Hey there. Just bought a 1996 Silverado Extended Cab 4x4 with get this...the 4.3 V6. From what I can tell it is about the only v6 4x4 ext cab out there. I can't even find a GMC in that configuration.
My wife and i have a kid and an old house (110 years old), and the need for a truck arises constantly. The budget was low, and I was really trying to hold off until I found the right street/sport truck. We don't need 4wd (the other car is a subaru), and I didn't think my funds would support an extended cab truck.
Well, I saw this beauty from the side of the road the other day, and bought it for $2k. There is rust under the drivers side rocker, but other than that the truck is clean. The interior is spotless, and the engine bay/bed show little/no signs of abuse.
So the 4.3 sucks, but it did get 18mpg on the way home between 70-75 mph, so that is good. My plans are as follows:
-New shocks all around.
-New front brakes
-rust repair to the drivers side
Before I get going, I thought I'd ask some experts what they thought. I've found shocks at rock auto for under $15, would they be suitable for me since I will drive the truck between 2-5k miles/year? Second, is shock replacement something I can do on my own? In the past I've changed oil, spark plugs, and brakes, but nothing else.
What is the best solution for rust? I don't want to put much money into the fix, but I would like to stop the rust. Does anyone make a rocker cover that would cover it up after I cut out the cancer? I'm basically looking for something like fender flares, but for the rocker.
Thanks!
My wife and i have a kid and an old house (110 years old), and the need for a truck arises constantly. The budget was low, and I was really trying to hold off until I found the right street/sport truck. We don't need 4wd (the other car is a subaru), and I didn't think my funds would support an extended cab truck.
Well, I saw this beauty from the side of the road the other day, and bought it for $2k. There is rust under the drivers side rocker, but other than that the truck is clean. The interior is spotless, and the engine bay/bed show little/no signs of abuse.
So the 4.3 sucks, but it did get 18mpg on the way home between 70-75 mph, so that is good. My plans are as follows:
-New shocks all around.
-New front brakes
-rust repair to the drivers side
Before I get going, I thought I'd ask some experts what they thought. I've found shocks at rock auto for under $15, would they be suitable for me since I will drive the truck between 2-5k miles/year? Second, is shock replacement something I can do on my own? In the past I've changed oil, spark plugs, and brakes, but nothing else.
What is the best solution for rust? I don't want to put much money into the fix, but I would like to stop the rust. Does anyone make a rocker cover that would cover it up after I cut out the cancer? I'm basically looking for something like fender flares, but for the rocker.
Thanks!
from Mississippi!!!!
