Truck shopping RULES!!!

[Blackstone]

First was this creampuff... An unmolested, rust-free 1985 3/4 ton with 65k original miles and a new Goodwrench crate engine for $2k;


... A clean, well-kept '87 with 2" lift, rust-free except for outer rockers for $1800;


... and another '87 with a Fisher plow and minimal rust which I hope to fetch for $2200, but we'll see;


I'm leaning toward the '85 just because it's so clean, but it's a bit more heavy duty than I'll need and I'll still need to buy a plow for it.

[Pyrotechnic]

If I was gonna be plowing, I would get me an old Ford or Dodge, or a Chevy that was had body damage and rust beyond reasonable repair efforts but was still mechanically sound or could be made reliable. Just because I could sacrifice the the truck and it wouldn't bother me that much.

[N2TRUX]

Man that 85 looks mint. If your looking for a plow truck, wouldn't you save a lot of time and money buying the truck with thr plow?

[f.monroe]

I could not have walked away from that 85 for 2k. I agree with Ken , if you need a plow truck the one with the plow seems practical . Frank

[Blackstone]

Originally Posted by N2TRUX

wouldn't you save a lot of time and money buying the truck with thr plow?

Yeah probably, plus the one with the plow is a lighter-duty, fuel-injected rig, which ought to do better than the 3/4-ton's 11mpg... but that blue truck is SOOOO freaking clean you could eat off the floorboards. Used plows are plentiful in these parts... $500 buys a good used Fisher for a 73-87. Basically, I can have three times the truck for a couple hundred more bucks if I buy the blue one and there's no reason it shouldn't outlast one that's had a plow it's whole life.

I'm going to test drive the gray one tonight, the blue one tomorrow. I'll post my findings.

[bigblock73]

I love that '85...but man, I wouldn't buy it and throw a plow on it and ruin it (plowing is hard on trucks, and the snow and salt doesn't help either). Buy the 87 if you intend to use it and abuse it...buy the 85 if you want a clean truck to use for hardware store runs and light "truck" use. Just a thought.

[Blackstone]

People in Maine will throw a plow on anything from a $30k half-ton to a S10s, Rangers and Cherokees but ideally, you'd much rather have a 3/4 ton for the job. I'm more concerned about the truck rusting than I am about wear and tear from plowing. I only do my my own driveway anyway.

[Curly86]

If you lived closer to Southern Ky I have a 85 Sliverado LWB with Campertop on it for sale,but u r a long ways away.

[Blackstone]

Originally Posted by Curly86

If you lived closer to Southern Ky I have a 85 Sliverado LWB with Campertop on it for sale,but u r a long ways away.

Rust free southern iron is worth it's weight in gold up here.

Just drove the '87... Runs, shifts and rides very smooth, a bit of rust to deal with before winter but not a deal-breaker. It will definitely need a paint job soon. We'll see what ol' blue has to offer tomorrow.

[N2TRUX]

Not try to throw a red flag or anything, but if that 85 is as clean as it looks, why did it need a new motor with 65k on it?
If that were any closer I would buy it. Blackstone, you interested in driving to Houston?...

[84lwb]

Look at the wheels compared to the rest of the truck,and the sign on the barn behind it!Body shop,maybe that old girl has been rode hard and put up wet!

[KMK454]

I think it all depends on how we define "clean" when referring to the blue 85 GMC...

New motor, some rust, looks like some unoriginal parts floating around, truck looks like it's been used for sure yet somehow mysteriously escaped the rust bug. Either that, or it's been covered up very well...

When I was looking for a truck, I found a beige 86 454 1-ton LWB fleetside in Connecticut... 44k original miles, all original, a restoration... 17k, sold to a collector for 15k.

[method2mymadnes]

I would consider one of the 87's just for the tbi over the carb

[Blackstone]

Originally Posted by N2TRUX

Blackstone, you interested in driving to Houston?...

I've always wanted to visit Texas, but not in 4:10 geared behemoth!

Here's the lowdown on the '85... I first spoke with the guy who owns the property where the truck is for sale. The body shop end of the business is long gone by the looks of the shop. If a vehicle was painted there within the last ten years, there's no way it looks as good as this truck. From what I gathered, the previous owner passed away some time ago and this fellow now tinkers around there. He claimed that the truck's owner is extremely picky about any work done to the truck. This was later confirmed by a friend of mine who is familiar with the truck and works with the owner. Next, I spoke with the owner, who said he bought it in 1989 with 21k miles, drove it a couple thousand miles per year to pull his fifth wheel camper. Sitting for months at a time would explain the rust on the wheels. I had no idea the miles were original until I spoke with him. Repaint and crate engine were both done about two years ago. He now owns a camp, so apparently has no need for the truck. I'll ask him about the original engine when I talk to him later.

For those of you who can't stand to see this truck plow snow... there's a solid chance that I'll drag this home, polish it up, repaint the wheels and throw it on my lawn for $3500, but who knows. Stay tuned.

[Blackstone]

Blue truck has been ruled out. I misunderstood the owner... It turns out it has 165k miles, but that wasn't the deal-breaker. The engine is most likely NOT a Goodwrench replacement engine. It ran extremely well, but was installed by a machine shop with a horrible reputation for selling high mileage junkyard engines as "rebuilt". The truck went down the road great, but I didn't care for the 3/4 ton's ride quality. Bottom line, I determined it to be way too heavy duty to suit my needs.

On the other end of the spectrum, I came across a '93 with a 4.3, 5-speed with a nice plow for $1800 but I can't picture a V6 pushing wet snow.

So, basically I'm back to square one... drooling over the gray '87 which maintained a comfortable ride even with the weight of the plow, and rust was minimal.

[Roper]

Back east years ago I used to plow commercially for a logging company.
Trust me. Plowing is extremely hard on gear!
You can literally snap off outer universal joints on your front corporate 10 bolt or dana 44 at will. Example just cut your wheels when the trucks plow was under load.
For plowing look for a dana 60 front, 205TC,TH400 or standard transmission.
You know all of those trucks looked like really good deals to me. You cant buy them that cheap in Alberta!

[Roper]

At that price how could you go wrong on that 85? I mean im just going by the picture.But even if the motor is shot thats still a cheap truck.

[Blackstone]

Originally Posted by Roper

At that price how could you go wrong on that 85? I mean im just going by the picture.But even if the motor is shot thats still a cheap truck.

I don't think I could go wrong. The only indication of wear anywhere on the truck was the dash pad. The engine sounded new and the truck is certainly worth more than $2k just the way it is. I just couldn't stand the ride and don't like the idea of my wife starting a carburated engine in sub-zero temps.

The gray '87 rode like a dream, even with an 800-pound plow on the front. The suspension has been upgraded with extra springs and a four-shock system. The only thing I'd expect to break might be the transmission but I know of a handful of 700R4s that lasted 200k miles pushing snow around. In any case, they're always replaceable.

[Pyrotechnic]

I still don't get why you want a nice truck for plowing ? Like I said before my idea of a plow truck is a beater work truck with a solid running gear and a heater.

[Blackstone]

Originally Posted by Pyrotechnic

I still don't get why you want a nice truck for plowing ? Like I said before my idea of a plow truck is a beater work truck with a solid running gear and a heater.

I just figure... why not get the most bang for your buck? Since the difference between $2000 and $1500 is two gallons of bondo, a six pack of Rustoleum and one night per week lying on your back in the snow replacing used up parts, I'll take the nicer truck of the two. Commercial trucks aside, most truck I see outlast the plows attached to the front of them. I can buy a yard truck with no floors and a rusted frame for $1k but I need something I can drive down the road without killing my family. If I can avoid a truck that I have to replace sheetmetal on every year to pass inspection, I'm gonna. If you had to wrench on a rustbucket outdoors in January in Maine, you'd understand. I come from a land where brake lines only last 7-8 years before they rot through.

[Colonel Gentleman]

Where in Central Maine are you located? I grew up in Winslow. Now I'm in North Carolina, or as I like to call it, "Old Truck Heaven".

[Blackstone]

No way! I'm in Benton, where old trucks come to become scrap iron. "I'm sure we've chewed some of the same dirt"-Col. Meyers... Heartbreak Ridge.

[Roper]

Why not buy two trucks? Example in the winter that plow is as curse on a daily driver. They do make quick release plows but im guessing these are more expensive and harder to get?
But get the FI rig for your wife and then get the real truck for yourself.

[Blackstone]

Mine won't be a daily driver by any means. My wife and I both have cars for commuting but she'll want to drive the truck 8-10 days per year when it snows. Whatever I buy won't be driven more than 1000 miles per year, plow only my own small driveway and be parked 7-8 months out of the year while my '73 takes it's place.

Fisher plows are made here in Maine so "Minute Mount" plows are readily available for $4k... maybe $2.5k used. Their standard plows can be had cheap and are easy enough to remove between storms.

[chevymotocross]

That 85 is very clean. People slap plows on brand new $40,000 trucks and beat the snot out of them. I don't see why you couldn't put a plow on it.... but just don't treat it like a plow truck (throwing in and out of reverse while still rolling, backing into poles, etc). As for salt and harsh New England weather, try to rust proof as much as you can, atleast the underneath. Unfortunately, rust will always find it's way, you just gotta treat it as it comes, atleast you have a clean truck to start with. I plowed with a "show quality" 78 f150 4x4 and everyone was like why in the hell would you put a plow on that? Well why not, it's a truck, yeah it's old, but no reason you can't have some fun with it. The 87 would be nice though with easy fuel injected cold startups, might want to consider that.