Possible purchase

[RichLo]

It looks like a decent truck. The body is straight, no rust, from the pictures it looks like the paint still has some shine, the glass is good, interior looks good - no rips in the seat. I'm not sure why a lot of the guys here are saying that it's not worth much. Door not opening could be something as simple as the rod came out of the clip ($4 to fix). Even if you had to replace ALL the door mechanisms, it's less than $100. If you you can do the transmission yourself, you can get a rebuild kit with clutch plates for under $200. If it's in as good of f condition with few other problems, it should be about an $8000 truck after you fix the known problems with what trucks are going for. I don't think that's too bad for a $3500 investment. Or you can spend $70,000 for a new truck that has a working door and all gears.

Nobody here is trying to talk him into a $70k new truck. Just advising him not to spend $3k + $2k for a trans rebuild on a 300k mile truck that probably needs thousands more $$$ in to make it reliable enough to daily drive.

If he felt comfortable rebuilding an auto trans, he wouldn't be here asking how much it costs to have a trans rebuilt.

And I'm sorry but $8k wouldn't happen for that truck. The paint is definitely not shiny, that was just the seller taking pics in a dark wet car wash, lol. There is no way you can bring that paint around either, see the dry pictures?? The clear coat is gone on the tops.

Sure if you put in a brand new transmission (with warranty), re-paint it, all new suspension and steering components and throw in a brand new engine (with warranty) it could be worth $8k After you put $15k into it after the initial purchase price.

 

[RichLo]

It would be much more cost efficient for the OP to travel to Utah or something and get a nice low mileage truck for the same price and drive it back to SoCal.

 

[Caman96]

Nobody here is trying to talk him into a $70k new truck. Just advising him not to spend $3k + $2k for a trans rebuild on a 300k mile truck that probably needs thousands more $$$ in to make it reliable enough to daily drive.

If he felt comfortable rebuilding an auto trans, he wouldn't be here asking how much it costs to have a trans rebuilt.

And I'm sorry but $8k wouldn't happen for that truck. The paint is definitely not shiny, that was just the seller taking pics in a dark wet car wash, lol. There is no way you can bring that paint around either, see the dry pictures?? The clear coat is gone on the tops.

Sure if you put in a brand new transmission (with warranty), re-paint it, all new suspension and steering components and throw in a brand new engine (with warranty) it could be worth $8k After you put $15k into it after the initial purchase price.

The ads gone, but wasn’t the dash completely trashed as well?

 

[Schurkey]

It would be much more cost efficient for the OP to travel to Utah or something and get a nice low mileage truck for the same price and drive it back to SoCal.

Is that legal? Wouldn't it have to have Commiefornia emissions equipment?

 

[PlayingWithTBI]

Is that legal? Wouldn't it have to have Commiefornia emissions equipment?

I don't think so but, who knows how the laws have changed since I kinda went through this in 84. We were living in Oregon, farming there as well as CA. I had recently bought a new Dodge W150 in Klamath Falls OR, had it titled there. Later, I was in CA pulling a pipe trailer from one of our ranches to another when a Commercial CHP pulled me over. He asked for my registration, I showed him my OR one, he said "no, your CA registration". I said I don't have one. He wrote me a "fix it" ticket for registration. It turned out, I could drive my Oregon truck in CA as long as I wasn't hauling anything from point A to B in CA, I could haul something from point A in CA to point B in OR legally too. I had to get "Dual" registration in both states. If my truck wasn't registered in OR for at least 90 days, I had to pay a 6% of purchase price use tax. Luckily, I bought it 95 days before so I ONLY had to pay CA registration! But, CA honors other State's emissions, as long as they pass OE standards and are at least 90 days old, ha ha. That was how it was back then, although IDK about now.

 

[vince72]

Hey Guys. I found this 96 Sierra from the original owner! Needs some work but ran good on the way home, biggest issue it that the truck wonders when I apply the brakes any thoughts?
Let me know what you think?
Il need some parts obviously lol

 

[Schurkey]

Loose steering/suspension parts, including but not limited to control arm bushings, tie rod ends, idler arm, Pitman arm, ball joints.

 

[Caman96]

the truck wonders when I apply the brakes

If you mean it pulls to one side it could be your front brakes, like maybe a sticking caliper.

 

[mwilliams55555]

And have ginormous payments that continue long after the truck is wore out....

. Don't think I EVER made more than 10 payments on anything I've ever driven

 

[351FUN]

Little more work but 4x4 lowering kits are available. Little more involved but doable. It didn’t used to be that way…4x4 couldn’t be lowered easily a while back.

I would keep it as close to stock as possible. This way smog won’t be a issue. Lots of guys are doing LS swaps. I prefer to keep the stock look.

I haven't looked in a while, I didn't know that there were new options. OP for reference I paid $3500 for my 92 Blazer with everything working except AC and zero rust or body damage, just the usual faded hood and roof. That was about 2 years ago in SC.