Would you buy a 83 2wd burb?

[Pookster]

I've found a great deal on a 83 2wd burb. (1200!!)

I've got 3 trucks already. Im thinking about getting rid of my 97 sedan and getting this instead.

Am I nuts?

Rebuilt 6.2, rebuilt 700R4, new radiator, 2wd for that nice caddy ride, but it is a half ton, but it has barn doors! and its been in a loving family. Rust in drivers side rocker though (but thats so common, it doesnt even bother me). Otherwise in great shape. 210,000 miles.

If ya folks tell me to do it... I will.... though i use up the whole street already for parking but what the hell....

 

[Pookster]

Nobody? nada? nuttin?

 

[Z3PR]

I'd get it. Get all the body work done, maybe get a air ride suspension system. Make it a plush street ride.

 

[mudhound72]

Fix the rusted spots, install air bags in the rear, and you have the best family cruser/tow rig known to man

 

[u2slow]

Sounds good! The TH700 is the trans to have with the diesel for economy. Barn doors are good. Tailgates always seem to bugger up.

Just did the rad on mine... $400 ouch!

 

[Pookster]

Was thinking about that.. Pretty certain the rear would sag a bit with all the age and of course.. future advancements.

What do you all think about the gabriel shocks with the "springs". They look to be a pain to put on.

i really want this burb. Call it a sickness. I dunno. But the roads here are really bad, sedans really take a beating on their body, suspension, wheels/tires. My sedan devalued itself like 5k in 3 years because of the extra body damage from city driving.

not to mention i'll be converting this sucker over to running WVO... so i'll be driving free.

 

[diesel4me]

You talked yourself into it !!

Sounds like you made up your mind already!!--for 1200,if the body is decent save for a little rocker rust,with a 6.2 its worth it--4wd would be better though,but if you are only using it for towing in the summer its better off a 2wd,it will ride nice..and get better mileage!

There is a similar burb 3 miles from me for sale ,4x4,with a recent mr.goodwrench motor,and the tranny and rear end have been rebuilt supposedly( I think they just threw in 8 lug axles),body only fair,with a tailgate--the sign said 1500 or best,its been parked on the side of the street since november!--and its been plowed in after every storm,snow as high as the windows!(no wonder its still there!). Snow is finally melted enough to move it!(suprised the town DPW didnt have it towed away!)

I was thinking of getting it and using the plow and frame off my 74 K20 on it,then I could have another plow for a back up again,and get rid of my van,the burb could kill 2 birds with one stone--but the body is a bit worse than I want it to be,and money is not there,plus I know of an 87 K5 right next door cheap too,but has sat 2 years..+.gas is too expensive,so it wont be in my yard I guess..unless I get to work,I'm not going to buy anything!

I know how you feel!--I think of Mountainexplorer 's place every time I see a truck for sale near here,--and how easy it would be to make my yard look the same.. I'm tempted to buy a few older trucks.because the junkyards just squash everything now,nothing gets parted out first like years ago,now that scrap prices are up--our parts supply goes down--all the way to china....

 

[cmahometech]

Not bad for the Northeast

I would say "Go for it". The diesel and the barn doors make it the deal. Living up here in the Northeast, I know that a only a little rocker rust on a vehicle of that vintage is a pretty good sign. I also have a 2wd Sub that is the family vehicle. My wife loves it. The motor is kaput now, and she really misses it. Anyway, the WVO idea is awesome. We all need to figure out ways to reduce our dependency on Arab oil. Since the price of fuel must be out of this world in NYC, you would pay for the vehicle in fuel savings fairly quickly. Buy the Burb and let us know about the WVO conversion.

 

[Pookster]

You'd be surprised- Our fuel here is cheaper than fuel in MA. We can always cross the border to jersey to save a few cents per gallon though.

Yeah, part of me has already made up my mind. The maintainance on my sedan (1997 Mazda millenia) has slowly become a small nightmare. A little body rust doesnt scare me, I've got por15 at home.

Its just that I already have 3 trucks (87 K5, 92 k2500 ext cab, c1500 89 Reg cab) not to mention my sedan. So I have to get rid of the sedan to get the burb. It is a 15 year move backward and about 120,000 more miles.

but parts are cheap, problems are easy to fix- heck, the TIRES on my sedan were 150 dollars a piece. The burb tires I can get for 50 bucks a piece.

The other cool part is- I would have all v8's again, no more v6's.

diesel4me: 1500 seems like a good deal as well, especially if its a 3/4 ton. I would think that the one you are referring to is 4wd, mine being only 2. But I also know that 2wd's handle and steer a lot more preceise than 4wd's. Ask me how many times I've acutally needed 4wd in normal driving. (2?) but if its diesel as well... im surprised you'd pass it up. the k5 next door seems like a more usable idea- since a k5 is easier to maneuver with a plow. Dont worry about gas prices, everyone here just increases the prices of services and products to pass the cost along.

oh yeah, my place is like mountain explorers. Lol...

 

[diesel4me]

Its a gas 350 motor...

The burb I looked at had a 350 gas motor-if it was a 6.2 I'd be all over it,rust or not!-I agree a K5 is muck better for manuverability when plowing,and even though I've had many,I never had a plow on any of them!--but I really shouldn't be thinking of adding any more trucks to my "fleet",I need to lose a few if anything.. its hard to pass up good deals though,they dont come along very often...

I dont think a 2wd has a sharper tuning radius!--in fact,I think its much worse!--on my 79 C10,I'm always having to do a 3 point turn in places I could spin my K20's around even with the plow on them in one shot!--I dont really know why,since the wheelbases are the exact same length--it seems like the front wheels turn at a sharper angle on a 4x4 than a 2wd truck.? I feel like I'm driving a bus when I'm in the 79 C10!..drives me batty parking it at Wal-mart..

I think the diesels will increase in value as gas prices climb--unless diesel becomes SO expensive it offsets the added economy--but WVO conversions will likely become more popular as well...so I dont think you can lose either way,even if you decide it wasn't for you,someone else will buy it,most likely for more than you gave for it--thats one reason I've bought so many GM trucks over the years--they are like money in the bank!