Look what I got for $50 !!!! - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

speesh · 09-25-2005, 02:49 PM

yes, I am bragging!

I have 2 71 burbs and a 57 burb, so I wasn't looking for another one, but when my wife told me her friend had this one and was going to sell it to the junkyard, I had to do it!!!

It's an 85, and I drove it home! has all new tires, too, but it has been sitting on them for about a year or two.... they don't look cracked though. The guy also had the 700r4 tranny rebuilt just before he stopped driving it.....

Now for the questions...
1 What can I do for a grill, what years will fit?
2 The tranny is slipping real bad, will replacing the fluid help? And should I use synthetic tranny fluid? If so, how do I flush out the old stuff?
3 What about the dashboard? It is thrashed, are they hard to find?

I have never been on this board before, most of my time is spent on the 67-72 burb board and 67-72 truck board, but I guess now I have even more reading to do!!!!!

Cheap trucks rock !!

marianne · 09-25-2005, 03:30 PM

Nice score! Hell, the windshield is worth what you paid for the truck!

Curt

*bisquik65* · 09-25-2005, 04:47 PM

I have alot of burb only parts,i parted out 6 in the last 6 months...I wouls get a 89-91 burb support and give it the update look like mine here....Great buy...Let me know what all you need...

WLPTMP · 10-08-2005, 08:17 AM

looks like a lot of work ahead of you but i would put 91 grille assm on it first as for the trans it dont look good sitting is the worst thing for them and the dash is still available thru gm as a restoration part i got mine there it will look awesome with some work good luck

screwballl · 10-09-2005, 12:40 PM

www.lmctruck.com
some parts are OEM, some are remans, some are 3rd party OEM replacements....some prices are a bit high and others are reasonable... so for a restoration this may be one source for you...

Hoods69BadBowTie · 10-10-2005, 03:32 AM

Damn, what a steal. Will be a sweet project. What are your plans for it?
-Later

82c10 · 10-10-2005, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WLPTMP

looks like a lot of work ahead of you but i would put 91 grille assm on it first as for the trans it dont look good sitting is the worst thing for them and the dash is still available thru gm as a restoration part i got mine there it will look awesome with some work good luck

how much for the dash from a dealer

speesh · 10-11-2005, 11:00 AM

Thanks everyone! Well, the windshield is pitted beyond help, so that needs replaced. Of course, most of my cars have that problem.... I live in the Mojave desert. The good part of this is no rust.... well, if you look at the picture you see a lot of rust, but notice it all starts at the top instead of the bottom. This year of suburban had paint problems, and the sun just baked it off! But that is better than the rust on the bottom like most of you have. All I have is surface rust, gives me a good excuse to paint it!
I found that the tranny was low on fluid, filled it up and it seems to work o.k.

but the question is why would it be low on fluid?
The next problem is the stud that holds the air cleaner assembly on is stripped at the carburetor. I could JB weld it, but is there a better way, like a thread restorer, so if I ever want to rebuild the carb I can remove this thing?
Now for the worst problem, it looks like it is smoking a little too much, looks like grey smoke coming out the exhaust pipe, mostly on acceleration. Does this mean a rebuild is due? It only has 140,000 miles on it, but has been sitting for a few years. Anything else that could cause this smoking? It feels strong, and I have not done a compression check. I suppose that would be the first thing to try.....
As for future plans, I would like to paint it and drive it! The interior could use some work, but I do not want to do anything to the driveline, just leave it stock. I have a 1/2 ton 71 burb, but this one is a 3/4 ton and it feels much more secure on the road. (not that I have driven it on the road, that would be against the law without smog, registration, insurance, bla bla bla ....

) The main plan is a highway runner that I can drive all over the place. Fill the 40 gallon tank, and just go go go....what is the best mileage I can get from this beast anyway?

screwballl · 10-12-2005, 10:03 AM

mileage... with 350 around 10-14, with 454 around 6-10
my 91 gets 8-10mpg depending on how i drive it...

KShortell · 10-12-2005, 05:09 PM

Screwball has the fuel economy numbers right. In regards to the air cleaner stud, GM used a funky stud by the mid-80s-- 1/4"-20 pitch on the carb end and metric on the lid end. Go figure! Anyway, all Quadrajets used 1/4"-20 threaded rods for air cleaner hold-downs. You could try tapping the threads or helicoiling them, I suppose. I don't believe there's enough metal to go oversize, at least not without stress fractures.

Good luck! Even I'd give $50 for that truck...

screwballl · 10-14-2005, 10:11 PM

my air cleaner has the weird "bent rod" style since the TBI sits in the center so it has to sit back slightly... as for Edelbrock, my carb (from my old 76) had the 1/4-20 threaded rod so that should be pretty easy to find...

86 GMG · 11-04-2005, 02:31 PM

as far as a grill there is severeal years that will go in there with a little assistance most of us purchase a tube type center insert (sguare or round tubes are available i got mine from jc whitney there are several other companies also. mine cost me about 80.00 bucks they also make a phantom grill that is cool it covers the headlights with little bars and gives the truck a clean flat look up front

longhorn71 · 11-08-2005, 10:47 PM

i like the 85 front the best

I just swapped one into my 82 blazer.I got the rad support from pick and pull but the gille in the truck was broke

I pulled on from a 86 fullsize van cause they are the same ones

longhorn71 · 11-08-2005, 10:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 86 GMG

as far as a grill there is severeal years that will go in there with a little assistance most of us purchase a tube type center insert (sguare or round tubes are available i got mine from jc whitney there are several other companies also. mine cost me about 80.00 bucks they also make a phantom grill that is cool it covers the headlights with little bars and gives the truck a clean flat look up front

Could you post pics of it please.I might look into that for the blazer

aggiedave98 · 12-07-2005, 06:56 PM

I've got a stock '89 Suburban 1/2ton 2wd w/ a rebuilt 700r4, stock 350 engine with 125k original miles... and I get about 13-14 mpg combined city/hwy. If I use cruise on the highway at about 65-70mph I can get about 16 mpg and once I got 17... but that was truely highway... stopped on the highway for gas... and it was pretty level ground down in texas...

pugs · 12-17-2005, 01:28 AM

if you are still worried about the trans, check w/ a local garage and see if they have the new machine that pulls all the old fluid and put new fluid in it at the same time, around here the local garage i deal w/ at times charges about $100 for the service, but double check on the pan bolts so see if they need to be tightened up abit and make sure the front pump and rear tail seals arent leaking but i would do this if you really plan on keeping the burb

Pugs

09-25-2005, 02:49 PM	#1
speesh Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Ridgecrest, CA Posts: 318	Look what I got for $50 !!!! yes, I am bragging! I have 2 71 burbs and a 57 burb, so I wasn't looking for another one, but when my wife told me her friend had this one and was going to sell it to the junkyard, I had to do it!!! It's an 85, and I drove it home! has all new tires, too, but it has been sitting on them for about a year or two.... they don't look cracked though. The guy also had the 700r4 tranny rebuilt just before he stopped driving it..... Now for the questions... 1 What can I do for a grill, what years will fit? 2 The tranny is slipping real bad, will replacing the fluid help? And should I use synthetic tranny fluid? If so, how do I flush out the old stuff? 3 What about the dashboard? It is thrashed, are they hard to find? I have never been on this board before, most of my time is spent on the 67-72 burb board and 67-72 truck board, but I guess now I have even more reading to do!!!!! Cheap trucks rock !! __________________ 57 suburban(sitting in the driveway), 2 69 C20 longbeds (sitting in the field ) and a 2003 8.1 Suburban Endeavor to persevere. "All of a sudden, I'm the old timer!" Some old timer on American Pickers.

09-25-2005, 04:47 PM	#3
bisquik65 Account Suspended Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: N.C. high country Posts: 6,107	I have alot of burb only parts,i parted out 6 in the last 6 months...I wouls get a 89-91 burb support and give it the update look like mine here....Great buy...Let me know what all you need... Attached Images

10-09-2005, 12:40 PM	#5
screwballl Tonawanda 454 Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Liquid Sunshine State Posts: 2,754	www.lmctruck.com some parts are OEM, some are remans, some are 3rd party OEM replacements....some prices are a bit high and others are reasonable... so for a restoration this may be one source for you... __________________ 91 Chevy Suburban Tonawanda 454 R2500 - SOLD!!! 04 Dodge Durango 5.7L Hemi 2WD, 24K miles (as of July 2011) In the past 30 years about 90% of Fords are still on the road, the other 10% made it home. -------------------

10-10-2005, 03:32 AM	#6
Hoods69BadBowTie Chevys Kick A$$ Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Zootown, MT Posts: 12,699	Damn, what a steal. Will be a sweet project. What are your plans for it? -Later __________________ HOODS is what I answer too -'79, '77, '88 Pickup Sold, '85 Camaro, '83 T/A, '81,'83,'90 K5 Blazer All Sold -'79 3/4 ton "Big Yellow Bananna" Lifted 4spd. 39.5 TSL Swampers, The money Pit -'86 K5 Blazer Silverado 6.2 4" lift 35"s -'95 Ext. Cab Shorty 4" Tuff Country rolling 35" M/T's -'83 Monte Carlo T-Tops. 126,500 Original Miles -LATER I would rather push a Chevy then drive a ford!!

10-11-2005, 11:00 AM	#8
speesh Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Ridgecrest, CA Posts: 318	Thanks everyone! Well, the windshield is pitted beyond help, so that needs replaced. Of course, most of my cars have that problem.... I live in the Mojave desert. The good part of this is no rust.... well, if you look at the picture you see a lot of rust, but notice it all starts at the top instead of the bottom. This year of suburban had paint problems, and the sun just baked it off! But that is better than the rust on the bottom like most of you have. All I have is surface rust, gives me a good excuse to paint it! I found that the tranny was low on fluid, filled it up and it seems to work o.k. but the question is why would it be low on fluid? The next problem is the stud that holds the air cleaner assembly on is stripped at the carburetor. I could JB weld it, but is there a better way, like a thread restorer, so if I ever want to rebuild the carb I can remove this thing? Now for the worst problem, it looks like it is smoking a little too much, looks like grey smoke coming out the exhaust pipe, mostly on acceleration. Does this mean a rebuild is due? It only has 140,000 miles on it, but has been sitting for a few years. Anything else that could cause this smoking? It feels strong, and I have not done a compression check. I suppose that would be the first thing to try..... As for future plans, I would like to paint it and drive it! The interior could use some work, but I do not want to do anything to the driveline, just leave it stock. I have a 1/2 ton 71 burb, but this one is a 3/4 ton and it feels much more secure on the road. (not that I have driven it on the road, that would be against the law without smog, registration, insurance, bla bla bla .... ) The main plan is a highway runner that I can drive all over the place. Fill the 40 gallon tank, and just go go go....what is the best mileage I can get from this beast anyway? __________________ 57 suburban(sitting in the driveway), 2 69 C20 longbeds (sitting in the field ) and a 2003 8.1 Suburban Endeavor to persevere. "All of a sudden, I'm the old timer!" Some old timer on American Pickers.

09-25-2005, 03:30 PM	#2
marianne Registered User Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Charleston, SC Posts: 51	Nice score! Hell, the windshield is worth what you paid for the truck! Curt

10-08-2005, 08:17 AM	#4
WLPTMP Active Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: North Hudson NY Posts: 221	looks like a lot of work ahead of you but i would put 91 grille assm on it first as for the trans it dont look good sitting is the worst thing for them and the dash is still available thru gm as a restoration part i got mine there it will look awesome with some work good luck

10-12-2005, 10:03 AM	#9
screwballl Tonawanda 454 Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Liquid Sunshine State Posts: 2,754	mileage... with 350 around 10-14, with 454 around 6-10 my 91 gets 8-10mpg depending on how i drive it... __________________ 91 Chevy Suburban Tonawanda 454 R2500 - SOLD!!! 04 Dodge Durango 5.7L Hemi 2WD, 24K miles (as of July 2011) In the past 30 years about 90% of Fords are still on the road, the other 10% made it home. -------------------

10-12-2005, 05:09 PM	#10
KShortell Registered User Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Chesapeake, VA Posts: 734	Screwball has the fuel economy numbers right. In regards to the air cleaner stud, GM used a funky stud by the mid-80s-- 1/4"-20 pitch on the carb end and metric on the lid end. Go figure! Anyway, all Quadrajets used 1/4"-20 threaded rods for air cleaner hold-downs. You could try tapping the threads or helicoiling them, I suppose. I don't believe there's enough metal to go oversize, at least not without stress fractures. Good luck! Even I'd give $50 for that truck... __________________ Semper Paratus Last edited by KShortell; 10-12-2005 at 05:12 PM.

10-14-2005, 10:11 PM	#11
screwballl Tonawanda 454 Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Liquid Sunshine State Posts: 2,754	my air cleaner has the weird "bent rod" style since the TBI sits in the center so it has to sit back slightly... as for Edelbrock, my carb (from my old 76) had the 1/4-20 threaded rod so that should be pretty easy to find... __________________ 91 Chevy Suburban Tonawanda 454 R2500 - SOLD!!! 04 Dodge Durango 5.7L Hemi 2WD, 24K miles (as of July 2011) In the past 30 years about 90% of Fords are still on the road, the other 10% made it home. -------------------

11-04-2005, 02:31 PM	#12
86 GMG Registered User Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Tulsa Oklahoma Posts: 943	Re: Look what I got for $50 !!!! as far as a grill there is severeal years that will go in there with a little assistance most of us purchase a tube type center insert (sguare or round tubes are available i got mine from jc whitney there are several other companies also. mine cost me about 80.00 bucks they also make a phantom grill that is cool it covers the headlights with little bars and gives the truck a clean flat look up front __________________ square body trucks an addiction or an investment either way they consume all my extra time and money

11-08-2005, 10:47 PM	#13
longhorn71 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: CANADA Posts: 1,681	Re: Look what I got for $50 !!!! i like the 85 front the best I just swapped one into my 82 blazer.I got the rad support from pick and pull but the gille in the truck was broke I pulled on from a 86 fullsize van cause they are the same ones

12-07-2005, 06:56 PM	#15
aggiedave98 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Sugar Land, TX Posts: 1,007	Re: Look what I got for $50 !!!! I've got a stock '89 Suburban 1/2ton 2wd w/ a rebuilt 700r4, stock 350 engine with 125k original miles... and I get about 13-14 mpg combined city/hwy. If I use cruise on the highway at about 65-70mph I can get about 16 mpg and once I got 17... but that was truely highway... stopped on the highway for gas... and it was pretty level ground down in texas...

12-17-2005, 01:28 AM	#16
pugs Registered User Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Hamburg Pa Posts: 1,153	Re: Look what I got for $50 !!!! if you are still worried about the trans, check w/ a local garage and see if they have the new machine that pulls all the old fluid and put new fluid in it at the same time, around here the local garage i deal w/ at times charges about $100 for the service, but double check on the pan bolts so see if they need to be tightened up abit and make sure the front pump and rear tail seals arent leaking but i would do this if you really plan on keeping the burb Pugs __________________ I don't do thing cuz I can, I do it cuz someone told me it couldn't be done...



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