Who here daily drives their square body? (long(

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by 79 silverado

I daily drive a square and have done so off and on for years... If it tells you anything, I stopped daily driving my Mercedes CLK coupe to drive my c10 instead, but that's more of a mood and a preference thing, don't read that into comfort or handling

Here's what you need to ask yourself in my opinion:

#1 - How much do you drive? I bet the square with a 454 non O/D is going to get half the gas mileage of the 2008 on a good day. Maybe even less. Realistically figure gas around $4/gallon in the very near future, it creeps up every year and if the global economy picks up, esp the chinese slump, they will find an excuse to pop it higher to the $4-5/gallon range.

#2 - Where you live get an insurance quote before assuming it'll be cheap. Part of what they look at it rate of injury and property damage when a truck is in an accident on most general car insurances, so an old square can be expensive if you cannot qualify for collectors insurance (another daily vehicle, stored in garage, etc) It is less if you are garaging in a rural area, but do your homework.

#3 - Expect repairs. The payment will be gone per month, but plan to set aside maybe $75/mo to your repair account so you can pay to fix as things break which they will on an old truck. Some months you won't use it, but that makes up for the months when its a $350/400 bill.

#4 - Think of your travel habits and where you need to park. A big truck like that isn't city friendly and can be hard to park, more so when idiots in their prius who never drove a big vehicle pull in stupid near you and make it hard to leave not realizing you do not have a cab forward wheels to the corners design...

#5 - Finally comfort. The square is a truck is a truck is a truck. Will it bother you to feel bumps in the road and potholes? Does wheelhop bug you? Are you willing to relearn rain driving a bit if you aren't used to driving a square on the highway? A LWB with a heavy 454 up front will be very very light in the rear, somewhat prone to breaking the rear tires loose in heavy rain depending what part of TX you are in... or snow for that matter. There is no traction control or the like in the truck which you may have gotten used to. Also, if you do live in an area that gets cold do you mind sitting for a few minutes on a cold morning for the truck to warm up before driving? Unlike FI that carb is going to need a few minutes to get going on a cold morning...

Originally Posted by Jonboy

I would take the route Slonaker did (I actually did, too). Sell your new truck, and buy a paid for gas sipper. I had been driving paid for older cars for the last few years, after selling my CTS-V. First it was an '87 Mustazng GT convertible, then my '90 Lincoln Mark VII, and a '94 Cadillac Fleetwood. I recently bought a '12 Malibu at GM's fire sale this year, and it is like getting a raise. I have a 70 mile round trip commute, so it is worth it to me. I can drive the truck to work if I need/want to, but have something to drive daily that gets good mileage, is comfortable, and shouldn't have any mechanical problems any time soon.

Read these and answer your own question. If you had a great deal on a super clean low mile, or restored square, that might be a great cost saving way to go. It doesn't sound like the truck your considering is any of those, and its a big block to boot.

I love the squares, but I wouldn't even consider driving one daily. They just don't compare to a late model truck.

[Firebirdjones]

Originally Posted by 79 silverado

Finally, and I forgot the most important now that I see you are in or around Houston, braking performance will go WAAAAY downhill in the square. I drove in Houston once when I traveled there during my New Orleans days... people stop short or cut across the lanes on the highway trying to make a quick exit you may likely hit them - these big old trucks do not stop on a dime and unless you go to extreme expense they will not stop like the new truck you are used to... Keep that in mind.

My 79 1 ton stops on a dime, and will lock the tires with minimal pressure. Extremely touchy hydroboost and massive 1 ton truck brakes. I don't drive it much but when I do, usually the first time I use the brakes I forget how well they work, usually throw myself and any passengers towards the windshield For a 5500 lbs. truck, it stops better than most of the lighter cars I have here.

Now you want to talk about cars hard to stop,,,,my 56 nomad with manual 4 wheel drum brakes can be a handfull. That's a car that you need to increase your following distance with.

[Firebirdjones]

I daily drive my 72 4x4 blazer, and have for years. I've driven nothing but 40+ year old classics all my life (back then they weren't that old though )

I've never really had any interest in a new car per say. Even my wife drives the old stuff, but her daily commuter is a 2000 SS camaro. When I get in that thing it feels like a brand new car after driving the classics all the time, and it's going on 13 years old

When it comes to long road trips, vacations and the like, we load up the family in the 72 and go without even thinking about it. My parents came out from back East to visit. Since the 72 is my daily transportation and holds everyone comfortably, naturally we used it for the entire 2 weeks and drove all over Arizona from as far North as the Grand Canyon and South as far as Tombstone and everywhere in between. 2500 miles in 2 weeks My parents loved it.

My 79 pickup could be used daily, and I have at times for spirts of a few weeks at a time, but it's primarily a tow and haul vehicle, and used for backup when I'm repairing either my wifes car and she needs to use the blazer, or I'm working on the blazer and I need something else. Otherwise the pickup sits in the garage.

I don't care for car payments, and quite frankly, don't care for all the doo dads and gadgets that are on new cars nowadays. Too many electronics.
A couple of cars I have still have their manual drum brakes all around, and it simply doesn't phase me.

I really don't need much from a car. It starts and runs, turns and stops, and I'm happy. I don't really need power ammenities.

[68longhorn]

I drive my 86 swb daily, unless it snows. I have put 40k on it in 3 years.

[cory d]

i drive mine to work everydaywich ranges from 5 miles to 50 miles

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

Yep - driven daily for 26 years (it's got a birthday in a couple days); 199,000 miles.

Still going strong.

K

My pickup is the most comfortable/pleasant vehicle I own.

The brake "feel" - decel and travel - is just right. Keep in mind it's a vacuum power assisted disc/drum setup, just like a more modern vehicle.

The "on center" feel going straight down the road (and steering in general) is just right.

The acceleration and shifting is smooth (fuel injected); it is smooth and vibration free at speed - as fast as I want to go.

The seating position and support fits me perfectly.

and it gets 20 - 22 mpg depending on what I'm doing.

The only time I don't drive it is when I am being provided a company car to evaluate, which has been the case through this summer.

K

[Firebirdjones]

Now ya got me thinking about the pickup truck, I haven't started it in over a month Has a full tank of gas.

Maybe I'll use it today to grab my son from school to give it a little excersize.

[Hulk Will Smash]

I daily drive my R30 ccdrw as long as I'm staying within about a 20 mile radius of my house. For longer trips (up to LA or out to the IE) I use my '01 Tahoe. The dually doesn't love the freeway and only gets about 6mpg, but it's about as close a I get to being able to drive a big block muscle car, without being afraid that it's going to get messed up or stolen.

Generally I make sure I have a bit of extra time and I plan where I'm going and how I'm going to park. Been doing it for nearly 3 years and I love it.
Posted via Mobile Device

[Cue-Ball]

Since selling my motorcycle several months ago my '80 SWB has become my daily driver. I really enjoy my truck and don't feel like I'm missing anything by not having power leather seats, satellite radio, 14 cup holders, and all of the other crap that new cars have. I really much prefer my old truck with manual windows, a big bench seat, and very little stuff to fiddle with or break.

Having said that, I have a short commute to work (8 miles each way) and still go through gas like water. I can't imagine what it would be like driving twice as far or having 4WD, a heavier truck, or a big block. Even without a car payment, the fuel costs would be killer. I really, really, really love my truck... but even so, I will probably end up selling it to buy something more "practical". It's great as a fun/weekend vehicle, but not really the best choice for a daily driver. The smiles per mile is high, but the cost of operation is too, even though it's paid for and reliable.

[stepside-mitch]

I have been daily driving my truck for two years now rain or shine. The winters in Chicago can be brutal but it seems to hold up just fine. You're in Texas so you won't need to worry about that. Prepare to get some ****ty gas mileage. I have a 305 4speed/granny gear and a 3.08 rear end. Not the best combination. I only get about 13-14mpg IF I"M LUCKY. Good luck

[cmyc5575]

I have droven my daily since I bought and really dont have an option seeing how my only other vehicle has a dead motor in it. I love my truck and would not trade it for anything. I also like being payment free.

[Edahall]

Originally Posted by Cue-Ball

Having said that, I have a short commute to work (8 miles each way) and still go through gas like water. I can't imagine what it would be like driving twice as far or having 4WD, a heavier truck, or a big block. Even without a car payment, the fuel costs would be killer. I really, really, really love my truck... but even so, I will probably end up selling it to buy something more "practical". It's great as a fun/weekend vehicle, but not really the best choice for a daily driver. The smiles per mile is high, but the cost of operation is too, even though it's paid for and reliable.

Well, there is another solution so that we can have it all. The 6.2L diesel comes to mind as well as the Cummins 6BT. I have both of these powerplants in my square bodies and mid to upper 20's is typical. The 6.2L used to be looked down upon for being smokey and slow but the aftermarket came to the rescue with the turbocharger or exhaust headers which really wakes up this engine.
There Cummins are a dime and a dozen because the engines outlasted the truck they were put in. I'm seeing a lot more conversions with the high price of fuel because people don't want to give up on their square bodies.

[tucsonjwt]

I have daily driven 73 C20 454/400, 76 C20 350/350 and current 83 C20 454/SM465 at various times in my life. Bottom line - these are gas hogs - so if you drive a lot you will be better off with a beater small card daily driver. I recently bought a 2002 Cavalier DD for just over $2K and it gets about 22 mpg city - which is the only place I intend to drive it.

Keith has apex of square technology and economy in a 1987 fuel injected 6 cylinder, so if you can find one of those in a 1/2 ton it would be close to a modern small car, except my Cavalier gets 22 city and 32 highway, so it would be more fuel efficient on the highway.

I used to buy a new GM vehicle every 6 months using a GM employee discount and timing the purchase to coincide with rebates and GM credit card bonus offers - usually was able to drive free, including all costs, for many years. However, it got to be too much of a hassle to keep the vehicle ding free and always clean, and the dealers would no longer give me wholesale price on my almost new trade in, so now I just rent a new car when I need to take a trip out of town.

Also, any old vehicle will need a lot of $$$ spent on the normal stuff (brakes, tires, shocks, alternator, starter, ignition switch, plugs, wires, distributor cap, and add sensors, etc., for a fuel injected 87. In addition, you can read about pesky problems many of us have - power windows/locks, heater/air conditioner controls/performance, cruise control, etc. So, be prepared to keep shelling out money on an old truck until you get everything fixed, then expect to find more bugs to work out.

On the plus side, you can't "beat" and old beater when you need to haul something to the dump, move furniture, drive slightly off road, etc.

[tucsonjwt]

Depending on the price of diesel where you live, a diesel conversion will likely not pencil out in terms of overall economy. Where I live, diesel is consistently 15-18% more costly than gasoline, so 20 mpg in a diesel is really 17 mpg gasoline equivalent here today.

[oldtek]

I've daily driven one square or another every day since I got my license at 16. My diesel suburban gets better fuel mileage than my gas rigs, but diesel costs more so its a wash.

[Skunksmash]

Originally Posted by rwhit57

Drive mine every day, have for about 6 yrs. For the last few years it's been my only vehicle. Drive it back and forth to my regular job and use it on my part time carpentry job. It's not great on gas, but not terrible either, Has cold air and good heat and a stereo. It's paid for and pretty darn cool.

Hey i like your truck a lot what color is that? It looks flat.

And what wheels are those?

[JCampbell]

I currently drive my shortbed daily (70+ miles round trip). Both my crew cab and my Suburban have also seen daily driver duty. (The SuperSub© was a little hard on tires, though. Apparently MTR's weren't designed with highway mileage in mind).

For me, the key is investing in the suspension, brakes and air conditioning. Two will keep you safe, and one will keep you comfortable (which goes a long way). A decent seat is also nice to have. Like others have said, just count on a certain amount of repair work from time to time. Although, I’ve had more issues with my co-issued ’05 F150 than I have had with all three squares combined. Putting fuel in them gets a little rough sometimes, but when you consider it’s still less money than a truck payment, it’s not so bad.

Although, I’m not going to lie…I had a little bit of buyer’s remorse after I bought the shortbed. Started thinking I should have bought a S10 or something a little more fuel friendly, but what the hell...I dig squares.

[Number21]

Originally Posted by tucsonjwt

Also, any old vehicle will need a lot of $$$ spent on the normal stuff (brakes, tires, shocks, alternator, starter, ignition switch, plugs, wires, distributor cap, and add sensors, etc.,

I disagree. Squares are a lot easier and cheaper to maintain than a new car. Parts are CHEAP! And there are no stupid plastic covers on the engine! My Mom recently had to replace the alternator in her BMW - it is water cooled, I think it was like $600, plus some major labor. A new 10SI for my truck is like $30 and might take a half hour to install!

[str8axle55]

My DD is my 84 K30 CC. I have a short drive to work, and I`m always hauling scrap from my work. The truck is currently a gas hog, but it does everything I need. It`s ugly, but I don`t need to worry about anything happening to it. I have had an 03, 04, 05 2500HD`s, but this truck beats them all, and actually makes me money. Might not have the power of my D-Max, but it isn`t $500 a month either. New trucks may be nicer, but the old one`s still can do just fine, and parts are way cheaper.

[motornut]

Right now i drive the jimmys once or twice a week
I've usally had V8 cars as well as trucks(no 454s here tho)
I like the trucks for trailer camping ,hauling etc,can't beat the space
after the 78 burb was hit , got rid of the V8 cars
we bought the 03 Grand AM (2.2 eco)for the wife, after two years
my 2nd 87 truck was hit,written off ,I kept the car bought a 05 malibu (2.2 eco)for her
after my 3rd 88 burb was hit ,now I buy shorter trucks
and i rarely park them on the street,(racken up tickets tho with the GA)

so watch where you park em lol

repairs? bro inlaw just got new brakes on his work 2008 F*&D
said it cost almost 1500 new brakes and a tune up,not sure what it all was but i'd bet new GM trucks cost more then old ones to fix
tight fit in the GA makes me like the space in the trucks more

In 10 years of the GA @140,000 km
aside from maintenance,tires,brakes
4 front bearings,crank seal,fuel pump ,now the pass lock is an issue

Malibu is about 110,000,had some steering issues,recall on a body module computer part
and now the CD player quit playing and she wants me to replace it with a ipod radio,but the radio is computer info too......but otherwise she babys it

not sure what if we saved buying cars but she prefers to drive a car
but likes to go out in the truck
I drive the car to save wear on the trucks,short trips,unless in the winter,if its storming out
then it's 4X4 Jimmy time

normally i'm a lead foot but i'm actually counting my gas mileage in the 79 for the first time ,just curious

[kwin]

I had a 2005 cummins, hated the payments, and the electrical problems. It got 24 mpg highway, my 1991 suburban gets 21 highway, and does not cost me 770 per month.
And I like it better!
No brainer!

[slammed427]

I drive my 74 daily, and have pretty much since I bought it. I spent 6 months in a tahoe, and rolled it. My 74 has needed pretty minor stuff over the last three years, the only major repair was a clutch in early 10. I also swapped out the 4.10 rear for a 3.42, made it much more freeway friendly.

I pull about 13-14 with my truck, I want to add an lsx or at the very lest efi and a 5 speed, and ac before next summer.
Posted via Mobile Device

[GM-power]

I daily drive my 79, its been great besides some cheap minor repairs. The way I see it is every vehical will have problems along the way. Most of the common issue stuff on these trucks are cheap and a whole lot easier to fix than on something newer. It ain't good on gas, but I've never calculated it. My insurance is really cheap also. My family has always had used cars and had good experiences them. If you can get that truck in good running condition I would go for. Mabey swap the bbc out in the future.
Posted via Mobile Device

[Skunksmash]

I've calculated mine and its a pitiful 14 MPG. 16 on the highway. I got TBI though so I can only imagine what some of the carb'd guys get. I'm switching to a 5.3L ls motor one day for better mileage AND 80 more HP lol

Stock TBI 350 is only 220Hp and the newer 5.3's are 305hp

[Goldfinger]

Mine gets used and abused daily. Better on fuel than many newer trucks and easy to fix. If something goes wrong i can always limp it back to the house. She's got 45k miles for the 7th time and isn't slowing down.