Is it possible to keep truck too long?

[Trilla_one]

Never too long imo. An immaculate 97 Tahoe would get as much if not more attention than a 2024 at a car show.

Every vehicle has problems. It's our job to do our best at preventative maintenance to avoid big problems and tackle unforseen problems in the most financially realistic way.

 

[91RS]

at least with this Gen and up, 100% my opinion you're passed it.

they seem to completely fall apart about now, it's totally up to you if you're willing to do the work yourself to refresh everything, sure. put some money in it and have a solid truck that the look has aged well for another 150k. or if you're paying a shop, dump it before the bill is bigger than the truck is worth.

sadly there's a good change it will end up in a lot somewhere, someone that doesn't know the 150k mile timer has popped and will be posting a thread asking what do to with the truck he just bought a year from now.

this message board is depressing.

You think these fall apart at 150k? Maybe if they were completely neglected but the 900s can easily go 300k if cared for. I don’t see how you expect any vehicle to go the distance if you don’t ever spend any money on it. Even Toyotas and Hondas break.

 

[solli5pack]

About to cross 200 thousand and 12 years with mine and no end in sight! I joke with my wife that she can use it as a hearse to carry my coffin. Lol. The only reason I've been able to keep it though is by doing all the work myself. If I had to pay for $100 dollar oil changes and $500 oil pressure sensor replacements she'd be gone.

 

[j91z28d1]

You think these fall apart at 150k? Maybe if they were completely neglected but the 900s can easily go 300k if cared for. I don’t see how you expect any vehicle to go the distance if you don’t ever spend any money on it. Even Toyotas and Hondas break.

if you need a new cam/lifters, oil pan and rear cover gasket, tranny rebuild and converter replaced with a aftermarket one, all the mag ride shocks and compressor, motor mounts, rear axles seals, charcoal canister, purge valve, vent valve and... what else have I let off?


all by 150k and think of that as just maintenance. our definition of maintenance is just different. which is fine. I just don't feel that way.


and every Toyota I've been around needs none that. guys I know with them do nothing but tires, brakes and oil changes. everything else is oem well passed 300k. even the belts and hoses, every seal doesn't leak by then either lol.

to say I'm disappointing in gm these days would be an understatement, and it seems the newer the worse it gets but I'm glad you don't. I honestly am not trying to convince you not to like your truck. we can all fall for needy vehicles. I'm keeping mine, I just hate fixing stuff all the time haha.

anyone wanna come drop a transfer case and tranny for me to do my rear seals? I'm half temped to pull the engine out. it might be easier when I include the pan, balancer and pass side motor mount. ugh.

 

[j91z28d1]

About to cross 200 thousand and 12 years with mine and no end in sight! I joke with my wife that she can use it as a hearse to carry my coffin. Lol. The only reason I've been able to keep it though is by doing all the work myself. If I had to pay for $100 dollar oil changes and $500 oil pressure sensor replacements she'd be gone.

View attachment 426706

looks clean. sometimes I regret not getting an xl version of mine. the extra length is growing on me. oh well.


mine laughs at me for other reason with ours haha. it's more like told you you should have bought me that Toyota mini van I wanted every time I walk towards the garage and past the other projects I should be working on to fix something else haha.

blah. I do believe you need to be a decent mechanic to keep these around, or you're better off just buying something with a warranty. $7k tranny rebuilds because the stock torque converter killed it hurts me to watch people go thru. it just shouldn't be this way.

 

[j91z28d1]

Never too long imo. An immaculate 97 Tahoe would get as much if not more attention than a 2024 at a car show.

Every vehicle has problems. It's our job to do our best at preventative maintenance to avoid big problems and tackle unforseen problems in the most financially realistic way.

and rightly so.. the obs was a great truck. I still see them on the road today and I've had more people stop to talk to me about my 2 door than I have driving around my c6. Just great old trucks. they definitely should be kept forever if possible.

 

[91RS]

if you need a new cam/lifters, oil pan and rear cover gasket, tranny rebuild and converter replaced with a aftermarket one, all the mag ride shocks and compressor, motor mounts, rear axles seals, charcoal canister, purge valve, vent valve and... what else have I let off?


all by 150k and think of that as just maintenance. our definition of maintenance is just different. which is fine. I just don't feel that way.


and every Toyota I've been around needs none that. guys I know with them do nothing but tires, brakes and oil changes. everything else is oem well passed 300k. even the belts and hoses, every seal doesn't leak by then either lol.

to say I'm disappointing in gm these days would be an understatement, and it seems the newer the worse it gets but I'm glad you don't. I honestly am not trying to convince you not to like your truck. we can all fall for needy vehicles. I'm keeping mine, I just hate fixing stuff all the time haha.

anyone wanna come drop a transfer case and tranny for me to do my rear seals? I'm half temped to pull the engine out. it might be easier when I include the pan, balancer and pass side motor mount. ugh.

Cam and lifters aren’t actually that common and transmissions don’t last forever on any brand but leaks, shocks, and engine mounts are definitely wear items that should be expected with pretty much all cars. EVAP problems are common as well. My friend has a Lexus that the transmission is on its way out. So what? All cars break and to act like they don’t is just foolish. These trucks are 10 years old at a minimum. Repairs WILL be needed. You either make payments to the bank or the parts store/repair shop. Pick your poison.

 

[vcode]

Cam and lifters aren’t actually that common and transmissions don’t last forever on any brand but leaks, shocks, and engine mounts are definitely wear items that should be expected with pretty much all cars. EVAP problems are common as well. My friend has a Lexus that the transmission is on its way out. So what? All cars break and to act like they don’t is just foolish. These trucks are 10 years old at a minimum. Repairs WILL be needed. You either make payments to the bank or the parts store/repair shop. Pick your poison.

Exactly. He is claiming 99% have valvetrain issues by 250K miles......

 

[Geotrash]

Meanwhile, this will be me still on the 2007-2014 forum section in 25 years, driving the same old rigs.

 

[Larryjb]

About 10 years ago I thought I would replace a 20 year old vehicle because more an more things will be wearing out, increasing the cost of ownership.

Two things have happened in the last 5 years to change my opinion on this.
1) Used vehicles are so much more expensive that repairing a 20 year old vehicle is actually cheaper now. (I bought my 02 when it was 15 years old and paid $3500 Cdn for it.)
2) I absolutely cannot stand the new technology in any of the new vehicles. I used to like having new technology, but it has just gone way over the top. I do not need a huge touchscreen that has entertainment functions on it. I like to be able to reach over and turn knobs and press buttons by feel. This is very important to me. Same thing with the HVAC controls. I can reach over and feel how much to turn the heat up or down, switch defog modes, etc etc. Simple HVAC and radio controls have long disappeared from most new vehicles, especially from the SUV's.

With those two points, I probably won't be purchasing a replacement vehicle for some time, if ever. This means I'll have to keep it going for another 30 or 40 years. (That might be a problem though....)

 

[mikez71]

^^^X2^^^

New cars too annoying and too expensive.

Looking for pre-smog vehicle in my future.

 

[OR VietVet]

^^^X2^^^

New cars too annoying and too expensive.

Looking for pre-smog vehicle in my future.

Look for a nice GMT400.

 

[mikez71]

Look for a nice GMT400.

I had a '91 sierra, really hated it. Might have been the 305, 4l80, or leaf springs..
Also, it's not pre-smog.. But I like the look!

Whatever body I would get, I'd probably use the gmt900 drivetrain (6l80!).. It's been sorted out, rebuildable and tuneable.
just have a nice old body that's not paper thin and no broken plastic dash/handle/trim.

Maybe a 50's or 60's suburban... Don't mind a solid axle up front either.. restomod I guess they call em..

 

[OR VietVet]

I had a '91 sierra, really hated it. Might have been the 305, 4l80, or leaf springs..
Also, it's not pre-smog.. But I like the look!

Whatever body I would get, I'd probably use the gmt900 drivetrain (6l80!).. It's been sorted out, rebuildable and tuneable.
just have a nice old body that's not paper thin and no broken plastic dash/handle/trim.

Maybe a 50's or 60's suburban... Don't mind a solid axle up front either.. restomod I guess they call em..

Have an Oregon Suburban that is right up your alley:

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1965-gmc-suburban/

 

[mikez71]

Wow 351 V6.. Do like bench seats too!

 

[89Suburban]

Have an Oregon Suburban that is right up your alley:

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1965-gmc-suburban/

Boy oh boy would I love to tint the windows on that bad boy and terrorize King of Prussia with it.

 

[Trilla_one]

2) I absolutely cannot stand the new technology in any of the new vehicles. I used to like having new technology, but it has just gone way over the top. I do not need a huge touchscreen that has entertainment functions on it. I like to be able to reach over and turn knobs and press buttons by feel. This is very important to me. Same thing with the HVAC controls. I can reach over and feel how much to turn the heat up or down, switch defog modes, etc etc. Simple HVAC and radio controls have long disappeared from most new vehicles, especially from the SUV's.

Agreed.

Also, anyone who is paying attention will notice that new cars are becoming more and more privacy invasive. They always sell it to us under the guise of "convenience", similar to when the rolled out in car GPS and OnStar etc.

Your car knows everywhere you go, how long you stay there, how fast you drove to get there, and who you brought with you. Now you need an app to operate basic things that were standard on older vehicles. The most outrageous is needing a subscription to use heated seats.

 

[Pyramid_Head]

Keeping it and maintaining it beats financing another vehicle now-a-days. The feds really aren't stopping with interest rates anytime soon, plus, inflation keeps getting worse. I would keep it. The only thing painful about the 6l80 is that you cannot swap just any 6l80. It also needs to be programmed to your ecm. That, and the afm head aches, but, if you take good care of it, it'll last a while, and the those two issues I mentioned will not arise anytime soon.

 

[justchecking]

lol, I would agree on the value has dropped, the vehicle however is not going to fall apart all of a sudden
fix it or sell it for what you can and move on
I think I have around 165k on mine, no real issue's that I didn't cause, I have no plans to get rid of it. I have maintained it well and I fuilly expect to get many more years out of it.
still paying off a 16 I bought for the wife then I might start looking for a 2020 and that will likely be the last generation GM I ever buy and might pass this one on to the oldest offspring....
motor mounts are common the fix is to use a hummer mount
oil leaks just need new seals
mirrors can be repaired fairly easy, usually the gear strips that's a easy fix.
heated seats the grid breaks, it can be replaced.

You are correct! But then I think of the rust forming around my rear wheel wells... I don't mind fixing mechanical things at all, and it usually saves a lot of money... but dang, Ohio RUST!

 

[Doubeleive]

You are correct! But then I think of the rust forming around my rear wheel wells... I don't mind fixing mechanical things at all, and it usually saves a lot of money... but dang, Ohio RUST!

no rust here, stuff last's a long time