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.

[paul mora]

Buy this it is a great deal
He has it for sale in the same in the same message bord it will be money well spent for dependability
Thealien
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[truckster]

You're asking how reliable a vehicle that's over 40 years old is? There are so many variables that's an impossible question. How was it maintained for the last 40 years? Who drove it, and how? What work has been done to it? What's original, and what's been replaced?

Having said that, the original design and construction of Blazers is very robust and dependable. Because they're 40+ years old, they are easier to maintain from a technological standpoint. However, 40 years of rust, road grime, and whatever may make that bolt you need to remove a little more stubborn.

My Blazer was a daily driver for 6 years until I threw a rod right through the block. And it pulled a lot of newer SUVs and trucks out of snowbanks.

Your price range of $7,000 to $10,000 should get you a pretty decent Blazer if you are patient. The more you pay, the less you should expect to have to do to it. If you're intent on doing a complete restoration, I'd aim lower and try to find something that just runs decent and isn't rusting away.

[dtulonghorn]

How much do decently restored trucks generally go for? I looked at that one mentioned by Paul Mora and that truck would be great, but I doubt it will still be around by the time I have everything worked out with what exactly I want from a truck and also how much I want to finance vs. pay with cash etc.. I've been planning a new car for a while, but up until the last couple of days I was planning on a brand new Focus ST or a WRX and this is a completely different change.

[GhostTown]

Decently restored: 14 to 20K
Fully restored no issues, nice looking 20 to 28K
Fully restored with engine upgrades, very showy 28 to 35K

[bouncytruck]

My truck is unrestored original, bone stock and I drive it daily. Keep in mind, they are not very secure and they can be a target for theft.

[dtulonghorn]

Yea, if I end up with one of these I guess that is something I would need to consider. It would not be garage kept for about another year and would just be in my apartment complex's parking lot. It is well patrolled by my university's police force, but some bad areas of Dallas are only a few miles to the south and we sometimes get some break-in streaks originating from there.

The more I am thinking about it and the more I am starting to realize that it may be better to wait on this until next summer. I will probably end up getting a Raptor or Focus ST or WRX in August like I originally planned and then pick one of these up next summer so I can start a full frame-off restoration when I have a garage available and the ability to pay straight cash for any related expenses. I really appreciate your responses and if I do end up finding one of these in good shape at a decent price and I make the jump I will be sure to let y'all know.

[70-K5]

I don't think you can go wront with a well bought 69-72 K5. These are classics and will continue to appreciate, probably faster than depreciation. Not many vehicles will actually be worth what you paid for them years after you buy them.

The engine in a Gen 1 is a small block 350, there is a reason that you see them in all sorts of hot rods and other older vehicles. They are relatively cheap, easy to maintain and repair and very simple. Full cost to rebuild: $2,000

The transmission is most likely an automatic, the TH350 is a very reliable three speed transmission. Even one that is in disrepair can be driven long after a newer transmission would have puked its guts out on the freeway leaving you stranded. Full cost for rebuild: $750

Transfer case is the NP205, one of the strongest most reliable cases made. 100% iron case with helical gears that you will not break. Most likely you'd only need to reseal which any shop could do for $500, including removal and instalation.

Axles are Dana 44 / Gm 12 bolt, again simple to repair. Keep in mind that if you buy a 69 or 70 you will get drum brakes in the front which can be scary. The earlier K5's are more desireable in my opinion but something needs to be done about the brakes, such as swapping in a new front axle from a later K5.

There are deals out there, take your time! If you were going to buy something make sure that it has a solid body, rust repair is very costly and probably above a beginners experience level. The mechanical components are easy to repair replace and can be done one at at time.

[mrucereto]

Just bought my 1st gen on Sunday. Couldn't be happier. Is she perfect? Not even close. She bleeds all over my garage. Each thing I start to fix turns into something that the PO screwed up and left... But she runs strong, extremely little body work and everyone takes a second look when they see me barreling down the road.

My biggest concern is going to be pacing myself so I don't burn all my cash doing what I want to do to her!

[GhostTown]

Congrats to you.

[RANDAL]

We need PICS plaese

[gfreeze1025]

Originally Posted by mrucereto

Just bought my 1st gen on Sunday. Couldn't be happier. Is she perfect? Not even close. She bleeds all over my garage. Each thing I start to fix turns into something that the PO screwed up and left... But she runs strong, extremely little body work and everyone takes a second look when they see me barreling down the road.

My biggest concern is going to be pacing myself so I don't burn all my cash doing what I want to do to her!

This is exactly what happened to me. I overpaid a bit for mine, but they are hard to find around here in DC, and this seemed like it only need a few things to get her nice. Then I found all of the PO hack jobs.

So far, I pumped about 8K in the ride on top of the purchase price, but now she has

• New Rear Axles
• New Brakes
• New Body Mounts
• 3rd row seat out of Suburban
• Significant engine tune-up to get her running smooth
• Front end work
• New Wiring Kit
• Vintage Air AC Kit

All I need now is some new carpet, new front seats, and she is 99% done.

At first I was bummed I had to dump so much into a Truck that I thought was mostly resto'd. But It is my daily driver and I love it.

Long term projects are new paint, and LS swap.

So worth it at least to me

[TonyJohnson]

As far as I'm concerned, they are the easiest thing to work on there is. Plenty of space in the engine bay and easy access from underneath. Parts galore in junkyards, aftermarket and most every old-timer's garage. They can be made as simple and old-school as you want or you can turn them into modern muscle trucks with all the latest technology. There are a few Blazer specific parts that are a little tougher to source, like the rear fenders, hatch doors and internals, and bed floor, but there are solutions for them all, here online. Go for it. The good news is they hold their value pretty well. As far as theft, insure it for an agreed amount, put in a hidden ignition interrupt and a good alarm and maybe a hood lock. Of course, they can always tow it away, but that's what the insurance is for...

[mrucereto]

gfreeze1025 - thank you for your reply. Reading these forums, I know there are others in similar positions as I am/will be... just glad to hear someone admit it!

And I concur with TonyJohnson... I don't know anything about fixing these up or mechanical work... YouTube and this forum has been my friend... and I really believe I can fix most if not all the issues myself.

[tubbedII]

Congrats on the buy...but where's the pics!!!