Good Pickup

[Infantryboots]

New here and I need your all help. I am looking for a good reliable, no thrills, shade tree mechanic pickup. I am not looking to make it into a show truck, but a truck to dive and enjoy. Maybe late 70's Any suggestions?

[N2TRUX]

What's your budget? That will make a difference in what I suggest.

[Infantryboots]

up to $6,000 maybe

[bikes&bowties]

stock 2x4 or 4x4. jacked up 4x4 or lowered/slammed 2x4?

You could get an almost perfect k series (4x4) truck for that. with lots of stuff done. just saying. 6k is a lot of money when buying these trucks. around here anyway

[Infantryboots]

C series up to 1986.

[bigarmzz]

Originally Posted by infantryboots

what year did fuel injecting come out?

1987

[Infantryboots]

I had a small S15 with an Isuzu engine, worst truck I ever had.

[gchemist]

Welcome to the site.
Visit www.craigslist.org!! You'll find great deals every so often.

[Infantryboots]

So, I am looking for a late 1970 to 1987 C series pickup. Any opinion on a good year?

[gchemist]

Anything that does not have to be smogged!! In Texas, 83 and older or 25 years old.

[bikes&bowties]

whatever is in the best condition (imo)

[1973GMC_1500]

Yeah. I think $500-1000 will get you a decent running pickup. Maybe $1500 if you want a really nice body.
Year depends on what style you prefer (73-80 or 81-87). They are otherwise the same all the way around.

And if you wanted a certain engine, you would have to look for certain years.
for example-
a 350 was offered every year
307 was '73 only, then a 2bbl 350 was base V8
305 came out in '77, with a 2 bbl (I don't remember what year they went to 4bbl)
'75-'80 were the only years for a 400 (4x4s only, never offered in 2WD that I know of)
4.3 V6 came out in '85, with a 4 barrel. It replaced the 250 straight six, which had been available in chevy trucks since the mid 60s.
292 I6 was offered throughout the entire range, in 3/4 tons
454 was also offered every year, but not in some 4x4s
5.7L diesel was 78-81 offered on C10s only
6.2L diesel was 82-93 all trucks

[RuralRoute C-30]

6K is a nice budget, which would leave you only to decide do you like round headlights or rectangle?

Having come from a generation of round headlights, to me, these represent a generation I lean towards while rectangle headlights represent a change to modern times.

Yet having one of each, for now, I have learned anything Chevy made in trucks from '73' through '87' tends to be easy to work on, plenty of parts new and used still available and more than enough whole trucks still affordable to buy in decent condition.

For 6k you, (at least I could manage it), could have a new "old" truck equal to one costing over 20k at a dealer and resulting in a better truck by far in my opinion only, of course.

Have fun and just shop carefully. Look for the rust, seems the body work can eat a lot out of any budget in a build.

Mark

[spinem]

74-75 before all that smog stuff was put on it.
Old smog equipment is prone to failure.
No power windows, no power anything will always last longer.

If you buy a 80's i promis you will regret it.

[1971c20]

I just picked up a stock 76 c10 lwb. runs and drives and looks great. paid 1300 to the original owner, 73 years old. They are out there just keep looking.

[bigarmzz]

Originally Posted by spinem

If you buy a 80's i promis you will regret it.

there's prob quite a few guys on here that would argue that