rayra
Expedition Leader
$3k vs $6k? big whoop. The 800s have really got most of the kinks worked out and are dead simple to work on, especially the engines. And parts are dirt cheap right now. I've been putting a lot of related info in my 'Hey Vortec Guys' topic, for anyone that wants to read more than nitro's s-talking about them. Their fuel injection is certainly much better than the TBI and spider setups of the 400s.
I've owned a carb-equipped SBC C-10 for over 30yrs, had a '99 Tahoe new thru '05, the '05 Tahoe since new and now about to cross 200k mi, and the '02 for just over 3yrs. I changed the oil pan gaskets and pickup tube o-rings on both last year and the guts of that Tahoe motor looked. I've driven a lot of miles in the southwest deserts, but not at high speeds and I dont bash my vehicles around rock-crawling. But have driven a lot of washes, fire roads, things that were fire roads in the Sierras. I've never broken anything but tires. So when someone comes along braying that IFS is crap, I have to wonder wth they are smoking. Or how they drive or abuse their vehicles.
And too, I have to wonder how their interpretation or assignment of 'lack' has anything to do with the vehicles in question. You can TRY to do a lot of things in these vehicles, well outside their design parameters. Put your foot in it hard or jump a 6000-lb+ vehicle. And that's why there's an aftermarket rife with beefed up parts. And you get a topic like CrazyDrei's
You want to see a GM build with some good upgrades on it, go look up Stryder106's Avalanche. He's been doing some nice stuff to it, and taking the sort of 'expeditions' this place is supposedly about.
eta 2005-2006 Subs and Tahoes are down around $8k now. They were ~$14k 3-4yrs ago. If I was starting my search for such a vehicle now, those are the years I'd be looking at as the best 'value' / nexus of condition, cost, useful life remaining and low cost of repairs or upgrades.
I've owned a carb-equipped SBC C-10 for over 30yrs, had a '99 Tahoe new thru '05, the '05 Tahoe since new and now about to cross 200k mi, and the '02 for just over 3yrs. I changed the oil pan gaskets and pickup tube o-rings on both last year and the guts of that Tahoe motor looked. I've driven a lot of miles in the southwest deserts, but not at high speeds and I dont bash my vehicles around rock-crawling. But have driven a lot of washes, fire roads, things that were fire roads in the Sierras. I've never broken anything but tires. So when someone comes along braying that IFS is crap, I have to wonder wth they are smoking. Or how they drive or abuse their vehicles.
And too, I have to wonder how their interpretation or assignment of 'lack' has anything to do with the vehicles in question. You can TRY to do a lot of things in these vehicles, well outside their design parameters. Put your foot in it hard or jump a 6000-lb+ vehicle. And that's why there's an aftermarket rife with beefed up parts. And you get a topic like CrazyDrei's
You want to see a GM build with some good upgrades on it, go look up Stryder106's Avalanche. He's been doing some nice stuff to it, and taking the sort of 'expeditions' this place is supposedly about.
eta 2005-2006 Subs and Tahoes are down around $8k now. They were ~$14k 3-4yrs ago. If I was starting my search for such a vehicle now, those are the years I'd be looking at as the best 'value' / nexus of condition, cost, useful life remaining and low cost of repairs or upgrades.
