Need some advice from you classic truck owners

mjsmith1223 · December 8, 2001

Hey all;

Due to current ecomonic circumstances (got laid off and baby on the way) we are going to have to sell our 2002 Silverado 1500 and replace it with something a bit less costly in the old montly payment department.

I am considering a 1/2 or 3/4-ton suburban from the 1980's as a suitable replacement. One of those should be able to tow my boat just fine. Any words of advice from current or former owners of '82-88 suburbans?

Any help is appreciated. Thank you!

Mike

Torque Junkie · December 9, 2001

My dad has owned an '87 Suburban (One of the first with standard EFI - it was either 86 or 87, I forget...) since it was brand new and the thing was a LEMON for the first 3 years or so. After 2 motors, 14 head gaskets and countless other needless repairs, it started working great.

The thing is a beast though. It has close to 150K miles on it, it eats a quart of oil a week, and needs thousands of dollars of work done to it, but it still works like a slave and runs like a bear! It pulls our 20' boat without a problem.

It's been paid off for 10 years now, and it's depreciation has leveled off too. With the exception of the excessive oil consumption, it's a rather economic vehicle. Just make sure you get the rear a/c option if you can. He didn't get that option and it takes a half century for the AC to cool the entire airspace of that mammoth.

Good luck!

-Mike

Jack Boelte · December 10, 2001

You can see I own an 84 Suburban. I like it, except for the cargo doors. The emissions are kind of a #####, lots of vacuum hoses. If you live in a state that does not check the emissions system(yet), there's possibilities for improvements! As usual, look out for rust. I've had two breakdowns that were a major issue. The transmission had to be repaired (not rebuilt, thank God), involved removal, and the ignition module went out, no start, about twenty bucks.

I would have no concerns about an 80s GM truck, just take the normal precautions when buying a used vehicle! Good luck, come back if you run into problems.

76BBSub · December 11, 2001

When I was looking for Suburbans a few years ago a couple salesman friends told me to avoid the conversion trucks unless the price was really cheap. The stuff the conversion places add tends to have poor longevity, so it will break quickly as it ages, if not already broken. Anyway, there's one tip.

I would also recommend that you try to find a truck with one owner. Usually they are well taken care of if the owner held onto the thing for so many years. Also, expect to have to put some work into it pretty much right away. This is typical with any used car more than 4-5 years old. I would hate for you to spend all your cash on the truck and then be tapped when you need to do a little maintenance or work on it.

I'd look for the newest one you can afford, also. there were plenty of upgrades to the fuel injection and emissions systems that should improve reliability and performance, maybe even gas mileage. The transmissions in these things tend to go south around 75,000 to 100,000 miles, so if you can find one with a recently rebuilt tranny maybe you can dodge that bullet.

Other than that, just follow the normal steps when inspecting a used vehicle. If you have a trusted mechanic it may be worth the few bucks to have him check it all out...could save you a bundle down the road.

Jeff

mjsmith1223 · December 12, 2001

Thank you all for your thoughts. I'll definitely keep these things in mind. Around where I live I'll also be on the lookout for old snowplow brackets. Defnitely do not want a truck that's been plowed with. Too many horror stories of bent frames, fried tranny's/differentials, and trashed suspensions.

Mike

mjsmith1223 · December 22, 2001

Ok, been out looking at Suburbans and Tahoes. We found we could afford anything up to about a 1995 with 120,000 miles or less. That kind of knocks us out of the classic category and into the regular category. All of your advice still applies though.

After driving a couple already I'd say the powertrains age quite well. The interiors seem to take a heck of a beating though. Looks like we'll have to think about swapping seats and replacing carpet. Tires, shocks and alignment will also be high on the list.

Thanks again!

Mike