In the next 2 months Im looking to buy a(nother) square..

[AuroraGirl]

So, Ive been paying down some debt and working a lot of hours. In a month I will have no debt and then I plan to work and save a good amount over the summer(I have a lot of projects to do, fortunately I can do most of it without buying stuff).
I also have all of fall and technically winter, but would prefer to buy another before winter or I would just assume wait till spring, because I dont want to use it in the snow. Maybe.

THESE NEXT THREE PARAGRAPHS IN ITALICS ARE A RAMBLE OF THOUGHTS, ARE NOT NECESSARY TO THREAD QUESTION
Question is, is there something I should look for? I am a fan of round eyes, would like a half ton, prefer long bed, and would lean toward 2wd but all four of those details can be reasoned with if I find a good deal or a nice condition truck.
I see a lot of 82-85s go for sale around me, typically long bed short cab 4wd, but since my experience with squares are 1978 and 1980, are there any suggested years for various features?

AC, manual/auto, electric windows, etc are all not deciding factors for me. Since I have a manual, an automatic doesnt bother me. Are 700rs good transmissions, or should I stick with a TH350? Any engine options ever offered just complete crap? I have experience with small blocks, so 305, 350, 400 would all be okay to me. Big blocks fascinate me, ive never seen one. I love inline 6s. 250/292 have any big issues?

Are there places to look for rust I might not think of? Differential options to be weary of? Gear ratios to be preferred(economy would be welcomed, but 4.10 is badass so could swing).
THIS IS THE END, HERE IS THE QUESTION

Basically, what should I, assuming I go look at a square, look for when I check it out. Are there good years / bad years Ive got some ideas based on what I own now, but collective knowledge is welcome wisdom. Im thinking my range is gonna be 2 to 6k when the time comes, but of course good deals and circumstances could change. I see some nice condition squares run about 5k on fb.

 

[legopnuematic]

700r4's with a proper cooler and properly set TV cable will not have any problems and if too much power is present for it, there are companies that make bullet proof ones.

As far as engines go, the only ones I would stay away from would be integral head I6's (very limited on upgrading), unless if a non integral head can be sourced. 305's are pretty tough, but are also pretty gutless.

Big blocks really don't have many downsides (other than fuel economy), even some of the worst ones still make decent power/torque.

Rust wise, firewall, the seam where the cowl meets the lower half of the firewall always rust due to failing seam sealer and trapping moisture underneath, similarly down at the firewall and floor toe board seam, due to heater core or holes from cowl-firewall seam. The tops of the B pillars where the roof seam is also can have internal rust problems and is a nifty spot for critters to nest in. The a pillars above the fenders are another spot to loot at.

Upon initial inspection looked pretty good

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What was hiding underneath

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2.73's are the only gears id stay away from, unless strictly doing a lot of highway.

I'm assuming you are going to be looking for a nicer "rust free" or "not super rusty" truck, so be sure to scrutinize and heavily inspect for signs of bodged repairs such as, but not limited too rockers and floors made from fiberglass or bondo, riveted panels, that vin hasn't been tampered with. With the rise in popularity of these trucks a lot of people are taking hoopties and dolling them up to flip onto unsuspecting buyers and some are really good at putting lipstick on a pig.

 

[Turbo4whl]

Some information and a story. In 1972 reading in a magazine I spied an artist rendering of GM's new Blazer and Jimmy K5's next year. They offered this new full time 4 wheel drive with a removable roof and I wanted one. Keep in mind this was designed before the first fuel shortage and fuel mileage was not a consideration. I had a couple grand to put down but at the ripe old age of 20 and no credit rating, I could not get a loan.

So I bought a used car for $2000, put $1000 down and a one year loan for the other $1000. One year later I had a credit rating and ordered in January my 1974 GMC Jimmy. This is what I did not realize at the time, US steel workers were on strike. The Jimmy was built with imported steel, as well as many other vehicles that year. I could go on about this, but this is one fact you should know.

Another fact, in the late 1970's and into the 1980's GM experimented with their cams. Many small blocks required the 60,000 mile plus extended tune up, cam and lifters. Throw in a timing chain and gears too. The chances of you buying one of these now with the original cam is very slim.

GM's 2 speed Powerglide auto trans was replaced with the Turbo 400. GM's issue with this, they did not design it. They needed to pay royalties on every unit. GM's fix was their own design, the Turbo 350. Not a bad trans, but nowhere near as strong as the T400. The 700R4 is the same as the T350 with the extra planetary gear set on the rear. Early 700R4's has a few issues, but they were fixed for the later models. So long as you were not trying to pump too much horsepower through it, the later models did fine.

 

[1987 GMC Jimmy]

305s aren’t bad, I’ve had one carry me around many thousands of miles very reliably, but I have a good one by 305 standards, and it leaves something to be desired. If you found a great truck with one, I wouldn’t let it be a dealbreaker, but if you were on the fence with one, I’d factor it in as a slight negative. If you find one that somehow still has a non-DX Olds 350 diesel, probably safer to walk. I’d consider a later DX model that had been meticulously maintained. The program failed and for good reasons, but if they would have spent more time in the R&D phase, they probably could have made a great engine. My hometown’s doctor had a later (‘84 I think) diesel Impala for over 20 years and traded it in on a new Grand Marquis about 15 years ago. I imagine the fuel economy there was decent, if not impressive, and I would give them the benefit of the doubt that many of the bugs were fixed at the end. The damage had already been done from a PR standpoint, however.

The later 700R4 is great, IMO. 1982-83 units were pretty weak, 1984-86 were considerably improved but hit or miss sometimes, and 1987-92 are pretty much ironclad. You can’t put an ungodly plant in front of them, but it’ll take anything from stock to moderate, I’d say. My daily has a later ‘85 700R4, I’m creeping up on 300K miles without a rebuild, and it just won’t die nor do I want it to. An absent or improper TV cable adjustment will kill them quickly, and running them without lockup is another no-no. If you plan to tow, I’d definitely add a cooler.

If I was in the market, I’d also gravitate toward a 77-80 LWB 2wd, I think. Utility of the long bed with the simplicity of just RWD, especially if you already have a 4wd. If I was looking at a later one, I’d do 83-87. All great trucks, but ‘81/‘82 front caps and front bumpers are the ugliest of the series IMO. I don’t know if you’re avoiding TBI, which would rule out 1987, but it’s a solid system if you want to look into it.

 

[Salty Crusty]

I'm curious about the prices you find in your area for these trucks. We have plenty of rust free trucks here and I know what I can get 'em for, curious about the value of something like this in the rust belt.
Easy identifier for a good 700R4 is the case parting line that runs through one of the coolant line bosses, this is only the '87 or so and up.

 

[Grit dog]

Yes, some rambling questions. There are no better or worse models. They’re all 30-40+ years old, so what you get is based 80% on rust and 20% on what’s been done to it repair wise.
I grew up in the rust belt. And N WI is as bad as it gets. Just as bad as other salt belt areas with the added bonus of way higher % of trucks that sat outside on grass or gravel and got annihilated by the elements.
Advice? If you actually want a truck that is not rusted to death, wait til you have the cash for what’s in your price range and enough to make a road trip out west. Preferably out here to the PNW, where the best cars are.
Buy here and you can get twice the truck with half the rust for less $.
Whatever extra you spend on the trip wil pay for itself down the road.

 

[AuroraGirl]

Yes, some rambling questions. There are no better or worse models. They’re all 30-40+ years old, so what you get is based 80% on rust and 20% on what’s been done to it repair wise.
I grew up in the rust belt. And N WI is as bad as it gets. Just as bad as other salt belt areas with the added bonus of way higher % of trucks that sat outside on grass or gravel and got annihilated by the elements.
Advice? If you actually want a truck that is not rusted to death, wait til you have the cash for what’s in your price range and enough to make a road trip out west. Preferably out here to the PNW, where the best cars are.
Buy here and you can get twice the truck with half the rust for less $.
Whatever extra you spend on the trip wil pay for itself down the road.

I dont think Im looking for a perfect truck. Like, Ive never had a new car. But the idea repulses me. I would not forgive myself i was afraid to use my truck for something if i dent or scratch it. Now, that doesnt mean I want a pile but the ones i see listed around here on what pictures they provide tend to be okay. Thats what I would like, little or no rust, okay condition. I would definitely shed keep the truck in winter or if i have to use it, it gets bath. I got a working hose that originates from my furnace room that i can pull out and clean a truck off in -20 weather if i have to, then regret the ice sheet ill inevitably have created doing that haha. Or was in my to-be-heated-come-fall garage and just squeegee the water out and salt it later! Its surprisingly not hard to keep vehicles rust free here, but its usually a matter of staying ontop of it rather than play catch up after 20 years of ignoring. im very fortunate the rust damage on my two cars is limited to the front subframe for one and rear subframe for the other, with everything else being okay. Except door bottoms on my park avenue, but that was a design flaw and almost every PA has rust on doors from a design choice GM choose. I can keep my car cleaned off, keep the metal clear. Im gonna get in there and remove any rust and give it some good enamel protections. After that, its a matter of washing crap off.

It would just be nice if we diddnt use salt, rather just used sand... north dakota has loads of snow and sand only approach works well for em!
You ever see a great plains snowdirft?
Ive seen a great plains snowdrift. Wow do I appreciate trees and hills in my life.

Also, insert cash for clunkers rant. I was young when that happened, and it was sad to see nice older vehicles go to the junkyard. Funny thing, the idea was to put americans in newer fuel efficient cars to help the environment, well, you better own that new car for at least 30 years because despite emitting more, the pollution and resources spent to produce a new care, no matter how efficient, will almost never balance out for a net gain on the environment. Driving a 1964 mustang to this day is far better for the environment than if you buy a 2020 mustang. the emissions you put out by driving(especially if the owners done mods like EFI, it might emit less) are far less than the company that produces a new car. Now obviously they still need to make new cars, but the whole point of cash for clunkers did more to hurt the environment than to aid it.

This is why I fix and keep old cars on the road, because I am an environmentalist! (esp late 80s to early 2000s cars)

 

[AuroraGirl]

305s aren’t bad, I’ve had one carry me around many thousands of miles very reliably, but I have a good one by 305 standards, and it leaves something to be desired. If you found a great truck with one, I wouldn’t let it be a dealbreaker, but if you were on the fence with one, I’d factor it in as a slight negative. If you find one that somehow still has a non-DX Olds 350 diesel, probably safer to walk. I’d consider a later DX model that had been meticulously maintained. The program failed and for good reasons, but if they would have spent more time in the R&D phase, they probably could have made a great engine. My hometown’s doctor had a later (‘84 I think) diesel Impala for over 20 years and traded it in on a new Grand Marquis about 15 years ago. I imagine the fuel economy there was decent, if not impressive, and I would give them the benefit of the doubt that many of the bugs were fixed at the end. The damage had already been done from a PR standpoint, however.

The later 700R4 is great, IMO. 1982-83 units were pretty weak, 1984-86 were considerably improved but hit or miss sometimes, and 1987-92 are pretty much ironclad. You can’t put an ungodly plant in front of them, but it’ll take anything from stock to moderate, I’d say. My daily has a later ‘85 700R4, I’m creeping up on 300K miles without a rebuild, and it just won’t die nor do I want it to. An absent or improper TV cable adjustment will kill them quickly, and running them without lockup is another no-no. If you plan to tow, I’d definitely add a cooler.

If I was in the market, I’d also gravitate toward a 77-80 LWB 2wd, I think. Utility of the long bed with the simplicity of just RWD, especially if you already have a 4wd. If I was looking at a later one, I’d do 83-87. All great trucks, but ‘81/‘82 front caps and front bumpers are the ugliest of the series IMO. I don’t know if you’re avoiding TBI, which would rule out 1987, but it’s a solid system if you want to look into it.

Beings I own a 4wd square already which will see the road again, i promised her i would do that, its why i tend to lean toward RWD too. plus, since i dont plan to daily in the snow I can keep moderately aggressive tires on and if i need to use it in the snow it can get out its own way, but im not feeling the dollars fly out my wallet as the tires lay their tread onto the road for the moderate use i would have for it. But, its not like i wouldnt get a square because of it. I guess I could always convert to 2wd, just would need to find an appropiate trans. I also say half ton since my 4x4 is 3/4 ton, and I Like trucks, but no sense in tanking mileage if my needs fall under lighter duty, but, again, wouldnt be a deal breaker. i do like the factory lift of my 4x4 3/4 ton, its enough to give you clearance but not overstating, take no offense guys, but theres usually an image we attach to huge trucks with big lifts and huge tires that never see a spec of dirt, let alone mud. And its a small image haha. Some girls are so into it.. but overstating for attention versus being firm and meaningful while not show boating have my respect. Basically, show a girl you work with your truck and not just drive to walmart trying to be cool.

An example of a lifted truck i dont mind is @Vbb199 or @Arkansas_V8 because you just know their doing something with it, not just crawling malls.
And a suburban is complimented by huge lifts and tires quite a bit more than a pickup, nice trucks fellas.

rule of thumb, if he is shorter than me, his boots are clean and pristine, and his truck is huge, something else is very very small that he wishes were very very big.

 

[Vbb199]

My favorite is when this same said new boot, and crisp wrangler Jean wearing, accidentally swallowing tobacco homos have the big wheels, rubber band tires, and all that other ****, and they'll say something stupid about a truck like mine....

"my wheels are tires are worth more than your whole truck"

That makes me laugh.

 

[AuroraGirl]

Well that there just reinforces their compensating and to feel big they gotta try to put you down, because hes a big boy now daddy.

People who do what they do, say what they say, actually know their truck and use it accordingly dont often need to show off, more is said by the performance and stride.

I always go back to, the smallest boy in my graduating class who hit puberty at 18(not his fault) and probably had the smallest milimeter peter drove the biggest, baddest, 2 year old Ford F350 diesel with stacks, a lift, etc.

But even he couldnt say it was his, that was daddys work truck he let him drive. All the boys in that group.. if you can call it that, either roided and it was a well known fact they had small packages or they were very insecure about their masculinity and even if they werent, it was still a pathetic display.

They dumped a 55 gallon drum of oil in the parking lot on our last day before graduation.

Real big dicks, boys. Could have had me fooled lmao

EDIT: afterthought, how much you wanna bet i knew more about trucks, engines, cars, maintenance, tech, etc when we all graduated than all of them nuggets combined? And, not gonna lie, I know way more now. I was still a novice, but its better to know you dont know everything and try to learn than to think you know what you are doing and do a hack job.

I can respect a guy that is confident in his knowledge and he doesnt know can say it, because doing the job right is far more important than harming an ego

 

[AuroraGirl]

My favorite is when this same said new boot, and crisp wrangler Jean wearing, accidentally swallowing tobacco homos have the big wheels, rubber band tires, and all that other ****, and they'll say something stupid about a truck like mine....

"my wheels are tires are worth more than your whole truck"

That makes me laugh.

also bet you dont cry to mamma when theirs a mud stain on the side walls, or there is a chip in the chrome on the wheels

 

[Vbb199]

also bet you dont cry to mamma when theirs a mud stain on the side walls, or there is a chip in the chrome on the wheels

I have no chrome wheels, and where I'm from, the mud is rich and red... Stains everything, might as well forget having anything nice anyways, especially this dusty gravel/dirt road

 

[AuroraGirl]

I have no chrome wheels, and where I'm from, the mud is rich and red... Stains everything, might as well forget having anything nice anyways, especially this dusty gravel/dirt road

but the pretty boys would be crying, their rims definitely have as much chrome as there is surface area and their tires are dressed like a showroom.

 

[Vbb199]

but the pretty boys would be crying, their rims definitely have as much chrome as there is surface area and their tires are dressed like a showroom.

I prefer a much larger tire in comparison to the rim
My k5 is 53" tires on 20" rims
S10 is 39.5's on 16" rims.

 

[AuroraGirl]

Are soil is pretty loamy, flings everywhere and doesnt stick or get to stainy, fortunately. Down by the creek or rivers you get a lot more of that for sure. This is old farmland.