90s chevy trucks

[97RangerXLT]

I bet even the T's 2.9 would outpull a 3.0

@ericbphoto the gauntlet has been thrown!

AJ

 

[Josh B]

Is it behind the red truck somewhere?

I don't get it

 

[Roert42]

I don't get it

I couldn’t see any 90’s chebies in your picture. I looked really hard, I swear.

 

[Curious Hound]

@ericbphoto the gauntlet has been thrown!

AJ

He's assuming an average 3.0 driver. I know how to get that thing up in the power band and slip the clutch enough to get it hot so it sticks and holds good.

I'm not average.

 

[Josh B]

Ahhh, I was only referring to the Chevy part I got that photo at a family get together yesterday and an aunts niece was driving that around. I thought it was fairly sharp and just used the opportunity to show it off a bit

 

[1990RangerinSK]

What is it with you guys trying to get me to buy a trucklet?

Hey, c'mon! It's cute!

 

[1990RangerinSK]

I bet even the T's 2.9 would outpull a 3.0

Yeah, if the 3.0 didn't have any wheels.

 

[ekrampitzjr]

I have my dad's 1992 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 (3/4 ton). It's a regular cab with 8' bed, 2WD, and 5.7 (350) TBI V-8 with automatic. It has about 230,000 miles. I inherited it after he passed away in 2010. He bought it used and it supposedly had been a North Carolina truck (that is, not from further north).

Chevrolets this vintage have real issues with rocker panels and cab corners rusting, and this truck is no exception. In some other states it wouldn't pass inspection. The fenders front and rear are also rotting above the wheelwells. I see some frame rust and wonder what shape the bed is in under the plastic aftermarket bedliner. Again, this supposedly had not been a northern truck from the salt belt...

The engine has a serious rear main seal leak and also a transmission leak, so fluids require constant topping. Dad had the same problems with both when he drove it. I did a tune-up about 5 years ago with new plugs, wires, distributor cap, and rotor, but recently it began running rough.

Rust took out the rear brake line, which I had a mechanic familiar with these trucks replace. I also replaced the tailpipes, radiator, and alternator soon after inheriting it.

The truck has had several nuisance electrical problems, most of which just happen to drain the battery. I've replaced the "heavy-duty" emergency-flasher relay under the dash three times because it likes to overheat and fail. The air conditioning never worked while Dad had it, though he tinkered with it and tried to fix it. The blower only works in high speed, and I had to replace it recently.

To its credit, the Silverado starts and runs easily with a turn of the key. But it needs enough work and I'm concerned enough about the rust issue that it's going to be retired to a salvage yard soon. My fear is that I get in it one day and my foot will go through the floor.

I prefer my Ranger any day.

My point is that these old Chevys do have serious weak spots, and you should be aware of them. The cab rust is common even on much newer Silverados here. Be warned.

 

[Josh B]

Was it a real commercial, was it just some people talking, or was it in a dream? It's a beautiful country place and the commentator is describing it all in detail. and as the sun begins to set the camera pans towards a country home with a pickup and the voice is describing the stillness and quiet and ends with " you could hear your Chevy rust "

 

[Shran]

IMO in stock form those trucks are pretty solid. There are still a ton of them running around here and they have held up remarkably well as far as rust goes. The most common thing I have seen fail on them is the steering & front suspension parts. It's not just one ball joint or one tie rod end that fails... it's usually everything at once and it ends up being a lot of money. That rings true for basically all GM trucks from '88 to the present. 2500 & 3500 trucks were a little more stout though.

After 1999 I feel like they kinda went to shit. Something changed in their paint process or body panel design that caused rust to form much quicker everywhere, especially '07 up. The build quality overall is not good, I had 2000 and 2010 half ton trucks that were both lemons and several friends have had the same results, even on trucks that were purchased new and maintained appropriately. So at this point my feeling is that I would buy a 90's GM truck and not worry too much about it but probably not anything newer than that. Anything made after 2000 is just an engine donor in my mind.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

I have my dad's 1992 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 (3/4 ton). It's a regular cab with 8' bed, 2WD, and 5.7 (350) TBI V-8 with automatic. It has about 230,000 miles. I inherited it after he passed away in 2010. He bought it used and it supposedly had been a North Carolina truck (that is, not from further north).

Chevrolets this vintage have real issues with rocker panels and cab corners rusting, and this truck is no exception. In some other states it wouldn't pass inspection. The fenders front and rear are also rotting above the wheelwells. I see some frame rust and wonder what shape the bed is in under the plastic aftermarket bedliner. Again, this supposedly had not been a northern truck from the salt belt...

The engine has a serious rear main seal leak and also a transmission leak, so fluids require constant topping. Dad had the same problems with both when he drove it. I did a tune-up about 5 years ago with new plugs, wires, distributor cap, and rotor, but recently it began running rough.

Rust took out the rear brake line, which I had a mechanic familiar with these trucks replace. I also replaced the tailpipes, radiator, and alternator soon after inheriting it.

The truck has had several nuisance electrical problems, most of which just happen to drain the battery. I've replaced the "heavy-duty" emergency-flasher relay under the dash three times because it likes to overheat and fail. The air conditioning never worked while Dad had it, though he tinkered with it and tried to fix it. The blower only works in high speed, and I had to replace it recently.

To its credit, the Silverado starts and runs easily with a turn of the key. But it needs enough work and I'm concerned enough about the rust issue that it's going to be retired to a salvage yard soon. My fear is that I get in it one day and my foot will go through the floor.

I prefer my Ranger any day.

My point is that these old Chevys do have serious weak spots, and you should be aware of them. The cab rust is common even on much newer Silverados here. Be warned.

I mean...its a 30 year old truck.

One reason i was nosing around at chevys is because of what a turd my F250 has been. I bought it with 62k miles...got 120k on it now and ive had it since 13. Ive replaced both fuel tanks/pumps/senders, diff cover, brake lines, two radiatiors, various other odds and ends as well as having the motor rebuilt at 80k when a main went to knocking....roughly 10k after i had head gaskets done.

Granted its solid...typical michigan wheelarch rust but everything important is fine.

Ive just...kinda got turned off to fords a bit with the luck ive had with this one and the 89 i had before that. Granted both were 460's and it was mostly engjne issues on both.

I realize buying another 25-30 yr old truck ill pry have issues...rather it be chevy, ford, or dodge. Ive just gotten a bit sour on fords fullsize stuff past the 70's.

I may keep the 97 untill the market calms down ...but theres also a real possibilty im gonna off it before the next 1500 dollar repair bill and try my luck with chevy/gmc...or hell maybe even mopar.

 

[Shran]

New theme song for you.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

New theme song for you.

Id drive the piss out of an impala like that

 

[Ranger850]

Anybody gonna mention the electrical gremlins the late 90's chevy/gmc trucks had. My best friend had a 97 chevy Z71. That thing had some issues. Wipers come on randomly, stereo would turn to max by itself, it had a automatic volume feature that would adjust the volume to wind noise and wotnot, interior overhead light would randomly blink. I would later find out that it was " a thing " a few other chevy/gmc owners knew about and had experienced. He did a Escalade front end swap with new harness and all his problems went away. lol

 

[Blmpkn]

I've never experienced any gremlins with GMs up to 02.. bailout era is regarded as being the worst era in terms of electrical nonsense.


I will say.... the overwhelming majority of old trucks up here are GMs and the occasional dodge. Ford's (apart from 1 tons) seem to dissappear into thin air once they hit 15 years or so. I honestly don't remember the last time I saw an f150 like @85_Ranger4x4 got rid of a few months back.. but I've seen 2 dozen 20 year old silverados today.. easily.