The K5 has been gone for a little over a week, so it’s about time I dragged home another forlorn squarebody.
This time it’s an ‘89 R2500 2wd six pack with a TBI tree fiddy and an SM465. It’s a bit rough around the edges, but it’s got some good patina. The plan is to clean it up nice, reupholster and re-carpet the interior, make everything work, and then decide if she’s a keeper or a flip. I’ve been tossing around the idea of replacing the Superburban with a crew cab, so this could fit the bill if it turns out nice.
What’s that? Why, yes- it WAS a US Forest Service truck! How did you know?! It was purchased by a local farm with just 500 miles, and it lived a pretty hard life of work and mud until it was left to be consumed by blackberries in 2015. One must assume it was parked because the SM465 is rather borkt. It only gives granny low and first- there’s no 2, 3 or reverse. I’m fairly sure it won’t be too difficult of a fix. The ol’ tbi still runs fantastically on stale gas!
If I were to keep it, I’d probably think long and hard about a Vortec 454 and NV4500 swap.
Also, because it’s 2020 and we live in bizarro land, this whole thing was my wife’s idea.