I didnt know where else to put this, military pickup question

[Dobber]

Hello All,

A user on another forum told me to ask this here so here goes,

I am looking at starting my own landscaping/snowplowing company this year and at a local dealer i have found a 1986 chevy 1 ton that they told me was military truck. i carfaxed it and fount out that it was, and that it had a real 28,000 miles on her.
it has the 6.2l diesel in it, and i have been told it is a turbo 400 tranny, and 4.56 gears.

my question is, do you think that this vheicle is a good investment for a work truck. will it put up with the abuse that a snowplow will put on a truck? will it get decent fuel economy? will that 6.2 have enough power to pull a trailer with some lawn equipment( i think it would) and the like, and have enough power to push snow, or will it be a gutless wonder like my 5.4 ford. is there a decent parts avalibility for repairs? is that 24v electrical system a pain in the butt? what issues/ problems will i come across in using this veicle for this kind of work and possiably as a daily driver to boot?

the guy is asking just under 5k for her, i think its too much but im sure i can talk him down because, no offence, there arent many people who want a 23 year old truck, painted in camo. and he only paid 2800 for it.

thank you in advance for the help!

~Joe
PS: dont worry guys, i promise that if i get her i will take good care of her and keep her in camo!

PPS: Moderators, if i posted this in the wrong place i apologise. i didnt know which thread was for pickups!
SORRY ABOUT THE SPELLING!!!

 

[Goose2448]

Welcome to SS.
First the thread should go into the Cucv section, but thats ok.
The 6.2 should have plenty of power and can take a beating.
Most of the parts should be the same as the regular trucks, so finding parts should not be that bad.
$5000 I think is way too much. My 85 C20 is only worth about $500. I would not pay anymore than about $2000 for it. Yeah it is desiel but that is just not what they go for anymore.
Sorry if I cant answer all your questions but someone will.

 

[raiburn]

These are the toughest trucks in their class, ever made. The Dana 60 front axle is so much better than any newer independant front suspension could ever dream of. The simplicity of these trucks is also very important. Solid axles, leaf springs, no turbo, beefy frame. The 6.2 is no Duramax, but the 4.56 gears are what make it work. Oh yeah, your top speed with stockish tires is about 55 mph, and thats screamin'. Joe.

 

[raiburn]

Also, for future reference, check the GVW (gross vehicle weight) in the door jam.
If it has a 8800# GVW, than it is a M1008.
If it has a 9400# GVW, than it is a M1028.

 

[Scarecrow1]

Welcome and hello , Yes it is a very tough truck and should handle your needs very well you should be able to fine out a lot of the answers in the TM at the top of the home page under resources . I don't think its worth 5 grand though ,I agree with you on that he will most likely come down if not keep looking ,,,,,,,,

 

[dittle]

Before you buy it or put a plow on it get underneath it and check the frame out. A plow is going to put a lot of stress on the frame and if its damaged/weak anywhere to the point that you can visually see it you might as well avoid it for plowing purposes.

 

[AaronW]

Also, don't trust the CARFAX on the mileage. I'm sure that is just the reading that it came into the civvy world with. It could be 128,000, or more than likely, the speedo was replaced at some point by the military.

Maybe have the entire truck looked at by a trusted mechanic before you buy.

Good Luck!

 

[Sgt Hulka]

It's a brute of truck and should meet all your requirements if it's in decent shape. Note with the 6.2 and the gearing it will be no speed demon. So expect low freeway speeds if you do a lot of that kind of driving in transit to jobs. 50-55mph tops for safe operation I would think.

 

[emr]

Not to offend, But really these are 1/2 ton trucks, NO K5 for sure, that is a fact , Chevy has never been known for there diesels either, sad but true, I have plowed for many years had a few K5 trucks, and they were tough enough, But these light duty Blazers are not as tough as one might want to believe. They are only still around because the Military had such crazy low miles on em, U will get more working life out of an ol"chevy 350 in a used ol" blazer,...You are Not used to this type of truck, u are in the wrong place for what u want, I have been self employed for 30 years, and had or seen many types of people with many trucks, for alot of applications, Start off with a 3/4 ton ford or chevy pickup, with as low miles as U can afford, U asked so here it is in a nut shell, I speak from experience....Randy, Good Luck...
want

 

[Dobber]

where do you get these for $500??? i have the cash right now will buy tonight!

longer post after work.

~Joe

 

[4bogginchevys]

Welcome to the site.....BUY IT, GREAT TRUCK, I cant say enough good about mine, and I use mine for the same things you will....I'll speak for the group and say, we want some pictures!

 

[drgreg]

Not to offend, But really these are 1/2 ton trucks, NO K5 for sure, that is a fact , Chevy has never been known for there diesels either, sad but true, I have plowed for many years had a few K5 trucks, and they were tough enough, But these light duty Blazers are not as tough as one might want to believe. They are only still around because the Military had such crazy low miles on em, U will get more working life out of an ol"chevy 350 in a used ol" blazer,...You are Not used to this type of truck, u are in the wrong place for what u want, I have been self employed for 30 years, and had or seen many types of people with many trucks, for alot of applications, Start off with a 3/4 ton ford or chevy pickup, with as low miles as U can afford, U asked so here it is in a nut shell, I speak from experience....Randy, Good Luck...
want

I think the OP is looking at an M1008 pick-up not the M1009 Blazer.
These are tough trucks, but they do have limitations such as speed and comfort. I think $5K is a little high, but you have to compare it to the price of other trucks in your area.

 

[HardCorps79]

If you want a strong work truck, go with the M1008 or M1028A2 (dually). The engine is strong enough for what you want, but the gearing on the M1009 is not. It's more of an "errand-runner" if you will, with the GM Corp 10-bolt axles and gears. The others have more pulling power, but you REALLY don't want to run them over 55mph. (H3ll, I don't even run my M1009 over 55 if I don't have to.)

All of the M-series CUCVs have a heavier duty suspension than their civilian counterparts, but the M1028 series was designed as a shelter carrier and has additional support in the rear. Keep in mind the payload for a Blazer set up is only listed as 1,200 lbs. When you throw in 4 guys, their personal gear and the tools to keep the truck on the road, you're almost there already. The pickups have a significantly better tow-rating and higher payload.

The main reasons for buying these trucks are:
-fuel economy (diesel is more efficient than gasoline)
-engine lifespan (a well-cared for Detroit 6.2 should get to 300k vs. 150k for a hard-driven 350, 'cause honestly most guys behind a diesel don't drive the way guys behind the 350s do.)
-heavy-duty suspension and transmission
-Dana 60 axles (in the pick-ups NOT the Blazers)
-Cool paint job (CARC rules!)
-Cheaper and typically more standardized than your bubba-jobs found on similar era and model used GM trucks.
-We're ate up seven ways from Sunday with all things military. Just do a survey of how many active and former service members there are on here. I'd venture the overwhelming majority of us fall in those categories.


As far as potential problems, just browse the forums!
-Injector pumps wear out due to 20+ y/o seals
-harmonic balancers go (rubber/plastic breaks down regardless of miles) and shafts break
-Electrical problems galore, due to folks messing with converting 24v to 12v, or trying to find civi counterparts for obsolete military parts
-Rebuilding isolated ground alts and 24v starters, blown starter relays
-Glow plug issues (Plugs, connectors, relays and modules/control cards)
-Rust (hello!, they're Chevy's! )
-Repainting- finding CARC and CARC-substitutes
-Civilianizing them with things like stereos, AC, CBs, etc.
-Adding turbos, lifts, and big-a$$ tires.

Think that pretty much sums up CUCVs. I'm sure I missed something, though. Others will be happy to add to the list. Good luck finding the work truck you want!

 

[HardCorps79]

And unless the thing's been worked over good and restored to show condition don't pay $5k for it. I'd say no more than $2,500 for a reliable runner with minor cosmetic defects. I probably would have paid $5k for Westech's if I had it, but he's a trained pro on these and the thing was a cherry.

Fixer-upper, non-runner, parts vehicles currently (they used to be way cheaper) go for around $500-$1k. (Figure an IP, tranny and NPcase are worth that as cores alone, not to mention wheels, seats, axles, pulleys, etc.)

 

[Goose2448]

Dear Joe,
My truck is not for sale unless you can pay about the amount of the US debt.
Would not part with the truck for anything.
This is the value I got from KBB and other sites.

 

[4bogginchevys]

first off...how do you know what he paid for it? dealers dont disclose those numbers
5000 is a bit much, I would offer him 3000 if I liked the truck, and when it's still there in a month, he'll probably let you know his bottom dollar ( 5000 isn't it ) and you can start there. I just thought I might be able to help, as I buy and sell about 4 cars/trucks a year...GOOD LUCK!

 

[Stan Leschert]

If myself and my soldiers can't kill it, it has got to be tough. Check it out carefully. Frame, skid plates (yes we removed many of those the hard way), motor..... If you get one that my kids didn't have, you may have a truck for years! Good luck!

 

[Dobber]

Hey Goose I didnt mean to sell yours, you obviously love it i misunderstood you and thought you were saying that is what you paid for it.

the reason that i knew what he paid for it is because i asked for the vin, and it hasnt been titled yett, so he pulled out his auction slip and I saw he paid 2800 for it.

thank you guys for all the help. i really appreciate it.

does anyone know of a good place to buy them in the metro detroit/ southeast michigan area? the pickup versions i dont want a blazer.

when/if I get one i definiatly get some pics and a video of it pushing some mad snow.

~Joe

 

[roscoe]

These are the toughest trucks in their class, ever made. The Dana 60 front axle is so much better than any newer independant front suspension could ever dream of. The simplicity of these trucks is also very important. Solid axles, leaf springs, no turbo, beefy frame. The 6.2 is no Duramax, but the 4.56 gears are what make it work. Oh yeah, your top speed with stockish tires is about 55 mph, and thats screamin'. Joe.

I thought I saw a couple of these trucks for sale on a car lot on Lima Rd, in Fort Wayne a couple weeks ago. I was going to stop and check them out but haven't found the time.

 

[roscoe]

Dobber, whats going to be the primary focus of your landscape business? I've had a landscape business for about 12 years now. I do mostly design and construction. The deuce makes a great material hauler. I don't have any experience with the type trucks your looking into though. Good luck with it.