Headed for Peoria

[Mobuck]

To get my "new to me" pickup. Well, I'm going to look at one that appears to be OK. Had to pay a refundable holding fee--Seems a man's word isn't worth $200.
It's getting harder and harder to find clean, one owner pre-2009(that's the year they went to the dufus "dry cylinder" fuel saving design) Chevy pickups that aren't rusted (much)with a clean CarFax report . Going to run this baby on the hoist and check her belly well. A bit under budget even including the 200 miles to look(600 miles of gas money by the time I get it home).
I bought "old Greenie" with 190K in April 2016 and have put 25K on it(mostly on the clock @ 53.5 cents/mile). It's still OK but my work miles are increasing so it's not hard to see that a replacement is needed. Tom already has dibs so I don't want to completely beat the old girl to death. It'll last his needs for another 4-5 years at his use rate. Plus the 1/2 ton w/5.3L may get me 2-3 mpg improvement.
We'll put the big tires with fancy spoke wheels back on his old Jimmy and get it ready for the "school's out" vehicle buying binge in May. Some young buck with $1800 in his pocket will own a piece of history--GMC Jimmy with a 6.2 DIESEL. It's the extremely rare "Johnie Cash Edition" - 81-82-83-84-85 aggregated parts special.

 

[Rumrunner]

Hope you have a good road trip and good luck with your purchase. I live about 45 miles from Peoria.

 

[Mobuck]

It was a bust. Lots of rust pimples that didn't show on the pics. 450 miles and a day wasted. Guess I'll not try that again.

 

[Don Lovel]

I have a 2005 GMC Sierra 4x4 with 4.8 engine. I put new set of tires on it today, it has right at 165k miles on it.
Been real decent and comfortable ride for all the driving back and forth from Colorado to Oklahoma and Kansas city I have done the last couple years. I told the mechanic at the tire shop today I think I will drop $2k worth of work into it and drive it a bunch of miles longer, Tires ate up $880 of that $2k today. I will get Transmission flush and my 4x4 switch is messed up. I have a brake rotor with a shimmy on it and less than 50% pads on front, so going through the brakes, probably new rotor hubs. Inspect rear end and I also have a seal leak on my front axle tube and a leaky power steering pump. That will come close to spending the $2k since I don't work on stuff anymore myself.
Makes more sense than buying a new vehicle for more than I paid for my first house that can listen in on my private conversations, data log my whereabouts and warranty is at the mercy of a company that has reputation for weasling out of warrant repairs. Monthly payment and higher insurance bill. No thanks

 

[Cholo]

Mobuck, go south for used vehicles. Sorry you wasted a day

 

[SAJohn]

Careful, sometimes that transmission flush can cause more harm than good.

 

[graygun]

I've heard the BG flush system is good.

 

[Mobuck]

Re: Transmission flush
I vote NO. If you feel a transmission may be getting gummed up, change fluid and filter. Run the vehicle 5-6K and change again. ATF has plenty of solvent to clean the guts in a couple of changes. Running a solvent"flush" often causes problems that might not have popped up w/o the solvent wash.
When I acquire a used vehicle, I change everything that hasn't been recently changed. I have specific choices of oils and lubricants that I use and significant distrust of many others.

 

[Cal44]

My brother in law had a 2008 Chevy extended cab, long bed truck with a 454 engine. He bought it for towing a 5th wheel for $3500. It had less than 50K miles on the clock and no rust (this is California).

Anyway, he decided he didn't like the 5th wheel, sold the trailer, and offered the truck to me.

I didn't buy it. So he fixed it up and started using it as his daily driver.

Then he found he was getting a steady 8 MPG.

Glad I didn't buy that gas hog.

Even with the 454, it seems like 8MPG is kind of low. Perhaps there is some problem with it, or maybe it just needs a good tune up.

Anyway, he can keep it as I bought a Ford Ranger which if big enough for my needs.

 

[Mobuck]

A 2008 with a 454(7.4L)? Pretty sure that's an 8.1 and you bet they like gas. Tom has a Silverado 2500 w/8.1 and it gets around 10 MPG regardless of loading. I had an 84 K3500 7.4L crewcab dually w/4 speed manual and 4.10 gears and even that beast got 12-14 unloaded on the highway.
I've been kicking around the idea sticking with the 3/4 ton series w/6.0L BUT the 3-4 mpg I think the 1/2 ton w/5.3 will gain is worthwhile. The K2500 6.0L I have gets 15-16 mpg unloaded and is nice to drive BUT I get paid by the mile so improved mpg is an advantage. My old K2500 w/5.7 is averaging 15mpg so at current gas prices, my fuel cost is 15 cents/mile. Increasing that to 18 mpg lowers my fuel cost by 20%-- noticeable when you're running 12-15K miles on the clock.