1984 GMC K1500 8" lift, 39" tires

[buddy84GMC]

This is my '84 longbox Sierra Classic.  I love this truck too much to part with it.  Bought it my junior year in college locally and put a couple grand into it to get it street legal and inspected...plus the head gaskets blew when I was at school.  The previous owner or someone put StopALeak in it and never told me.  It wore out and the heads blew and one was cracked.  While I was in there, it had heavy valve damage due to no valve rollers, the guides were worn so I had oversized valves put it, 30 over I believe they were) then a valve job, gaskets, etc.  Nothin fancy, but it breaths better now.  Fuel economy went up to 10.5 on the highway with the original Qjet carb, but that went bad so I put an Edelbrock 750 Performer on it, now its 9.5mpg.  It had a cam in it and the lifters were good so thats all the further I went into the engine.  Suspension has been totally rebuilt from tie rod ends to replacing the original ball joints after 23 years of use, then all new brake lines, fuel lines, master cylinder, brakes, etc.  New hoses, vacuum lines, etc. 

The truck finally runs good, but it needs some carb adjusting.  I cannot figure it out, but the truck starts real rough.  I have to hold the pedal down on warm days above 45 degrees since the choke does not set.  Needs to warm up for about 5 minutes then I can let the pedal go.  On cold days the choke it fine and it goes into high idle right away.  Could be jetting or something else.  Big carb for a small block, but its the only one I had laying around...it was off of my '67 Lincoln with a 462.  Other than that and a leaky windshield that needs a new gasket...This thing is the best!  There is the usual rust, but the truck was Ziebarted so it saved a lot of it, but I will get to the rust soon.  Won't fit in the garage so I have it outside and take it to work 5 days a week right down the street a few miles. 

[team39763]

Does it move pretty good with that 400 under the hood?  Theres a guy in my town that has a big lifted truck like that with monster tires and he had a 454 in there that could smoke the tires for a whole block.  Now he swapped it out with a 350 and he said he can still roast'em.

[buddy84GMC]

That 400 has the torque to get that thing up and goin.  I have an 350 automatic in it so I power brake and I can smoke them!  I have 35" tires on it now for the winter and I know it can smoke them!  They dont sound good though when you peel out.  I have posi too so that makes it a little harder, but it catches grip not too long after it starts to lay tire.  Thanks for the post

[JRConnieK10]

NICE, I use to run 44's on mine with 5:38 gears and an auburn limited slip 350 w/sm465 manual trans it would do a nasty burn out till I blew the half ton rearend apart so I kinda quit doi'n the burnout thing now I've changed to a 4:10 gear with 38" tires. Good looking truck though.

[plowking_90]

real nice truck, wheels gotta go though

[82chevy]

another nice classic.....like u said its deffinetly a keeper

[buddy84GMC]

Thanks for all the comments!  I am new to this site, glad I found it.  The truck has 3.73s in it and I think it helps on the highway.  I used it to go from State College, PA to Pittsburgh, and from Pittsburgh to Erie and it was always a smooth ride once I got the suspension work done.  Before that it was white knuckle driving!  I am thinking about keeping the 35" tires on it since it chews up tires pretty bad.  Would be pretty expensive to ruin $1300 tires.  My wheel bearings come loose all the time and every oil change I have to tighten them up.  Hopefully someday I can rebuild the whole thing and get better parts.  The tires keep cupping and only have about 5,000 miles on them and they look horrible.  I don't drive it like I used to so its not a huge problem right now, but when I get 15,000 miles out of these tires...it will be!  Still love that truck and I like all the ones you guys have pictured.  Fixing the rust this summer I hope and painting about half the truck.  Needs some undercarriage clean up and then new gas tanks.  Nothin that has to be done right away.  Thanks again for the comments.

[Captkaos]

Nice Ride!