Looking to buy a 2000 GMC 1500 - Questions

XtremeRevolution · April 28, 2014

I'm going to go look at this truck today, possibly buying it. I just wanted to ask, what should I be looking out for? So far, I've had people recommend that I check the steering for clunk/noise, the oil dipstick for coolant, to let it sit and start it up to see if it leaks and burns oil through the valve guides, and so forth. Anything else?

This has the 4.8L, automatic.

http://southbend.craigslist.org/bar/4395640171.html

Thanks in advance!

KMGZ400 · April 28, 2014

Eh a truck with 319,000 miles and body rust for 3200? . I wouldn't pay over 1200 for it IMO

XtremeRevolution · April 28, 2014

Eh a truck with 319,000 miles and body rust for 3200? . I wouldn't pay over 1200 for it IMO

I'll have to see the exact condition, but out in the NW Indiana/Chicago area, you don't find better trucks for very cheap. Not 4x4 ones at least. That is an old listing btw. I just included it since it had more information than a newer listing. There's a back story to the mileage, but long story short, it was towed behind an RV and driven at most 50k miles. The current price is $2800, negotiable.

I sold a 91 Toyota Pickup on Sunday, regular bed regular cab auto 4-cyl 4x4 auto with a bad front diff, rust hole in the frame, badly rusted lower control arms, and no AC on Saturday for $2300, just to give you an idea of how much trucks go for around here. Getting a GMC truck with a long bed where I won't have to worry about the spring hanger busting through the frame when I pick up drums or barrels of oil at the AMSOIL distribution center for my clients would sure be a nice trade.

chupe442 · April 28, 2014

That just seems like a lot of money for 300000 miles.. Standard cab, base model, 1500, body in fair at best shape.... I understand that not everyone here has 40grand+ to buy a new truck with ..

If your hell bent on the this truck then,

Check all the fluids (oil, antifreeze, brake, tranny, power steering). Oil changed yesterday on a used truck that is not at a dealer always seems odd to me. Clean brake fluid is a good indicator for good maintenance or a question to be answered.. Check of water in oil and oil in water..

Have the seller start the truck while you look at the exhaust to see the smoke if any.. See if the motor is warm prior to the seller starting for you...

Listen for odd noises.. 300000 miles should have a couple.

Look at the exhaust. is it still there?

Look at the oil and air filters.. I don't like to see bargain filters on my vehicles and they do represent the maintenance of the vehicle.

Good luck!

TooTall1 · April 28, 2014

I guess I'm confused. How does a towed vehicle that was only driven for 50,000 miles have 319,000 miles on the odometer? Wouldn't that indicate that the drivetrain still has 319,000 miles? Does the odometer record towed mileage when the ignition is off?

XtremeRevolution · April 28, 2014

That just seems like a lot of money for 300000 miles.. Standard cab, base model, 1500, body in fair at best shape.... I understand that not everyone here has 40grand+ to buy a new truck with ..

If your hell bent on the this truck then,

Check all the fluids (oil, antifreeze, brake, tranny, power steering). Oil changed yesterday on a used truck that is not at a dealer always seems odd to me. Clean brake fluid is a good indicator for good maintenance or a question to be answered.. Check of water in oil and oil in water..

Have the seller start the truck while you look at the exhaust to see the smoke if any.. See if the motor is warm prior to the seller starting for you...

Listen for odd noises.. 300000 miles should have a couple.

Look at the exhaust. is it still there?

Look at the oil and air filters.. I don't like to see bargain filters on my vehicles and they do represent the maintenance of the vehicle.

Good luck!

I'm moving soon so I need a truck sooner rather than later, and it seems this will have no problem towing as well. And yeah, I can't afford a new truck at this point considering I'm closing on a new house...today.

I will check for oil in water and vice versa. I'll check the motor as well, and of course the noises. I've worked on cars for a while (rebuilt a Jag V12 at one point) so I know what to listen for and what a motor should sound like.

I will check for the filters as well, although the car will get a change to AMSOIL with an EAO filter as soon as I buy it. I don't like seeing radioactive orange cans. I am hoping to start him off a $2k and go from there since he's had it up for sale for a month now and started it at $3200.

Thanks!

I guess I'm confused. How does a towed vehicle that was only driven for 50,000 miles have 319,000 miles on the odometer? Wouldn't that indicate that the drivetrain still has 319,000 miles? Does the odometer record towed mileage when the ignition is off?

I would assume that the odometer is cable driven and the miles rack up. I guess if you refer to the drivetrain as the rear diff, transfer case, and an insignificant amount on the transmission. I can't imagine that running those components at virtually no load would be of any consequential wear unless the fluids oxidize. The truck was towed behind an RV across the country.

chupe442 · April 28, 2014

I guess if you refer to the drivetrain as the rear diff, transfer case, and an insignificant amount on the transmission. I can't imagine that running those components at virtually no load would be of any consequential wear unless the fluids oxidize. The truck was towed behind an RV across the country.

This is still a lot of miles on virtually everything but the motor and some parts of the tranny. Everything else was bouncing and spinning down the road for 300,000 miles. I don't care how the truck racked up the miles.. If the price is right and it runs and drives well then there is nothing wrong with this (emphasis on the price).. Start at 2000 and don't go far from it. In my thoughts, a running 4x4 is worth 1500.00. That 4.8 is not going to pull a 7000 lb trailer across country either..

XtremeRevolution · April 28, 2014

He snagged me some pictures of the interior and engine bay.

intheburbs · April 28, 2014

Frankly, I wouldn't take a truck with 319,000 even if you gave it to me.

I just sold my '01 Suburban to a buddy for $4k, and it had 186,000 miles.

I know you said you need one sooner rather than later. But my advice is to keep looking.

KMGZ400 · April 28, 2014

You have to factor in the cost for repairs with that many miles, while the truck may be cheap, you might be better off finding something with less miles that costs a little bit more. It shouldn't be that hard to find a pre 99 square body Silverado with under 150k for around your price range.

TooTall1 · April 29, 2014

I'm moving soon so I need a truck sooner rather than later, and it seems this will have no problem towing as well. And yeah, I can't afford a new truck at this point considering I'm closing on a new house...today.

I will check for oil in water and vice versa. I'll check the motor as well, and of course the noises. I've worked on cars for a while (rebuilt a Jag V12 at one point) so I know what to listen for and what a motor should sound like.

I will check for the filters as well, although the car will get a change to AMSOIL with an EAO filter as soon as I buy it. I don't like seeing radioactive orange cans. I am hoping to start him off a $2k and go from there since he's had it up for sale for a month now and started it at $3200.

Thanks!

I would assume that the odometer is cable driven and the miles rack up. I guess if you refer to the drivetrain as the rear diff, transfer case, and an insignificant amount on the transmission. I can't imagine that running those components at virtually no load would be of any consequential wear unless the fluids oxidize. The truck was towed behind an RV across the country.

I'm pretty sure the speedometer/ odometer is electronic in these, not cable driven.

Chris · April 29, 2014

I'm pretty sure the speedometer/ odometer is electronic in these, not cable driven.

Cperkins87 · May 1, 2014

Well that's not a good deal I just got my 99 silverado 1500 4x4 5.3l v8 long bed

Fully loaded with elec 4x4 switch power windows n locks n it had 270k miles with new motor n Trans. Runs n drives super perfect n has no rust or issues n I paid $2,900 cash for it. They wanted 3400'but money talk when you wave hundred dollar bills in there face n stay firm n point out minuscule things the vehicle may need like tires or fluid change or windshield ect.

Silveradooh9 · May 1, 2014

I'd also recommend crawling underneath and getting it a once over. Look at the drivetrain for anything that could have been leaking, any electrical that has been tied up, and any major rust or grinding marks.

XtremeRevolution · September 22, 2014

Well, I figure it's time to write a follow-up so people know what happened instead of just disappearing.

Since I bought the truck, I've replaced the 4x4 fuse (it was blown, wouldn't go into 4x4 and I didn't know why), I fixed the common O/D button wire that had severed, replaced the towing harness, replaced the A/C idler pulley that was bad, the A/C belt (which wasn't even on there), replaced the A/C high side valve, and refilled the A/C system. A/C works.

I immediately replaced all fluids except for antifreeze with AMSOIL fluids. AMSOIL SS 10W-30 in the crankcase with an EAO 25k mile filter (after running an engine flush in the old oil prior to drain), SS multi-vehicle ATF in the oil pan (for which I dropped and replaced the filter - "fun" surprise with that front shaft getting in the way), which I drained and refilled twice, the same ATF in the transfer case, power steering fluid (used a fluid pump to get the old stuff out, which was black), brake fluid, did the rear end with Severe Gear 75W-110, the front end with a mixture of Severe Gear 75W-110 and 75W-90, and two bottles of P.I. top end cleaner in the gas tank. I have antifreeze ready to flush in but haven't had the time. It is worth noting that this was owned by a mechanic, and I found that aside from the front differential fluid that had a bit more metal than I'd like to see, everything looked great.

I bought this truck shortly prior needing to move as we had bought a house. After the fluid changes, I immediately put it to work hauling everything. Our new house was a 100 mile round trip, and during that time, I hauled our 2000 Regal (stuffed with things) on a car carrier along with the bed completely full, hauled a 6x12 uhaul trailer with a ton of heavy items including a piano, and more I'm sure I've forgotten.

I'm now at 324,000 miles, having driven it about 5,000 miles since I bought it. My wife now drives the truck around town whenever she goes on errands, and I haul materials for my mobile audio side business and oil from the distribution center for my AMSOIL dealer business. Including over a dozen round trips with the bed full of and weighed down with our belongings during the move, including two round trips towing significant amounts of weight, my fuelly.com account shows an average of 19.1mpg city/highway combined. My best tank was 20.4mpg. It doesn't leak anything, anywhere.

Among the things that still need to be done are:
- Fix the parking brake
- Flush the antifreeze

- Replace the rockers and cab corners

- Fix one tire that loses air slowly over the course of 1-2 months

Aside from that, I couldn't be happier with it. The engine runs quiet as a nut and is very responsive, the transmission shifts like butter into all gears at all temperatures, TCC engages smoothy every time, and the fuel economy has blown me away. I'll probably sell it when we have a second kid, but I'm very happy with it so far.