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#1
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Uhh, yeah, I had an '82 K20 6.2 Weasel Suburban... Went thru 2 or 3 of those infernal motors til '88 when I had enuff. But, one that old & still running would likely be a good one. GM said they were a new from the "Ground Up" design, & they WERE a more thorough redesign than the infamous 350, but they were STILL a "Dieselised Gas" motor, in this case, a big-block GM V-8.
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Benevolent Despot |
#2
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83 was just about rock bottom for quality at GM.
Working on one of these is a total pain in the butt unless you are a small, double jointed contortionist, and work on it you will because it will have issues. |
#3
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The problem w/the K20 Urbaniser was that it had a 4.11 rear end, which at hiway speeds drove the diesel about 1000 RPM more than it wanted to go.. It was HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY at 45, but at 55-60, it was NOT, & at 75, it was in PAIN. But IIRC, that was the ONLY rear-end ratio available for K20 Diesel Urbanisers that year..
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Benevolent Despot |
#4
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yah, 4V's had smaller primaries and supposedly used less gas, as long as all the gaskets were good, no leaks etc. Most computer carbs were better than FI because they were simple and for the most part just routed engine vacuum to the fuel bowel. As long as you understood what was going on with the different designs, and kept them clean and adjusted they were great......
The captain is right though, you're not going to get 29, and as long as it does what you want, it's basically payin' you by starting when you want it to...
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Yes you can call me "Squirrel boy" |
#5
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Economy wise, the Q-jet is a pretty good carb. I need to learn how to tune the one in my old Impala...it's close to right. The car starts better than it ever did before but bogs on acceleration. I'm not usually in that big a hurry, though!
I run hot and cold on the van, and right now am leaning against it. He is asking $5k but told me if I was interested that figure is highly negotiable. A lot depends on just how negotiable it is. Lots of good advice here, on both sides, and it is appreciated.
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Bryan |
Audiokarma |
#6
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Quote:
$5K on the van is ludicrous. Gas models in good shape can be had for a grand any day of the week, so I would think that $2K would be closer to FMV.
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"Restoring a tube TV is like going to war. A color one is like a land war in Asia." |
#7
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Good luck to you on whatever you decide to do..... I did a little looking and asked the wizard of oz and came up with no real major things on that engine....
Wickipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detroit_Diesel_V8_engine has a few items that show up with age, crank problems, and head cracks, of course the one you are looking at is most likely on the well taken care of side.... People who "work" their stuff tend to take a little less than "good" care of stuff, especially when you get to watch them in person.... MPG seems to range from the lower to mid 20's depending on what it's in and how they use it.... Hey, you never really know what's going to happen anyway, a brand new car can leave you walking, you never know.... The stories go that that engine has the power of about a 305, better mileage, 20+ as opposed to about 15 with gas. For 5K you can get 5 Dakota engines, or 3 and a take along mechanic..... good luck ! ! & fun drivin'
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Yes you can call me "Squirrel boy" |
#8
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I was maybe 5 years old when my uncle from down south drove up to visit in his Chevy van, probably a '73 or so. Even at that age I remember thinking how cramped it was under that hood. I always had the feeling that a van like that would have to be quick to overheat...even though that was just a little kid thinking, that still wants to stick in the back of my mind!
Watch, I'll probably just keep driving my old truck another couple years...thing about me, most every vehicle I ever owned dropped in my lap in some way or another. The Impala was my first car-Dad fixed it up for me, and chose it because it was a big car and he found it cheap. I inherited an F150 which I traded on this Dakota, pretty much even up. My International was given to me by a local farmer; the Ford was a barter that cost me around a weeks pay. I know that if I wait long enough, some deal is going to come along. Either the van will be it, or I'll wait and something better will show up.
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Bryan |
#9
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Does your old Ford have a back seat, or is it a "Business Coupe" ?
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Benevolent Despot |
#10
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She's a Fordor...I figure, we can take that great cross-country trip and Kim can just sleep in the back seat while I drive. Could happen someday...
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Bryan |
Audiokarma |
#11
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An overdue update: I ended up buying the van! I sold the International which gave me money to buy the GMC and then some. (he sold it to me for $3k) Serviced the transmission, charged the AC and we took it on vacation Memorial Day weekend. Put around 1,500 miles on it and the more I ran it the better it ran. (I think the fuel injector cleaner I added to the fuel helped a lot.) She doesn't like mountain passes; at 200k the original mufflers finally let go and I replaced them this week. All ready for the next big trip. Averaged about 18mpg, I know I can do better on flatter ground. (I-68 across western MD is a mileage killer) I'm very happy so far. She is a clean piece, really babied.
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Bryan |
#12
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Nice catch. I'm sure she'll serve ya better than Sandy's Urbanizer did him.
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#13
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A friend of mine had one that looked just like that... He thought it was the best
thing since sliced bread...... Good deal, as long as yer happy ! !
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Yes you can call me "Squirrel boy" |
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