I've got one and I drive it often. I get about 20mph and I love it. It's fairly beat up. I've rebuilt the alternator and put two new batteries in it and replaced the u joints. At 95000 miles the u joints were very worn.
Pro's...Been looking to get one as a daily driver/SHTF vehicle. Anyone have any experience with them? I know if you aren't lucky you can get a mechanical nightmare. Let me know what to look for and pro/cons of getting one.
Thanks all in advance!
Good catch when I wrote that I was thinking CUCV Series and not including the variance for the M-1009.The m1009's came with 10 bolts not the 60's or 14 bolts.
If your still considering a k5, there are some issues to look for before you buy. All the ones that I've seen in this region are rust buckets. Most will require floor pans front and rear, quarter panels, tailgate, bracing, ect.. The 10 bolts in them won't take much abuse before they break, and like everyone said the 6.2 is lacking.
It would be best to search for a west coast k5 that someone else is tried of. Look hard enough you should be able to pick up something solid. The positive thing about the k5 is the aftermarket is huge, and they are easy to interchange parts with other GM products from that era.
A bunch in great shape at the WI .gov auction. Great prices for this group.
I have been tracking the sale of M1009's for about 3 years and this is the best batch listed as "driven onto lot" that I have seen in about a year and a half.
I am seeing fewer and fewer of these going up for auction, so if you have had any interest at all you might want to jump on this batch.
Background: I have bought (1) M1009, (5) M1008's, and an M35A3 from auction. When they say "driven onto lot" that means it is in driving condition.
M1008's/M1009's usually go for about 3500-4500 in this condition. M35A3's usually go for about 6500 bucks.
My buddy who has experience in this states:
It means that he has a ton of experience with these, has followed these auctions for years, and this is the best batch he has seen in a year in a half. This is from a guy I would trust my families life with.
If I was in the market for one I would buy one.
That being said it is an auction and you better have the skills to repair things if needed. If you don't I would pass.