Life got a bit chaotic after I brought the Jimmy home back in the first part of June or I would’ve posted this sooner. I’ve been looking for a rig to use as my Swell explorer since completing the sale of my parents house and closing their estate earlier this year. My F-150 has been awesome for what I do but I found myself cringing at every rock chip or whenever a tamarisk branch got too close. Initially I was looking at 4-Runners and the like. Something dependable that I wasn’t attached to and wouldn’t worry over the occasional sign of trail use.
I’ve always had a soft spot for square bodies and am always cruising KSL for Blazers and Jimmys in particular. I found this rig on said classifieds page 5 hours after it was posted and immediately called the owner. Due to the amount of interest it received in that short time the seller was beginning to waffle on his asking price. I called back a few days later and was able to work out deal which was higher than his original price but still very fair. Craig, the seller, was only the second owner of the Jimmy and his maintenance was meticulous. Only 78,000 miles are showing on the clock. His main use for it was to tow a small fishing boat to and from the reservoir. This is evident from rust beginning to form on the rear frame from being dipped into the lake time and again.
After purchasing the Jimmy I immediately got it to my BIL at LKC Auto in Pleasant Grove so it could get a new set of tires and a quick once over. The drive home from PG to Green River went smoothly except for a leaky heater core which has now been looped until I have time to replace it. The engine bay was full of “old man” goodness which included many extra hoses (too old and brittle to now use), clamps and belts. An auxiliary tool box was mounted to radiator support with shelving brackets. My favorite piece and one which I will leave in place is the shovel nestled into the trailer hitch.
While some may cringe at the thought of this truck being driven down a tamarisk choked trail I assure you it is far from a museum piece and has its share of dents, dings and scratches. Even so, this is a rig I absolutely do not plan to abuse.
After spending some time driving and enjoying the Jimmy in its current form I don’t plan to change much. It has the classic 90’s GM power train (350, 700r4, np208 and 10 bolt axels). The axles are geared at 3.42 and the rear is a factory posi. Down the road I’ll add better shocks, more aggressive tires and probably some different wheels. After that, we’ll see. I know I’m getting old because I don’t absolutely hate the running boards though they aren’t likely to stay around. 😁
This is the look I’ll be shooting for.
Sorry for the lengthy post but thanks for reading along.
