My new $500 truck

[kevinr1970]

I saw this on Craigslist this past weekend and although I certainly don't need any more trucks, I couldn't pass this one up.
1986 GMC 1/2ton 4x4 short-wide bed.
Was asking $750. I offered $500 and he took it.

It is not without problems however but I think I scored!
Bad tranny; no reverse, only 1st gear going forward. The college kid I bought it from (inherited it from his grandpa and knows NOTHING about cars) told me he had driven it to the airport a few times in this condition. Thats about 15 miles on the freeway... with only 1st gear... I am pretty sure he toasted the engine too. It does run but is smokey on start-up.
Paint is peeling real bad - and this is after the dealer repainted it in March of 1993. I found 9 pages documenting his battle to get GM to repaint it which they finally did for 1/2 the cost even though he started complaining about the peeling paint in 1986?!?.

Truck had 01,9xx on the odometer and I think it is 101,9xx original. I believe I am the third owner - gramps, the kid and now me.
I went through the bundle of receipts going back to June of 1986. The earliest reciept is at 00,597 in 1986 and the last one is 94,xxx in February 2002. There is a receipt for 33" BFG AT tires in August 2001 at 86,000 miles and those might be the tires that are still on there now and still look good.

I bought a '85 GMC 4x4 swb for parts last winter with a bent frame but a $2200 rebuild on the tranny. Guess I have something to do with that one now!