Home Forums Gear Hunting Trucks and Four-Wheel Drives Options for an older pick up for hunting

you hit one of my favorites the k5 blazer is agreat vehicle

MTMISFIT, tbear99, 4x4SNEAK, mud_bogger, Northern_Dave and other posters: Many thanks for your on-target, informative posts. The information and experience you're providing is extremely helpful.

Sounds like a diesel engine is not really called for in my situation since extended heavy towing is not part of the picture. I was originally thinking the durability benefits of a diesel might be worthwhile for long-term reliability especially when buying an older, higher-mileage pickup. I had not factored in the higer maintenance/repair costs and the higher weight factor of the diesels.

Also the K5/Blazer or a full-size Bronco, when combined with a utility trailer when needed, could be a smart option I had not considered.

Seems if I can find any of the following in good condition for a good price I should be OK:

-- K5/Blazer with SBC
-- Full size Bronco
-- Chevy 3/4 or 1 ton 4WD PU with SBC
-- Ford 3/4 or 1 ton 4WD PU with small block, big block or 6-cyl

It's great to have multiple options. This way I'm not as limited in choices available in the local market.

What would you be most cautious of when comparing/selecting among individual vehicles from the categories above? For example: Mileage over 150k? Lots of rust? Obvious neglect/abuse? Other factors? I know there's risk with any vehicle purchase, especially older ones. I'm just aiming not to make unnecessarily poor choices. Thanks - KPO.

whith obvious abuse look to make sure the body lines are strait between the cab and bed if they go diffrent direction good sign the truck was jumped or "off roaded" too hard

when looking at the bronco's open the door an stand up in the doorway so you can look on the roof. Look at the cab corners and seems and around the gutters as that seems to be a spot that starts to rust first, they will then start to leak (at least in my area)

FWIW our huntin rig for years has been an 86 broco with 4sp. vinyl seats an rubber floors. good rig.

First thing I do is crawl under the truck & grab-wiggle every joint there is. look at inside of rear hub faces for evidence of oil leaking past axle end seals brake fluid leaks. also look at the differntial seals (pinion seals) drive it & listen for gear singing... ahh, the song of a dry worn 9" ford rear... I know it too well


check U-joints. the ones I'm most concerned with usually are front axle end joints because it's a little more work to get them out to change them. front drive shaft joints & slip spline, check it all out. steering, if possible check ball joints, check tie rod ends, drag links etc. track arm bushings... just check it all out. an old truck is bound to have some evident wear but if you find that collectively things simply seem sloppy & neglected... well, that's a warning sign that should not be ignored.

Expect that your older truck may need some work, radiators are often shot (just won't cool) brakes almost always need to be totally gone through. vacuume lines, hoses & belts. Make sure the heater works, might have to unhook the core from the engine & hook up a garden hose & push hard through the core to give it a good flush. Fan motors only live so long & often squeel like a dieing rabbit... (sometimes you can just grease those & get by for quite a while)

It's also very likely you may need to go through the hubs up front (always a good idea anyways) lockouts themselves are fairly inexpensive, I like the metal switch mile marker & warne brands. Always a good idea to get into those front hubs to inspect & grease at the very least. if open nuckle front you can get a feel for the inner spindle bearing & seal condition by wiggling the outer ends of the axles fron under the truck. (if those are bad/dry you'll get that front end vibe when running down the road with hubs locked in cause the ends are chattering inside the spindles.

Body is lower on my list of concerns with exception of a tight cab (check the floors)

I'm a body man so I know that I can get around to the beautification part of a project like this if & when it is ever needed so I don't sweat the body stuff too terribly.

Good luck

I would second the Bronco and the trucks with a 300.

I had a '79 Bronco with 460ci and a c6 tranny. Had 33" tires on which gave me a false sense of security. Power Power Power though. I wish I had that thing back, the memories made in that baby, in the drivers seat and the back seat.:) Man I loved that thing.

Also had a 84 F150 with the 300 and a granny low 4 speed tranny. Not the most power in the world, but I think you could run those things without oil and it would still work...for a while. If you bore them out, put 390FE pistons, a split manifold for dual exaust, and a 4bbl carb on them, they went pretty good.

Tom

KPO,

Dave has a good point on the 9" whine. I know it well too. It happened to my 2000 F-150 this summer. Listen for squeaks and feel for vibrations while at high way speeds. Lock the hubs if you can and run it 4wd hi and lo. Listen for clunks and bumps there too. Don't be afraid to check the fluids in the front and rear ends, as well as the transfer case. Pull the dipstick and check the oil, smell if it is burnt. Do the same on the tranny if is an auto.

If you are looking at a Bronco, see if the rear window works. If it doesn't roll down you can't open the back and it is a pain with out the rear door opperating.

If you are unsure about doing some of these things take somebody with you who can help. You will be thankful in the long run.

Tom

what usually takes the rear gears out on trucks in my area (farm country) is that first off the trucks run on gravel (farm trucks) a lot!! gravel dust eats seals like candy. the farmers go to the fields & park the old farm pickup in a ditchbank alongside the road with one side of the truck up on the shoulder & the other side down in the grass in the ditch...

they sit at this extreme angle all day while the farmer is out in the field. if the axle end seals are weak the oil in the axle housing is basically baeing dumped out because it's all down in that low axle side of the truck as it sits parked.

After a while all the oil is gone & the dry gears wear & heat up, if you don't catch it in time.. well, they just need oil simple as that.

one thing id don't know if we have talked about here yet is wheelbase as it relates to a hunting rig. if it is a hunting/trail rig, the short wheelbase of a blazer or bronco is very very nice. turn around tight on a trail, not as likely to high center...

Tom, very interesting mod for the 300, I never knew you could drop FE pistons in there, must give compression advantages?

Northern Dave, tzone, mud bogger, WyoCowboy: As I said at the top of this post - there is a lot of serious knowledge on this forum, and it is freely shared. For that I am thankful. I'm printing these posts out and will run through the recommended vehicle condition check-up items as I look at purchase options.

Over past day or two I drove over 200 miles on narrow, steep, rocky, dusty roads in the Appalachian mountains. As I was driving a couple of points, that have been raised in this thread, were highlighted: Steep, narrow, bumpy roads favor a short wheelbase, light vehicle with 4WD and good clearance. Reliability and 'on the spot, with what you got' fixability are more important the further out you go. Thanks - KPO.

KPO,

I would consider reliability first and foremost, then decide what else you want. The Fords up to about '85 are pretty simple machines for the most part. I'm not sure about the chevy's. The one I have now is the one and only one I will have.

It sounds like a Bronco or a Blazer is looking better for you if you are driving that much on Mt. trails. They are almost a mate for each other. MUCH eaiser to turn around on trails as Dave said and most of the time getting out is as imporntant as getting out.

Dave,

I'm sure there is more to it than just dropping them in as you know. My pa's friend did this to a 60 somthing F 100. It was quite a rocket and a great sleeper at the stop lights. I guess it is an old sprint car motor resicpe.

cool, swap mods are my fav over aftermarket "bolt ons" old school hot rodding was all about putting parts where they didn't blong & making HP doing so.

later dudes.

miller time.

I forgot all about the rear window issue that tzone pointed out on the bronco.

ours is way wore out an takes over a minuet to roll up.

my original back gate had a power window and the gate was rusted somthing firce which screwed up the motor. I finally got it fixed and got rid of the bronco shortly after. dumb move on my part but aren't most truck sales after the fact. there really was only one truck that I glad I sold. the one I have now will be the second.

Tom

I don't think you need a 3/4 ton pu for your stated use. An K1500 Chevy or F150 would be fine. I have a '96 K1500 ext cab Z71 with the 350 Vortec. I only have 60k on it but it's been trouble free except the alternator which burned up on me. I would cross off the Blazer and Bronco if you need to haul firewood. I would stick with gas as well unless you want to pay big bucks for a used diesel.

good points bill, I too was questioning the 3/4 ton thing.

comprimise? 1/2 ton short box?

Bill and Dave - excellent input. I was originally thinking the 3/4-ton could be stouter and hold up better under rough use in an older vehicle (10 yrs +). But it would seem a 1/2-ton could also get the job done well enough.

Originally I thought I should look for a diesel engine. I now see the clear logic of a gas engine for my needs. Originally I did not consider a bronco/blazer. Now I see the bronco/blazer as a real option for consideration.

This is a clear illustration of how one can benefit from the input, expertise and significant hands-on experience of forum members. It would be near impossible for one person to personally formulate hands-on, informed opinions on all possible options.

I'm still debating the advantage of the short-wheelbase and secure closed-in storage of the bronco/blazer, versus a pickup's definite advantage for firewood hauling, lumber, etc.

Maybe some type of extended cab pickup, allowing more secure in-cab storage along with the pickup box makes sense. But then we're talking a longer wheelbase, which is not optimal for off-road. I guess it's all about trade-offs. Also, for some inexplicable reason, I just prefer a regular cab in a pickup.

Maybe as Dave suggests a short box pickup gets close to the answer. It has the advantages of both the short wheelbase and the good firewood hauling ability. We could also put a cap on it for more secure storage of items and equipment (chainsaws, hunting gear, etc). I'm not altogether sold on a cap on a pickup (never had one), but it might be a practical option.

The short box pickup with a cap is getting close in some ways to the bronco/blazer. Yet another way to get there, as highlighted in Dave's post, would be the bronco/blazer combined with a utility trailer (as needed) for hauling firewood/construction material. I've never used a utility trailer. There is probably some downside to storing, attaching and navigating with the trailer attached. But the trailer does offset some of the bronco/blazer drawbacks.

So we've still got these questions ... for my intended use (as outlined at the top):

(1) Pickup or bronco/blazer?

(2) If pickup:
(a) shortbox or longbox?
(b) 1/2-ton or 3/4-ton?
(c) which pickup (make, year, engine)
(d) cap or no cap?

(3) If bronco/blazer:
(a) which one? (make, year, engine)
(b) utility trailer or not?

Any feedback on any of the questions is much appreciated.

Older broncos are like gold, you can hardly touch a stripped out relic with little more than a VIN number for big money, 78-79 broncos are pretty tough trucks but they do often have the rear window & tailgate problems as the other guys like Bogger & I think Tzone stated. the old blazers are also very cool but like the vintage broncos they are comanding big money, the full sized blazers seem to do well & have a strong following. I know when I was a kid we had a mid/late 70's "Jimmy" by GMC, full sized, 350, lifted with 33's on it. that truck was cool as hell.

As far as pickups, I really wouldn't intentionally look for 3/4 ton trucks. Half tons for trails are more nimble, overall a little lighter which is nice, fuel economy will usually be better on road trips in a half ton. 3/4 ton could get you some axle strength advantages for running oversized tires & stuff but not always. A lot of the 3/4 tons still ran dana 44's up front even if they went to a 60 in the rear... i don't know, for a sensible all around hunting truck I guess I think half ton. i'm partial to the fords cause but I honestly see nothing wrong with building up a chevy. I do like the ford 1/2 tons up through 1979 because I really like that solid front axle on trailing arms & coil springs. I have put those front ends through pure hell, stuff where i just knew the truck frame & body momentum would carry forward & rip the axle out from under the frame... but I never broke a front end. If I had pulled some of those stunts with leaf spring mounted front axles, oh boy, I would have been in trouble more than once.

But there I go inserting my personal preference, shouldn't do that I guess because i bet there are some chevy die hards with some good points too.

I guess I've slammed my mid to late 70's ford half tons through some terrible crap, these were long box trucks too. another point for the longer wheelbase would be icey roads. longer wheelbase is more stable when travling on icey roads. others have mentioned the ride difference which is also true. (short wheel base whill "buck" more in the bumps.

Not that you need yet more options to consider but what has worked very well for me is a regular cab 1/2 ton 4x4 long box with a good truck toolbox mounted in the truck bed behind the cab. Get a good locking one, deep, full depth if you like but it is nice to be able to slide things under the tool box too. You can store a lot of gear securely in a good box. I like the boxes that open like a big chest freezer. the gull wing ones are ok, but if you've owned both, I think you'll find reasons as i have to favor the full length lid that opens like a chest freezer door.

You can still fit an ATV in the bed behind the toolbox & close the tailgate. you can always have log chains, tow straps, hi lift jack, come along, jumper cables, hand tools, maybe a hand saw or small chainsaw, .. all kinds of good off road stuff can always be with you & be kept out of sight & nice & dry. there will still be room for rifle cases & some hunting gear in there too. Keep a few assorted wood blocks under the tool box for when you get stuck in soft ground that sends your jack foot straight down, nice chunk of 2x6 really does wonders to carry up a jack foot.

When you go hunting, you're going to shoot things, hopefully big things. big things that you are going to field dress if not quarter & pack out. Lot easier to put that stuff in the back of a pickup than inside a bronco/blazer cab with you... roof? naw that's how you get a hernia. back basket that plugs into the reciever hitch? you want road gunk, slop/slush & who knows what being kicked up into your deer/elk or what ever all the way home?

I do believe i have talked myself into you needing a half ton 4x4 reg cab long box with nice aluminum tool box...



BTW, trailers suck in greazy mountain trails... like pulling a boat anchor

If you get into the older stuff, avoid anything with the full time 4x4. Those things drank gas like crazy. 8 to 10 mpg wasn't unusual.

I used to have an old Ford with a 240 6 cyl. It was a 300 with a shorter stroke. It had fair power, but the 300 had quite a bit more. They're not fast, but they very good climbing around in the rough stuff.

Get a Taco and all will be well.

Spot

Thanks Dave and Rockchuck. A half-ton 4x4 reg cab longbed pickup with a toolbox sounds like a good all-around option for my use. This option should be rugged, reliable, good offroad, economical to purchase and run, good for hunting, firewood hauling and back country chores. Based on your input the bronco/blazer with trailer may not be as convenient all-around for my use.

A late 70's Ford will be high on my search list.

Spot - The Tacos receive strong recommendations in the reliability and off-road departments, both important factors in my view. I'll start looking.

The next steps will be finding the right truck in the right condition at the right price (whether its a Ford, Chevy, Dodge or Toyota).