Considering a 1st Gen

[dtulonghorn]

Hi guys, I am considering buying a 1st gen K-5 Blazer or Jimmy and I don't really know much about them, so hopefully you guys can help me out. However, I do think they are a great looking truck and it is something that I would love to have as a second car in the future and do a complete frame-off restoration on it eventually

First off how reliable are these trucks? I've heard good things about the transmission and engine, but is that only from a weekend driver perspective or are they good for daily driving too? For at least the next 10 months or so this would be my primary vehicle until I pick up a Raptor or Sierra Denali towards the beginning of next summer. I don't have a very strenuous commute (I generally just do normal around town driving and sometimes get on the highway) and I would probably put at most about 10,000 miles on it. Would a Blazer or Jimmy be able to be driven daily on a regular basis even if it was not completely in restored condition?

Another question I have is about pricing. What would be a decent amount to pay for a truck in good working condition. I have seen some for around $7000-$9000 that look in pretty good shape, but I just feel like they would have some underlying issues at that price point. I could easily go up to $20,000 if I find the right truck, but I am worried that I would be spending too much up front in that case, especially because I would like to completely restore it to my tastes in the future.

Finally how easy are these to work on? I have no experience working on cars of any kind, but I would really love to learn and I figure an older vehicle would be easier to learn on (less electronic parts, but I may be way off here). I'm just getting started in terms of buying my own vehicles (I'm only 20) and I really hope to restore many more cars in the future. So, basically would a Blazer or Jimmy be a good platform to get started with?

If I didn't make something clear or I need to clarify something just ask and I will be happy to do so. I'm sure that I will have many more questions as I start researching these trucks more, so thank you guys for any help that you can provide me.