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Anyone here refurbish an old square body Chevy?
Posted on 11/23/25 at 9:21 pm
Posted on 11/23/25 at 9:21 pm
Thinking about doing this. How hard was it finding parts and is it worth the trouble?
23
Posted on 11/23/25 at 9:24 pm to TigersHuskers
Most likely won't get your money back on it but would drive the heck out of one.
Posted on 11/23/25 at 9:26 pm to TigersHuskers
quote:
Thinking about doing this. How hard was it finding parts and is it worth the trouble?
It's not hard to find parts for any of the OBS Chevy pickups. The main question is how much you're willing to spend and what your goals are in the end. Summit Racing, Edlebrock, Rock Audio, etc., etc..
They make all kinds of stuff for them.
Posted on 11/23/25 at 9:29 pm to TigersHuskers
I dont know about restoring one, but I know they are expensive af when they are done right
Posted on 11/23/25 at 9:38 pm to TigersHuskers
quote:Following...
Anyone here refurbish an old square body Chevy?
Was daily driving an '86 3/4 ton suburban until 5 yrs ago.
Needs major work and is sitting in my garage as a project vehicle. Last model year for the carburetor and no catalytic converter.
The kids called it 'The Beast'...
Posted on 11/23/25 at 9:38 pm to TigersHuskers
I thought about doing it. You want to find OEM for the body if you need those. Those Chinese panels aren't made for replacements. They are patch panels.
LMC has alot of parts but I'd try to find OEM on Fakebook or ebay first.
It can be done if you have a good truck to start with. If you are replacing alot of interior and body because you started with a project, I'd just buy a truck that's in great shape.
LMC has alot of parts but I'd try to find OEM on Fakebook or ebay first.
It can be done if you have a good truck to start with. If you are replacing alot of interior and body because you started with a project, I'd just buy a truck that's in great shape.
Posted on 11/23/25 at 9:49 pm to saintsfan1977
I've got a 93 Chevy that's a good candidate
Posted on 11/23/25 at 10:06 pm to TigersHuskers
quote:
Anyone here refurbish an old square body Chevy?
I haven’t restored one of those particular trucks, but I have restored some older sports cars. You will have no trouble finding both OEM and knock-off parts for that age domestic truck because some people still drive them.
Restoring vehicles is only to be looked at as a hobby, as you never get your money back when you sell them. They are seldom as dependable as a newer vehicle either…you will always need another more dependable vehicle.
Posted on 11/23/25 at 10:08 pm to TigersHuskers
I helped a buddy swap out the engine and transmission in a 1970 Chevy C10 once. Inline 6 and 3 on the tree. But that was 40 years ago.
Posted on 11/23/25 at 10:40 pm to TigersHuskers
Parts are abundant for most GM vehicles of almost any era. I worked on a 74 C10 for a while.
Whether it’s worth the trouble depends on what your plan is. If it’s to flip something, it could be worth it but that depends a lot on how much you plan to do yourself and how much you value your time. If it’s just to have something you enjoy working on and enjoy driving, then yeah it’s definitely worth it.
Square bodies are great vehicles and Chevy engines are so easy to work on. As I mentioned, parts are everywhere and there are so many resources out there (YouTube, forums, etc) if you need help.
Rust can play a huge role in the decision making process though, even in the South. Body rust isn’t necessarily a dealbreaker, just keep in mind what is required to fix it and whether you will do that work yourself. If the frame is rusted, I personally would walk away.
So what are you thinking about working on?
Whether it’s worth the trouble depends on what your plan is. If it’s to flip something, it could be worth it but that depends a lot on how much you plan to do yourself and how much you value your time. If it’s just to have something you enjoy working on and enjoy driving, then yeah it’s definitely worth it.
Square bodies are great vehicles and Chevy engines are so easy to work on. As I mentioned, parts are everywhere and there are so many resources out there (YouTube, forums, etc) if you need help.
Rust can play a huge role in the decision making process though, even in the South. Body rust isn’t necessarily a dealbreaker, just keep in mind what is required to fix it and whether you will do that work yourself. If the frame is rusted, I personally would walk away.
So what are you thinking about working on?
Posted on 11/23/25 at 10:55 pm to TigersHuskers
quote:
Thinking about doing this. How hard was it finding parts and is it worth the trouble?
Check out this guy's videos:
Posted on 11/23/25 at 11:00 pm to FightinTigersDammit
quote:
93 Chevy that's a good candidate
No it's not a square body.
Posted on 11/23/25 at 11:05 pm to saintsfan1977
Ok
Posted on 11/24/25 at 12:09 am to TigersHuskers
Is JC Whitney still around? Pretty sure you can order all the parts from there to assemble one.
Posted on 11/24/25 at 12:11 am to TigersHuskers
Ever considered a Prius? Sounds like more of your style.
Posted on 11/24/25 at 4:57 am to TigersHuskers
Love those trucks. I worked for a geo-technical company in the early 90s and we had a fleet of them work horses!
Posted on 11/24/25 at 6:55 am to TigersHuskers
Yes, 86 K5 blazer. Full body restoration, new paint, new motor, new interior.
Best decision I ever made. You can find any part you're looking for.
Best decision I ever made. You can find any part you're looking for.
Posted on 11/24/25 at 6:58 am to FightinTigersDammit
quote:
OK
Just to help you out, Square Bodies ran from 1977-87. The 88-98s are called OBS.
Posted on 11/24/25 at 7:12 am to TigersHuskers
I wish I still had my old square body from high school.
You probably could buy a whole truck from LMC if you wanted to.
You probably could buy a whole truck from LMC if you wanted to.
Posted on 11/24/25 at 7:31 am to TigersHuskers
I love to watch the Barrett-Jackson Auto Auction when I can catch it on TV and it is surprising to me how affordable many of the older pickup trucks are that have been gone over by a restorer.
I've seen quite a few of them looking damn near showroom fresh going for well under what a new truck would cost and these trucks have fresh paint, interiors, sound systems, almost always LS motors with nice HP ratings, tires and rims, etc.
I told my wife I'd rather buy one of those than buy new and save $15-20K in the process.
I've seen quite a few of them looking damn near showroom fresh going for well under what a new truck would cost and these trucks have fresh paint, interiors, sound systems, almost always LS motors with nice HP ratings, tires and rims, etc.
I told my wife I'd rather buy one of those than buy new and save $15-20K in the process.
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