Mr. Merk
Member
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2015
- Posts
- 76
- Reaction score
- 1
Hey guys,
I'm Merk, I'm a car addict.
I'm a service manager at a GMC dealership and the other day a customer called and said he wanted to sell his 04 Yukon Denali that his son drove through college. He wanted to bring it in for inspection before driving it three hours and trying to trade it. I was familiar with the truck and knew it well, also knew they never maintained or fixed anything unless they had to. It had 108k on it and the transmission was replaced at 92k.
Turned out they were buying a 2015 Escalade and thought they'd trade it in. After a little haggle between him, myself and the competing Cadillac dealership I drove three hours and spent $4000 on a decent running Denali.
It is scratched, faded and dinged up on the outside but it can all be addressed. It needs a few repairs and a bunch of maintenance, but I've got resources.
Here is when we had it in for inspection
First mod, swapped 22" TBSS wheels off of my Sierra
I went through and reprogrammed as many modules as I could with updated software revisions, fixing the Auxilary Heat in the process. The level ride compressor and shocks were shot, so I unhooked the battery and removed the RTD fuse eliminating the light (Bilsteins coming soon.)
(^this is a good idea, see if your local dealership will go in and update your PCM, EBCM, BCM, and HVAC modules with the latest and greatest for $50-100)
Yesterday we replaced one of the steering wheel controls that was burned out, the headlight switch because the dimmer would occasionally shut all my dash illumination off at times, and the drivers door seal that was causing wind noise.
I ordered an EBCM, MSD wires and NGK plugs, corvette servo, and yellow fogs. I'll also order another set of the 22s to replace the ones off of my truck.
I'll probably drop in the DDM 35w ballasts with 4300k Morimoto bulbs and a 6HI harness from Mr. Taillight. I'm really happy with the same setup in my Sierra. I've thought about doing the Mini H1 conversion but not sure if it's worth the money to me or not.
I'd like to lower it just a tad using 2500 torsion keys and OEM Trailblazer rear springs.
On my Sierra I used an ebay intake tube and ported the throttlebody, I'll probably do that again as well. Maybe some electric fans down the road.
Speaking of my Sierra (so much)
2005 SLT 5.3L 2wd 3.73 G80
Tint, 4300k 35w in OEM Denali Housings, Plasti-dip trim (soon to be painted/wrapped), yellow fogs, Mr. Taillight 6hi harness, hacked airbox, Spectre filter, ebay intake tube, ported and bypassed throttlebody, $10 Edge programmer, corvette servo, OEM TB converter, OEM Yukon swaybar, rear shackles, TBSS 22" reps, OEM Escalade tires, tail gate strut, LED reverse lamps, flush cargo hooks, 3pc engine cover, OEM GMT900 tail gate emblems, GMT900 style fender liners, spray in bedliner, weathertech mats, hidden locking holster. I'm sure I'm forgetting something.
2013 Audi S4 3.0 Supercharged
(when stock with 2000mi on it)
(now with RS4 style grille, plasti dip trim (soon to be wrapped), H&R springs, VMR 9.5" wheels, and USP intake)
'87 S-10 drag project (wife & father-in-law project)
This has been on going project since 2006. It currently has a destroked 400 block with aluminum heads. It's been one carb failure after another with this thing and now it leaks all over the place. I'm about to do a junkyard turbo 5.3 and really make it go fast.
88 911 barnfind with 25000mi
Literally store in a barn since '91. I spent a bunch on it but probably only 50% of market value. Within 24 hours it was lowered and had exhaust. Got some seriously sticky tires to replace the 25 year old rubber that was on it. Fixed a couple things and my wife got me some new tunes, a badass steering wheel and a couple other cool knick-knacks. Restraining the modifications to whats legal in SCCA C-Street class (for now.) Down the road I'd like to do an ITB aluminum 4.8 swap. If not this 911 then another.
Previously I drove this 2002 S4 with about every bolt on other than turbos. It was fun. Rain, snow or shine. That is, until my wife got her new S4 that did all the same things without any compromise.
Wife's previous 2008 A4 S-line Titanium 2.0T, VMR RS4 wheels
Tune, intake, coilovers, brakes, yellow fogs etc.
My 2004 GTI 1.8T, H&R/Bilstein, intake, tune, downpipe, RS4 wheels etc
Wife's first Audi, RS4 wheels, S4 grille, brakes, intake, BOV etc
Going way back, Wife's first car and my turbo 2.3 Mustang
Also had a turbo 2.3 Ranger that was amazing, but I was ignorant and I just kept ******* up a good thing.
I'm Merk, I'm a car addict.
I'm a service manager at a GMC dealership and the other day a customer called and said he wanted to sell his 04 Yukon Denali that his son drove through college. He wanted to bring it in for inspection before driving it three hours and trying to trade it. I was familiar with the truck and knew it well, also knew they never maintained or fixed anything unless they had to. It had 108k on it and the transmission was replaced at 92k.
Turned out they were buying a 2015 Escalade and thought they'd trade it in. After a little haggle between him, myself and the competing Cadillac dealership I drove three hours and spent $4000 on a decent running Denali.
It is scratched, faded and dinged up on the outside but it can all be addressed. It needs a few repairs and a bunch of maintenance, but I've got resources.
Here is when we had it in for inspection
First mod, swapped 22" TBSS wheels off of my Sierra
I went through and reprogrammed as many modules as I could with updated software revisions, fixing the Auxilary Heat in the process. The level ride compressor and shocks were shot, so I unhooked the battery and removed the RTD fuse eliminating the light (Bilsteins coming soon.)
(^this is a good idea, see if your local dealership will go in and update your PCM, EBCM, BCM, and HVAC modules with the latest and greatest for $50-100)
Yesterday we replaced one of the steering wheel controls that was burned out, the headlight switch because the dimmer would occasionally shut all my dash illumination off at times, and the drivers door seal that was causing wind noise.
I ordered an EBCM, MSD wires and NGK plugs, corvette servo, and yellow fogs. I'll also order another set of the 22s to replace the ones off of my truck.
I'll probably drop in the DDM 35w ballasts with 4300k Morimoto bulbs and a 6HI harness from Mr. Taillight. I'm really happy with the same setup in my Sierra. I've thought about doing the Mini H1 conversion but not sure if it's worth the money to me or not.
I'd like to lower it just a tad using 2500 torsion keys and OEM Trailblazer rear springs.
On my Sierra I used an ebay intake tube and ported the throttlebody, I'll probably do that again as well. Maybe some electric fans down the road.
Speaking of my Sierra (so much)
2005 SLT 5.3L 2wd 3.73 G80
Tint, 4300k 35w in OEM Denali Housings, Plasti-dip trim (soon to be painted/wrapped), yellow fogs, Mr. Taillight 6hi harness, hacked airbox, Spectre filter, ebay intake tube, ported and bypassed throttlebody, $10 Edge programmer, corvette servo, OEM TB converter, OEM Yukon swaybar, rear shackles, TBSS 22" reps, OEM Escalade tires, tail gate strut, LED reverse lamps, flush cargo hooks, 3pc engine cover, OEM GMT900 tail gate emblems, GMT900 style fender liners, spray in bedliner, weathertech mats, hidden locking holster. I'm sure I'm forgetting something.
2013 Audi S4 3.0 Supercharged
(when stock with 2000mi on it)
(now with RS4 style grille, plasti dip trim (soon to be wrapped), H&R springs, VMR 9.5" wheels, and USP intake)
'87 S-10 drag project (wife & father-in-law project)
This has been on going project since 2006. It currently has a destroked 400 block with aluminum heads. It's been one carb failure after another with this thing and now it leaks all over the place. I'm about to do a junkyard turbo 5.3 and really make it go fast.
88 911 barnfind with 25000mi
Literally store in a barn since '91. I spent a bunch on it but probably only 50% of market value. Within 24 hours it was lowered and had exhaust. Got some seriously sticky tires to replace the 25 year old rubber that was on it. Fixed a couple things and my wife got me some new tunes, a badass steering wheel and a couple other cool knick-knacks. Restraining the modifications to whats legal in SCCA C-Street class (for now.) Down the road I'd like to do an ITB aluminum 4.8 swap. If not this 911 then another.
Previously I drove this 2002 S4 with about every bolt on other than turbos. It was fun. Rain, snow or shine. That is, until my wife got her new S4 that did all the same things without any compromise.
Wife's previous 2008 A4 S-line Titanium 2.0T, VMR RS4 wheels
Tune, intake, coilovers, brakes, yellow fogs etc.
My 2004 GTI 1.8T, H&R/Bilstein, intake, tune, downpipe, RS4 wheels etc
Wife's first Audi, RS4 wheels, S4 grille, brakes, intake, BOV etc
Going way back, Wife's first car and my turbo 2.3 Mustang
Also had a turbo 2.3 Ranger that was amazing, but I was ignorant and I just kept ******* up a good thing.
