That age-old dilemma: Double down or fold?
- Thread starter Martinjmpr
- Start date
CactusJackSlade
Observer
Scoutn79
Adventurer
If you look at my avatar you can see I like old iron. I have done some upgrades to it over the decades and it gets well maintained. I'll take it anywhere anytime...and do. It is stupid simple to work on and since I have had it for about 39 years now I know every single component very well.
New trucks are really nice and comfy but all of the electrics have me a little concerned...if something goes out 50 miles from nowhere and I'm alone I need to be able to troubleshoot and fix the issue, within reason of course. In a modern truck that just won't happen. Even a new truck can quit at ay time.
Main thing is maintenance...whether by you or a"qualified and trusted" mechanic. I would add a oil analysis to your maintenance schedule to keep an eye on bearings and other items inside the engine.
IF you can do all the repairs and maintenance yourself then you will more than likely stay money ahead with your old truck. If you can't, labor and upcharged parts will add up to car payments quick.
about 20 years ago I thought about getting rid of the Scout and getting something else but there was nothing out there that met my needs so I decided to sink the money into this one and, other than that one time, have never thought about selling it. I keep up on the maintenance and do pre and post trip inspections, my trips may be rougher than yours so trip inspections are important for me.
Darrell
New trucks are really nice and comfy but all of the electrics have me a little concerned...if something goes out 50 miles from nowhere and I'm alone I need to be able to troubleshoot and fix the issue, within reason of course. In a modern truck that just won't happen. Even a new truck can quit at ay time.
Main thing is maintenance...whether by you or a"qualified and trusted" mechanic. I would add a oil analysis to your maintenance schedule to keep an eye on bearings and other items inside the engine.
IF you can do all the repairs and maintenance yourself then you will more than likely stay money ahead with your old truck. If you can't, labor and upcharged parts will add up to car payments quick.
about 20 years ago I thought about getting rid of the Scout and getting something else but there was nothing out there that met my needs so I decided to sink the money into this one and, other than that one time, have never thought about selling it. I keep up on the maintenance and do pre and post trip inspections, my trips may be rougher than yours so trip inspections are important for me.
Darrell
Deshet
Adventurer
I can't tell if it is the 5.3 or 6.0 but the 5.3 will last another 15 years easily.
If something did happen to the engine you could have it replaced for less then the amount of 3 car payments for a similar 2018/2019
I have owned a 5.3 with 14,000 hours that ran flawlessly
The motor in my 1970 buick is getting tried and a 5.3 will likely go in soon. They can be found for between $500 and $1000 easily. Even cheaper at the U-pull it places
The options and features on new vehicles are hard to beat but if it comes down to cheap reliable transportation you can keep a modular Chevy on the road for a long time.
If something did happen to the engine you could have it replaced for less then the amount of 3 car payments for a similar 2018/2019
I have owned a 5.3 with 14,000 hours that ran flawlessly
The motor in my 1970 buick is getting tried and a 5.3 will likely go in soon. They can be found for between $500 and $1000 easily. Even cheaper at the U-pull it places
The options and features on new vehicles are hard to beat but if it comes down to cheap reliable transportation you can keep a modular Chevy on the road for a long time.
Mighty Dodge Ram
Explorer
Finally sold my ‘96 Ram last year with 302k miles, original engine and tranny and still running fairly strong. Who would buy something like that? My mechanic’s son. He’s out thrashing it around now. Replaced with an ‘02 Silvy 2500HD with 62k miles, plan to run it until it hits multiple 100k’s. Wife still driving 2010 Suburban (can you say station wagon?) with 140k miles,? on the AFM. No monthly payments anymore. Also have an ‘05 Honda Element, 140k miles, as a town/backup vehicle. Point is, we’ve done what you are doing; we hang on to them until we tire of having to fix all of the irritating small issues. Your 3-year plan sounds right on.
CrazyDrei
Space Monkey
A few people complain about the tranny getting rebuilt, I have 270k miles on my original tranny and last 100k were turning 37" tires, still no issues.
No payment, cheap to insure and cheap to fix, sounds like a winning combination.
Going back to your original post where you are broken down 500 miles away from home, any and every garage you will get your truck towed to will have a GMT800 parts truck sitting in the yard and yours will be fixed to get you home. Every mechanic has worked on one of these and knows most of the trouble areas very well.
General consensus seems to be to keep it, however if you do decide to sell it I'm sure it would go quick, they don't make them like they used to anymore.
ExplorerTom
Explorer
I just got back from driving my 2000 Expedition to South Carolina and back (Colorado). 246,000 total miles..... I think. Still drives great. No plans to get rid of it.
Since you mentioned you have some bikes as alternative transportation and the wife’s newer suv, I’d hands down keep the burb. I second everything that’s already been\ mentioned. If you do have a problem, its very likely someone has already experienced it and knows how to fix it saving you in diagnostic costs.
My last suburban was an 89 3/4 ton and I had it until 460k miles before the cancer got the best of it. Had a few pickups which are great and all, but recently got back into a suburban (04 3/4 Yukon XL rather). We bought it with 180k on it and I plan to hit 500k before I start thinking about what the next step is.
By the pic yours looks clean. If its relatively clean and not all rusty, by all means there is nothing wrong with keeping that rig on the road for years to come. Key word... MAINTENANCE. Compare that to car payments and increased insurance costs (here in Cali, registration will kill you on new cars.... especially pickups). My buddy bought a new F350 last year... reg was $1300/yr. No Thanks! Even at $2k/yr for maintenance (which is way more than you should expect) your still money ahead vs a new rig.
My last suburban was an 89 3/4 ton and I had it until 460k miles before the cancer got the best of it. Had a few pickups which are great and all, but recently got back into a suburban (04 3/4 Yukon XL rather). We bought it with 180k on it and I plan to hit 500k before I start thinking about what the next step is.
By the pic yours looks clean. If its relatively clean and not all rusty, by all means there is nothing wrong with keeping that rig on the road for years to come. Key word... MAINTENANCE. Compare that to car payments and increased insurance costs (here in Cali, registration will kill you on new cars.... especially pickups). My buddy bought a new F350 last year... reg was $1300/yr. No Thanks! Even at $2k/yr for maintenance (which is way more than you should expect) your still money ahead vs a new rig.
Martinjmpr
Wiffleball Batter
It's the same here. Registration is one of the reasons I hate buying a newer vehicle. They kill you on tax and registration fees. By contrast my 'Burb costs around $100/year to register. I do carry full coverage insurance but even that's not too terrible.
My biggest fear is severe hail damage. We've had some awful hail storms in recent years, some have been bad enough to total vehicles hit. My 'Burb will fit in the garage - barely - but I never park it there because if I did I'd have to move the motorcycles all the way to the back and it would be much more difficult to use the garage. So the wife's CRV and my motorcycles occupy the garage and the 'burb stays in the driveway.
pappawheely
Autonomous4X4
A good truck is a good truck. You might buy brand new and get a lemon.
1stDeuce
Explorer
It boils down to how comfortable you are with it, and how well you've maintained it. I'm surprised at your 150k trans rebuild... My experience is that with proper maintenance, that powertrain should be good for 300k plus before any issues. I just sold a 2004 1500 pickup with 327k on it that has never had any engine or trans work, and ran and drove like it had 60k miles on it.
I have a 2006 GMC 2500 that has ~265k on it. I am planning to drive it until I can't drive anymore. If you don't live in the rust belt, where vehicles do eventually become un-serviceable because of rust, it is FAR cheaper to do maintenance, and occasionally fix what breaks than to buy newer vehicles all the time.
As for your worry about failures on trips, the trans has already been done, so the only really significant failure you could have is the engine, they rarely go out if you keep the oil up.
I also hate the GMT900 platform. Mostly the big chrome volume dial that gets used on the radio, headlight switch, and 4wd switch. What idiot thought that was "attractive"?? Every time I drive a GMT900 I want to punch the radio in it's big fat chrome "nose".
I have a 2006 GMC 2500 that has ~265k on it. I am planning to drive it until I can't drive anymore. If you don't live in the rust belt, where vehicles do eventually become un-serviceable because of rust, it is FAR cheaper to do maintenance, and occasionally fix what breaks than to buy newer vehicles all the time.
As for your worry about failures on trips, the trans has already been done, so the only really significant failure you could have is the engine, they rarely go out if you keep the oil up.
I also hate the GMT900 platform. Mostly the big chrome volume dial that gets used on the radio, headlight switch, and 4wd switch. What idiot thought that was "attractive"?? Every time I drive a GMT900 I want to punch the radio in it's big fat chrome "nose".
ExplorerTom
Explorer
My Expedition got totaled in a hail storm- aluminum hood was a big part of it. That was about 3.5 years and 65k miles ago. The insurance check I got paid for the Eezi-Awn platform rack and OzTent RV-5 tent. In CO, totaled from hail doesn't really "total" the car. If you're OK with a few dents, then keep driving it.
Of course there are those storms that DESTROY a vehicle. And if that happens, it happens. It'll happen to a newer vehicle just the same. A buddy lost his BMW in that storm that hit the Colorado Mills Mall about 2 years ago.
Martinjmpr
Wiffleball Batter
Our new house is closer to the foothills and (knock wood, fingers crossed) in an area that doesn't seem to get much hail damage (again, knock wood!) My biggest dilemma would be a bad storm that did several thousand $$ in hail damage. If it was bad enough I might want to cut my losses but then I'd likely be fighting with the insurance company over valuation.
zoomad75
K5 Camper guy
Keep it dude. I'm a GM guy through and through, with the next two generations of Suburbans coming through the shop (yes, I'm at a dealer) I can confirm the facts others have stated so far. The GMT800 platform is probably the best truck platform compared to the 900's and the K2x trucks that came after it. Yea, they have quirks, but they are all fixable. They are not overly complicated electrically like the later trucks are. The powertrains are simplified comparatively. The 4L60e gear splits suck compared to new 6 and 8 speed trannies, but they are much less complex and any trans shop in even the most remote areas have been rebuilding them for 25 years now. Meaning they are extremely common and easy to get parts for and easy to fix. Going with a bump in gearing in the axles would help since you increased the tire size to 33's. Chances are the stock gearing is 3.42's or 3.73's so the larger tire will negate the ratio you have slightly and require more throttle to overcome.
Getting back to electronics, with the newer ones coming with more and more gadgetry (garbage) there is more to fail. The 800's are well equipped, but not overly complex.
Fears for what may happen? If the fuel pump hasn't been done as long as you have had it, replace it. Don't wait until it fails as typically when they come into us for a stall/crank-no start they didn't have any symptoms prior to the failure. Sometimes you'll get a hard start where it takes 2-3 times attempting to start it since the check valve in the pump stuck and let the fuel drain back out of the line. But most of the time it worked and then it didn't. Use an A/C Delco pump. Put it in yourself or not, but don't skimp on an aftermarket pump. If you do go aftermarket you'll get practice doing it again 6 months to a year later. Some have better results, but I've not and I get really tired of the argument when the customer comes back pissed off later when the aftermarket pump we installed dies just like I predicted. So we don't install anything less than OEM. Bottom line on the pump, if it is original, you got your money's worth out of it. Don't let it kill a camping trip.
The rest is staying up on the maintenance. Shake down the front end. Wheel bearings and steering components are always the things we see on customer trucks that need work as well as vehicles traded in. Replace with upgraded parts to limit premature failures.
The cost to replace is ultimately more than it is to fix what you got.
Getting back to electronics, with the newer ones coming with more and more gadgetry (garbage) there is more to fail. The 800's are well equipped, but not overly complex.
Fears for what may happen? If the fuel pump hasn't been done as long as you have had it, replace it. Don't wait until it fails as typically when they come into us for a stall/crank-no start they didn't have any symptoms prior to the failure. Sometimes you'll get a hard start where it takes 2-3 times attempting to start it since the check valve in the pump stuck and let the fuel drain back out of the line. But most of the time it worked and then it didn't. Use an A/C Delco pump. Put it in yourself or not, but don't skimp on an aftermarket pump. If you do go aftermarket you'll get practice doing it again 6 months to a year later. Some have better results, but I've not and I get really tired of the argument when the customer comes back pissed off later when the aftermarket pump we installed dies just like I predicted. So we don't install anything less than OEM. Bottom line on the pump, if it is original, you got your money's worth out of it. Don't let it kill a camping trip.
The rest is staying up on the maintenance. Shake down the front end. Wheel bearings and steering components are always the things we see on customer trucks that need work as well as vehicles traded in. Replace with upgraded parts to limit premature failures.
The cost to replace is ultimately more than it is to fix what you got.
1stDeuce
Explorer
Since zoomad75 brought it up, I'll add that if you do experience a crank/no start, you can often bet it's the fuel pump.
To get it to start again, take something and thump the bottom of the tank while someone cranks it. It jars the brushes in the motor, getting them to make enough contact to get the pump spinning again. It'll usually keep working till you shut it off, then all bets are off again and you may or may not be able to thump it. If you ever have to do this, I would recommend not shutting it off till you are home and it is parked where you want it for dropping the tank and replacing the pump...
A good one to keep in the back of your mind, since at some point, we are all likely to experience a higher mileage fuel pump failure...
To get it to start again, take something and thump the bottom of the tank while someone cranks it. It jars the brushes in the motor, getting them to make enough contact to get the pump spinning again. It'll usually keep working till you shut it off, then all bets are off again and you may or may not be able to thump it. If you ever have to do this, I would recommend not shutting it off till you are home and it is parked where you want it for dropping the tank and replacing the pump...
A good one to keep in the back of your mind, since at some point, we are all likely to experience a higher mileage fuel pump failure...