This has been a fun and interesting thread... I've always been curious about how perspectives change over time and what vehicles folks get drawn towards and also what vehicles trend in certain groups. My current truck is a '92 K1500, regular cab, short bed with a 5.7 TBI and NV4500 5-speed. There are plenty of things I like/dislike about it (as I also did with my similar era Toyota and Nissan) but the one thing that does hold true, as others have mentioned in this thread, is relatively easy/cheap parts availability in the US, Baja and Canada.
For the '92 K1500, it's amazing how inexpensive it is to keep on the road. Parts are so inexpensive and available that it's almost funny. I like knowing in the back of my mind that if the 272k mile original engine (still running strong, knock on wood) throws a rod, that I can have a new long block delivered for $1800 just about anywhere in the continental US and that swapping it out in a pinch is totally doable with a reasonable selection of tools. There are also a scad of them in every junkyard I've ever been to, including in Baja, which is convenient. With that said, it's a GM product of the early '90s. Having spent entirely too much quality time with old farm equipment, this doesn't bother me. For some, it would be a nightmare.
_BUT_ as far as overlanding "cred" goes, it's pretty severely lacking. Not many "cool" parts are available compared to most platforms and you really have to get creative with certain things. I guess with anything in life, it depends on what you're actually doing and where you're actually going with your rig. I have no answers, only questions, lol.
(IMO)
