If anyone looks at this and says “it’s junk” or it’s way to old” then we can’t be friends. I’ve always loved those 80s C/K I daily drive a 95 Chevy C1500
The last decent truck GM produced was the GMT400 series 88-98. Anything after that is a big disappointment in reliability. The C/K square body's 73-87 were by far the toughest.
A couple of reasons for square bodies getting so expensive. First, the very popular 67-72 trucks have been fairly well picked over, especially in the north. Getting a solid project truck in that generation is nearly impossible. Second, the generation who grew up riding in the square bodies are now of the age to start collecting. You tend to want what you remember riding in as a kid, the one your dad had.
@@tommywilliams9184 I mean same and I'm from New York. I was like hold up what did he say? I got to Virginia or North Carolina typically to get my trucks
Long bed = practically and tbh looks way better than short beds which in my opinion look to stubby. I'd rather be able to load more lumber/ rocks/ car parts/ motors etc. and have a truck that looks like a truck haha.
You came to my neck of the woods, and I love visiting your neck of the woods. I would love to buy some land up there. Nice find, I had a 78 Chevy with 42s on it. I miss it.
I think you got a great deal. I've owned a 73,76,77 and an 82. My 73 was in the movie Super 8. If you watch the opening scene it's parked in front of the school. Green and white.
Same year as mine. Probably needs a new choke pulloff. Don't lug the engine, it's very hard on it. Based on how it sounds I bet it has a 2.73 rear gear, otherwise 1st would be so low you could get out and walk beside it. Do NOT put undercoating over a rusty frame, EVER. You are just creating a worse problem. That's bad information. In fact I wouldn't put undercoating on anything I were going to keep.
Very cool! We have an old Ford and went on amazon to purchase some nice low cost sound deadener. Did both the heavy stick on stuff and some closed cell foam with foil on both sides. Put it in the floor, doors, and ceiling. Also replaced the window gaskets etc. I think in total I have about $400 into making it quiet. Very quiet now going down the road and it stays a lot cooler in the hot sun. Well worth the time to do so. I would guess your automatic choke needs a little adjustment between summer and wintertime. I have found plenty of info online about how to get them setup correctly and it works like a charm. Have fun!
You seem similar to me on terms of doing things your self, little secret that works very well for me. Is buy semi gloss black qt can of rusteluem and use a cheap spray gun from harbor freight ( purple Gun) thin it out with either 50/50 minerals sprit or flood”. And spray it all over “except hot parts like exhaust bits. Only prep I usually do is light sand, and a screw driver to scrap loose scale. I live in nyc and believe me, all my 90s fords love the treatment.
I saw this too. My thought was I would have done a retake. I know that's a pain, but it's a dog doing its business. Then about 3 seconds later it looks like he did a retake on his approach to the truck! Lol.
I'm thinking that MPG figure at the end is inflated a tad. You've got 35s and basically 3 gears. Your speedo is off which means your odo is off. Strangely, based on their mph you said you were off, this would add mpg
They are all over and rust-free here in southern Nevada. No salt, ever and hardly ever rains with low humidity. If you're smart, you'll watch the classifieds and buy a one-way ticket and drive home. NEVER TO SEE WINTER weather and it will last forever.
@@TheFuzzyhippo I moved here right after graduating (boring suburb of Chicago) BEST f'ing thing I ever did! Couldn't deal with gloomy cold winter weather. It's almost eternal summer here. Even the heat isn't bad with no humidity. And if you like offroad stuff (jeeps, mx bikes, SxS''s ect) it's offroad heaven here. All public land. Trails hundreds of miles long. I'm a real person, chris7613@hotmail If there's anything I can do to help you get out of the cold. Jobs:www.governmentjobs.com/careers/clarkcounty for government jobs (I work for the local county here in Las Vegas. It's a good place to work.
@@TheBandit7613 yo thanks so much for the info! It's really nice to hear from someone who was in the same boat as I am currently. I will definitely check up more on this....
@@TheFuzzyhippo Keep my email if you need it. Most people think vegas is all about gambling. It's a regular city away from the strip. It's growing so jobs are easy to get. Remember, even the Raiders gave up on the Bay area and will be opening in their new stadium this fall. Don't give up. When I moved I put my clothes in my Jeep with very little money, started driving west. I ended up here. If I did it, you can too. Don't be afraid to follow your dreams.
I have a 1980 K30 crew cab long bed 4X4 with the Process manual and it is a tank. I love the old visceral feeling of driving a mechanical machine. Every part of your body is involved in the act of driving and you feel everything and I mean everything. There are no electronic annoyances like in new vehicles, so it just keeps chugging along. My new jeep on the other hand has been a pain, tripping emissions codes (fuel cap and other leaks too small to find) and keeping my remote start from working when its freezing outside. Old trucks just work and are easy and inexpensive to work on.
I've always loved these oldschool square body chevys and thats coming from a hardcore toyota 4x4 guy. To keep it alive use Krown Rust proofing every year. Has been keeping my 84' and 89' Toyota trucks alive for years.
@A Rural Vermonter - Love your Chevrolet, man. You had my attention instantly when you said you were looking for a long-bed and standard transmission. Seems like no one appreciates those 2 features anymore. At all. Those are THE BEST, so reliable, rock-solid, and the Chevy ones shifted so damn well. If you had a good clutch, they were a dream to drive, and I had one that was indeed a dream to drive. I could even float shift it easily enough, all the way up, and back down through all 4 gears. I had her in high school, she was an 85' Chevrolet 1-ton Dually (350 engine, 4 barrel quadrajet carb, 4:10 gears in the rear-end, and of course.... the heavy-duty 4-speed manual transmission) Had factory 'true-dual', 2" pipe exhausts with mufflers, which I promptly replaced with 18" glass packs, so it sounded like a Winston-Cup car, no catalytic convertors, as they weren't required on 1-ton's at the time. I LOVED the 8-foot bed, and the manual transmission. I have never owned a truck that doesn't have one. Never have I ownded a truck, since I bought my 1st one in 1993, that was an automatic. Ever. Currently, I own, and drive, a 1998 3/4 Chevy 4x4, long wheel base, also 4:10 gears, manual 5-speed transmission. Has the towing package, so huge radiator, engine oil cooler, 350 vortec, and I love it. Absolutely..... love it. Everywhere I go, people want to buy it. Have a shop-built diamond-plate steel winch bumper with a 10,000 pound Warn winch on him, and... nice wheels, but they're 16", I dont go for all the 'HUGE WHEELS!' shit that seems to be so popular now days. Huge wheel with tiny rubber band tires..... WTF? Not for me. Im old school, sorry so long here buddy. Congrats on an amazing find, and a great choice of trucks, as for price, you did great. You could just about name your price down here in Texas for that truck, bro. BEst wishes, S_B
As an owner of 3 squarebodies, A 76 C20, 79 K10, and 86 C20 I can honestly say you did pretty well. Honestly that truck wouldn't have brought that much less here in the Dallas Tx area. I keep my eye on the FB and Craigslist ads constantly. Interestingly I have found K10's to be fairly rare with an SM465 trans around here. I see the manuals far more often in the K20 3/4 ton 4x4's. Good on the dealer for letting you put it on the lift! Here's a pro tip. Changing the oil in that transmission is VERY simple. Put the stick in neutral and the E-brake on. There's a drain plug on the bottom of the trans, easy mode just like an oil change. Drain it. Take the shifter boot off in the cab. You'll see a metal retaining cap at the base of the shifter. Push it down and rotate it about 1/16 turn counter clockwise (at least i think it's counter clockwise. it's spring loaded) and then pull it up and then pull the the shifter itself out and fill the oil that way. This way you don't have to screw with the top fill plug and pumping the oil, etc. It takes 1 gallon of 75w90 gear oil. No friction additives or anything needed. Reassemble the shifter and stuff in the opposite order you took it apart and you're done. Honestly almost as easy as an oil change. Next Sounds like the truck's choke may need a little adjustment but honestly could be worse. There are plenty of videos on how to set that. I usually adjust mine to an 1/8 inch gap cold. But I don't live up in the frozen tundra so your settings may vary. And of course the standard stuff, Plugs, Wires, oil, coolant (flush), hoses, belts, brake fluid, brake pads/shoes as needed. Thing's i'd suggest as far as changes: Holy crap get rid of that cherry bomb exhaust. Get yourself something that isn't glasspacks and run it all the way out the back. Should be inexpensive enough. Unless you're into it sounding horrible. For bonus points you can go to LMC Truck or plenty of other retailers and replace the door and window weather stripping which will cure most of your wind whistle. A lot of it may be coming from the wing-glass. There are re-seal kits for that as well but it an be somewhat of a chore to replace. Again pretty solid deal. Can't wait to see you paint her back to the original color. I generally seriously dislike flat or semi-flat black paint on vehicles. I don't care how badass the build is. lol. Get on the Square Body Nation group on Facebook. a LOT of great info there. We're pretty fanatical about these trucks. :) One of us... One of us!!!!!
Pretty solid, and drove it home! You got a good deal! I tell all my friends when they want to buy some classic like this, get it at a good price because this is an investment. By what you say, if you ever wanted to sell it, you already have a profit. Great looking truck! I own 6, take care of it, and it’ll last you forever!
Great buy! Congratulations. Been thinking about one myself. They were designed at the height of GM's engineering and manufacturing excellence (see On a Clear Day You Can See GM) and LOTS of NOS and reproduction parts.
Noice! My father owned a '85 C10 long bed (Custom Deluxe) dark blue. It only had a straight 6 engine, but it had a manual gear box like yours. Learned to drive on that rig up in Canada. My dad had it for nearly 20 years, then sold it to a farmer and we still see it around town to this day.
my grandpa drives his 1973 K10, it gets about 1 mile a gallon fuel economy. it is teal with and white with a grey fender and brown tailgate with black wood racks. He uses it to haul wood the truck still runs pretty well just needs a new transmission, it still hauls wood and gets the job done.
I Bought A Rust Free 84' Short Bed 305, 4-Speed 4x4 For $1100 & Drove It Home Back Before Squarebodys Got Crazy. I Still Think You Did Great & Love The OEM Rally Wheels!!
That's a great deal on the pickup. The 87s came out with throttle body injection. Looks kinda like a carb. Yours may have been swapped if you have a carb. A big problem area on these is where the steering box bolts to the frame, especially with big tires.
Anything older than 98 is a good fixable and easy to maintain vehicle. Anything newer, you'll run into electronics that cost thousands to fix. Old things are lovely to work on and dont cause un-needed anger. It's the simplicity and practicality that's beautiful.
Good price. I got a 84 shorty c10 with a tired 305 rust on every panel. All new front clip sheet metal , rad support, inner and outter rockers cab corners bed corners+bottoms, floor pans, kick panel etc etc. This Cost me 2800 here in PA purchased in NJ 5yrs ago. I got several thousand into it. Im only half way there in the project being complete. Squarebody market has been hot for awhile
I bought a 1985 K2500 new. traded 9 yrs later with 90k still awesome truck. I had sprayed oil in the doors,etc. and it never had rust develope. I miss it. Simple and strong. Now I'm running a 2019 F350 Diesel. Much nicer but man paid twice as much as my home did in 1981.
Mine also had black jack headers and dual exhaust with glass packs and doesn't sound as loud in side the cab as yours because I have it run all the way out the back. That helps a lot to quite it down inside. Mine also had a built 350 small block out of a 79 2 ton dump truck, bored 60 over with 1.60 and 2.02 valves.
No your crazy you just have to look harder ive sold a good running 81 scottsdale k10 for 750 and a 86 running silverado k10 for 1100 just got my 85 k5 for 2100 , 1 from florida 1 from georgia 1 from NC
I daily drive a 82 c30 crewcab 454 with a muncie sm465 3 speed manual with a low first, just as you got there, and with no weight in the truck you dont have to start off in granny, my truck weighs 13,000lbs all day long with my full sized ladder rack and tools, and I've always started off in second unless I'm on a steep grade or pulling one of my big trailers. Been driving it for years gotta love the squares
Odds are it hasn't been re-geared. Put the correct size tires on it (or a set of 4.10s ) and you'll likely see better performance, better mileage, and less stress on your clutch.
Thats sweet man! I'd love to get a C or K squarebody someday. I've always thought about going down to Carolina and driving one back up because theres decent rust free ones down there.
@ A Rural Vermonter looks like its only coated with black primer. Primer is porous and water seeps in and rusts the metal underneath the primer. Probably a good idea to sand primer off and then sand off the rust, then re-prime it and then put actual paint on it.
I had 2 of those trucks great buy,love it Good deal,best truck ever built.did construction on steep hills,carry 5 tons like nothing.I love and respect those Trucks
Good deal, I've always owned square body chevys , I kept my 1984 Chevy m1008 military chevy 6" lift on 37" 5/4 ton painted metallic silver , with rebuilt 427 big block, lots people always asking if for sale , these trucks are getting more and more expensive,
Awesome truck! Definitely change that muffler! P.S. I have a 2001 Chevrolet regular cab 1500 Silverado, 4x4 auto trans long box 4.8 Vortex V-8 engine with 175,000 miles and I love that old truck. Not nearly as old as your 86 but it hauls my 8 foot slide-in camper very well. It has overload springs on the rear making it a 3/4 ton capacity.
Nice truck! Sounds like the choke unloader isn’t working or is out of adjustment though. The choke plate needs to open to a certain preset position once the engine starts to prevent loading it up with raw fuel. It’s a little vacuum operated diaphragm with an adjustable link, also called a choke pull-off.
I daily drove my 85 k10 for years. If you can get over the in cab noise, they are very reliable and totally usable in modern traffic. Still have the old thing, just not daily driven anymore. 456,000 km of hard use.
When I saw your video come up today I just started shaking my head.......I just listed my pickup on Facebook Marketplace. 1989 Ford F-250 long bed with 184,000 miles. No rust. Four speed w/Overdrive. Not 4WD, though. $2800.00 Strange coincidence that you just bought a truck from the same time period! It would have been a long drive for you. (North Carolina)
God i miss my 82 model. Had same type as yours with 6.2D. 3 speed manual. with high and low. 4wd. 38.5 tsl sx superswamper. Mickeythompson rims. With bushwacker wideners. The feeling you get from driving these old vehicles. I have a 2012 silverado now. It is so sivilized. Allmost to sivilized. Even with a magnaflow and some mods. Currently looking for that old one again. But it is weirdly worth 4-5 times now than what i sold mine for....Wth. Buying highend suspension shocks totaly transfoms the ride of this truck. Not 100buck eatch shock. But much better. More stable and progressive in berms. And soaks those bumps.
One of the best ever made by GM owned every year but 79 and 84 and some more than 2 twice. SILVERADO TO SIERRA GRANDE GMC- CUSTOM C10 4X4 AND 3/4 TON HAD ALOT OF THEM. 454 400 350 305 THE 5.7 FUEL INJECTION in a 90 suburban was one of the best motors i ever had . That looks like a good used truck for what you paid and its a 4x4.
Same here man I don't know why people ignore the long beds. There just as nice as the shorts or better. I have a 1985 Chevy c10 Silverado and it's a long bed and I love it. I like long beds better as well
Thats a great buy. I bought a Loaded, fully functional rust-free 86 k10 Silverado, ding free. original paint....for $10k...mint trucks like these in short bed arent cheap
For what it may be worth. Price was good, truck looks great. I think we should drive what we like. Anyone can drive a new truck, but a classic is cool and fun. Best of luck.
I would say, if you have not done so already as soon as you can pray some anti rust in the under body to help protect the truck specially with all that snow. Great truck man. You driving it reminded me of my manual dakota 4x4
Just bought an 84 K10 long bed for $150. It is a 305 with 700r4, but the transmission was on it's way out when I bought so I bought a SM465/NP205 combo and am fixing to start the swap.
Reminds me of a truck my father had when I was younger. He had an '81 Chevy C/10 with 4wd (idk why it wasn't a k10 it had 4wd but had C/10 badges on it, maybe aftermarket, idk). It was black w/ black interior, bench seat, automatic, long bed, 454 CUI big block and dual gas tanks. He had the truck for many years but it started to get to costly to maintain and the frame eventually rusted. Last I hear it was sold for parts.
Nice thing about the square bodies is LMC will have all the parts/panels. instead of hacking the rust repairs do it right because those hold value and some of the ways you have fixed others just kicks the can down the road. Door shells are $170 for example rather than grinding and bondo. They also have patch panels for the common areas. Once done NHoilundercoating on the underneath over fluidfil. several places in eastern VT do it.
Hi just to add my 2 cents...if your driving it everyday in the rust belt buy a lot of fluid film and put it all over everything underneath and inside the grill area. I would even spray inside the doors but don't block the drains at the bottom. It'll be crusty in a few years otherwise. I live in CO and we don't use salt, but knowing how prone these trucks are to rust, I refuse to drive my K20 in the snow or even rain if I can help it. Takes some of the fun out of it but mine is a 67K mile unrestored original survivor with no rust anywhere. It's amazing how protective I am of that truck! Good luck with yours.
Love the square bodies I have two of them a 78 K10 shortbed fleetside with the SM 465 NP205 4.10s and 35s and an 86 military blazer M1009 6.2 diesel NP208 3.08s and 33s
If you put it in 2nd gear before you put it in granny 1st it won't crunch like that. Granny 1st isn't synchronized. Put it in 2nd, it stops the mainshaft from spinning, and then it will slip quietly down to 1st.
i have a 87 silverado. picked up for $500.00 came with new complete lift kit, fender wells,rockers,dash pad and more. your price was about right .ive seen total junk ones going for 3500,00
I've had two military K30's. You did very well paying what you did for that truck. It needs some love, but it's in great shape for it's age. Those trucks get far more rust here in the northeast but you have a survivor. Nice buy for the price.
Here in So Cal that thing would probably sell for $5k all day long. All the reasons to daily it seem bass ackwards to me, i would figure youd want something with better fuel economy, automatic trans like the colorado. Nice truck though.
Hey got some advice for you try not to clutch so much when driving. If done right can extend your clutch’s life. Great video again and great truck good luck!
Yeah good buy nice truck but shes already rusty i probably wouldn't daily drive it But yea . Also yeah I would give it a oil change and plugs and wires and cap and rotor and air filter all good stuff and fuel filter . Butt the reason that it starts and runs like it does when it's cold it's because it's got bad valve guide seals that's why you see all that blue smoke come out when it first starts up until it actually warms up and burns it all off. I had a truck that did the same thing but little worse it hated to run in the cold weather would give me issues until really burned all oil off the plugs
For $3200 id say u did good. “Fair” price for a running/driving 4x4 in useable condition and “presentable”. I dig the old school camper too! 87 should be tbi fuel injection.
To prevent future rust you should go under the truck and coat the frame in POR-15, amazing thin coat preventative paint that will make sure that frame stays exactly how it should be.
Seems like a solid truck and a good deal. Thur the years I've had about 30 73-87 square body's. Can't beat a sm465 behind a small block. I miss the wing windows older trucks came with.
Looks like it has the same problem all old Chevy trucks have. The mirror has fallen off of course. I glued mine back on 6 times in 5 years. Those are good trucks unlike the new models of today. I live in Arkansas. Those year models are cheap here especially short cab, long bed. I have a 2000 Ford v8 , manual, std cab.long bed. Most trucks either make with those basic styles last forever. Great video👍
I had an 89 Ford F150 with the 4 speed and a 302 (I bought it in 1990) and what I remember most is you could practically watch the gas gauge drop as you drove it on the highway. Those low gear 4 speeds are pulling monsters though. Pop the clutch in first and you couldn't stall it. Buck like mad and lurch along, but never stall out. Nice truck for a New England 4x4. Hard to get one that's not used to death. It'll look good red. *:-)*
man I know this feeling so well I just picked up a 94 suburban 2500 rust free for 3500 a month ago. the excitement getting it home is just unreal ain't it? on another note since you went so far out of your way to get a rust free one make sure you dont forget to fluid film it so it wont get all rusted out.
If it still has the quadrajet on it, check to see if your choke pull off is opening the choke when the truck fires up on a cold start. That loping is it running super rich and I would bet the choke plate is still mostly closed.
Read the description for social media update!
Why the seats
If you need a tailgate for it let me know it's in good shape no rotI had a 87 6.2 diesel sold it 3 years ago
I live in Massachusetts
Love the Show....Di you know Styx?
If anyone looks at this and says “it’s junk” or it’s way to old” then we can’t be friends. I’ve always loved those 80s C/K I daily drive a 95 Chevy C1500
i have a 95 yukon gt i love it
Agreed
Amen brother 👌
My daily Is a 93 c3500 dually
eric mort nicee. I’d love to have a single cab dually which is rare to find
Back when GM wasn’t concerned with making “barbies dream truck”
PREACH!!!
The last decent truck GM produced was the GMT400 series 88-98. Anything after that is a big disappointment in reliability. The C/K square body's 73-87 were by far the toughest.
Back when all 3 American carmakers made decent trucks!
@@cigarsgunsanddiesel8032 they sure did and they weren't the plastic junk like they offer today
Agreed. Better looking than the 2020 models too.
I would say you got a decent buy...body isnt trash and with some sweat and a few parts its going to be a nice driver..good job!
sweet william Really all it needs is some paint a muffler and maybe some new parts under the hood and she’s good to go it’s in pretty good shape
A couple of reasons for square bodies getting so expensive. First, the very popular 67-72 trucks have been fairly well picked over, especially in the north. Getting a solid project truck in that generation is nearly impossible. Second, the generation who grew up riding in the square bodies are now of the age to start collecting. You tend to want what you remember riding in as a kid, the one your dad had.
Always cost another k for 4 wd
Back when trucks were trucks! Love these old square bodies. Seems like a good deal. Good luck with it!
Richard Kafka life span was 6 months. Least in the knobs of ky.
I have an 86 silverado and an 07 silverado and you are wrong buddy.
“It’s too loud”.....as I sip a beer knowing my truck is true dual straights😂😂😂
i had true dual straights on my ‘85 blazer with the 6.2 detroit diesel. I couldn’t handle it and went with flowmasters haha
“Actually I did go down south I went to Connecticut”
Me in Georgia: 🤦♂️
That's what I was thinking here in Texas lol
@@tommywilliams9184 I mean same and I'm from New York. I was like hold up what did he say? I got to Virginia or North Carolina typically to get my trucks
You: Me in Georgia Me: In Florida Some other guy: In Cuba Another guy: In Antarctica There’s always someone better 😃
NC here
Boom it is now a month an a haft later here is my dog taking a meannnn shit. Love your vids
How how does everyone besides me find square body’s for cheap
I bought mine for $100 so good luck
You find tons of those square bodies here in the Valley in TX
Right!?
Mine was 1k. 1985 K5 Blazer
Location location location!!
There's nothing like a truck with an 8 foot bed and a four speed. People that prefer a short bed over a long bed have never owned a long bed
Long bed = practically and tbh looks way better than short beds which in my opinion look to stubby. I'd rather be able to load more lumber/ rocks/ car parts/ motors etc. and have a truck that looks like a truck haha.
I'm a sucker for short beds. Don't know why.
@@Alphawolf2325 maybe with the right truck, it's all in the eye of the beholder 👍🏼
I purchased my truck to haul things so I got an 8 ft bed but agree most trucks look better with a short bed.
@Philly's Phinest A LWB looks better with a tool box.
Just listening to you drive is therapeutic, shifting gears, the pops from the exhaust, perfect 👌
Also, get some Fluid Film and get all underneath it and in the door bottoms and whatnot. Stuff works great for stopping and preventing rust.
You're 100%correct fluid film is the best way to go
You came to my neck of the woods, and I love visiting your neck of the woods. I would love to buy some land up there. Nice find, I had a 78 Chevy with 42s on it. I miss it.
I love how that bull bar looks on those old square body's.
I think you got a great deal. I've owned a 73,76,77 and an 82. My 73 was in the movie Super 8. If you watch the opening scene it's parked in front of the school. Green and white.
Same year as mine. Probably needs a new choke pulloff. Don't lug the engine, it's very hard on it. Based on how it sounds I bet it has a 2.73 rear gear, otherwise 1st would be so low you could get out and walk beside it. Do NOT put undercoating over a rusty frame, EVER. You are just creating a worse problem. That's bad information. In fact I wouldn't put undercoating on anything I were going to keep.
True on the under coating. Clean up the rust good as you can. Fluid film it.
Por 15 the bottom no undercoating
Agreed. Do NOT put a rubberized undercoating on ANY frame if you ask me. Fluid Film it or some other oil-based undercoating.
watching dealers spray undercoating to hide rust on their youtube videos drives me nuts. But people clearly fall for it.
Edwin Byrd screw fluid film used motor oil is better and is free!
Very cool! We have an old Ford and went on amazon to purchase some nice low cost sound deadener. Did both the heavy stick on stuff and some closed cell foam with foil on both sides. Put it in the floor, doors, and ceiling. Also replaced the window gaskets etc. I think in total I have about $400 into making it quiet. Very quiet now going down the road and it stays a lot cooler in the hot sun. Well worth the time to do so. I would guess your automatic choke needs a little adjustment between summer and wintertime. I have found plenty of info online about how to get them setup correctly and it works like a charm. Have fun!
Wow, nice score! Love the old Chevys, back when they were built like a rock
You seem similar to me on terms of doing things your self, little secret that works very well for me. Is buy semi gloss black qt can of rusteluem and use a cheap spray gun from harbor freight ( purple Gun) thin it out with either 50/50 minerals sprit or flood”. And spray it all over “except hot parts like exhaust bits. Only prep I usually do is light sand, and a screw driver to scrap loose scale. I live in nyc and believe me, all my 90s fords love the treatment.
4:23 “And boom!”, doggy dump.
Lol
I saw this too. My thought was I would have done a retake. I know that's a pain, but it's a dog doing its business. Then about 3 seconds later it looks like he did a retake on his approach to the truck! Lol.
I'm thinking that MPG figure at the end is inflated a tad. You've got 35s and basically 3 gears. Your speedo is off which means your odo is off. Strangely, based on their mph you said you were off, this would add mpg
Lmao I read this comment as he said it
I was looking for this comment lol
Definitely a good deal! Nice grab. Hope to have an old square body soon myself. Finding them (anything decent) in Vermont is a pain.
They are all over and rust-free here in southern Nevada. No salt, ever and hardly ever rains with low humidity. If you're smart, you'll watch the classifieds and buy a one-way ticket and drive home. NEVER TO SEE WINTER weather and it will last forever.
@@TheBandit7613 man that's about where I wanna end up haha. This cold just gets me down.
@@TheFuzzyhippo I moved here right after graduating (boring suburb of Chicago) BEST f'ing thing I ever did! Couldn't deal with gloomy cold winter weather. It's almost eternal summer here. Even the heat isn't bad with no humidity. And if you like offroad stuff (jeeps, mx bikes, SxS''s ect) it's offroad heaven here. All public land. Trails hundreds of miles long.
I'm a real person, chris7613@hotmail If there's anything I can do to help you get out of the cold.
Jobs:www.governmentjobs.com/careers/clarkcounty for government jobs (I work for the local county here in Las Vegas. It's a good place to work.
@@TheBandit7613 yo thanks so much for the info! It's really nice to hear from someone who was in the same boat as I am currently. I will definitely check up more on this....
@@TheFuzzyhippo Keep my email if you need it. Most people think vegas is all about gambling. It's a regular city away from the strip. It's growing so jobs are easy to get. Remember, even the Raiders gave up on the Bay area and will be opening in their new stadium this fall.
Don't give up. When I moved I put my clothes in my Jeep with very little money, started driving west. I ended up here.
If I did it, you can too. Don't be afraid to follow your dreams.
I have a 1980 K30 crew cab long bed 4X4 with the Process manual and it is a tank. I love the old visceral feeling of driving a mechanical machine. Every part of your body is involved in the act of driving and you feel everything and I mean everything. There are no electronic annoyances like in new vehicles, so it just keeps chugging along. My new jeep on the other hand has been a pain, tripping emissions codes (fuel cap and other leaks too small to find) and keeping my remote start from working when its freezing outside. Old trucks just work and are easy and inexpensive to work on.
I've always loved these oldschool square body chevys and thats coming from a hardcore toyota 4x4 guy. To keep it alive use Krown Rust proofing every year. Has been keeping my 84' and 89' Toyota trucks alive for years.
@A Rural Vermonter - Love your Chevrolet, man. You had my attention instantly when you said you were looking for a long-bed and standard transmission. Seems like no one appreciates those 2 features anymore. At all. Those are THE BEST, so reliable, rock-solid, and the Chevy ones shifted so damn well. If you had a good clutch, they were a dream to drive, and I had one that was indeed a dream to drive. I could even float shift it easily enough, all the way up, and back down through all 4 gears. I had her in high school, she was an 85' Chevrolet 1-ton Dually (350 engine, 4 barrel quadrajet carb, 4:10 gears in the rear-end, and of course.... the heavy-duty 4-speed manual transmission) Had factory 'true-dual', 2" pipe exhausts with mufflers, which I promptly replaced with 18" glass packs, so it sounded like a Winston-Cup car, no catalytic convertors, as they weren't required on 1-ton's at the time. I LOVED the 8-foot bed, and the manual transmission. I have never owned a truck that doesn't have one. Never have I ownded a truck, since I bought my 1st one in 1993, that was an automatic. Ever. Currently, I own, and drive, a 1998 3/4 Chevy 4x4, long wheel base, also 4:10 gears, manual 5-speed transmission. Has the towing package, so huge radiator, engine oil cooler, 350 vortec, and I love it. Absolutely..... love it. Everywhere I go, people want to buy it. Have a shop-built diamond-plate steel winch bumper with a 10,000 pound Warn winch on him, and... nice wheels, but they're 16", I dont go for all the 'HUGE WHEELS!' shit that seems to be so popular now days. Huge wheel with tiny rubber band tires..... WTF? Not for me. Im old school, sorry so long here buddy.
Congrats on an amazing find, and a great choice of trucks, as for price, you did great. You could just about name your price down here in Texas for that truck, bro. BEst wishes,
S_B
As an owner of 3 squarebodies, A 76 C20, 79 K10, and 86 C20 I can honestly say you did pretty well. Honestly that truck wouldn't have brought that much less here in the Dallas Tx area. I keep my eye on the FB and Craigslist ads constantly. Interestingly I have found K10's to be fairly rare with an SM465 trans around here. I see the manuals far more often in the K20 3/4 ton 4x4's.
Good on the dealer for letting you put it on the lift!
Here's a pro tip. Changing the oil in that transmission is VERY simple. Put the stick in neutral and the E-brake on. There's a drain plug on the bottom of the trans, easy mode just like an oil change. Drain it. Take the shifter boot off in the cab. You'll see a metal retaining cap at the base of the shifter. Push it down and rotate it about 1/16 turn counter clockwise (at least i think it's counter clockwise. it's spring loaded) and then pull it up and then pull the the shifter itself out and fill the oil that way. This way you don't have to screw with the top fill plug and pumping the oil, etc. It takes 1 gallon of 75w90 gear oil. No friction additives or anything needed. Reassemble the shifter and stuff in the opposite order you took it apart and you're done. Honestly almost as easy as an oil change.
Next Sounds like the truck's choke may need a little adjustment but honestly could be worse. There are plenty of videos on how to set that. I usually adjust mine to an 1/8 inch gap cold. But I don't live up in the frozen tundra so your settings may vary.
And of course the standard stuff, Plugs, Wires, oil, coolant (flush), hoses, belts, brake fluid, brake pads/shoes as needed.
Thing's i'd suggest as far as changes: Holy crap get rid of that cherry bomb exhaust. Get yourself something that isn't glasspacks and run it all the way out the back. Should be inexpensive enough. Unless you're into it sounding horrible.
For bonus points you can go to LMC Truck or plenty of other retailers and replace the door and window weather stripping which will cure most of your wind whistle. A lot of it may be coming from the wing-glass. There are re-seal kits for that as well but it an be somewhat of a chore to replace.
Again pretty solid deal. Can't wait to see you paint her back to the original color. I generally seriously dislike flat or semi-flat black paint on vehicles. I don't care how badass the build is. lol. Get on the Square Body Nation group on Facebook. a LOT of great info there. We're pretty fanatical about these trucks. :) One of us... One of us!!!!!
Wow, thanks for all the tips and info! I'll get started
Pretty solid, and drove it home! You got a good deal! I tell all my friends when they want to buy some classic like this, get it at a good price because this is an investment. By what you say, if you ever wanted to sell it, you already have a profit. Great looking truck! I own 6, take care of it, and it’ll last you forever!
Great buy! Congratulations. Been thinking about one myself. They were designed at the height of GM's engineering and manufacturing excellence (see On a Clear Day You Can See GM) and LOTS of NOS and reproduction parts.
Noice! My father owned a '85 C10 long bed (Custom Deluxe) dark blue. It only had a straight 6 engine, but it had a manual gear box like yours. Learned to drive on that rig up in Canada. My dad had it for nearly 20 years, then sold it to a farmer and we still see it around town to this day.
Sweet!
my grandpa drives his 1973 K10, it gets about 1 mile a gallon fuel economy. it is teal with and white with a grey fender and brown tailgate with black wood racks. He uses it to haul wood the truck still runs pretty well just needs a new transmission, it still hauls wood and gets the job done.
I'm from New brunswick and just traveled to upstate New York to but a 77 C10. It's the focus on my channel right now. You got a great buy!
Cool I'll check it out!
Practical...pfffff look at the smiles per gallon! Who needs practical when it's a sweet truck? Awesome rig!
I Bought A Rust Free 84' Short Bed 305, 4-Speed 4x4 For $1100 & Drove It Home Back Before Squarebodys Got Crazy. I Still Think You Did Great & Love The OEM Rally Wheels!!
Wow,you were in my area! I recognized the highway you were on in Ct.,good luck with your purchase!
cool! and thanks!
Where in CT did you go I live in CT.
That's a great deal on the pickup. The 87s came out with throttle body injection. Looks kinda like a carb. Yours may have been swapped if you have a carb. A big problem area on these is where the steering box bolts to the frame, especially with big tires.
Anything older than 98 is a good fixable and easy to maintain vehicle. Anything newer, you'll run into electronics that cost thousands to fix. Old things are lovely to work on and dont cause un-needed anger. It's the simplicity and practicality that's beautiful.
Those old Squarebodies are very good to work with, I've owned my 82 since 2012 generally i prefer the C10s just for hot rodding
Good price. I got a 84 shorty c10 with a tired 305 rust on every panel. All new front clip sheet metal , rad support, inner and outter rockers cab corners bed corners+bottoms, floor pans, kick panel etc etc. This Cost me 2800 here in PA purchased in NJ 5yrs ago. I got several thousand into it. Im only half way there in the project being complete. Squarebody market has been hot for awhile
I bought a 1985 K2500 new. traded 9 yrs later with 90k still awesome truck. I had sprayed oil in the doors,etc. and it never had rust develope. I miss it. Simple and strong. Now I'm running a 2019 F350 Diesel. Much nicer but man paid twice as much as my home did in 1981.
Mine also had black jack headers and dual exhaust with glass packs and doesn't sound as loud in side the cab as yours because I have it run all the way out the back. That helps a lot to quite it down inside. Mine also had a built 350 small block out of a 79 2 ton dump truck, bored 60 over with 1.60 and 2.02 valves.
Shoot I'd love to find one of them like that. Way too expensive down south
Edwin Byrd come to KY some people give em away.
I was thinking that same thing. Here in Louisiana people either gut them and turn them into mud trucks or they are gone pecan!
No your crazy you just have to look harder ive sold a good running 81 scottsdale k10 for 750 and a 86 running silverado k10 for 1100 just got my 85 k5 for 2100 , 1 from florida 1 from georgia 1 from NC
@@micahfrye8885 I'm in kentucky where the hell you getting em for free lmao
I daily drive a 82 c30 crewcab 454 with a muncie sm465 3 speed manual with a low first, just as you got there, and with no weight in the truck you dont have to start off in granny, my truck weighs 13,000lbs all day long with my full sized ladder rack and tools, and I've always started off in second unless I'm on a steep grade or pulling one of my big trailers. Been driving it for years gotta love the squares
Odds are it hasn't been re-geared. Put the correct size tires on it (or a set of 4.10s ) and you'll likely see better performance, better mileage, and less stress on your clutch.
Thats sweet man! I'd love to get a C or K squarebody someday. I've always thought about going down to Carolina and driving one back up because theres decent rust free ones down there.
@ A Rural Vermonter looks like its only coated with black primer. Primer is porous and water seeps in and rusts the metal underneath the primer. Probably a good idea to sand primer off and then sand off the rust, then re-prime it and then put actual paint on it.
As long as its not wrecked and not rusted out they are nice and strong classy Trucks.
Just getting into the 80’s SBT and this is just damn cool. Great old set up for ya to get around all 4 seasons.
I’d keep the exhaust on it makes it sound a lot better!!!!
I had 2 of those trucks great buy,love it Good deal,best truck ever built.did construction on steep hills,carry 5 tons like nothing.I love and respect those Trucks
Good Kit Rural, she wont let you down.
Good deal, I've always owned square body chevys , I kept my 1984 Chevy m1008 military chevy 6" lift on 37" 5/4 ton painted metallic silver , with rebuilt 427 big block, lots people always asking if for sale , these trucks are getting more and more expensive,
Awesome truck! Definitely change that muffler! P.S. I have a 2001 Chevrolet regular cab 1500 Silverado, 4x4 auto trans long box 4.8 Vortex V-8 engine with 175,000 miles and I love that old truck. Not nearly as old as your 86 but it hauls my 8 foot slide-in camper very well. It has overload springs on the rear making it a 3/4 ton capacity.
Nice truck! Sounds like the choke unloader isn’t working or is out of adjustment though. The choke plate needs to open to a certain preset position once the engine starts to prevent loading it up with raw fuel. It’s a little vacuum operated diaphragm with an adjustable link, also called a choke pull-off.
Got a 1976 k5 blazer I’m restoring. Can’t wait to get it going. Great video!
If I ever move to Montana, this is the truck I'm going to buy. You did great - it's a nice truck and you paid a good price.
Squarebody Chevy's are never junk! They are perfect in every way.
I daily drove my 85 k10 for years. If you can get over the in cab noise, they are very reliable and totally usable in modern traffic. Still have the old thing, just not daily driven anymore. 456,000 km of hard use.
When I saw your video come up today I just started shaking my head.......I just listed my pickup on Facebook Marketplace. 1989 Ford F-250 long bed with 184,000 miles. No rust. Four speed w/Overdrive. Not 4WD, though. $2800.00 Strange coincidence that you just bought a truck from the same time period! It would have been a long drive for you. (North Carolina)
you should fluid film it so it stays nice!
Nice truck. It runs great and needs minimal tlc to make it minty. Great find and negotiating skills.
God i miss my 82 model. Had same type as yours with 6.2D. 3 speed manual. with high and low. 4wd. 38.5 tsl sx superswamper. Mickeythompson rims. With bushwacker wideners. The feeling you get from driving these old vehicles. I have a 2012 silverado now. It is so sivilized. Allmost to sivilized. Even with a magnaflow and some mods. Currently looking for that old one again. But it is weirdly worth 4-5 times now than what i sold mine for....Wth. Buying highend suspension shocks totaly transfoms the ride of this truck. Not 100buck eatch shock. But much better. More stable and progressive in berms. And soaks those bumps.
Nothing but respect for these square bodies. GM’s finest.
Congrats on a great truck! Great price too tbh especially in the rust belt for a clean one
One of the best ever made by GM owned every year but 79 and 84 and some more than 2 twice. SILVERADO TO SIERRA GRANDE GMC- CUSTOM C10 4X4 AND 3/4 TON HAD ALOT OF THEM. 454 400 350 305 THE 5.7 FUEL INJECTION in a 90 suburban was one of the best motors i ever had . That looks like a good used truck for what you paid and its a 4x4.
Same here man I don't know why people ignore the long beds. There just as nice as the shorts or better. I have a 1985 Chevy c10 Silverado and it's a long bed and I love it. I like long beds better as well
Nice to see a real truck stlll running strong. Hard to believe you can't even get a manual trans. in a truck any more.
I'm a ford guy, but damn that's a really nice truck.
yes it is too bad it is a 305, unless he got a replacement cam in the bargain.
mrnovacan yes mine was an 87 with a 350 4x4 long bed but was automatic also black miss that truck should of never sold it 😩
Wow AWESOME deal on the truck. I love my square! I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Thats a great buy. I bought a Loaded, fully functional rust-free 86 k10 Silverado, ding free. original paint....for $10k...mint trucks like these in short bed arent cheap
For what it may be worth. Price was good, truck looks great. I think we should drive what we like. Anyone can drive a new truck, but a classic is cool and fun. Best of luck.
watching this makes me miss my old square body blazers.
I would say, if you have not done so already as soon as you can pray some anti rust in the under body to help protect the truck specially with all that snow. Great truck man. You driving it reminded me of my manual dakota 4x4
Well good sir, I’m about to go buy a k10 to restore, and you just sealed the deal, I love old chevy
Just bought an 84 K10 long bed for $150. It is a 305 with 700r4, but the transmission was on it's way out when I bought so I bought a SM465/NP205 combo and am fixing to start the swap.
Reminds me of a truck my father had when I was younger. He had an '81 Chevy C/10 with 4wd (idk why it wasn't a k10 it had 4wd but had C/10 badges on it, maybe aftermarket, idk). It was black w/ black interior, bench seat, automatic, long bed, 454 CUI big block and dual gas tanks. He had the truck for many years but it started to get to costly to maintain and the frame eventually rusted. Last I hear it was sold for parts.
Nice thing about the square bodies is LMC will have all the parts/panels. instead of hacking the rust repairs do it right because those hold value and some of the ways you have fixed others just kicks the can down the road. Door shells are $170 for example rather than grinding and bondo. They also have patch panels for the common areas. Once done NHoilundercoating on the underneath over fluidfil. several places in eastern VT do it.
Hi just to add my 2 cents...if your driving it everyday in the rust belt buy a lot of fluid film and put it all over everything underneath and inside the grill area. I would even spray inside the doors but don't block the drains at the bottom. It'll be crusty in a few years otherwise. I live in CO and we don't use salt, but knowing how prone these trucks are to rust, I refuse to drive my K20 in the snow or even rain if I can help it. Takes some of the fun out of it but mine is a 67K mile unrestored original survivor with no rust anywhere. It's amazing how protective I am of that truck! Good luck with yours.
Love the square bodies I have two of them a 78 K10 shortbed fleetside with the SM 465 NP205 4.10s and 35s and an 86 military blazer M1009 6.2 diesel NP208 3.08s and 33s
i think it was a good deal and am so glad you are happy with it!
Seeing 2 Chevy square body pickups parked closed to each other is a rare site to see nowadays.
If you put it in 2nd gear before you put it in granny 1st it won't crunch like that. Granny 1st isn't synchronized. Put it in 2nd, it stops the mainshaft from spinning, and then it will slip quietly down to 1st.
i have a 87 silverado. picked up for $500.00 came with new complete lift kit, fender wells,rockers,dash pad and more.
your price was about right .ive seen total junk ones going for 3500,00
I've had two military K30's. You did very well paying what you did for that truck. It needs some love, but it's in great shape for it's age. Those trucks get far more rust here in the northeast but you have a survivor. Nice buy for the price.
Nice find, I had a 78 c15 with a 350, 3spd auto and long bed, they're tough as nails
Awesome truck love the fact that it’s a manual good job
Here in So Cal that thing would probably sell for $5k all day long.
All the reasons to daily it seem bass ackwards to me, i would figure youd want something with better fuel economy, automatic trans like the colorado. Nice truck though.
People still want over 16k for trucks with over 200k miles here in texas :(
Very nice truck, I would recommend oil undercoating it to help preserve it.
That is definitely a great deal. Here in Pittsburgh that truck would be going for alot more.
Can Confirm!
Hey got some advice for you try not to clutch so much when driving. If done right can extend your clutch’s life. Great video again and great truck good luck!
That was a good deal, and hello from a rural northern Mainer!
Yeah good buy nice truck but shes already rusty i probably wouldn't daily drive it But yea . Also yeah I would give it a oil change and plugs and wires and cap and rotor and air filter all good stuff and fuel filter . Butt the reason that it starts and runs like it does when it's cold it's because it's got bad valve guide seals that's why you see all that blue smoke come out when it first starts up until it actually warms up and burns it all off. I had a truck that did the same thing but little worse it hated to run in the cold weather would give me issues until really burned all oil off the plugs
For $3200 id say u did good. “Fair” price for a running/driving 4x4 in useable condition and “presentable”. I dig the old school camper too! 87 should be tbi fuel injection.
To prevent future rust you should go under the truck and coat the frame in POR-15, amazing thin coat preventative paint that will make sure that frame stays exactly how it should be.
Seems like a solid truck and a good deal. Thur the years I've had about 30 73-87 square body's. Can't beat a sm465 behind a small block. I miss the wing windows older trucks came with.
Looks like it has the same problem all old Chevy trucks have. The mirror has fallen off of course. I glued mine back on 6 times in 5 years. Those are good trucks unlike the new models of today. I live in Arkansas. Those year models are cheap here especially short cab, long bed. I have a 2000 Ford v8 , manual, std cab.long bed. Most trucks either make with those basic styles last forever. Great video👍
305 Is a boat anchor as soon as it kicks the bucket buy a crate 350 you will be much happier 👍😎
I had an 89 Ford F150 with the 4 speed and a 302 (I bought it in 1990) and what I remember most is you could practically watch the gas gauge drop as you drove it on the highway. Those low gear 4 speeds are pulling monsters though. Pop the clutch in first and you couldn't stall it. Buck like mad and lurch along, but never stall out. Nice truck for a New England 4x4. Hard to get one that's not used to death. It'll look good red. *:-)*
man I know this feeling so well I just picked up a 94 suburban 2500 rust free for 3500 a month ago. the excitement getting it home is just unreal ain't it? on another note since you went so far out of your way to get a rust free one make sure you dont forget to fluid film it so it wont get all rusted out.
For sure! And thanks
I’ve always wanted to play disc golf in the snow. I kinda wish you showed how you modified the seats for installation.
If it still has the quadrajet on it, check to see if your choke pull off is opening the choke when the truck fires up on a cold start. That loping is it running super rich and I would bet the choke plate is still mostly closed.