Good truck or not?

[Titanium]

Hello, im new here and i have my first q. i'm thinking about buying a 87 GMC Jimmy with a 4" lift a pioneer stereo system, 36" tires, and a rebuilt engine and transmission with only 60,000 miles on it. and there is only 2 places with rust and they are just surface rust like bubbles in the paint which is easy to fix. o ya it has flowmast exhaust and a set of headers too.

[Hondadudeehhhh]

mkae sure it isnt put togather with bondo. Those trucks' boeis arent very solid but the motors last for ever. I think they are really nice but i would look on the frame and some of the places that can be covered up to make sure its not going to fall apart when you are going down a dirt road

[Titanium]

where should i look on the frame cus i'm not that worried about the bondo part?

[Hondadudeehhhh]

Originally posted by Titanium
where should i look on the frame cus i'm not that worried about the bondo part?

i wasnt paying attention and didnt see you were from oklahoma. Most trucks around here that old are literally falling apart because of years of salt and ice on the road. I would just check out the frame under the truck and just see if there are a lot on jimmy rigs. if it looks like its been slapped togather i wouldnt go for it. If the guy looks like he took care of it then it should be in decent condition

[TheFontMaster]

Check the fender wells, rocker panels, floors, and cab corners for rust, those are the most common place for rust. In your case those are where you should check for signs of repair. Look for scratches in the paint that have shown through from underneth, any un even spots, wavy spots, cracks from where the bondo would have scratched. Check the panels for uneven color, if you can see a noticeable difference in color from one panel to the next, one of those panels have been repaired or replaced. I also think that on stock axles those 36 inch tires will increase the wear on the axles alot. 39's are the limit on bronco's and those are bigger trucks than the Jimmy's.

[Hondadudeehhhh]

Originally posted by TheFontMaster
. 39's are the limit on bronco's and those are bigger trucks than the Jimmy's.

im assuming its a k5 :confused:

[400exrider33]

i work at a body shop and i have not work on many 80's style trucks but i know in the 80's espeacily the metal was very thin and is prone to rusting. like they said look on the cab corners wheel wells rocker panels and the bottom parts of the bed. these are the most likely places for rust. also if rust is start it is not always easy to fix as you may think. becasue no matter if you put duraglass on it or not it will sooner or later come back unless you fix it from behind and in front but still the metal is weak and will still degrade. Now after your daily rust lesson i must say i love the 80's style this is just my elabortion on rust:devil:

[TheFontMaster]

Originally posted by Hondadudeehhhh
im assuming its a k5 :confused:

I'm not to up on my chevy's I'm a ford guy, but the s-10's, blazers and jimmys that are around here are small trucks.

[Hondadudeehhhh]

Originally posted by TheFontMaster
I'm not to up on my chevy's I'm a ford guy, but the s-10's, blazers and jimmys that are around here are small trucks.

yeah thats normally what you see, but before like 92' they use to make blazers and jimmeys in full size versions with big axles/350s. Then they came out with the tahoe/yukon. :cool:

[Titanium]

Yes its a k5. and i jus called the owner and he said that he replaced the axle with 4.56 gears. he also mention that there is no belt to the air conditioner which shouldn't be to hard to put on.

[Titanium]

any other tips?:confused:

[Titanium]

???

[TheFontMaster]

Nothing more that I can think of, just drive it make shure everything's mechanicaly sound. An easy way to check for bondo is to get a weak magnet, it will stick where there is just paint then metal, but if there is alot of bondo in one area, it won't stick. That should be all you need to know to make an educated buy on that truck.

[Warrioreater400ex]

what engine... you didnt mention that? 350 i would imagine? those trucks are pretty stout if they arent ragged... if you have a 350 especially, you wont want to romp too hard if you go off road... with the 350 and 4.56 gears... the 10 bolts dont seem to like that too much... .but parts and work are easy on those.. i say go for it.

[Titanium]

well thanx for the advice guys i went ahead and bought the truck. It awsome:devil: I'll post pics when i get it to its new home.

[trx400exxracer]

sweet