I'm looking to buy an old beater truck just to have one whenever I need one. I already have a daily driver and this would only serve the purpose of special utility (getting trees, yard stuff, etc.). I found a 1997 Silverado Z71 4x4 with 404000 miles that I can get for $900. I test drove it yesterday and it didn't have any noticeable issues. It started with no effort, the steering was fine, brakes were great, all electricals function like they should, no check engine light, no smoke, no smells, no sounds. No visible leaks. It looks good (considering).

Given I plan to only put a few hundred miles on this thing per year, my question is....should I gamble the $900 on it? I'm hoping it will last a few years. What say you?

11/12/2015 10:55:05 AM

You'd be comfortable working on it?

11/12/2015 11:03:51 AM

only $900 and it runs and no major obvious issues? sure, go for it

11/12/2015 12:00:54 PM

Yeah, I think I'll be comfortable working on it, though my level of expertise goes only as far as a Haynes manual will take me.

11/12/2015 1:17:44 PM

Probably cheaper to just rent a truck when you need one. For instance, Fred Anderson Toyota rents out new pickup trucks.

11/12/2015 1:26:12 PM

^ that's all ya need

11/12/2015 2:02:15 PM

@ 900 bucks it's not much of a gamble. It's scrap value is probably almost that much. If you pulled the engine out and sold it as miles unknown you'd get 400-500 for it and scrap the rest for atleast that much.

11/12/2015 3:52:56 PM

if you have a common need for a truck, this makes a lot more sense than renting. Most rental places don't allow towing with their trucks, and even if they do its a new rental vehicle that you have to worry about getting dinged or scratched so you can't really use it like a truck.

11/12/2015 4:03:24 PM

That's a ton of miles, but if you drove it and it seems OK, 900 isn't a huge gamble. As has been noted, worst case scenario if something goes south is that you can still get scrap value.

Those GMT400s did rust, so check that it's within reason (obviously there's going to be some on a truck of that age and mileage). Also if you haven't had a truck before, tires can get kind of expensive depending on wheel size, but if they're bad you could probably replace with a used but less bad set and be just fine.

11/13/2015 2:28:19 AM

I just saw a cautionary story on this very subject this morning. Here's the transcript from the story:

Quote :

"Bob* makes the decision to buy a car for the first time. He sees an ad in the paper that sounds just like what he's looking for and when the seller comes to Arnold's house, he's more convinced than ever. The vendor is a little old lady whose husband has recently died. She claims the car was only ever driven a low speed and that it just breaks her heart to sell it. Arnold advises caution and suggests that he have Wayne the mechanic give the car a once over but Bob won't hear of it. The old woman has him wrapped around her little finger so tight that he even overpays for the car. Not surprisingly, the car breaks down the next day when he take her out for the first time. When Gomez checks it out, he finds saw dust in the transmission, used to keep it all running smoothly for a few days and a sure sign he was taken for a ride. They soon find exactly what that old lady has been up to."

*Name have been changed to protect the identities of victims.

11/13/2015 9:02:41 AM

edit:

Quote :

"^^ that's all ya need"

[Edited on November 13, 2015 at 9:37 AM. Reason : haynes manual ]

[Edited on November 13, 2015 at 9:52 AM. Reason : V awesome let us know how it goes!]

11/13/2015 9:36:47 AM

^ah...that totally changes the context.

thanks everyone for the advice! renting is just not an option as I'll probably want to use this thing for situations like tailgating and local camping and small towing jobs. I'll be picking up my beater at noon! *prays for no sawdust*

11/13/2015 9:43:01 AM

From how you describe the truck sounds like a deal and the only reason it's priced so low is the mileage. My only concern would be the transmission. I would drive it and hammer down on it a couple times from an idle and from 35 or so mph. Good thing is it's only $900 which is easily recoverable with the amount of people playing snapchat and fakebook while driving. Simply brake check someone who's playing internet behind you in traffic. As long as the truck has a receiver hitch the damage from the collision would be damn near close if not more than $900.

11/13/2015 10:07:48 AM

well....just picked up my pick up! drove it from holly springs to north Raleigh with no probs whatsoever. checked the coolant and oil levels before I left to make sure it was all good.


[Edited on November 13, 2015 at 3:12 PM. Reason : ]

11/13/2015 2:57:43 PM

livefilestore?

11/13/2015 3:00:43 PM

onedrive

11/13/2015 3:01:06 PM

I think that's a lot of miles for a truck engine that you dont know the exact history of.

11/18/2015 8:46:51 PM

I think any thousand dollar car is a gamble, but this one seems like a safer than most.

11/18/2015 9:32:35 PM

its renting a truck for a few weekends except that this one you can scratch and overload as much as you want

11/19/2015 8:30:19 AM

I probably would have gone with a pre-OBD-II vehicle to prevent potential state inspection related headaches, but hopefully this works out.

GL!

11/19/2015 9:21:45 AM

a year and a half later, this sumbitch is running like a top. had to do some things like change plugs, wires, cap, rotor, new battery, flush and fill transfer case, oil change, coolant flush and fill, clean throttle body, replace air filter, and replace coolant temp sensor. I added a solar battery maintainer so it'll stay charged up while sitting dormant. Also added a Yeti sticker on the back so it keeps ice colder longer.

basic maintenance that ends up costing about the same as the truck itself, but to me, this thing has been worth the upfront $900, to me. thanks for the assist TWW!

oh, and it's the K1500 model for the record.

3/31/2017 10:06:38 AM

Quote :

"I probably would have gone with a pre-OBD-II vehicle to prevent potential state inspection related headaches, but hopefully this works out."

agree with this. beaters should be pre 1996 unless you're in a non-emissions county with no plans to leave.

but glad it's working out for you. the GM trucks of that generation are pretty resilient.

3/31/2017 4:33:22 PM

Quote :

" Also added a Yeti sticker on the back so it keeps ice colder longer. "

LMAO

4/1/2017 11:30:56 AM

2.x years later, I'm selling the beast. It's been a great hauler and has been super awesome. I put a few hundred miles on it after purchasing and it's done everything I've ever asked it to do. Wife wanted me to consolidate vehicles, so instead of having a car and a truck, I'm now down to 1 car/truck. Got a new (to me) Honda Ridgeline. I've done most of my large volume hauling that I planned to do with the K1500, so I think 95% of my immediate future needs will be met with the Ridgeline. Sold it for $1000 and hopefully it'll be as good for the next guy as it was for me.

3/19/2018 2:11:16 PM

Over more than 2 years you put less than 1000 miles on the truck?! What the hell...

3/19/2018 4:17:48 PM

Quote :

"I'm looking to buy an old beater truck just to have one whenever I need one. I already have a daily driver and this would only serve the purpose of special utility (getting trees, yard stuff, etc.)."

Quote :

"I plan to only put a few hundred miles on this thing per year"

3/19/2018 4:34:18 PM