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Deciding on a Used Pickup


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Hi, I’m looking to purchase a used pickup truck, and I’m looking for some advice on stuff like what year and model to aim for.  I’d like to get an extended cab short bed truck, and I don’t need 4wd.  It will be a second vehicle, for utility and recreation.  My budget is no more than 10K.  Thanks!

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If you are hoping for a GM truck I would shoot for one newer than  '96.  That way you will get the Vortec motor if you wish for a V8 and you also get the redesigned interior that came out in '95 I believe.  Since you are not wanting 4x4 it should be fairly easy to find one on your budget.  It doesn't sound like you will be working yours too hard, so the model I would recommend would be a C1500 GMC or Chevy.  The vast majority of trucks made in recent years in the half ton models have been ext. cab shortbeds, so you should be able to pick and choose and find the one that fits your bill just right.

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Any '96 or newer for ?K is going to have too many miles on it, (well over 100K).  There are still lots of nice '92-'95 C1500's with the Silverado trim, and less than 70K, out there for ?K and under.  The Vortec would be nice, but it doesn't sound like it's in his budget right now-

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DigUout,

Around here used trucks that are in 2WD go for dirt cheap.  I don't know what area he is in, so maybe I shouldn't be talking, but you can buy a nice truck in good condition for under ?K in this area.  Maybe not much under that, 9950 or so, but they can be had in the config he wants with the Vortec motor.  I think living in IL gets everyone thinking they need 4x4 due to the snows we get every so often even though it is surely not a need.  Maybe living in a more southern climate like you helps reverse that line of thinking and lets 2WD trucks keep some of their value.

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Jp-

First, shame on me & you for not welcoming Ray to the site. Welcome Ray!!

Second, I didn't mean to come across as "all knowing", just throwing out my experiences in exhaustive truck shopping.  Course, I know you've been shopping alot for a truck lately too.  I noticed in his profile he's from CA, and it seems everything is more expensive in CA.  And we both know he could probably find a truck with less miles in nicer shape for under ?K if he went pre-'96, but yes there are some newer with the Vortec for under that also.

 

For instance, if you could've come to CO, to shop for a truck, I bet you'd found exactly what you were looking for at a price that would've left you grinning for days.  2WD trucks in CO, though are about as common as convertible submarines.  And no, we don't always need 4WD, but it's like carrying a prophalactic in your wallet.  You'll definately want it when you have a need for it!!

Lastly college guy, how do you figure Colorado, in a southern climate?  The only thing worse than a Rocky Mountain winter is the Chicago Bears-  ;)

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Pardon me for a second, let me get over being a moron.  :)

I forgot you were in CO, I thought it was NM or something.  I think I'll remember that now.  It only takes one screwup and you remember it for life.  

I also didn't realize Ray was from CA.  In that case I also agree with you, a truck like I described above will be tough to find for under ?K.

Ok, I've been stupid enough for a day.  

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Hey Ray, I went and looked at the site that I found my truck at which is www.getauto.com and did a search in CA and found 53 trucks priced from to , I know that this is more than what you wanted to pay but it might be a place to start looking.  You can also check on other near by states to see if making a drive to find a truck is the best for you.  I saved ? on my 99 truck by driving 6 hours to a dealer in OK so I would say that it pays to look around and not get into a hurry to buy.  But also I think that if you plan on keeping this truck for a long time the age and mileage should play a part in what you buy, if you keep it for 5 to 10 years I would spend a little more on it to get a truck with less miles on it to start, but if you only want it for 1 to 5 years find the cheapest thing you can get to do the job you need done.  Around here you may not need the biggest tractor made but when you get into trouble with a little one you can't do anything about it but wish you had a bigger one.  

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Thanks for the advice and welcomes!

I do plan on keeping the truck at least 5 years.  Buying out of state would be nice, but I’m not sure if it’s worth the additional trouble of dealing with sales-tax, registration, and California’s strict smog test requirements.

How much big of a difference is there between the 95 and 96 years?

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Ray,

Welcome to the site. The biggest difference between the 95 and 96s is the 96s have Vortec fuel injection/heads. What this means in more simple terms is more power and alot. I think they get a little better fuel milage also. A 96 305 has more power then a 95 350 just to give an example. My advice is stay with the 96 and newer trucks. I hope this helps and again welcome to the site.

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Ok, so I'm going to look for a 96+ Chevy with around 75k miles on it.  I've never owned a pickup truck before, so I'm just speculating on things to look out for.  For example, I hear that for trucks with plastic bedliners, you need to look out for rust underneath the liners.  I assume this requires removing the bedliner to find out.  Now if I'm shopping at a used car tent sale, I doubt that there would be someone there with the tools to remove the bedliner.  What would I need to bring to do that non-destructively? :biggrin:

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Stepside,

I would have to agree mostly with you on buying 96+ years mainly for the Vortec, but let me be the devil's advocate for a moment.  If the decision comes down to a 95 vs 96 I'd take a good look at both.  Most likely you could find a 95 in the same condition and similar mileage as a 96, but for less $$$, so here are a few considerations:

The 95 is the last year for the 5.7L TBI so the bugs have been worked out and even though 50 less hp, it's still a great engine.

A couple of things to remember about the 96; First year for OBD II and vortec.  There are a couple of TSB's for the 96's, the most costly is the 4L60-E tranny.  If the VCM ground fix has not been performed it can shorten the life of the tranny, and many report failures before 100K.  

Intake manifold problems with the early vortecs.  Yes it can happen to the non-vortecs, but an early problem with too much torque on the intake bolts shorten the life of the upper/lower gasket combo. Seems like most I know with 96 or 97's (about 8 or 10 people) have had to replace the IM gasket around the 65-75k mile mark.  Local shop figure about ?, dealer about ?.    

Wiper problem on on the 96's is common too, calling for a resolder job or replacement of the board.

OBD II means more $$$ to diagnose (no paper clip trick in the ALDL connector).  Also, 4 02 sensors (4 wire heated or H02 at ?+/each dealer price) and 2 cats vs. 1 cat in the pre 96's means potentially more $$$ in the higher miles.

Now, with all that said, would I trade my 97 5.7L/Vortec over my 94 5.7L/TBI?  Probably not, even thought I had much less problems with the non-vortec, but if I'm buying used in the 96-97 year range I want to see DETAILED service records, and look for the above "problem" areas before even considering the purchase.  

Just my 1/50th of a buck!

BIG BLUE

 

(Edited by BIG BLUE at 9:44 am on Sep. 5, 2001)

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