Looking at an old new ride

[liquify33]

Hey guys,
I'm looking at getting a new ride, looking at a couple of options.
'99 5.7 Vortec Z71 110K miles (yes really)
'01 Suburban LS 5.3 168K
'04 Tahoe LS 5.3 186K

Prices and condition fairly similar across the board. I'm leaning Z71 b/c well Z71. I also know both motors are reliable when treated well. I also know GM well enough that certain years/engines/combos are to be avoided. I can send dealer site links upon request for comparison.

4WD is not important nor is 3rd row or heavy towing.

Do you guys have any collective help/wisdom here? Things to look at on used models that are danger signs? Leak spots, etc...

Thanks in advance, hope to be showing off a monster soon!

ETA: yes, i did read the excellent threads in general and thanks to those fine folks who contributed.

 

[RaiderRodney]

I personally love the NBS, so the 01 or 04 would be my choice. I also feel like they are some of the best that have been built. My biggest concern when shopping for my Hoe was rust and maintenance records from the previous owner. Good luck and welcome to the family.

 

[Miami-Dade]

Welcome from Miami Beach Robert!!

Make sure you have a good independent mechanic put your vehicle on the rack and check everything out before you buy. I have seen many people buy sludge monsters who did not have the vehicle checked out before buying..Of coarse like Rodney said try to get some maintenance records on it but I am sure it will be hard unless it is a one owner vehicle which will be next to impossible to find.

 

[liquify33]

I personally love the NBS, so the 01 or 04 would be my choice. I also feel like they are some of the best that have been built. My biggest concern when shopping for my Hoe was rust and maintenance records from the previous owner. Good luck and welcome to the family.

Thank you sir. I will put eyeballs on all candidates this week. The '99 is a 3 owner car with 6+ years each owner so I'm thinking if it was a turd they would have bailed sooner. I could be wrong, ask my wife!

 

[RaiderRodney]

Oh, and don't forget to run a Carfax on anything you're seriously considering. You can always find them on eBay for less than $5. If they've taken it to the dealer for service it will show up. Mine had 14 pages of maintenance records.

 

[liquify33]

Oh, and don't forget to run a Carfax on anything you're seriously considering. You can always find them on eBay for less than $5. If they've taken it to the dealer for service it will show up. Mine had 14 pages of maintenance records.

I PM'd carfax for the 99 to you. Not sure yet what the direct link posting rules are here *should look into that....

 

[Scottydoggs]

Oh, and don't forget to run a Carfax on anything you're seriously considering. You can always find them on eBay for less than $5. If they've taken it to the dealer for service it will show up. Mine had 14 pages of maintenance records.

14 pages of records is not a good thing in my book. means it breaks a lot. i had probably 20 pages of records on my last new truck, ( 03 gmc 2500hd) and over 60 days of shop time. i also lemon lawed it and won 6k. so theres that side of things too.

 

[adriver]

Welcome from Miami Beach Robert!!

Make sure you have a good independent mechanic put your vehicle on the rack and check everything out before you buy. I have seen many people buy sludge monsters who did not have the vehicle checked out before buying..Of coarse like Rodney said try to get some maintenance records on it but I am sure it will be hard unless it is a one owner vehicle which will be next to impossible to find.

Carfax lists vehicles for sale on their website, and all vehicles there come with a free Carfax. (one of the many sites I have been looking at).


OP I hope you started with the sticky at the top of the forum... (I ask every time someone doesn't specifically mention it). Your choices are all over the place. 99 is an OBS, that's a different body style than the 01 and 04. There were changes made almost every year, and the biggest changes (besides the body style from 99/2000) is the 99-02 and 03-06.

The 5.7 gets much worse fuel mileage the NBS. 2-4 mpg kind of worse. I would love to see if there is anyone who will say the 5.7 is as reliable as the 4.8/5.3 Gen III in the NBS. I would take a 180K mile 5.3 over a 110K mile 5.7 any day.

Do you do, or plan to modify the vehicles/your past vehicles in any ways (even wheels and tires, stereo, intake/exhaust, engine, suspension, exterior appearance)??

How do you drive (soft, speed, aggressive, proper, any towing, any off-road … ), will this be a daily driver? Do you do your own maintenance?

The variations between similar models include stereo, suspension, appearance, engine, interior trim and leather/cloth. You don't care if its 4wd, but that's going to hurt your mileage, are you flexible/just looking to buy right away? Is it a cash buy, or dealer with financing/ do you have a budget? Do you have ANY specifications that you would prefer or must have? (Your 3 are actually quite different for what you are looking at, and so far it just sounds like you are willing to be flexible).


The z71 is not worth it unless you don't want to do any modifications at all, and think that when the designers and engineers 20+ years ago (or 30 years ago for the 99), were designing this based on what they knew then, were told, "No, we can't do that, make it cheaper", by the money people; that they nailed it just right for how you want your vehicle to be... (personally the only way I would consider an OBS is to swap in a newer Gen III engine.). I am currently searching for something very specific, There are probably more than a thousand 99-06 SUVs for sale across the country right now that I have seen, (and that's just in the south, no rust area). For those examples you listed, I see those $5k-$9K from dealers and about $4k-$7K from owners.


If you don't have a big family, tow heavy, or need the extra room, not sure why you would consider a suburban. That's the longer wheel base that give a little more room in front of and behind the third row. It adds weight, reduces mileage, and adds I think 3 feet to the size of the Tahoe/Yukon.

 

[iamdub]

NBS over Vortec any day.

Having said that, the two NBSs in your list are a Suburban and a Tahoe. So, do you prefer (looks or space needs) the longer or shorter one?

 

[liquify33]

Carfax lists vehicles for sale on their website, and all vehicles there come with a free Carfax. (one of the many sites I have been looking at).


OP I hope you started with the sticky at the top of the forum... That's the longer wheel base that give a little more room in front of and behind the third row. It adds weight, reduces mileage, and adds I think 3 feet to the size of the Tahoe/Yukon.

I did go through the thread and it was most helpful. I ended up with the '99 Z71. Budget and time were tight on a replacement but I will have access to another vehicle in the near future when my wife transitions jobs. This will be a short term daily, long term fun truck. I can do most maintenance short of pulling a motor (lack of equipment now). I've had 2 heavily modded Z-28's ('99 with 6spd and '02 auto). I was looking at these trucks in general solely because a client who appraises vehicles said the Tahoes are tough to kill.

I drove the '05 and it blew the radiator on the way back from testing and looked sketchy in general. 3 Firestones on old rims and 1 clone rim with no cap and a bald mud tire. The Suburban was just rode hard and put up wet in general. The one I chose was by far the pick of the litter mechanically, has a worn driver seat and needs a stepper motor for the speedo, otherwise REALLY good shape for being 20+.

 

[Tonyrodz]

I did go through the thread and it was most helpful. I ended up with the '99 Z71. Budget and time were tight on a replacement but I will have access to another vehicle in the near future when my wife transitions jobs. This will be a short term daily, long term fun truck. I can do most maintenance short of pulling a motor (lack of equipment now). I've had 2 heavily modded Z-28's ('99 with 6spd and '02 auto). I was looking at these trucks in general solely because a client who appraises vehicles said the Tahoes are tough to kill.

I drove the '05 and it blew the radiator on the way back from testing and looked sketchy in general. 3 Firestones on old rims and 1 clone rim with no cap and a bald mud tire. The Suburban was just rode hard and put up wet in general. The one I chose was by far the pick of the litter mechanically, has a worn driver seat and needs a stepper motor for the speedo, otherwise REALLY good shape for being 20+.

View attachment 214614

So the speedo doesn't work? I wonder how long it hasn't worked with 110,000 on it.

 

[adriver]

Yeah I'm laughing a little at how having what was probably one blown tire that needed to be replaced and wasn't in stock, was less suspicious then an odometer that hasn't worked in..... HOW LONG??

Wondering what info through Carfax, registration or something that would show different mileage and how recent.

On an NBS, the cluster at least has to have the VIN reflashed if not original on the vehicle. Whats the chance/difficulty of someone buying a 2nd cluster for an OBS, and swapping it out for a few thousand miles a year for registration?

 

[liquify33]

It was way beyond the tire mismatch, it was an auction vehicle that just seemed sketchy in general. Someone trying to polish a turd was the feeling i got. Cash lot life i guess.

I've got almost 100 miles of Houston warfare traffic on the 99 now, couldn't finish a test drive in the other. You guys are probably right in that NBS is better but in this case with 24 hours and $4K cash I got the best I could, IMHO.

As far as the speedo issue, its just the stepper and I'll send the unit in for a rebuild. Odometer and all other gauges still function. The speedometer just jumps up and never comes down until la few seconds at full stop. That cluster on both styles seems to be a cluster of a design in general.

Cheers fellas!

 

[iamdub]

NBS trucks ARE better, but surely not the ones you were looking at! Given the situation with those options and nothing else, I would've went with the '99 as well. Is it a 4WD Z71? I know the Z71 package was available on 2WD trucks at one point.

 

[mountie]

CarFax is only as helpful as what was reported to the website. CarFax is not all information ( The advertisements even say " no accidents reported" ) Highlight, "reported" !!

Go to a dealer and ask for the vin number records. I checked my Yukon XL before buying and found very good scheduling on basic services on the life on my SLT.

I just returned from Daytona Speedway, driving farthest, since buying it. The truck was perfect. (300 mile round trip) At Daytona, the Chevrolet tent had a new Tahoe..

$78,000....... Ouch !! Interior was similar to mine, just "nicer".... I'll take my 2005 over that price any day. I noticed the seat warmer buttons are relocated to the center console.... better than next to the window switches in mine, that get turned on accidentally by my left finger.

 

[Tonyrodz]

CarFax is only as helpful as what was reported. CarFax is not all information ( The advertisements even say " no accidents reported" ) Highlight, "reported" !!

Go to a dealer and ask for the vin number records.

True