Thinking about buying '04 Z71 Tahoe....thoughts?

[Monkeyman]

I've owned a few GM SUVs (I currently drive an '04 S10 Blazer) and I'm looking for a full size SUV now. I've found an '04 Z71 Tahoe but have a few questions about it. It's a 1 owner (good) truck that, for the most part, seems to be in good condition. It's 600 miles away so I can't look at it myself. I've got a few pics. The current owner says it was only in a minor accident that took out the front "mud flap" and "side step-up bar" (I assume he means the factory nerf bar). It only has 82k miles (very good).

Now for the bad. Current defects are: small tear in the side of the drivers (leather) seat ($200 to replace), passenger front wheel has the clear coat coming off (ugly but probably safe...no idea what it would cost to replace) and....LOTS of surface rust underneath (been an upstate NY truck all it's life). The rust bothers me. My Blazer has been an Indiana truck all its life and has the same type of underside surface rust as this Tahoe seems to have. No "rot" but it's difficult to remove/adjust any suspension parts. From the pics I have, assume the Tahoe is in the same state.

I'd love to find a good running, mostly great condition Z71 for a good price but what do ya'll think about this underside surface rust? The truck is loaded (everything but navigation which I wouldn't want anyway) and the seller says it all works as it should. What would you give for this?

 

[Monkeyman]

Couple more pics including the bad wheel.

 

[JochenWoern]

Looks pretty clean from what I can see in the pictures, other than the underbody rust, which I would imagine to be normal on that side of the country (I am just spoiled in CA).

I would think you could put the truck up on a rack and clean most of this rust off and refinish the underside. Another member on here has done this and it turned out very nice, unfortunately I can no longer remember his name, but there are pics on this exact thread if you go a few months back. I remember the Tahoe being blue.

Refinishing the wheel or finding some clean ones on Craigslist should be a very easy task.

What is the asking price of this truck? If all checks out as described and the truck is otherwise taken care off and clean, with the low miles I am thinking around 6-7k, this is what it would cost here but the market may be different elsewhere.

Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[sbubbaklein]

looks pretty nice, what can you get it for?

 

[cmc76]

i bought the identical truck about 6 weeks ago, but with higher miles. the rust im seeing in the picture wouldnt bother me. ive lived in IL and now WI. its unavoidable.
the first thing i did to mine was the drivers seat and foam from the seat shop. wasnt cheap but im happy i did and it was an easy task. as far as im concerned its probably the most comfortable vehicle ive had. i like it better than a newwer grand cherokee.
i think with the miles if you can get it at a $ you like, the rust shoudnt be a factor.

 

[Monkeyman]

Thanks a lot for the replies, guys! It's an eBay auction with a no reserve starting price of $9k. This is a relist as the seller didn't get any hits the first time around. After 5 days of a 7 day auction, he still hasn't had any bids. I'm thinking I'll let the auction expire then offer $7k and see what he says. I don't want to offend the guy but I'd like to get it for less than $9k. I think I'd be happy settling on about $7500-$8k. My budget allows for $9k but then I have to figure in shipping (I'm NOT driving back from upstate NY in this weather, especially in a new vehicle where I don't know the characteristics), a new(er) wheel and the seat fix. For this, I'd like to stay under $10k including the fixes, shipping, sales tax, etc. If I don't get this, there will be others out there. I'm not in a hurry as I just put $400 into my Blazer to get it ready for winter. (It's a $3500 truck but I'll probably give it away to a needy family once I get something else.)

---------- Post added at 11:42 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:40 PM ----------

I would think you could put the truck up on a rack and clean most of this rust off and refinish the underside. Another member on here has done this and it turned out very nice, unfortunately I can no longer remember his name, but there are pics on this exact thread if you go a few months back. I remember the Tahoe being blue.

If you (or anyone) can find this thread, please post up. I don't even know what to search for.

 

[JochenWoern]

Thanks a lot for the replies, guys! It's an eBay auction with a no reserve starting price of $9k. This is a relist as the seller didn't get any hits the first time around. After 5 days of a 7 day auction, he still hasn't had any bids. I'm thinking I'll let the auction expire then offer $7k and see what he says. I don't want to offend the guy but I'd like to get it for less than $9k. I think I'd be happy settling on about $7500-$8k. My budget allows for $9k but then I have to figure in shipping (I'm NOT driving back from upstate NY in this weather, especially in a new vehicle where I don't know the characteristics), a new(er) wheel and the seat fix. For this, I'd like to stay under $10k including the fixes, shipping, sales tax, etc. If I don't get this, there will be others out there. I'm not in a hurry as I just put $400 into my Blazer to get it ready for winter. (It's a $3500 truck but I'll probably give it away to a needy family once I get something else.)

---------- Post added at 11:42 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:40 PM ----------



If you (or anyone) can find this thread, please post up. I don't even know what to search for.

I searched for you.

Member name is MUDFROG, thread is named "my new to me TAHOE"
There is a nice before and after picture of the work he did on the underbody and it turned out pretty nice.

You may want to send him a PM in case you are looking for more detail.

Hope this helped.

 

[JochenWoern]

I searched for you.

Member name is MUDFROG, thread is named "my new to me TAHOE"
There is a nice before and after picture of the work he did on the underbody and it turned out pretty nice.

You may want to send him a PM in case you are looking for more detail.

Hope this helped.

Here is the thread with the pictures:

http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=61386

 

[Monkeyman]

Gracias!

 

[JochenWoern]

Gracias!

Denada

 

[DJW]

The rust should bother you.

Hello,

I just went through this drill. I spent 3 months learning the "ins and outs" of the 04-06 Z71 Tahoes. I bought my 2005 Z71 two weeks ago in Phoenix. 71K and pretty clean.

What I have learned: Rust is an issue. It is all but impossible to detect everywhere the salt has gotten into. In 1998, NY State was using 16 tons of salt, per lane, per mile. Here is a paper on road salt: http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/sr/sr235/017-030.pdf
That data is a bit old, but I think it may still be close enough. It isn't just frame members, it is brake lines and brake components, wiring, you name it. Ten years of upstate salt may be an issue. I have had people say you can clean it and coat it. Others (the ones I trust) say that you cannot stop the corrosion.

I do like the green. 2004 was the last year they offered it. The build on these varies a lot. The options vary like crazy. Here is a link to the "build sheet" for the VIN on the car you are looking at: http://www.compnine.com/mycar.php?id=3621b73ba0fbe579a39faf951003bc62

I ran the CarFax on this one's VIN as I still have a free subscription for a few weeks.). Not sure how to post that. It does show an accident on 4-16-07. The parts requested for repair were the front bumper, right fender and running board(?). Thought that might help.

Now, having gone through this, I would not spend that kind of money unless you inspect it or preferably have a shop run through it. I thought I did a pretty good evaluation of mine. Then I spent $700 on it the next week on things I missed. You can to a lot of recon over the phone, but these are complex vehicles and there is a lot to evaluate.

A love this series. I had the money for a 2007 or newer, but frankly I don't like to newer body style. And the brand new ones really suck. The 00 to 06 have a great style. Chevy missed the boat when they changed it.

Good luck. Be patient and consider traveling out of the salt states for a clean one. Good luck. d.

 

[JochenWoern]

All very good points for sure. However, IMO, it all comes down to the mighty old dollar.

For comparison, last year I sold my previous vehicle (2006 GMC Yukon SLE, 4x4) with just under 100k miles on the clock for $14k here in the rust free state of CA.

So I think you will not find a rust free one with those low miles for the price he wants to pay.

Again, just my opinion.

 

[clandr1]

Hello,

I just went through this drill. I spent 3 months learning the "ins and outs" of the 04-06 Z71 Tahoes. I bought my 2005 Z71 two weeks ago in Phoenix. 71K and pretty clean.

What I have learned: Rust is an issue. It is all but impossible to detect everywhere the salt has gotten into. In 1998, NY State was using 16 tons of salt, per lane, per mile. Here is a paper on road salt: http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/sr/sr235/017-030.pdf
That data is a bit old, but I think it may still be close enough. It isn't just frame members, it is brake lines and brake components, wiring, you name it. Ten years of upstate salt may be an issue. I have had people say you can clean it and coat it. Others (the ones I trust) say that you cannot stop the corrosion.

I do like the green. 2004 was the last year they offered it. The build on these varies a lot. The options vary like crazy. Here is a link to the "build sheet" for the VIN on the car you are looking at: http://www.compnine.com/mycar.php?id=3621b73ba0fbe579a39faf951003bc62

I ran the CarFax on this one's VIN as I still have a free subscription for a few weeks.). Not sure how to post that. It does show an accident on 4-16-07. The parts requested for repair were the front bumper, right fender and running board(?). Thought that might help.

Now, having gone through this, I would not spend that kind of money unless you inspect it or preferably have a shop run through it. I thought I did a pretty good evaluation of mine. Then I spent $700 on it the next week on things I missed. You can to a lot of recon over the phone, but these are complex vehicles and there is a lot to evaluate.

A love this series. I had the money for a 2007 or newer, but frankly I don't like to newer body style. And the brand new ones really suck. The 00 to 06 have a great style. Chevy missed the boat when they changed it.

Good luck. Be patient and consider traveling out of the salt states for a clean one. Good luck. d.

Excellent post!

 

[Monkeyman]

Hello,

I ran the CarFax on this one's VIN as I still have a free subscription for a few weeks.). Not sure how to post that. It does show an accident on 4-16-07. The parts requested for repair were the front bumper, right fender and running board(?). Thought that might help.

Thanks for all that, especially the Carfax. The owner said there was a minor accident where his wife slid into a snowbank. He said the only things replaced were a "mudflap" and the step bar. Looks like the bumper and fender were also involved. I think I'll pass on this one, at pretty much any price.

There will be other Tahoes/Yukons (and maybe even a Suburban, if I can fit it in the garage) from a relatively salt free state, loaded up, with good specs and decent miles at my price. It might take a while to find but it's out there somewhere. Once spring rolls around, I'm sure there will be a few who'll sell their 4wd trucks for a little less than they'd be willing to part with them now.

Thanks again!

 

[clandr1]

The owner said there was a minor accident where his wife slid into a snowbank. He said the only things replaced were a "mudflap" and the step bar.

Wow, a dishonest seller. Who'd have thought?

Good idea to pass on this one. If he's not being forthcoming about the body damage, there's no telling what else he might be hiding from you.

 

[Monkeyman]

Wow, a dishonest seller. Who'd have thought?

Yeah. I don't much care to do business long distance but sometimes it can't be helped.

I got burned once on what turned out to be a Katrina flood car. Everything from the bottom of the windows down was toast (and well hidden). Once I see a bunch of underside rust, I panic. Not that I wouldn't buy a northern truck. I know that "some" undercarriage rust is fine (my Blazer has had underbelly surface rust as long as I've had it and it hasn't gotten any worse in 7 years) as long as I can see the extent for myself or have an unbiased 3rd party check it out.