saving for some type of square body wich one?

[DustyNova]

Okay so im 20 years old i just got a job and im saving for my first square i was thinking k10 k5 blazer or k30 crew cab i can do the engine work because my dads a pretty good mechanic im going to try and learn from him i wanted to get a crew cab shorten the frame and put a shortbox on it not sure about the engine possibly a smallblock 400 i have alot of wrecking yards where i live for parts such as tear a part pic n pull sommers etc what would you guys recommend on the specs for this build?

[TwoFiftyShifter]

Come on dude. You are 20 years old and need to use some punctuation.

How do you plan to use this truck?

[andrewmp6]

If its going to be a daily driver that sees traffic skip the 400 they run hot.Unless you need a 4 door pickup go for a standard cab they are a lot easier to park.But like said how will the truck be used?You build a daily driver different then a hardcore off road rig.

[RandyP]

For the heartbeat under the hood, thought about a 403? Or a 429? How about a 500? A 425? Heard of a 455?

[mattcrp1]

If it were me, I would start with a running, driving vehicle. Figure out what you eventually want, and build towards it. Projects can go sideways and get expensive quickly, if you have a plan it can help keep it on track.

Good luck,

[Skunksmash]

Originally Posted by mattcrp1

If it were me, I would start with a running, driving vehicle. Figure out what you eventually want, and build towards it. Projects can go sideways and get expensive quickly, if you have a plan it can help keep it on track.

Good luck,

This. I'm a bit biased, but I say get you an 87 model. Fuel injection will give you a much easier time at your age. You can mod it out later.

[DustyNova]

Originally Posted by Skunksmash

This. I'm a bit biased, but I say get you an 87 model. Fuel injection will give you a much easier time at your age. You can mod it out later.

Yeah why not and maybe put a 73-79 front clip on it or an 88-91 front clip it just looks cooler

[DustyNova]

Well my dad had a 400 it never really ran hot it was hopped up to where it smoked a 2012 mustang wile the motor was in an 89 k5 blazer im not sure what the gearing was

[DustyNova]

im just planning on building a blazer for daily driving and hunting and some wheeling im not gonna drop 44s and a 20 inch lift on it and drive through a ****in river, Ill probably put somewhere between a 4 inch lift and 6 inch lift and drop 34s on it

[cnorth]

Since your in SLC like me KSL is a good place to start, It seems like everyone around here want's a ton of money for them, took me quite a while before I found mine

[DustyNova]

Originally Posted by cnorth

Since your in SLC like me KSL is a good place to start, It seems like everyone around here want's a ton of money for them, took me quite a while before I found mine

i know a few old dead ones sitting near me my dad got his body for like 500 and put the 400 and 700r4 in it its an 85 heres a pic

[tucsonjwt]

When buying an old truck, first think of what you will get when you sell it.

If you don't have much money, then you don't have much choice.

The best resale truck is a 1987 (because of TBI fuel injection) and a 6 cyl. is somewhat economical (for an old truck) - see Keith Seymore's truck on this forum.

If you are just going for your own transportation, just find a truck with no rust -they do exist, maybe in your neighborhood, but certainly not far away in the desert southwest. Check Craigslist to get an idea on prices.

Expect to replace most everything if you want a reliable truck. Most mechanical parts are relatively cheap, but trim parts are expensive and sometimes hard to get. Always get OEM parts if you can, new or used.

If your folks will fund you, you are better off finding a semi-restored good truck - probably $4-$7K range. Or, maybe a late model 2000 and up model with modern fuel economy and safety/convenience features.

Any $$ you dump into a hopped up/jacked up/slammed truck will likely be lost when you sell it, and it might even lower resale value. (Unless you have a true show truck, which sounds like it is beyond your resources - like $15-$25K.)

If you get a truck, check back here before you start dumping $$$ into it. The guys posting know where to get good parts inexpensively and which parts to avoid. Also, there is a lot of troubleshooting and repair knowledge here.

Good luck.

[DustyNova]

Originally Posted by tucsonjwt

When buying an old truck, first think of what you will get when you sell it.

If you don't have much money, then you don't have much choice.

The best resale truck is a 1987 (because of TBI fuel injection) and a 6 cyl. is somewhat economical (for an old truck) - see Keith Seymore's truck on this forum.

If you are just going for your own transportation, just find a truck with no rust -they do exist, maybe in your neighborhood, but certainly not far away in the desert southwest. Check Craigslist to get an idea on prices.

Expect to replace most everything if you want a reliable truck. Most mechanical parts are relatively cheap, but trim parts are expensive and sometimes hard to get. Always get OEM parts if you can, new or used.

If your folks will fund you, you are better off finding a semi-restored good truck - probably $4-$7K range. Or, maybe a late model 2000 and up model with modern fuel economy and safety/convenience features.

Any $$ you dump into a hopped up/jacked up/slammed truck will likely be lost when you sell it, and it might even lower resale value. (Unless you have a true show truck, which sounds like it is beyond your resources - like $15-$25K.)

If you get a truck, check back here before you start dumping $$$ into it. The guys posting know where to get good parts inexpensively and which parts to avoid. Also, there is a lot of troubleshooting and repair knowledge here.

Good luck.

i just dont like the newer body styles and i probably wouldnt resell it for an extremely long time id just keep repairing it maintaining it and driving it

[DustyNova]

-------------------

[1979-square-body]

I have a son your age. He doesn't fair so well with punctuation or the written word either.

Anyway, what you are asking, what you have in mind and what you want to hear are 3 different things.

You already know what you want. You ask the question to get confirmation that your idea is wise. And in turn you want to hear that.

You are young, have limited finances and want something that will not match your current position in life. Get a long term project that you want and will work on for years to come as long as your finances allow. In the mean time for a dependable daily driver, get a used S10. Good on gas, insurance and maintainence.

Just my $0.02...

[tucsonjwt]

X2- $$$ and desires often diverge.

When using my 86 C20 454 as a daily driver around town I was getting close to $80-$100 per week in gas alone.

[DustyNova]

Originally Posted by tucsonjwt

X2- $$$ and desires often diverge.

When using my 86 C20 454 as a daily driver around town I was getting close to $80-$100 per week in gas alone.

my jobs not even a mile from my house luckily what carb do you have

[dieseldawg142]

Originally Posted by tucsonjwt

X2- $$$ and desires often diverge.

When using my 86 C20 454 as a daily driver around town I was getting close to $80-$100 per week in gas alone.

heck ya!
$50 every 3 days....
my BB takes half a gallon just firing up

[DustyNova]

I can use punctuation but alot of the times im just lazy.

[1979-square-body]

Originally Posted by DustyNova

alot of the times im just lazy.

So are you sure one of these trucks are for you?

[DustyNova]

Originally Posted by 1979-square-body

So are you sure one of these trucks are for you?

yep but probably a single cab ive always wanted a square body since i was a kid

[DustyNova]

I also rarely leave the house lmao

[bigblock73]

Having an old truck isn't for someone who is lazy. They require work, maintenance, money...something you have to be willing to accept and be diligent about. If you are too lazy to punctuate your sentences, you won't be willing to take on the responsibility of an older vehicle...so I'd consider getting a newer car/truck you can turn the key and go.

[DustyNova]

Originally Posted by bigblock73

Having an old truck isn't for someone who is lazy. They require work, maintenance, money...something you have to be willing to accept and be diligent about. If you are too lazy to punctuate your sentences, you won't be willing to take on the responsibility of an older vehicle...so I'd consider getting a newer car/truck you can turn the key and go.

i ment lazy in a different way its no problem to maintain things,

[tucsonjwt]

Stock rebuilt quadrajet on stock 454 with SM 465 granny 4spd, 2WD 3/4 ton, 4:11 rear. So, pretty much could not be worse for fuel economy. Best ever was 11 mpg city, 13 mpg highway with a leaky carburetor. With a rebuilt carburetor, now 8 mpg city, never drive highway - go figure?

If you only live 1 mile away from work - why do you need a truck?
I cover 5 miles on my elliptical every morning.

As others have said, these old trucks will always need work. When you finally think you have fixed everything, the things you fixed first need replacing again.

An old truck means you will have to be prepared for breakdowns and frequent repairs. Some here will say, as I have always heard, "I bought that truck for $500 ten years ago and never put a penny into it - never let me down - doesn't leak a drop of fluid - get 20 mpg. in town, 28 highway, starts and runs good every time, ....." These are the people that should buy a lottery ticket every day - and probably do, along with a 12 pack.

I have probably owned 30 old vehicles and as many new ones. If you really want an old square (Blazer or Pickup) be prepared to spend at least $2000 in basic repairs like brakes, shocks, tires, fixing leaks, A/C, electrical(stuff like wiper motor, heater control, starter, alternator, etc.) Then you have an ugly heap that will run (assuming that the drive train is OK.) A cheap set of tires (which you will not like) are going to be about $500.

I don't want to change your mind - just want to enter the real world.

The guys posting here buy and keep these old trucks for no good reason. Some, like me, just bought an old beater and gradually decided to fix it up because a new or newer truck made even less economic sense. In my case, I can haul junk with it and not worry about getting it banged up. I even had a dump hoist conversion installed for a couple big landscape projects.