Seriously considering a 88 to 98 Olds powered 4x4 Project Six Liter Slayer

[olds307 and 403]

Well, I am taking a more serious look for a truck. With the Dodge oiling one spark plug and poking through the front painted bumper with a screwdriver scraping rust, it is on borrowed time. I found 88 regular cab 4x4 with decent paint but needing some rust repair. It has 280,000+ km, pretty high mileage. I am set up to bid, ready to spend. I figured it might go for a reasonable price, nope! With two days left, it is currently sitting and $4750! Used stuff is insane right now, even old worn out stuff apparently. The Dodge must run another day and undercoat will hold it all together😉.

 

[olds307 and 403]

Well that truck sold for $7250! It showed there was some hail damage in the insurance report! Minor and I assumed fixed but still. I just found another one a couple of hours away for $3000. It is a 93 extended cab 4x4 with a custom paint job. Newer rims and tires. Most of the rot is in the driver's fender, about the same mileage as the other truck. He has another guy, he is taking it to for him to look at. If it doesn't sell, I will take the 2.5 hour trip next weekend to look at it.

 

[DRIVEN]

Extended cab > regular cab

 

[ssn696]

...by half a door!

 

[ck80]

With the Dodge .... on borrowed time.

A statement true about every dodge truck ever.

Extended cab > regular cab

Error in logic for most things except availability. To each their own though.

Cases where regular cab > extended cab:

Gas mileage
Valuation (book and insurance payout)
Parking
Offloading
Rustout
Cab repair
New purchase price
Residual value retention %age
A/C cooling
Winter heating
Visibility when driving
Turning radius

You notice I purposely avoided 'subjective' criteria like styling. could probably keep going but I think we get the idea...

 

[olds307 and 403]

I like the extra space to throw crap in the cab. It might be gone, wish I saw it before mid afternoon today.

 

[Metzger82]

I don't know how eager you are for the project because I definitely want to see it from I want to build an Olds powered truck myself. I'm willing to bet though or actually I'm hoping that this summer should mean lower prices once they finally make those worthless chips. I want my old vehicles..... just not for the price of them new

 

[olds307 and 403]

So there are multiple choices now, the nicest and least rusty has a 6.5L Turbo and supposedly a 4L80E for 4K. There is questionable things about the aftermarket paint job. I can see blue chipped under the copper paint, a small spot on the hood. Also around the back window, maybe a shitty tape job, all around the window, makes me worry about prep work before the paint, will it peel off? Also a Diesel in -40 sucks for heat and starting. Plus will a gas swap be legal if the Diesel dies or I want to swap? I also found an Ok 1994 and 1995 GMC both for $2500 and a rough but local GMC for $1600. All have 300 to 400 km. If I get a truck with the 4L60E and dies, a 4L80E would get swapped in. The hardest part would be either swapping the transfer case or the input shaft to 32 spline. Of course another snow storm is coming this weekend, makes looking at these trucks difficult but I will try.

 

[olds307 and 403]

So I had a realization. My Dakota has 227K, looks Ok and has an acceptable amount of rust with 4 brand new tires. It only really needs another power steering hose. I have been looking at 300 to 400K trucks. Am I actually trading up? Honestly, if I didn't buy the new 31-10.5R15 Goodyear Duratrac tires for the Dakota, the decision might swing the other way. Plus the A/C and Cruise work on my Dakota both a necessity. I decided to do the shorty stainless headers and JBA Y pipe with a new Denso O2 to make the 5.9 Magnum more exciting. There was a mint local 98 GMC I should looked at for 12K. It was a 3/4 ton 4x4 with a custom cap with only 158K. Pretty sure it was old man owned and babied. The Diesel trucks are OK in the 4 to 5 grand range but they are Diesel which I am sure how legal the swap would be plus no factory TBI to use for a fuel system. Diesel at the pump is more than Premium. I still plan on sending in the 403 block to a machine shop at the end of the year. I would rather wait for the right truck, than buy a rotten money pit, I already own a Dodge😁.