Should you buy a Squarebody Chev? | Pros and Cons
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- čas přidán 4. 12. 2022
- Check out our 1986 Chevy Suburban! 12 valve Cummins swapped, 4L80, Dana 60s, 37" tires, custom bumpers and roof rack, and much more!
If you're seeing this before 12/11/22, we are giving this truck away on Hodsonmotors.com! Every $5 spent before then is 1 entry to win the truck. If you're seeing it after, check out our site to see what else we're giving away!
Squarebody Merch hodsonmotors.com/collections/...
Parts we used on this build
Digital Gauges hodsonmotors.com/collections/...
Steering Wheel hodsonmotors.com/collections/...
Headlights hodsonmotors.com/collections/...
Anyone who has a 6.2 diesel and doesn't like it, I will gladly take it off your hands. Not sure about the "not reliable" comment. One of the simplest and reliable motors IMO. The 6.2 wasn't about power, it was ALL about fuel economy and it did just that. Half ton trucks and SUVs with the 6.2 diesel and 700r4 got like 20+ mpg. That pretty impressive when everything else at the time was getting 8-10 mpg and diesel was cheaper than gas.
I have a CUCV 84 Chevy that came factory with a J code 6.2 Detroit and it doesn’t have power but is stupid reliable because it doesn’t make enough power to kill itself. It also came factory with a Dana 60 front and a 14 bolt rear. I have it lifted 6 inches on 37 inch humvee tires and I can’t complain at all.
Grille a "nightmare"? if he thinks that and removing the instrument bezel is a big job, he has no credibility or mechanical skills. In 1974, my dad bought me a wrecked 73 short wheelbase stepside that had been hit in the front, bent frame even. I was 14 and with very limited tools in a shed I rebuilt that truck. I had to take out the engine and send the frame to to be straightened. But by the time I was old enough to drive it, it was finished and I learned plenty. A few years after that at about 19, the Tennessee Valley Authority was building nuclear plants and I bought repaired sold and made my living for a time with square bodies. The only "nightmare" was getting enough money to buy and sell, high interest rates and the only way to sell was the auto trader which was expensive. 40 years later I am in the middle of restoring an 85 blazer to look like one I had in 1988. There is nothing wrong with my axles, but I am also not trying to tear the Blazer up and intentionally drive it off in 3 ft deep mud, crawl up rocks that are feet high. I put in Eaton Tru Tracks and use good sense. A friend in the IDF told me back in the 80s that the 73-then88 Blazers held up better than any 4x4 they had used.
Square bodys are by far the best builds ever
Love the 6.2! No it's not a Cummins or a Duramax but it's a good engine. There are plenty of us who will take 1 off your hands.
I had a 82 k5 blazer with a 4in lift and 40x15.50x15 tires on 15x12 wheels mild trimming at the bottom of the fenders and you can easily clear big tires.
I got a 93 Silverado 6.5 turbo diesel 5-speed manual 330k on dash and gets 23 mpg and always always starts best truck out of 9 I've owned
I have an 83 Suburban with a 6.2 diesel I've had for 15 plus years of my four cars I have that is by far the most reliable one that I own right now it has a 6-inch Lift that clears 35 and could easily clear 37
Get a Big 10 or a Heavy Half. Square body..
But the 3/4 ton and 1 tons did come with 44s and 60s lol
Bro……. Did you just say “the 6.2 Diesel engine was terrible, and not reliable”
I've owned several. Currently 88 K5 3/4 ton axles and 37s. Still better than anything on a lot.
Beautiful rig. Would've tried to win it had I gotten here in time. Alas, it appears I'm at least a year late. I've been looking at a few classic Burbs and there are a fair number of them out there. My short list includes a LS3 swapped 1989 in good all-around condition, and a 1986 with the original 454 and 3-speed, lifted, in good all-around condition. I'm kinda leaning toward the latter, but we'll see. I thought it was ironic when you were talking about the squared-off wheel arches as a con. You're right, but they're still present on GM trucks today, so anyone who wants bigger rubber has to sky-jack them to make it work. Those AMP Research step sides are the right answer for a truck like that, but man...10 inches of lift? That's still a pretty good climb. I think the Powerstep XL series they came out with for lifted trucks would be better for something with that much lift, as it comes down 4 inches lower, but maybe they weren't out when you were doing this build. I really like the paint on that truck, too. Really looks nice in contrast with the black details. I hope whoever won it is enjoying it. Sounds like a lot of work went into it.
I just picked up an 86 k20 suburban with a 350 400thm 4.10 and a rear locker from the factory. It needs work like door handles and a paint job but I got it running good easily and I only paid $1500 and it’s a desert az truck so no rust
Started with a 1985 M1009 K5 CUCV as my intro to squarebody chevies. That's still my main girl, but recently bought a 1991 suburban squarebody with brand new 350 crate engine and rebuilt transmission and converting her to a "fake"/"fictional" M1007/M1029 as a parts carrier/support. So in the end I will have my M1009 "Cruiser" and my M1007 "Carrier".
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Dana 60 only came in 1 tons.
It feels like shutting the trunk on the tailgate squares throws the window off track over time, so you're constantly servicing that thing until you can disassemble it in your sleep.
Love them square bodies. First vehicle I owned when I turned 16 was a 76 Jimmy it was one year younger than me. Then I had a 78 k10 followed by a 79 Blazer.
I drive a 1977 C-10 inline six Th350 with an advance adapters overdrive and cruise with freeway traffic no problem