Box Chevy enthusiasts help

xgmad

xgmad

Joined
Feb 6, 2021
Messages
1,410
So my 2.5 Jetta got totaled a couple weeks ago, and its a shame the car had to go that way, it was the most reliable thing that i've tortured for a while.

Here are some questions:
1.I want a box chevorlet truck with a manual transmission, what is a reasonable price I should pay?

2.What are some models that I should avoid?

3. Do these american engines wear out after the years?

thanks
 
1. There are box trucks and pickup trucks.

2. I would avoid any chevorlet truck.

3. All engines eventually wear out.


How much do you want to spend? The used car market is crazy right now, especially trucks.
 
I got $6500 wholesale for my 2003 Ford V10 with 231K 2 months ago.

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jhellwig said:
Do you mean square body Chevy? Most manual transmission trucks are long gone.
Click to expand...

That what i was thinking.

"Box Body" = Crown Vic
"Square Body" = Chevy Pickup from like 73-88ish...

Square bodies are outrageously expensive last I looked. Aftermarket support is good to great though.
 
DuckRyder said:
That what i was thinking.

"Box Body" = Crown Vic
"Square Body" = Chevy Pickup from like 73-88ish...

Square bodies are outrageously expensive last I looked. Aftermarket support is good to great though.
Click to expand...
yeah square body
 
So since you mean square body

1. There are no reasonable priced ones anymore. I would love to have a 4x4 3+3 but will probably never get the change I had back in 2004 again. (89 with a 350 and manual trans for only 5k. To broke to buy it then and would be over 15k in the shape it was then today.

2. There are no models to avoid. The body style ran from 73 to 91. You could get a 3/4 ton long box step side. Suburban with no driver rear door. 3+3 only in 1 ton chasis. K5 blazer/ jimmy. 2wd, 4wd and full time 4wd. Small block, big block, inline 6, 350 diesel, 6.2 diesel, gmc v6 maybe some other diesels. Auto trans, 3 on the tree, 4 on the floor.

3. The drive trains have the absolutely largest aftermarket support and interchangeability of any model of vehicle ever built. So you could say it is reliable and if you dont think so you can’t argue it is easiest to get parts for.
 
The only manual transmissions available in factory trim are a 3-speed (Three on the tree), A 4 speed with an Overdrive for 4th gear which is based on a Chrysler A-833 (Very rare), The most common was a Muncie SM465 which is basically a 3 speed with a super low "Granny Gear".
You will likely NOT like any of these gearboxes!!!

A Tremec TKO 500 or 600 5 speed & a Tremec T-56 6-speed are good performance options but get quite expensive with Shifter relocation kits. A NV3500 5 speed is a good trans for a driver but won't take much power or abuse.

Stock engines were anemic at best, I'm a LSx swap or nothing kinda guy......Even a 4.8L LSx will run circles around a stock 7.4L.

Though a Vortec 5.7L isn't a terrible idea.....I've done a few in the past & made some good reliable drivers.
Gen II LT1 5.7L's also worked well, But finding a good low mileage one & dealing with the Optispark makes it less than ideal.
Vortec 4.3L V6 will be the easiest to find already mated to a NV3500 & still outrun a stock carbureted 5.7L while returning better fuel economy.
Series II 3.8L out of a Camaro/Firebird, Can be had with a Borg Warner T-5, Will move the truck just fine though I probably wouldn't tow much with it.
 
Right now, you should budget at least $10k for one that is a truly well sorted daily driver and probably more than that. These trucks have skyrocketed in value. Due to their age, your questions about which models to avoid or if the engines wear out aren't really answerable. It comes down to the individual truck and its specific history. Very few trucks of that era still on the road have an untouched engine and drivetrain.

Parts availability is great, and you should plan to be working on it often, even if the last owner did things right. Most of these I see under $10k are poorly modified, hardly anything is original, and everything is questionable. $10-20k will get you a clean driver truck, but not even close to the cream of the crop. The most original/best condition of these trucks are selling for as much as $80k now.

I like other people's 73-87/91 trucks, but I personally wouldn't want to drive one every day. Have you driven older trucks like this before? For me it's fun for a little bit, but not my preferred choice for a regular driver. My cousin had a 1972 C-10 CST that had been restored in the 1990s and I did not enjoy driving it. Definitely at least drive one first. A GMT400 1500 (88-98/99) or 800 (99-06/07) is probably a better place to start if you haven't had older trucks before.
 
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