Looking at an old new ride

[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