keep it or sell it?

[extremeblastr]

so i bought an 84 K10 4spd a couple months ago, so far i have put new 33x12.50s on it and some gaskets and other odds and ends on it. i paid 1700 for the truck i'm about 2650 into it now and it has less than 5k miles on a rebuilt 350. the wheels and tires are the only noticable addition but i have a set of hooker long tubes and a set of purple hornies header mufflers sitting in the garage waiting to go on it. i'm currently stationed in kansas at ft riley (i'm in the army) and have plans to basically restore the truck. i have access to multiple personally owned lifts and a couple good buddies here with a wealth of chevy truck knowledged specific to that era. my problem is i have been notified that i will be deploying for a year in the near future and am having trouble deciding whether to store the vehicle with family (would have to pay to bring the truck from here to connecticut so my father could maintain it and start digging into some of the rust replacement thats needed) or selling the vehicle as there is no guarantee on how long if it all i'll be back to ft riley after this deployment. just looking for some insight. i know these trucks are a dime a dozen but it took me a while to find one as mechanically sound as this one for the price.

when i bought it
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q201/pqc711/036.jpg

with the new tires and used wagon wheels
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q201/pqc711/070.jpg

[88redrocket]

dude where ya been? lol but anyway I'd try to get that thing back home, its def got some good potential and with only 5k on a rebuild you got a darn good starting point.... Im a little north of you in mass and I know how quick things rot out here on the east coast so finding another one that's mechanically sound out here isn't gonna be as easy, looks like its got some rust already but nothing that can be fixed with a little elbow grease, still looks alot better body wise than most of those trucks I see out here....I sold my LTR and picked up a 77 GMC Sierra 1500 with a original sb400 a couple months ago but luckily its been all redone with a frame off resto, I'd post a pic but don't wanna hijack your thread lol....but the 73-87's are awesome trucks easy and cheap to find parts for, endless compatibilities, simple to work on....cant go wrong with a old chev

[extremeblastr]

i saw the pic of yours man its nice. the list of things the truck actually needs are as follows

new sender and float (probably just go with the pump as a complete assembly)
new front fenders and inner wheel wheels
cab corners
patch panels for rear quarters (possibly look into a new bed as bed floor doesn't look that great)
new ball joints (kinda pissed because you have to take the tie rods off and it breaks the boots and truck has brand new tie rods lol)
new clutch and throwout bearing
miscellanious trim
rear main

things i already have that need to be put on
valve cover gaskets
headers and glass packs
4in lift (full spring packs with new u bolts and shocks)

i'm figuring once its all done and painted i'm still under 6k into it and i'm considering a crate 383 because the motor in it is a 2 bolt main out of a 72-80 bored .030 over with a master rebuild. its kind of a toss up. the money isn't the issue its the time and the year it has to hang out while i'm gone. especially considering i'll be coming home debt free with enough to put down 50% on a new truck and still have money in the bank for a down payment on a house. its the money that i'm fighting with myself over lol but i love the damn truck.

[extremeblastr]

the wealth of good used parts and bodies/parts trucks here in kansas is what lead to buying it but like i said i wasn't planning on being going for a year and i don't know how long i'll be back here when i get home.

and i've just been a busy guy lol i'll be cruising through here a lot for the next 30 days or so because i'm having a reconstructive surgery on my ankle this coming tuesday (blew it out on a run)

[CJM]

If you really like it, keep it.

Word of advise-check the frame for rust/stress where the steering box mounts. Usually they rust right off.

[extremeblastr]

yeah i'm familiar with steering box issue lol its not bad but i'll probably be ordering one of the prefab supports to weld in there here shortly just for piece of mind.

[KKiowaTJ]

Id keep it

Even in my area, you find a decent 4speed, Buy it if its reasonable. Off-road designs deals in nothing but fullsize chevy trucks and have every part you need.

As for the tie-rods, Take the cotter out and loosen the castle nut until its flush with the top of the TRE, Take a BFH and hit the knuckle and it will drop, No pickle fork needed.
The shock from the BFH will oblong and open the hole enough that the tapered TRE falls and will rest on the castle nut. They on get around 40 ft lbs of TQ IIRC so its not hard at all.

You go get a desert vacation and target practice then come back and build that beast. Thanks for your service, good luck

[rollie]

just keep it, old trucks for life!!!