shortbed pickup, so no, you won't get a 4x8 sheet back there with the tailgate up. You could do it with the tailgate down but that means driving with the truck open, which gets complicated as well as cold and smelly.

You might consider a shortbed, if you can find one you like, with a lumber rack, 'cuz you can carry a coupla 2x4's to go across the rack and hold sheets up there, or put them sideways, or ... the possibilities are endless.

When I tubbed my wheel wells I lost the ability to carry 4x8 sheets *at the floor level*, i.e. I gotta put them across my toolboxes, but I rarely do sheets of stuff -- more often lumber or pipe or steel, so it just gets strapped to the rack and off I go.

Towing on a stock K5 is basically like a stock 1/2 ton pickup, reduced a bit for the shorter wheelbase. If you want to tow anything, IMHO you should have at least a 3/4 ton ... out here the rental places won't let you near the trailers without a 3/4 or better, unless it's one of the tiny moving trailers that holds like four suitcases :haha:

-- A
 
i would love a 6 pack, but the price is always to high. That is why i got a burb. I really would like a 3/4 or 1 ton. For $1000 or less, i have not found a 1 ton.
 
If you need 4x4 that truck seems pretty nice for the $$$. IMO, a K5 would suck to always have to put the kids in the back especially if they can't buckle themselves into their own car seat.
 
Astro van! I know it sounds silly when compairing to a 3/4 ton or 1 ton truck. But with what you described it would suit your needs. 4x8 sheets easy once you take out the rear seats (takes 5 minutes) put the seats in and haul the kids. An AWD version will get you through the snow suprisingly well. And they hve a 5000lb tow rating. They are cheap usually it would be newer and better on gas ect.

Just a sugestion, dont throw rocks at me.
This one is slightly modified
DCP_7578.jpg
 
Why did you have to show that to me when I have another Astro showing up at my house later this week? Man the ideas are flowing, but this one is too nice to cut up like that, plus I think the wife would beat me.:doah:
 
Either of those would be nice, but I really like the pop up top. I could always do like the original using my old 10/12 that I am replacing in the Blazer. If I did it on the Astro I am pulling the engine from, I could then drop in a 350/350/205, do a bit of trimming and have the ultimate hunting truck.
 
i had a jeep cherokee as a daily driver.17 miles a gallon on gas,good 4x4 and i could hall a few sheets of plywood on top at a time.on a fullsize blazer,you can take the rear seat out and use it to hall wood with the tailgate up.its only a few bolts to put it back in and you can haul the family around.having to climb intyo the back to get them there sux though.im not sure how much you want to haul with this vehicle but i use a utility trl with 4x8 bed to haul anything more than a few sheets of ply.but i wouldnt need to with a good 3/4 ton pickup.my trl was 300 bucks at home cheapo.its only 7 bucks a year to register it.the options are endless.you just have to look at what is more important at the moment.if you are taking the family somewhere you have the car.if not a longbed pickup for you to use exclusively for your hauling needs would be ideal.
 
i would completely roll in one of those astro vans. I am going to take a peek a craigslist when I get a chance.
 
I think I would go for the 93 if I was you. Looks a little rough but could be fixed up for a song, at that price I doubt you could go wrong. A winch is gunna cost half the price of the truck.

Oh and good luck!
 
what size tires can i fit under a 93 3/4 ton? I suppose my 35's will not fit. I do not think it has a lift. I am going to go look at it, drive it, and possibly buy it tomorrow. Anything I need to look for as far as problems in that year? Here are a few pics.

93chevy2-1.jpg


93chevy1.jpg
 
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