New from Idaho

[Bextreme04]

On this the current owner says he gets between 10-12, with like 265/70?-R17s on it. I'm thinking if we end up getting this one we'll eventually swap em out for 3.73s.

I got my 1980 K25 in Salem, OR in 2019 for $850. No rust, mostly complete and decent condition interior. Mostly unmolested original mechanically. Mostly rust free doesn't mean much on a long bed K20... they are literally everywhere around here.

 

[IdahoJOAT]

I got my 1980 K25 in Salem, OR in 2019 for $850. No rust, mostly complete and decent condition interior. Mostly unmolested original mechanically. Mostly rust free doesn't mean much on a long bed K20... they are literally everywhere around here.

Wanna find me one? lol

 

[Bextreme04]

Wanna find me one? lol

They are out there. There's a lot of people trying to see if they can cash in on this crazy used car market stuff with BS prices like that guy. I have at least 4-5 ones just local in my neighborhood that I've had my eye on.

If I was looking to buy another one I'd be knocking on doors asking if they want someone to take care of that truck that's been parked in the field and I haven't seen move in the 5 years I've lived here.....

It's much harder if you are looking for a short wide, or a blazer, but a longbed K20 is hardly rare. You can't throw a rock in any direction around here without it bouncing off two or three of them before it hits the ground

 

[Bextreme04]

In 2017 I bought a nice basic C20 for $600 that had a small bit of cancer above the rear wheel wells and a tiny bit in the fenders. I did a bunch of cleaning and got some different wheels and tuned up the engine and drove it for two years before I found this K20. Sold it to my neighbor for $1300 and he got the rust fixed, put some new wheels and tires on it, and is still driving it around to do yard work and run errands.

 

[IdahoJOAT]

They are out there. There's a lot of people trying to see if they can cash in on this crazy used car market stuff with BS prices like that guy. I have at least 4-5 ones just local in my neighborhood that I've had my eye on.

If I was looking to buy another one I'd be knocking on doors asking if they want someone to take care of that truck that's been parked in the field and I haven't seen move in the 5 years I've lived here.....

It's much harder if you are looking for a short wide, or a blazer, but a longbed K20 is hardly rare. You can't throw a rock in any direction around here without it bouncing off two or three of them before it hits the ground

My problem is they're just not for sale, they're all like $6K or more, or they're beat to **** piles. Ideally, the dream, is a K20, mechanically sound and no rust. It could look like hell, honestly. It could have a cracked windshield, bad seats, or a bad dash. I need to know it's not going to strand him anywhere and have heat for the winter.

 

[Bextreme04]

There's a couple guys that buy and sell them and parts in this area. One of them is near Portland and Another in Eugene. I'd be surprised if you don't have a similar guy near you. Try getting on the local squarebody facebook groups. We have quite a few Idaho and eastern Washington/Oregon people on the "PNW K5's and Squarebodies" group. I see quite a few squares come up for sale or spotted out that way.

 

[IdahoJOAT]

There's a couple guys that buy and sell them and parts in this area. One of them is near Portland and Another in Eugene. I'd be surprised if you don't have a similar guy near you. Try getting on the local squarebody facebook groups. We have quite a few Idaho and eastern Washington/Oregon people on the "PNW K5's and Squarebodies" group. I see quite a few squares come up for sale or spotted out that way.

I'll definately check that out. I just went looking on searchtempest and there's nothing local, like at all. Well, the K20 I looked at yesterday. Still listed for $5500.

 

[Mr Clean]

Let me ask you this...Does it need to be 4x4? Stick with me here. You said your boy likes fishing and he's a outdoors kind of kid. Does he go places that a 4x4 is necessary? I have owned many 4x4s in my life, and can honestly say I have probably locked up the front ends 20 times. Mostly because of my dumba$$. Most of the places I went, I could have gotten in ,and out...and did with just 2WD. Maybe a nice 2WD would do just fine with a set of 31s.

I know having 4x4 is like having a gun. It's better to have it, and not need it, than need it, and not have it.

Can you get some pics? I just feel like this truck is going to cost you more than you know. Fixing someone else screw up can get quite expensive, and makes you second guess your decision.

As far as the 10-12 MPH...that's not great, but than again these trucks never got great gas mileage. When I had my 77 Jimmy 4 inch lift with 3/4 axles...4:10s. and a 400HP 396, TH400 I was getting 12-14 MPH. and I drive fast.

 

[IdahoJOAT]

Let me ask you this...Does it need to be 4x4? Stick with me here. You said your boy likes fishing and he's a outdoors kind of kid. Does he go places that a 4x4 is necessary? I have owned many 4x4s in my life, and can honestly say I have probably locked up the front ends 20 times. Mostly because of my dumba$$. Most of the places I went, I could have gotten in ,and out...and did with just 2WD. Maybe a nice 2WD would do just fine with a set of 31s.

I know having 4x4 is like having a gun. It's better to have it, and not need it, than need it, and not have it.

Can you get some pics? I just feel like this truck is going to cost you more than you know. Fixing someone else screw up can get quite expensive, and makes you second guess your decision.

As far as the 10-12 MPH...that's not great, but than again these trucks never got great gas mileage. When I had my 77 Jimmy 4 inch lift with 3/4 axles...4:10s. and a 400HP 396, TH400 I was getting 12-14 MPH. and I drive fast.

I'm on my desktop currently, I'll put the link up here on the van ride home.

 

[IdahoJOAT]

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[Mr Clean]

Is that the only pic? It's not bad looking. Unfortunately you can't buy one of these truck on looks. It would be a good starting point. I just don't see 5500 there. The motor has problems, might be something as easy as timing, crap carb like was mentioned, or it could be a dead cylinder. Did you get to test drive it? Does it shift like it should? The no gauges working would bother me, what's the oil pressure? Does it run hot? There are lots of unknowns with not having working gauges. Heat and A/C are not hard fixes. One important thing...Does he have clear title? Without a clear title I would walk. I would offer 4k and see what he says. Just understand you'll probably put another 4k in it just to make it road worthy, and trustable for your baby to be safe in, and not leave him stranded somewhere you'll have to go rescue him and his truck.

 

[78C10BigTen]

Late to the party here... welcome from northeast PA!! After readin all this without seeing it, i thought the same as above.... a nickle n dime frankenstine that hes tryin to pass off. The pic, looks pretty nice!!! But not 5500 nice. Makes me think of my first truck, a 1990 gmt400, 31x10.5 muds on 10" chrome wagon wheels on it, shiny red paint, tinted windows and a hack job carbed 350 in place of the stock 4.3L v6. Looked hot and sounded great but what a HOOPDY!! That truck spanked my wallet weekly for all kinds of parts, including an engine wich ended up goin in my 78 big ten when i bought it. (That engine later grenaded in my 78). My advice is look long and hard before you commit good money.

 

[Soundmound]

North Central WA and eastern Oregon are full of relatively rust free squares. Patience and a ready stack of cash will serve you well. I missed three trucks before I got mine. I was refreshing my search like every 15 mins until the right one appeared and then I booked it to Oregon with the cash and drove it home that night. I pulled up to another guy waiting for me to pass on it....It can be cutthroat out there, but it seems like things are getting better with the recession coming.

 

[IdahoJOAT]

Is that the only pic? It's not bad looking. Unfortunately you can't buy one of these truck on looks. It would be a good starting point. I just don't see 5500 there. The motor has problems, might be something as easy as timing, crap carb like was mentioned, or it could be a dead cylinder. Did you get to test drive it? Does it shift like it should? The no gauges working would bother me, what's the oil pressure? Does it run hot? There are lots of unknowns with not having working gauges. Heat and A/C are not hard fixes. One important thing...Does he have clear title? Without a clear title I would walk. I would offer 4k and see what he says. Just understand you'll probably put another 4k in it just to make it road worthy, and trustable for your baby to be safe in, and not leave him stranded somewhere you'll have to go rescue him and his truck.

It's not the only pic, but while I'll get on forums at work, Facebook I will not.

I was able to test drive it. No sounds coming from axles. Tranny shifts well and strong, to include downshifting at speed, holding gear(1 and over accelerating). Transfer goes in and out of 4HI and 4LO. The motor runs well, the only hiccup is upon take off from a stop. It kinda acts likes it's going to die for a quarter of a second or less, then catches and goes. But it's there. Because of the gauges I don't know oil pressure, temp, etc.

The ad says he owns the title, so I'll have to ask to make sure.

Thanks for everyone's advice thus far. It's a huge help.

 

[IdahoJOAT]

Link for the 84: 1984 K20
Link for new find, 1979 K20. Obvious rust on rockers. : 79 K20 Bonanza