so recently ive been looking at a '78 k5 blazer. its pretty nice. has some bubbling above the wheel wells, a few small dents. and he said it has the usual blazer body. is there anything i should be on the lookout for if i go to look at it? its got a newer 350 crate engine, supposed rebuilt tranny and rear end. now i wont believe anything unless i see receipts, but if it runs and drives id suppose its worth the 1000 asking price alone. also its sitting on 31 10.50 15 tires and american racing rims, which look pretty nice =D

 

for that cheap the body could probably have holes in it. but as far as k5s are concerned. open the tailgate, make sure the floor isnt rotted off and the hinges move. and also the frames crack where the steering gear box bolts to it. not really that big of a deal they sell repair kits for it. other then that, if it starts runs and moves have at it

 

ok so it looks like ill have the money tomorrow, ill look at it Thursday. i went and got an extendable magnet to do a bondo check, a little scare tactic i use on everything. im really pumped to get my own vehicle and not have to ask my parents before using there's, which really sucks.

 

ok well im going to look at it friday. the speedometer, tach and odometer dont work. hopefully i can get it home without a run in with the law. anyone know what the possible cause of all 3 not working might be?

 

On a 78, the speedometer & odometer are both driven by a twist cable that mechanically links the speedo output from the t-case to the back of the cluster.

The tach is electronic & should have a wire connected to the distributor (assuming HEI).

 

ok, since theres a tach on it and working, just a clip on one below the steering wheel that wont be priority necessarily. so if i get it ill start with a new twist cable. hopefully nothing will be wrong with the transfer case.

 

Before you buy a new cable, pull the speedo gear from the transfer case & inspect it. They are typically plastic & can wear out.

 

ok. is that a difficult thing to do?

 

Here's some shots of the speedo gear from the NP203 in my '74. It was metal, but newer ones may not be.

 

Oh so i dont even have to rip anything apart. ok i see now. i thought id have to rip the whole thing apart. thanks for the help. if i do buy it, im alot more confident now that i could fix the speedometer.