What would you rather keep: '75 K5 or '82 Stepside?

[mountainexplorer]

I'm liking the '82 Stepside I just got. Originally I was going to put the 396 out of it in my Orange '75 K5 and the 1-ton axles with 5.13's under the "Big" Crew Cab, then put a 350 and 3/4 ton stuff under it and sell it.

Now I'm half tempted to keep the stepside as it is. It's already the way I like all my rigs... big block, Dana 60/14-bolt, 465/205... and it's the only bodystyle GM truck I don't have in the fleet yet. BUT, I didn't put it together myself. If I kept it, I wouldn't want to change a thing, and I'd be going by the "Bought not Built" motto, unlike my Orange Blazer.

The Orange Blazer won't keep a motor in it longer than 10 months (thats the longest a motor has lasted in it). I've had 7 motors in it since I got it for $400. I parted out what running gear it had, and basically had the tub/frame for free. The only money I have into it is $250 in the 14-bolt and Detroit, $350 in 3" dual exhaust with Flowmasters, and about $400 into rims and tires. Plus $20 into the Wal-Mart spray paint Orange/Black paint job. It's the only full removable top Blazer I have.

Currently, the Orange Blazer has a smoking 454 that needs to be pulled out. The rockers are rusted out. Only the drivers seat is bolted down. If I sold it... it would be hard to get much out of it whole. I could probably part it out and get nearly $2800 for all the parts, of which I have less than half that into. But that doesn't cover my $3900 cost of the Stepside. I already have two other K5's... a '76 Camo Blazer and an '84 K5.

And if I keep the stepside as it is, then I still have to get 5.13s for the Crew cab. And I'd be sacrificing and demolishing or selling one of my children (the Orange Blazer).

What should I do? What would you do?

 

[Seventy4Blazer]

keep them both, swap lifts and tires, then ya can say ya built them both...
Grant

 

[jekbrown]

I say go with the step side. I would hope that by this point in your truck-building career you don't need your truck-building ego boosted. Who cares if someone else built it. Its not like you're a clueless noob who can't fix his own junk. Sounds like the step side is ready to rock... i say run with it.

j

 

[fourwheelerjeff]

I say go with the step side. I would hope that by this point in your truck-building career you don't need your truck-building ego boosted. Who cares if someone else built it. Its not like you're a clueless noob who can't fix his own junk. Sounds like the step side is ready to rock... i say run with it.

j

i agree, i bought a built truck with a doubler and other parts just because i could get it cheaper than building the one i was working on

 

[thatK30guy]

Go with the stepside. IMO, the SWB has the better wheel base for offroading. Its kind of the "compromise" between the Blazer and long wheel base. Theres just some things the SWB can do a lot better than a Blazer or long bed.

The SWB also weighs less than everything else. It allows more power-to-weight ratio compared to a 5000+ lbs. Blazer. The SWB trucks are approximately 1000 lbs. lighter than a Blazer or 1 ton truck.

 

[mountainexplorer]

Originally, I wanted to put together a stepside. It was going to be an un-typical Allan truck, with a smallblock and automatic. It would have had my 327, a TH350, 205, 14-bolt and Dana 44 with 4.56's, trying to keep it lightweight and somewhat fast for mud races, running only 35's or 36's to stay in the "street and trail" class.

I suppose I "could" leave the stepside as is, part out the Orange Blazer and start back over again. The 465/205, Dana 60 and 14 bolt with 4.10s would come out, as well as the 454, and it would go back to being an automatic and smallblock. Then it could be the "race rig". After all, I did just paint those fast racing stripes on it.

 

[gone huntin]

I'd keep the stepside, but I'm partial to them, I've owned three of 'em.

 

[ronnny]

my first stepside is the one i have now. If you have not had one before you need to use it a little and see how you like it. I have had to many cups fall of the side of a fleetside bed when leaving for work or someplace that i'm eatin' at cause the passenger is gettin in. This has not happened with the step side. Also it is easy when you are sank in the mud to open the door and step on the step then into the back of the truck to get out without to much climbing when there is that bottomlss pit next to you. There is not a million of them around niether. The only draw back that i dislike is it seems to hold nowhere near as much junk in the bed as a fleetside.

 

[OffRoad]

what would i do? i would keep the step side.

it's already built, it's different and it runs good. (it looks sweet covered in mud) you've got a couple blazers and it's not like you have to prove anything by building your stuff. you've got respect around here, so don't worry about the built not bought thing.

this way you get a new body style. if i had a truck that ran good and had gears and stuff in it, and another truck that spat out engines all the time, i'd get rid of the engine spitting truck.

if you feel bored cause you're not working on stuff (the blazer), you can come up to canada and work on my sammy.

 

[diesel4me]

I have one so...

Since I own an 82 K20 Stepside(8ft bed!)--you know whick one I'd say to keep!...I like K5's too,but the stepside "shorty" is one of the best "lookers" GM made yet!...and who cares if it was already "built"--YOU will no doubt end up doing a lot of stuff to it to "personalize" it,so whats the big deal?--I'd LOVE to buy a truck with all the "goodies" installed already--I'm not into doing all the work myself anymore--once you get to be 47 I bet you'll feel the same way!

You must be in good health Alan,to be able to drive 1200 miles to get that truck,THEN race it in a mud bog and winsecond place less than a week later!..I'd still be in bed recouoperating from the trip!--hell,all I did all weekend is go to a concert!--and now I have a severe sore throat,and a bad head and sinus cold!.. .Feel like KA KA!!.