Hello All,
I'm new to the Forum and this is my first post following my introductory one, so if I filed it in the wrong place or if it's too long, please just let me know.
Just kicked off week two with my 2002 Tahoe LS 4WD with about 132,000 miles that my kids named "Sharkzilla". I'm the second owner of this truck according to Carfax and it took me about 6 months of searching to find a project truck in my price range and in relatively decent shape. I ended up paying $5000 and had to drive about 100 miles to buy her from a wholesaler.
My self-imposed budget for restoring her is $10,000 total, so I have a good amount left after the purchase. I've already put on about 500 miles on her and she drives and runs smoothly for a 22 year old truck.
I'm a little older than some on here; my first car was a 1979 Oldsmobile Cutlass with a busted water pump that was 12 years old when she was handed down to me on my 17th birthday. I haven't had a real SUV since my 1995 Cherokee XJ that I bought in 1996 and had only lasted 10 years before rusting out on me. I'm excited to have such a cool truck again and I'm especially happy to own something that I can work on and service on my own compared with my modern daily drivers that need computers and other nonsense to repair.
Looks like Sharkzilla sat idle for a while so I started to tackle the little things that got overlooked. Here's the lowdown:
- **Tires**: They were old Uniroyal Laredos (245 75R16) on stock rims. The door placard says 265 70R16 so I'm not sure why the original owner put on thinner ones. They were nearly bald, so I ended up going with Ironman All Country AT2s (265 70R16) as recommended by a mechanic friend to stay within budget. He also gave it a good inspection and was amazed at the minimal amount of work that it needs for its age. The underside and frame are relatively rust-free except for the original spare tire assembly, which looks like it's never been used, so I'm assuming that the original spare is bolted down there.
- **Added Ventvisors**. Luckily, 3 of the 4 windows go down perfectly, but the left rear is slow and on goes down a few inches. The AC needs a charge, so these will come in handy for when it gets a little warmer until I add some refrigerant.
- **Gave it an Oil Change with Full Synthetic. Also added AT-205 for the hell of it (I'm a Scotty Kilmer fan).
- **Center Console/Jump Seat Lid**: Swapped out the buster lid. Lubricated the latch because it was sticking. Ended up also lubricating all the door hinges and latches as well as the hood latch, which are all still in working order.
- **Power Mirrors & Driver's Seat**: They weren't working when I bought it from the wholesalers. They told me that the motors were "broken", but I bought the truck anyway because the previous owner had set them up in a way that was okay for me, and have been driving it like that. It started to get annoying, so I thought I'd give it a shot and replaced the switches. Problem solved! I can move my seat and my mirrors perfectly.
- **Floor Mats**: Upgraded to heavy-duty rubber mats. Added a dog mat in the back seat because my kids like sitting in the 3rd row with the 2nd row folded down, but they're complete goblins and would ruin the pristine carpeting in 2 minutes.
- **Radio Antenna Mast**: Got a flexible mini mast rather than the stock metal one. I don't listen to the radio anymore because everything is attached to my phone, and it looks cooler in my opinion.
- **Lights**: Added LED headlights and LED daytime running lamps. I'm planning to switch everything to LED, since it's basically plug and play.
- **GPS and USB**: Kept the old 2015 Sony stereo that sounds amazing(Bluetooth still works on it so I can use my phone for audio) and I added a Garmin GPS as my navigation unit. The Garmin also talks to my phone, so it's an integrated system without having to touch the aftermarket stereo wiring. I'm also running a USB charging unit with its own shut-off switches off the 12volt sockets. (Found out that they stay on when the engine is off because the GPS drained my battery on the first night).
- **Wiper Blades**: I put in RainEx blades.
I found the original window sticker and all the manuals in the glove compartment and can post them if anyone would think that would be interesting to see. Mine was about $37,000 new. That's the equivalent of about $63,000 today according to ChatGPT.
Unfortunately, she's throwing a P0430 code on bank 2, which got me planning a full tune-up next. I'm also planning an upgrade on the brakes and adding a Class III trailer hitch because it never had one. That probably explains a lot about its great condition. It has the "Tow/Haul" control stalk on the right side of the steering column, so I'm assuming that was standard equipment. I'm also adding a 7-pin to 4-pin converter for the stock trailer wiring harness. I will only be towing a Harbour Freight trailer that I use for camping and as a canoe/kayak rack, so I'm not planning to be too ******* the drivetrain.
**What's Next?
Any advice from the Forum will be most welcome! I'm especially curious about tackling that P0430 and the brake upgrade. I'm looking forward to hear what you guys think and to dive deeper into this Tahoe life.
Thanks for letting me share!
