Yup.
That is exactly how I do them. But its kinda hard to hold that dipstick tab on and stand 3 feet back at the same time.
CK5
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Worst bolts to get at on a square body ?
- Thread starter diesel4me
- Start date
Yup.
That is exactly how I do them. But its kinda hard to hold that dipstick tab on and stand 3 feet back at the same time.
X2! Only time I actually liked a body lift on a truck was for an engine swap. Those 2 bolts annoy me every time and I think it's just cause they are time consuming with a box end and too much time kneeling on the engine.
I agree those door hinge bolts,and brake booster ones suck a$$ to get at too..nothing worse that lying under the dash ..
Taking a square body truck's nose and cab off is fairly "easy" when your in good physical condition..especially if your just parting it out,and aren't really concerned about ever re-assembling it...
Thinking back,the ones I have done didn't require taking off the front bolts in the radiator support,the frame mounts rotted enough to allow the rubber cushions to be lifted right out with no resistance--that's why I dont recall how to get at those bolts--never HAD too!..
But if your "restoring" it,and want to save certain things,not just chop wires,etc,you'll soon be discouraged by the number of things that wont come off intact--like those bolts holding the inner fenders to the firewall (almost always bust off ,or rip the mount off--to my surprise I got the drivers side one to come out on my truck intact yesterday though),and wires that won't unplug without wrecking the connectors,etc..
I probably could take the nose & cab off my pickup in less than a day,most of the worst part of it would be taking everything off the inner fenders like the plow's control valve body & cables,the batteries,and all the wiring..but when it comes to hoisting the nose off alone,using a cherry picker,bucket loader,etc,its unlikely it'll come off undamaged..then I'd need a week or more flat on my back to recover,before any re-assembly could proceed...if I recover--lately I feel every time I attempt any projects I never fully recover..
I decided yesterday after seeing the frame bracket for the front drivers side "nose" mount bolt has rotted enough to just let the rubber cushions fall through it and not "hold" anything,that I was NOT going to waste my breath trying to fix it "right"..what I ended up doing kind of worked,but not as well as I had hoped it would..
I used one of those chrome "trim rings" you'd put around a bathroom pipe in a house,that snap open so you can get it around the pipe without having to take anything off the pipe--I was able to get it under the rubber cushion after jacking up on the nose,on the top side of the frame mount-that was large enough to prevent the rubber from just falling through the mount..
--then I cleaned up the extra threads on the bolt,got another nut to screw onto it--and put several large washers with a hole larger than the existing nut on the bolt over it,then a short pipe spacer,bigger inside than the nut's diameter--then the "new" nut was able to crush the big washers against the cushions enough to keep the nose from just "floating" like it was--but the bolt started spinning,and there's no way to get at the top side of it without a major undertaking--so I said
,and called it good enough..
Even if I take the upper plow lift frame off,there is two mounts that tension straps bolt to,sticking up in front of the grille,behind the bumper,and are welded right to the frame-(whoever made the push frame for the plow just boxed in the frame rails with 3/8" plate for about a foot,and welded those anchors for the straps on them too)-- -so I doubt I could get the grill out anyway--it needs to swing out from the bottom in order to be weaseled out of there...ain't happening,unless you hoisted the whole nose up....don't feel like trashing a good grille either...the whole nose could be lifted off intact still probably,but screw that...I'm not up to doing it alone..
I may be able to use a hole saw to cut a hole in front of the radiator so I could get a socket with a long extention on that bolt from above,and tighten it more--but I'm unsure it would work,and where exactly to cut it to gain access...
I noticed while under the truck the past week,that the frame has a good pile of rusted flakes about 1" thick all along its lower lip...hit it with a hammer and pounds of rust drop to the ground...I suppose I had better take it to a car wash and blast it all off before it encourages more rot...
I also noticed the 6.2 is leaking oil onto the drivers side exhaust manifold,and it appears to me its coming from between the head and block--this isn't new,its been oily there since I've owned it,and doesn't really leak enough to "drip",just covers the rear of the block and manifold,and gets on the oil filter--its not the oil sender or valve covers either,it is bone dry up there--this is another nail in its coffin far as I'm concerned...
The cab now has some rot in the rockers and that "brace" that runs between the front and rear mounts,and the roof is trashed,it has 1" of bondo and is rusted bad under it,the area over the windshield above the visor has rotted enough to need roof tape applied to prevent a shower every time it rains..
I'm thinking at this point I am probably better off looking for another truck of similar vintage with a better body,nose,and cab,and part this one out eventually..the truck is still "restorable",just not by ME ...I'm getting discouraged enough to give up on ever having a decent 4x4 again,of the vintage I would prefer to own..
Taking a square body truck's nose and cab off is fairly "easy" when your in good physical condition..especially if your just parting it out,and aren't really concerned about ever re-assembling it...
Thinking back,the ones I have done didn't require taking off the front bolts in the radiator support,the frame mounts rotted enough to allow the rubber cushions to be lifted right out with no resistance--that's why I dont recall how to get at those bolts--never HAD too!..
But if your "restoring" it,and want to save certain things,not just chop wires,etc,you'll soon be discouraged by the number of things that wont come off intact--like those bolts holding the inner fenders to the firewall (almost always bust off ,or rip the mount off--to my surprise I got the drivers side one to come out on my truck intact yesterday though),and wires that won't unplug without wrecking the connectors,etc..
I probably could take the nose & cab off my pickup in less than a day,most of the worst part of it would be taking everything off the inner fenders like the plow's control valve body & cables,the batteries,and all the wiring..but when it comes to hoisting the nose off alone,using a cherry picker,bucket loader,etc,its unlikely it'll come off undamaged..then I'd need a week or more flat on my back to recover,before any re-assembly could proceed...if I recover--lately I feel every time I attempt any projects I never fully recover..
I decided yesterday after seeing the frame bracket for the front drivers side "nose" mount bolt has rotted enough to just let the rubber cushions fall through it and not "hold" anything,that I was NOT going to waste my breath trying to fix it "right"..what I ended up doing kind of worked,but not as well as I had hoped it would..
I used one of those chrome "trim rings" you'd put around a bathroom pipe in a house,that snap open so you can get it around the pipe without having to take anything off the pipe--I was able to get it under the rubber cushion after jacking up on the nose,on the top side of the frame mount-that was large enough to prevent the rubber from just falling through the mount..
--then I cleaned up the extra threads on the bolt,got another nut to screw onto it--and put several large washers with a hole larger than the existing nut on the bolt over it,then a short pipe spacer,bigger inside than the nut's diameter--then the "new" nut was able to crush the big washers against the cushions enough to keep the nose from just "floating" like it was--but the bolt started spinning,and there's no way to get at the top side of it without a major undertaking--so I said
,and called it good enough..Even if I take the upper plow lift frame off,there is two mounts that tension straps bolt to,sticking up in front of the grille,behind the bumper,and are welded right to the frame-(whoever made the push frame for the plow just boxed in the frame rails with 3/8" plate for about a foot,and welded those anchors for the straps on them too)-- -so I doubt I could get the grill out anyway--it needs to swing out from the bottom in order to be weaseled out of there...ain't happening,unless you hoisted the whole nose up....don't feel like trashing a good grille either...the whole nose could be lifted off intact still probably,but screw that...I'm not up to doing it alone..
I may be able to use a hole saw to cut a hole in front of the radiator so I could get a socket with a long extention on that bolt from above,and tighten it more--but I'm unsure it would work,and where exactly to cut it to gain access...
I noticed while under the truck the past week,that the frame has a good pile of rusted flakes about 1" thick all along its lower lip...hit it with a hammer and pounds of rust drop to the ground...I suppose I had better take it to a car wash and blast it all off before it encourages more rot...
I also noticed the 6.2 is leaking oil onto the drivers side exhaust manifold,and it appears to me its coming from between the head and block--this isn't new,its been oily there since I've owned it,and doesn't really leak enough to "drip",just covers the rear of the block and manifold,and gets on the oil filter--its not the oil sender or valve covers either,it is bone dry up there--this is another nail in its coffin far as I'm concerned...
The cab now has some rot in the rockers and that "brace" that runs between the front and rear mounts,and the roof is trashed,it has 1" of bondo and is rusted bad under it,the area over the windshield above the visor has rotted enough to need roof tape applied to prevent a shower every time it rains..
I'm thinking at this point I am probably better off looking for another truck of similar vintage with a better body,nose,and cab,and part this one out eventually..the truck is still "restorable",just not by ME ...I'm getting discouraged enough to give up on ever having a decent 4x4 again,of the vintage I would prefer to own..
Do you have pictures of what it currently looks like? All I've seen is old pictures (that make it look pretty good
).Why not get your Suburban on the road?
My enthusiasm for that barge has waned greatly since the rockers and door bottoms,and other areas are rotted now..
...would be as much or more work than my pickup to get in decent shape,and I'm just getting sick of having to daily drive a truck that should be a "yard truck" for the past decade..especially when I am unable to register a second vehicle now..
I've been looking on CL for a decent older 4x4 truck that I could just buy and use,and maybe use my K2500 and Burb for parts..or just sell them off period,and put the money towards a roof on my house,which is in about the same condition as both trucks are now...
I saw this ad for a '79 3/4 ton 4x4 that peaked my interest,and one other I cant locate again,for a '87 K20 with a plow for the same asking price,that look better than my pickup does..but pictures often do make things look better than they really are too...
http://boston.craigslist.org/bmw/cto/5196698005.html
I'd be lucky to sell mine for that much--and this one has a SM465 & NP205..
I realize anything this old will have issues,and I may just be buying a bigger headache--but I want to stay out of the "computerized" years ,from what I see of most 1988 up "new style" trucks,they rot the frames and bodies and steel lines worse than what I own now,and are plauged with check engine light issues..
If I had the ability I'd part out my '82 and convert my '81 G-10 to 4wd...but thats a pipe dream...
...would be as much or more work than my pickup to get in decent shape,and I'm just getting sick of having to daily drive a truck that should be a "yard truck" for the past decade..especially when I am unable to register a second vehicle now..I've been looking on CL for a decent older 4x4 truck that I could just buy and use,and maybe use my K2500 and Burb for parts..or just sell them off period,and put the money towards a roof on my house,which is in about the same condition as both trucks are now...
I saw this ad for a '79 3/4 ton 4x4 that peaked my interest,and one other I cant locate again,for a '87 K20 with a plow for the same asking price,that look better than my pickup does..but pictures often do make things look better than they really are too...
http://boston.craigslist.org/bmw/cto/5196698005.html
I'd be lucky to sell mine for that much--and this one has a SM465 & NP205..
I realize anything this old will have issues,and I may just be buying a bigger headache--but I want to stay out of the "computerized" years ,from what I see of most 1988 up "new style" trucks,they rot the frames and bodies and steel lines worse than what I own now,and are plauged with check engine light issues..
If I had the ability I'd part out my '82 and convert my '81 G-10 to 4wd...but thats a pipe dream...
Looked for a "recent" photo of the pickup,I only have this one taken a few years ago,and it isn't a very good one..
It looks a lot like your "old Blue" ,but I bet yours has less rust and issues..
I just emptied out all the crap in the bed,it looked like a dumpster--the wood floor is pretty much punky mush under the aluminum diamond plate I laid over the wood now--the sheet I had was only 6 feet long,I had to put sheet steel from an old furnace's "shell" under the tool box to cover the gaping holes in the wood...
The rest of the stepside bed is kinda roached too--the steps are rotted and weak,I covered them with some aluminum running boards with the diamond pattern to beef them up enough not to crumble if you stand on them..the fenders are pretty much toast too,they rotted around the gas tank doors ...
It looks a lot like your "old Blue" ,but I bet yours has less rust and issues..
I just emptied out all the crap in the bed,it looked like a dumpster--the wood floor is pretty much punky mush under the aluminum diamond plate I laid over the wood now--the sheet I had was only 6 feet long,I had to put sheet steel from an old furnace's "shell" under the tool box to cover the gaping holes in the wood...
The rest of the stepside bed is kinda roached too--the steps are rotted and weak,I covered them with some aluminum running boards with the diamond pattern to beef them up enough not to crumble if you stand on them..the fenders are pretty much toast too,they rotted around the gas tank doors ...
I've said this before, but your truck is the spitting image of the '82 C20 that I parted out when building Big Blue. It was rusting out, and it had a rotten wooden floor, too.
Big Blue was rusty when I got it, and that's what prompted the bed swap. Multiple bed cross-members were gone (rust), and the fenders had rotted through as well.
Don't know whether mine has fewer issues that yours. I know that many of its issues have been fixed. And I have banished it from winter driving, so I'm hoping its under body doesn't get any worse. We'll see how well that turns out.
Given your mood toward toward your vehicles, what keeps you from selling them off to buy a less broken truck?
Big Blue was rusty when I got it, and that's what prompted the bed swap. Multiple bed cross-members were gone (rust), and the fenders had rotted through as well.
Don't know whether mine has fewer issues that yours. I know that many of its issues have been fixed. And I have banished it from winter driving, so I'm hoping its under body doesn't get any worse. We'll see how well that turns out.
Given your mood toward toward your vehicles, what keeps you from selling them off to buy a less broken truck?
Besides me not being up to the task of doing another "frame off" restoration,
mostly the fact I cant replace them with anything much better with what I have for funds is why I have nothing better...
Just about every truck of the vintage I'd like to stay with, is either as bad or worse shape than what I have already,unless your willing to spend 3-5+ grand----and I didn't pay much for the ones I have..
When I first got them,they were a good bargain..if I were only able to have gotten right to restoring them when I first got them,I'd have 2 nice trucks now..but circumstances didn't allow for that then,and we also got hammered with lots of bad winters since '03 when I got the pickup,it's seen a lot of hard plowing use..
--but it has also been very dependable,so far, despite me treating it like crap,using drain oil in the 6.2,and a general lack of maintenence,it still runs as good or better than when I got it..kinda hate to just sell it or junk it,but its getting long in the tooth everywhere you look...
The cab floors are still decent,front mounts are too,just that curved "rail" support is starting to crumble near the front cab mount now..the rockers were the originals and are still pretty solid where they didn't grow holes,even the rear flat plate is intact mostly..the doors I had to screw on about 8" of 16 gauge steel across the bottoms when I got it--they were rotted pretty bad..
I saved some doors off another truck that aren't as bad,but they too need some work..so I keep them for spares..
I've had much worse cabs before..but to fix the roof right would be a lot of work I'm not capeable of...
The bed is solid as far as the sides and crossmembers,but would require new steps and fenders--you can buy a fleetside bed cheaper than those cost..I'd be just as happy with a flatbed,and I have one in the back yard that would bolt right up...but if the frame is getting thinner,is it worth all that effort ?...then the engine could decide to pop,after all that work..
Good thing I'm not too fussy about good looks...function over form is my motto..
I'd be more enthused about the Suburban if it had barn doors,and hadn't rotted the rockers and doors since its been parked--plus its only a 1/2 ton,and has the dreaded ailing 700R4--its like driving a bus too,its so huge..
I already backed into something just moving it in my yard and muckled the wheel well moulding some and scratched the rear 1/4 up...
...when I got it I had dreams of putting it on the road right away and should have--I figured if nothing else it'd be a good parts truck,a spare 6.2 for the pickup or the nose,etc..but now the Burb is probably in better condition chassis wise..
I "need" a pickup more to haul wood and other toys like my riding mowers,a Burb sucks for those chores..on the other hand I hate having no place to put anything in my pickup,especially groceries..no one can ride shotgun in it because I have so much "stuff" piled on the floor and seat,and behind the seat--chains,jumper cables,extra cans of fluids,a tarp,jack,etc..and a ton of things in the tool box...I need an extended cab..
Maybe I should just take the sawsall to the Burb and put the flatbed on it,and have a 4 door "pickup".
.lately I'm better at cutting things up than putting them together though..don't have the stamina to keep working long enough to "finish" anything any more..
mostly the fact I cant replace them with anything much better with what I have for funds is why I have nothing better...
Just about every truck of the vintage I'd like to stay with, is either as bad or worse shape than what I have already,unless your willing to spend 3-5+ grand----and I didn't pay much for the ones I have..
When I first got them,they were a good bargain..if I were only able to have gotten right to restoring them when I first got them,I'd have 2 nice trucks now..but circumstances didn't allow for that then,and we also got hammered with lots of bad winters since '03 when I got the pickup,it's seen a lot of hard plowing use..
--but it has also been very dependable,so far, despite me treating it like crap,using drain oil in the 6.2,and a general lack of maintenence,it still runs as good or better than when I got it..kinda hate to just sell it or junk it,but its getting long in the tooth everywhere you look...
The cab floors are still decent,front mounts are too,just that curved "rail" support is starting to crumble near the front cab mount now..the rockers were the originals and are still pretty solid where they didn't grow holes,even the rear flat plate is intact mostly..the doors I had to screw on about 8" of 16 gauge steel across the bottoms when I got it--they were rotted pretty bad..
I saved some doors off another truck that aren't as bad,but they too need some work..so I keep them for spares..
I've had much worse cabs before..but to fix the roof right would be a lot of work I'm not capeable of...
The bed is solid as far as the sides and crossmembers,but would require new steps and fenders--you can buy a fleetside bed cheaper than those cost..I'd be just as happy with a flatbed,and I have one in the back yard that would bolt right up...but if the frame is getting thinner,is it worth all that effort ?...then the engine could decide to pop,after all that work..
Good thing I'm not too fussy about good looks...function over form is my motto..
I'd be more enthused about the Suburban if it had barn doors,and hadn't rotted the rockers and doors since its been parked--plus its only a 1/2 ton,and has the dreaded ailing 700R4--its like driving a bus too,its so huge..
I already backed into something just moving it in my yard and muckled the wheel well moulding some and scratched the rear 1/4 up...
...when I got it I had dreams of putting it on the road right away and should have--I figured if nothing else it'd be a good parts truck,a spare 6.2 for the pickup or the nose,etc..but now the Burb is probably in better condition chassis wise..
I "need" a pickup more to haul wood and other toys like my riding mowers,a Burb sucks for those chores..on the other hand I hate having no place to put anything in my pickup,especially groceries..no one can ride shotgun in it because I have so much "stuff" piled on the floor and seat,and behind the seat--chains,jumper cables,extra cans of fluids,a tarp,jack,etc..and a ton of things in the tool box...I need an extended cab..
Maybe I should just take the sawsall to the Burb and put the flatbed on it,and have a 4 door "pickup".
.lately I'm better at cutting things up than putting them together though..don't have the stamina to keep working long enough to "finish" anything any more..
I'd love to get a 8 ft stepside truck, be it half or 3/4 ton, Its just around here there are like hen's teeth, I've actually only ever found one here, it was a 81-83, 454 4 speed 2wd C20 Silverado, brown on brown two-tone. Only reason it was in the junkyard was it looked like it got into an argument with a tree or a pole.
supersize75k5
OrganDonorRacing.com
You guys that have the fortitude to put up with snow and rust just are a different breed. I get a twitch in my eye and agitated just reading about the headaches.
I cut that 82 C20 (8' step-side) up into a trailer and the sheet metal from the bed got scrapped. I would have happily given it to you if I had known you at that time. Wasn't even very far away from you back then.
It was in pretty nice shape. It did hurt taking it down to the yard.
You guys that have the fortitude to put up with snow and rust just are a different breed. I get a twitch in my eye and agitated just reading about the headaches.
I put up with the rust because I love the snow. I am steadily tempted to move out to one of the non-salt snow states at some point. Rust is no fun.
Watching a decent car or truck rapidly decay and crumble from salt induced rust is almost as bad as watching a loved one get taken over by cancer or some other terrible disease and eventually die..
You know once it gets to a certain point,all the welding and patching in the world isn't going to save it..your forced to look for one not so weathered to start over on....
You guys might get the impression I hate my truck(s),but the facts are I do have sentimental attachments to them (not so much the 'Burb" because I never registered it)--I would just assume keep them "forever" if possible..
And if not for the salt and rot,I could...the one's I have sold reluctantly ,I regret having parted with now..
I've said it before--EVERY "problem" I have had with all my vehicles,especially the trucks,is rust induced..the rotted oil pan,the brake lines,rockers & floors,cab mounts,leaky fuel tanks,radiators that turned green and lost all the fins,exhaust manifolds,etc..--never have I had to do much else to them,I have installed a few "better" engines in a few,only had one TH350 fail on me (and I regret giving up on the truck after that and scrapping it)..
I had my '72 K5 for 8 years,my '71 K5 for 5 years,the '71 GMC K1500 I had for at least 5 years (my first plow truck!),a '75 K2 2wd for 6 years,and the '77 GMC K2500 I had at least 8 years...had my '69 GTO at least 6 years,and all my other cars I kept at least 5 years...had two '66 Buicks for at least 5 years too..
I've owned my '81 G-10 since 1990 !..
..and though it has "some" rot,it seems to be the one with the least amount of it,and most is "cosmetic" and not threatening the structural integrity...somehow it seems to have resisted rotting more than all the others,despite being left outside,and parked over dirt,grass and leaves for several years..
I'd be a rich man now if I had a place to store all the vehicles I've owned over the years..
I'd give my eye teeth to have a few of them back now,in the same shape they were in when I got them..
If I didn't have such deep roots here,and was younger,I'd have loved to have moved and lived in AZ or some other "rust free" state and get the hell away from cold and snow...hate them both passionately..waste of 6 months of every year of your life,far as I'm concerned,being cold,forced to remove tons of snow,and it being dark about 15 hours every "night"..
It must be nice to be able to buy one "nice" vehicle,and be able to keep it as long as you want,without watching it rot away...
You know once it gets to a certain point,all the welding and patching in the world isn't going to save it..your forced to look for one not so weathered to start over on..
..You guys might get the impression I hate my truck(s),but the facts are I do have sentimental attachments to them (not so much the 'Burb" because I never registered it)--I would just assume keep them "forever" if possible..
And if not for the salt and rot,I could...the one's I have sold reluctantly ,I regret having parted with now..
I've said it before--EVERY "problem" I have had with all my vehicles,especially the trucks,is rust induced..the rotted oil pan,the brake lines,rockers & floors,cab mounts,leaky fuel tanks,radiators that turned green and lost all the fins,exhaust manifolds,etc..--never have I had to do much else to them,I have installed a few "better" engines in a few,only had one TH350 fail on me (and I regret giving up on the truck after that and scrapping it)..
I had my '72 K5 for 8 years,my '71 K5 for 5 years,the '71 GMC K1500 I had for at least 5 years (my first plow truck!),a '75 K2 2wd for 6 years,and the '77 GMC K2500 I had at least 8 years...had my '69 GTO at least 6 years,and all my other cars I kept at least 5 years...had two '66 Buicks for at least 5 years too..
I've owned my '81 G-10 since 1990 !..
..and though it has "some" rot,it seems to be the one with the least amount of it,and most is "cosmetic" and not threatening the structural integrity...somehow it seems to have resisted rotting more than all the others,despite being left outside,and parked over dirt,grass and leaves for several years..I'd be a rich man now if I had a place to store all the vehicles I've owned over the years..
I'd give my eye teeth to have a few of them back now,in the same shape they were in when I got them..
If I didn't have such deep roots here,and was younger,I'd have loved to have moved and lived in AZ or some other "rust free" state and get the hell away from cold and snow...hate them both passionately..waste of 6 months of every year of your life,far as I'm concerned,being cold,forced to remove tons of snow,and it being dark about 15 hours every "night"..
It must be nice to be able to buy one "nice" vehicle,and be able to keep it as long as you want,without watching it rot away...
I hate that bolt on the steering box hidden in the corner of the front cross member.
...and the 3 bolts in the tilt steering column.
...and the 3 bolts in the tilt steering column.
Funny you should say that Campfire, We came "this close" to bringing home a 75 K20 that had an 8ft stepside and a fresh 283 home from the "Da Yooperland"
It was fairly rust free, not sure how, It was sitting in front of a house for sale on Highway 28 between Shingleton and Seney.
I really liked that truck, It was a Cheyanne, Had white spokes and proper snow tires, Factory cab lights, even the dealer installed grill gaurd, it was blue and white two tone, It looked awesome.
Only reason it didnt come home with us was that we had no way to get it home.
It was fairly rust free, not sure how, It was sitting in front of a house for sale on Highway 28 between Shingleton and Seney.
I really liked that truck, It was a Cheyanne, Had white spokes and proper snow tires, Factory cab lights, even the dealer installed grill gaurd, it was blue and white two tone, It looked awesome.
Only reason it didnt come home with us was that we had no way to get it home.
Ah...da infamous Seney stretch. "It's like going through North Dakota twice!"
I hear ya on trying to get stuff home. I passed on buying a set of 3/4-ton axles today because going to pick them up would have burned too much time and been too much hassle (Maybe if he had dropped the price some).
There were a few of those "if only we could get it home" situations on out first trip around Lake Superior.
That truck was a different later trip, but on the first go round, when I was proabably only 14 or 15, just south of Sault Ste Marie, we found two uncut early Broncos for sale on the side of the road, both needed paint but ran and drove.
On the far side of Sault Ste Marie on the Canadian side we found a mostly original 66 Jeepster Commando, little crunchy but had a healthy small block Dodge in it.
In Wawa, Ontario we found a 70 K5 Blazer with a 350 and a 4 speed that my Dad REALLY wanted, it was in decent shape overall but the bed sides were a tad floppy, Interior was awesome, and it had some old whitewall snow tires on it.
I don't remember any from there on to Duluth, But in Duluth we found a 90 K5 that was clean, but it had 40's on it, a 454 and an NV4500. I liked it but my Dad wasn't too keen on the 40's.
I know on a later trip that just me and my Dad went on, when we took what was supposed to be a "parts truck" (96 2wd Ram 3500 ext. cab V10 Dually) We went up to Newberry/Paradise in mid-november, to see what the "storms of November" looked like on the Lakes. We went to sleep one night, woke up the next morning to 2 1/2 ft of snow, and first thing we see is a mid-70s full-convertible Plymouth Trailduster (Ramcharger) with a snow plow and he's just going down to the store.
Theres so much cool stuff up there, We seriously considered moving up there.
Note: I am just really running this thread right off the tracks.
That truck was a different later trip, but on the first go round, when I was proabably only 14 or 15, just south of Sault Ste Marie, we found two uncut early Broncos for sale on the side of the road, both needed paint but ran and drove.
On the far side of Sault Ste Marie on the Canadian side we found a mostly original 66 Jeepster Commando, little crunchy but had a healthy small block Dodge in it.
In Wawa, Ontario we found a 70 K5 Blazer with a 350 and a 4 speed that my Dad REALLY wanted, it was in decent shape overall but the bed sides were a tad floppy, Interior was awesome, and it had some old whitewall snow tires on it.
I don't remember any from there on to Duluth, But in Duluth we found a 90 K5 that was clean, but it had 40's on it, a 454 and an NV4500. I liked it but my Dad wasn't too keen on the 40's.
I know on a later trip that just me and my Dad went on, when we took what was supposed to be a "parts truck" (96 2wd Ram 3500 ext. cab V10 Dually) We went up to Newberry/Paradise in mid-november, to see what the "storms of November" looked like on the Lakes. We went to sleep one night, woke up the next morning to 2 1/2 ft of snow, and first thing we see is a mid-70s full-convertible Plymouth Trailduster (Ramcharger) with a snow plow and he's just going down to the store.
Theres so much cool stuff up there, We seriously considered moving up there.
Note: I am just really running this thread right off the tracks.
Awesome story!
Yeah. I saw so much cool stuff that I actually did move up here. From down by you (kinda). Lemme know if you ever start entertaining the notion again...
I don't mind.
Well there was a real possibility that if things hadn't gone the way they did, we'd be living up there now.
The last time we made it up there was 2010, and in the summer of 2011 me and my dad were planning on getting the Blazer I have now together and taking it up there, and exploring some of the back roads, like the mud roads going back towards the Two-Hearted River, and some of those ruts that seem to run parallel with all the highways. Then one day in July he passed away when (I assume) A blood clot entered his heart and he passed away, and since then we haven't had the funding to do this kind of stuff anymore.
However, I do plan on going up there by myself sometime in 2018-2019, And I'm going up there by squarebody Chevy. Maybe not the white one, because it might be very different by then, but with any luck a square body Blazer. Possibly the one we still have sitting at our old house in Tennessee, a 75 2wd with a 400 and a 3-on-the-tree.
Only reason we still have it is that he bought it for the engine, top, and doors, which all ended up on a 77 Yellow/White K5 that I loved.
He ended up trading that yellow one for a green 71 Jimmy, that would end up trading for a 73 K5 that had a 454 and a TH400.
I'm rambling on now, but I plan on going up there to scatter his ashes up there in the future, and I only feel its proper to go up there in a K5.
The last time we made it up there was 2010, and in the summer of 2011 me and my dad were planning on getting the Blazer I have now together and taking it up there, and exploring some of the back roads, like the mud roads going back towards the Two-Hearted River, and some of those ruts that seem to run parallel with all the highways. Then one day in July he passed away when (I assume) A blood clot entered his heart and he passed away, and since then we haven't had the funding to do this kind of stuff anymore.
However, I do plan on going up there by myself sometime in 2018-2019, And I'm going up there by squarebody Chevy. Maybe not the white one, because it might be very different by then, but with any luck a square body Blazer. Possibly the one we still have sitting at our old house in Tennessee, a 75 2wd with a 400 and a 3-on-the-tree.
Only reason we still have it is that he bought it for the engine, top, and doors, which all ended up on a 77 Yellow/White K5 that I loved.
He ended up trading that yellow one for a green 71 Jimmy, that would end up trading for a 73 K5 that had a 454 and a TH400.
I'm rambling on now, but I plan on going up there to scatter his ashes up there in the future, and I only feel its proper to go up there in a K5.
That is where mountains are great on the west coast, I can visit snow if I feel like it, but my trucks don't rust out from under me if I do.
