Big Red 1979 K5 4x4
 

Well, after a long and not so exciting story of selling my babies - 67 C10 to put a down payment on my house, and my 93 Chevy Pre-Runner to buy the Blazer, I picked up this little gem. It looks much better than it is to be honest. The prices of K5s in Hawaii went up a little since my last one.

Here is when I know after a month of owning it:
1979 K5 4x4 Cheyenne
-350cu with an edelbrock carb, air cleaner and valve covers, D.U.I. Street Strip distributor, rusty cracked headers and exhaust - it is a dog... low power but she doesn’t smoke and starts right up... just massive exhaust leaks (she sounds like a barbie corvette after the batteries die)
-400TH Tranny with a deep sump aluminum pan, had a burned out vacuum modulator so it shifted hard... fixed that and it shifts smooth as butta.
Not sure on the lift but it appears to be 4" (maybe)... springs and 2" blocks in the back. Rear is a 12 bolt and 10 bolt up front... both are likely stock gearing and 33x12.5 tires on rallys. Oddly, the rallys are offset 15x10" rear and 15x8" front.
-The interior is clean with decent carpet all the way back, Recaro seats up front and no back seat. I found a back seat but it is grey so, need to get a neoprene cover for it to match the front.
-The body, well... she looks good! It had a quarter size rust hole under the windshield, on the drivers side A-pillar and the pass side rocker is shot/drivers side is starting to bubble up. Also, there is rust just behind the door on the pass side, mid body. It looks like she had some bondo spread and its cracking in spots. Not too bad but the rust process in Hawaii is quick if you let it go.

Here is what she looked like when I get her:

Re: Big Red 1979 K5 4x4
 

Here she is after I took off the trim rings and blacked out the rims... cosmetic but, its has to have the right look for me to roll it! LOL

Re: Big Red 1979 K5 4x4
 

She looks awesome man pretty clean

Re: Big Red 1979 K5 4x4
 

Good looking truck! I love to see it when someone has freshened up the motor and taken the trouble to hook the AC back up properly. It kinda kills it for me when the compressor and hoses are left off.

Re: Big Red 1979 K5 4x4
 

Yeah, I am working on it slowly... gotta do it little by little. I just put ceramic coated headers on and had the exhaust redone with Super 40 Flowmaster... all together, that was $1000 so... A/C has to wait. I live in Hawaii so, really no need for it.

I will throw some more pics up this weekend.

Re: Big Red 1979 K5 4x4
 

Thanks bro... I lived near Visalia back in the day. Miss the car scene there. :metal:

Re: Big Red 1979 K5 4x4
 

That's funny I just got back from a car show just now cold as heck

Re: Big Red 1979 K5 4x4
 

Its nice and warm here in Hawaii... not too many car shows lately though... suprisingly there is a lul in the winter?!? I dont get it either.:waah:

Re: Big Red 1979 K5 4x4
 

BTW, the A/C compressor is there and hooked up, its just bad... just clicks when I turn it on. The hoses that are hanging are to the heater core that isnt hooked up. I am scared to hook it up to find out why they arent hooked up.

Re: Big Red 1979 K5 4x4
 

that is a sharp '79! can't go wrong with red and black accent. I bought a '90 brand new. I liked it because it was solid red paint. I wanted to smooth the top and paint it to match (was black). It had black mirrors, wipers, no window trim. I powder coated the rallyes & Ventshades and tinted the windows dark. I lieft the beauty rings off, too. A little thing I did on the center caps was used paint stripper on the flange that surrounds the lug nuts. It's painted to match the rallyes but is perfect shiny chrome underneath

Re: Big Red 1979 K5 4x4
 

Nice and clean lookin one there,score

Re: Big Red 1979 K5 4x4
 

Thanks... The red did catch my eye as well. Not a fan of chrome but, this one has the right amount to complete the look. If I could just get the damn timing and carb adjusted right, I would be happier with it. For some reason, I just cant get it right which leads me to believe the carb needs rebuilt. I already sunk a grand into it on top of what I bought it for plus a rear seat off CL.... All I see right now is money pit! LOL

Re: Big Red 1979 K5 4x4
 

Thanks motornut!:metal:

Re: Big Red 1979 K5 4x4
 

Looks like a keeper, nice find, keep us updated.

Re: Big Red 1979 K5 4x4
 

HA HA HA... Buffed her out! :smoke:

Re: Big Red 1979 K5 4x4
 

that's pretty shiny I tried to buff mine found out its even duller under it :)

Re: Big Red 1979 K5 4x4
 

I was going to go farther with black in place of chrome but I'm glad I left a few touches of chrome. Yours is just right.

Did you check your distributor for wear? See if the shaft has play

Re: Big Red 1979 K5 4x4
 

Thank you... I do like a little jewelry too.

As for the distributer ... It's a D.U.I. performance street/strip dizzy... Better not have play. It's not the OG one.

It's at like 18deg adv at idle... Idles good and drive okay but just doesn't sound or feel right. Might be the carb? It's a edelbrock 600 that looks like it could use a refresh. I dunno... damn thing runs great on the highway. Just a lil rough under load.

Re: Big Red 1979 K5 4x4
 

On an old trucK, I like rough paint. Patina is we're it's at.

Re: Big Red 1979 K5 4x4
 

Got bored and SOLD it. LOL

Re: Big Red 1979 K5 4x4
 

WHAT!!! really dam that sucks she was so clean so what's next?

Re: Big Red 1979 K5 4x4
 

Yeah, she was pretty clean but, you know, sometimes a car/truck just doesnt find a place in your heart. LOL I wasnt feeling it. Gonna get a beater truck for now while I search for something else. I just need something to drag my dirt bikes around and get me to work when its raining. I will find a "toy" later. I'd love to find a 60s C10 but, I am Hawaii... they want WAY too much for anything old around here. I would be better off buying in Cali and shipping it over here.