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your idea about this blazer?

That one is missing on details. I would get a lot more information than that and better pics.
 
Thanks guys!

This one looks almost to good no?? http://usa.motoseller.com/c/sys.php?a=2&b=3249375
Looks too good to be true.

And in fact it is. That is a scam ad. They have simply posted pictures of a recent auction vehicle which sold for $16.9k and is in showroom quality. Here's the original auction listing:

http://collectorcarpricetracker.com/auctions/detail/221025723445/

I found that by Googling on the VIN and looking at the matches. There are 5 pages of that vehicle listed on a variety of copycat sites, which was a bad sign. Then I found the auction listing. The "seller" will agree to sell it to you, ask for a deposit, and then never be seen again.

Stay far, far away from that listing.
 
This is where having someone local to the vehicle of interest will be important to look at it in person before leaving any deposits.
 
This is where having someone local to the vehicle of interest will be important to look at it in person before leaving any deposits.
Exactly.

I paid some CK5'ers $50 to check out my truck when I bought it from someone in CA.
 
I like it, but beware of VA trucks. All the ones around here are usually rusted out. I would ask for pictures of the frame, underside of tailgate hinges, and under the carpet at the kick panels before I went any further.
 
Thanks! As another option , I could get a bone stock K5, keep the regular wheels , put 35 tires on them and a 4 or 5" lift on it.
What kind of price including labor should I be looking at for the lift, and what is the best combination (body suspension ?), brand?

Thanks guys!
 
It would be cheaper and a lot easier to buy one with all that done already. As far as the setup, it all depends on what you want. You should search the forums for what other people have done, there are too many variables to give anyone an answer!
 
yes that's also what I think but the problem is how can you judge about the quality of the lift, backyard junky or professional as almost nobody never has any bills to prove anything, lifting the truck goes with driveshaft work, axles etc.. no? Bigger tires put more constraint on the stock elements such as the frame/steering box, stock 10 bolts etc.. So I am looking of course for something reliable and strong, should right away run away from HP 208, 10 bolts etc..? Means looking for an older blazer those from maximum beginning of the 80's if I want a 4 to 5" lift on 35? And even better with a big block..
 
This is more than you probably care to read, but I'll throw it out there anyways in case it helps you out. From my own limited experience with these trucks, the best thing you can do is keep researching and educating yourself on the various components you want to customize. There is a ton to know about suspension, and how it affects other components. Same for motor swaps, tranny swaps, etc.. I have learned so much from this site and countless hours of internet research in the 10 months I've owned my K5. Yet, I still hardly know a thing :)

I bought my K5 on a total whim with zero knowledge about them. Do I have some regrets with that approach? Minor ones, I'll admit- I found more rust in the floor than I initially knew to look for, and spent a small fortune on some necessary repairs up front because I simply didn't have the tools, space, knowledge or time to do some serious front end maintenance. It's a long road ahead in terms of being in "ideal" condition to me, but I drive it any chance I get, and look forward to the projects I have planned for it.

Maybe you're not looking for a project, but an 80's truck with a bunch of custom work is usually going to have a big to-do list, or it's going to cost a pretty penny. In terms of quality of work, if you learn later that something was done half-a$$ed, it's a GM truck.. get some buddies and beers, and swap it out for better stuff, because it likely won't cost you that much.
 
Yeah, for 10k I think you should be able to find something real nice. I picked my truck up for a little over 7k, in WI. Lifted, 454, TH350 (overbuilt), 14 bolt rear, D44 front (no plans on crawling it), tires in great shape, and the exterior body is dent and rust free except for the front floors and a few "easy" to repair spots. I plan on repainting at some point, so that wasn't a big deal for me.

With many restoration projects, you're likely to at least have some bits (hoses, wires, connections, bolts, bearings, seals, blah blah) that are 20-30 years old, which means even though it probably looked and seemed "fine" during the restoration, if it's a wear item it probably will want to be replaced on short order if getting DD use.

Basically.. plan on having to work on it once in a while, regardless of how much you end up paying or how immaculate your K5 appears to be. But, that's more than half the fun of owning these things! :thumb:
 
First, sorry if I end up telling you things you already know. I'm still just learning all this myself, and trying to pass on what I can.

Craigslist is blocked at work for me, but that first one looks really nice from the description and photos. I can't tell what axles those are. I run 36" Mickey Thompson tires that are super wide, and although I only have plans for driving on the street for now, I can tell the steering system hates them. I did upgrade my intermediate shaft to a heavy duty (double u-joint) Borgeson and that made a huge difference in slop, but I need to make plans for the ORD bracket and plate kit to firm things up, and possibly look at going crossover steering. Something you'll want to look at on a truck with big meaty tires like that- especially as a DD, you won't enjoy drifting all over the road from steering slop.

No matter what I'd want a real close look under any carpet, and it helps to be able to poke at the underside to see what's under the coating- metal, or rust? Might want to ask more details about the motor- any cam, what carb, fueling system mods, any issues it has had in the past or is having.. since you seem to be a fan of large displacement like myself, you're gonna want to know a lot more detail about what tranny is in there, who rebuilt it, and what they did- is it overbuilt? Stock and just refreshed? A 454, even stock, might be too much for some options. Some other guys here will have better recommendations on what you'd want in there. I'm sure a TH400 is optimal, or the heavier tranny that has overdrive.. 700R4? I forget, sorry!

I'm running a TH350 that is supposedly fresh and overbuilt, and it kicks like a mule when shifting under lots of throttle. It feels rock solid and I like to punch the throttle from low speeds frequently, so at least for now it is holding up fine for road use. I have a feeling when I get around to engine enhancements, it will explode at some point.

If you could get the orange blazer for 7.5k to 8k or so, you'd have some cash left over to source a decent 454, or build one up to your liking for an uprgade project later on!
 

With cash in hand, the one near Seattle should sell around $4500-5500 depending on how bad the seller want to sell. It isn't going anywhere fast at that price. Anything in the rust belt will drive the price up $2000 for being rust free. If you are going to travel anyway, better to go to the areas where rust is not an issue to begin with.

I am within a couple hours drive plus a ferry ride of the Jimmy in the Kitsap area.
 
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