Found a truck...few questions

[Tristicus]

So, I finally was able to find a Chevy 1500 5.7L with the 90s body, extended cab, Z71 package, and a manual transmission. Only problem is that it doesn't have a third door. It is a 1998, and I read that these were standard from 1996/7 on...I thought it was real odd that it didn't. It had basically brand new tires, shifted fine. He handed me the keys and told me to drive it instantly, so I'm confident the transmission and engine are in good shape from driving it and also him willing to let me. Body looks good, little rust on the rear bumper as well as the rear axle/leaf springs. Needs replacement headlight (one, but will probably do all), and the bumper (front) needs to be either re-aligned or tightened or something. Also needs a door handle (this was cracked), but doesn't seem like that'd be hard to replace. Power seats work and such though, everything else seemed alright. GM bedliner too. 142xxx miles for the engine, which doesn't seem like a whole lot for the year or that particular engine.

The interior was alright...however, there were spots. And noticeable (very) they were. They were brown sort of stains, what looked like possibly coffee. It didn't smell or anything, but they were real noticeable. Think these can be worked out with a good scrubbing? They weren't a huge deterrence as I feel they might be able to, but they were there. Didn't smell or anything however. I figure paying for a nice detail (if I couldn't do it myself) would get them out (best as possible)?

Anything else to look for besides what I've listed? My main question is the third door part, it just struck me as a bit odd. It is a manual transmission, which is very (understandably) rare for these trucks as well.

 

[herm0016]

a few coffee stains on a 10 to 15 year old truck are to be expected. that truck will last a lot longer than 150k if it was/is taken care of. i have seen them with 2 to 300k on them.

 

[Vette73]

Thats one of the last years for the GMT400 platform. The GMT800 had the 3rd door on most/all but the GMT400 it was an option.
Good truck but is based on the older body and engine design. So should be easy to work on and find parts but not as good as the newwer model.

With that many miles check the diff fluid, trans fluid, etc... as many forget about them. If you do not hear any major noise then you are probable ok but I would change them both as soon as you get it.
With that many miles you have to know its going to need a good once over. New Cap and rotor, fuel filter, PCV valve, fluids changed (Coolant, trans, diff), etc...

So if it runs well and you can get it cheap enough go for it.

 

[Bartman39]

Needs replacement headlight (one, but will probably do all), and the bumper (front) needs to be either re-aligned or tightened or something.

Take note of this... Been in a fender bender... Factory headlights tend to yellow on those trucks and if one is clear the other yellow then most likely its been replaced due to a boo-boo and the bumper alignment tells this also... I would take a close look at the bumper mounts and frame in the front, also the core support... Might not be much of anything but could be more than you want to deal with...?

Also take note of the manual trans will make noise when taking off in 1st and even 2nd gear this is normal to a degree... Alot of the late trucks came with Dextron in them but dunno for sure on the 4wd versions which may have syncromesh fluid...? A good cure for the noise is to drain and replace the trans fluid with synthetic 10-30wt engine oil but never and I mean never replace the trans fluid with 90wt... Those transmissions are close tolerance designs and will not shift properly and burn out the syncro`s in a short period of time... Another item that is overlooked quite often is the front and rear differentials and changing the fluid which should be synthetic also and check for ring gear carrier bearing failure in the rear unit... Axle seals tend to leak on these too which ruins the brake shoes and wheel cylinder should be checked for leakage at the same time... Just a few things that come to mind with the these trucks and the miles you list... Good trucks but like anything they need attention from time to time...


PS... Also the worst issue with the engine is the intake manifold gaskets leaking but with that many miles they should have already been replaced...? Get all the info you can from the owner including receipts... 😉

 

[Tristicus]

It's a "dealer" (guy who deals vehicles out of his house, real small lot), so I'm hoping he has at least some of the records. Told me it had never been in an accident. The light was on the opposite side from where that bumper place I saw was, so I don't think it has been in an accident.

For the fluids (like differential and such), is it hard to change those? I've done oil changes and changed parts like fuel filters and PCV valves and spark plugs, but never serviced a 4WD system or anything.

http://eastnc.craigslist.org/ctd/2104727148.html

That is the truck right there. Offered him $4000, said he had other people coming but waited for me since I was a ways away. Told him alright, I'll call after the weekend to see if you still have it. Since it is a MT and has no third door I'm thinking I could get it for $4k with a little negotiation. He also said the paint on my Mustang was great for a '96 but didn't want trades. :/

I didn't hear any real noise, even rolled down the window (was raining) and didn't hear much.


Oh, and the power was a nice boost from my little V6...and a redline at 6k I thought was interesting...:awe:

 

[Vette73]

Diff and manual trans fluids are easy on GM trucks.

Man Trans is a drain and fill. Get a hand pump to put it back in.

Diff fluid is just remove cover (dozen or so bolts) and let it drain out. Replace gasket and refill through hold on the side. As Martman39 said, and I agree, get some good syn fluids and you are usually set for 60-100k. Mobil1 in the diff is what I use on my Corvette and my older trucks.

 

[bruceb]

Price seems reasonable for that year and model. When you test drove it, did it drive straight with no steering issues ? ? Body panels look aligned correctly ? ? If so, don't worry about it possibly having been in a slight accident.

 

[Tristicus]

As far as I know it did. It was rainy, and I was a bit focused on getting the clutch/gas ratio figured out as well as testing things to see if they were alright. I think the truck seemed alright, I tried to get it looked over a lot more objectively than I did the Mustang I bought (which wasn't bad, but I missed a few things).

 

[kornphlake]

It probably wouldn't hurt to schedule an appointment with a mechanic to have the vehicle inspected, even a mediocre mechanic should be better than nothing. They're usually good at finding things like worn fan belts, cracked CV boots, worn shocks, etc. They can also plug in their scan tool and tell you if the bulb for the check engine indicator is working, they can tell you if the drive cycle is complete and if the long term fuel trim has been set. At the very least they'll get the vehicle up on the rack and check the wheel bearings and steering linkages to make sure they're all in good shape.

If you're not capable of doing the inspection yourself, it's worth the time and money, in my opinion, to get advice from a professional.

 

[joutlaw]

The vortecs from 96-98 have intake gasket problems. They have an upper and lower intake manifold and they tend to leak. These engines have a spider with injectors in each intake port... this part is problematic too.

Other than that they are great trucks. See if it has G80 in the glove box in the RPO codes. This means it has a mechanical locking differential. They are great off-road but not so good for street use... i.e. burnouts etc.

Parts will be cheap and and that vortec 350 is highly sought after in the junkyard. It has a specific head and intake design that is desirable for a lot of old schoolers that don't want to go LSx.