96 GMC K2500 Suburban Restoration (with a couple of mods)

[South VA]

Older trucks can be an emotional roller coaster, when they are trouble they bring you down but when you get them sorted they give so much fun.

Thank you. You hit the nail on the head. Emotional roller coaster indeed.

I certainly am having conflicting emotions about this vehicle. I really dislike not being able to trust it. I want it to be dead reliable; but it’s not. I find myself waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Contrast this with when it’s running well, with no sign of faltering, and I experience joy. It is such a pleasure to drive. What exactly is it about having an older vehicle that is sorted that is so doggone gratifying? I’m not altogether sure, but it’s what keeps me coming back for more.

When I bought mine it turned out to need a ton of repairs, it was my first American truck and didn't get much of a chance to look it over properly but it was what I had always wanted and bought it. I spent a lot of money on it initially, partly due to being half way around the world from where the parts are sourced.

Looking back, I was woefully unprepared to evaluate much less purchase this vehicle. So of course I paid more than I should have, and subsequently have spent more than planned.

I can only imagine what my budget would look like if I had pay the shipping costs that you do.

The way I look at it is this, the more I spend on it the newer it gets. When I got it every part was 27 years old so there was always going to be a steady stream of parts needing replacing. I now have new paint, suspension, steering, brakes, diffs, ECU and components etc and those parts are all going to last another 30 years so if I keep it for those 30 years then I will have a lot of trouble free motoring. It's just hard to justify the initial big investment but that will be spread over the lifespan of the truck so it isn't really that bad.

A good way to look at it. Sooner or later, everything that is likely to break or wear out, will get fixed or replaced. And I realize that I’m far ahead of where I was when I bought it, both in terms of actual repair progress and of knowledge gained.

And I’m looking forward to having a lot of trouble free motoring; as @Road Trip so aptly put it, to the point of its eventually being Road Trip Ready.

It’s a journey. Much of the time, it seems, via roller coaster.

 

[South VA]

Dang but I feel your pain. I tell the bride there's no way we can afford anything new, so it's going to be used and that means repairs no matter what we buy. I also keep the amortization in mind. How many big car payments have you made so far on that gorgeous truck. All in I bet you aren't really looking bad. And as fast as you're knocking the issues out I think you've got a winner.

Thank you. I appreciate your perspective and encouragement.

I’m definitely in that same boat, where a new ride just isn’t in the cards for me. Being retired, it likely never will be. And that’s ok. I prefer older vehicles.

As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, I’ve owned only two new vehicles in my life. A new vehicle certainly has its appeal; but in my experience, the juice isn’t worth the squeeze.

To your question, other than the initial purchase, I have made exactly zero monthly payments on this truck. Yes, I’ve spent significantly more on it than I had planned to, including paying a bit too much initially. But as you said, even with all of the $$ spent, even including paint and body work, and the recent transmission rebuild, I’ve spent significantly less than I would have for even a newer, not new, ¾ ton truck. Which as you point out would require its own repairs.

It’s been a month shy of a year since buying the Subdivision, and I suppose there has been a lot of progress made. It’s good to be reminded of that.

And thanks for the compliments. I too love the way it looks, and look at it often. I think it will be even better looking once I get the rear fender flares properly aligned and the rear door emblems replaced.

It was a diamond in the rough, although a bit rougher than I had initially thought. Even with its current woes, most of the time I’m glad I found it.

 

[62barsoom]

I've just started your journey with the Yahoe, goodness knows what's in store. I sort of enjoy the journey though. What I was trying to say is you've x invested, equate that to y in payments and it's yours, done deal. I can just see you pulling into North Bend campground for the week. Stylin and smilin .

 

[South VA]

I've just started your journey with the Yahoe, goodness knows what's in store. I sort of enjoy the journey though. What I was trying to say is you've x invested, equate that to y in payments and it's yours, done deal. I can just see you pulling into North Bend campground for the week. Stylin and smilin .

Thank you!!

 

[Road Trip]

...A good way to look at it. Sooner or later, everything that is likely to break or wear out, will get fixed or replaced. And I realize that I’m far ahead of where I was when I bought it, both in terms of actual repair progress and of knowledge gained.

I learned to drive a stick, (mom's '55 Thunderbird) and to the maximum extent possible
from the beginning I avoided buying cars I couldn't repair myself. This meant that over the
next 4+ decades I bought a long parade of used cars with standard transmissions.

And although it might have been immediately, or within the first year of ownership, I would
have to renew the clutch, thanks to whatever misdeeds the PO had visited upon it. Between
fixing my own stuff, helping friends & family members, etc., I've done my fair share of clutch jobs.

Guess what? I drove some of those same cars 100K+ miles afterwards...and I never, ever had to
replace a clutch in a car a 2nd time. I had learned that the only time a clutch wears is when you run
horsepower through it while it is slipping/generating heat! If you drive a clutch on-off style, and minimize
the time/power spent slipping, a good clutch setup will literally last the life of the car. (!)

****

The point I'm trying to make is simply that it *is* possible to sort out a piece of machinery, one
subsystem at a time, so that it eventually really becomes a faithful traveling companion.

But since Perception is Reality, those watching me on the periphery might come to the conclusion that I had
a real problem with clutches...noting that I have done so many clutches over the years as compared to a
normal person. :0)

The reality is that thanks to where I live I was actually constantly battling a rust problem, which indirectly
presented me with recurring opportunities to hone my clutch-changing chops. :0)

The problem is that the GF/Spouse/Better Half/Significant Other/Whatever considered this logical explanation
a technicality at best, and at worst just so much blah blah blah if they were busy channeling their inner Greta T.

All that seemed to matter is how much time & effort it took to keep the vehicles roadworthy. Didn't matter that
I was saving money. Didn't seem to help when I explained that "Mobility has always cost money. Even the pioneers trying
to keep their covered wagons rolling would b*tch about what it cost to get a broken wooden wheel fixed."

But they weren't buying what I was selling. But now, as a wanna-be sage senior I've recently added that 2nd rule to
my purchasing criteria: "No Rust." (More or less. :0)

And so far so good. The concrete problem of keeping myself in reliable transportation is finally getting easier than before.

But the Abstract problem of managing Perception successfully still completely kicks my @$$...

Here's hoping you enjoy more success in this area than I have to date. :0)

 

[Road Trip]

Contrast this with when it’s running well, with no sign of faltering, and I experience joy. It is such a pleasure to drive. What exactly is it about having an older vehicle that is sorted that is so doggone gratifying? I’m not altogether sure, but it’s what keeps me coming back for more.

South VA,

I know exactly the sensation that you just described. At first I thought that it was simply the feeling
that you were getting away with something for nothing, like when you are in the middle of
eating the free food samples at Costco?

But the feeling runs deeper than that. At the risk of paraphrasing Robert Pirsig**
poorly, our level of satisfaction with something is tied to how much we are a Participant
versus an Observer in it's creation.

Using a food analogy, you work at a job, you get paid, and then you take some of
that pay and buy some french fries. And enjoy them. The transaction that allowed
you to obtain those fries was a financial abstraction. Ergo, you are for the most part
an observer.

On the other hand, early in the season you pick out your favorite version of Tomato
seeds. And you start the process of growing those Tomatoes from seed. 60 to 100
days of tending to and anticipating the finished product. As the tomatoes ripen, you
are even reminded of your favorite Little Feat album cover from back in the day.
(Waiting for Columbus)

And then finally, you pick the first ones & slice them up. Whether in a salad or
on a burger fresh off the grill, you share them with your friends, and everyone
marvels at how much more amazing real tomatoes are compared to what we are
used to from the supermarket.

Both the french fries and the Tomatoes provides calories & sustenance. But
we enjoy those 'from scratch' Tomatoes way more than the fries. Is it because
of all the synapses firing from all the interaction with creating this food from
seed as a direct Participant? Is it the Sense of Accomplishment, or the chance
to share the bounty of your focus/effort with your friends, magician-like?
Or is it just better eating?

****

IMHO I think that driving old/something you fixed is kinda like that. So much of
modern life is just one abstraction piled on top of another. What does it mean
when someone goes to a restaurant, takes a picture of a meal before eating it
...and then posts that pic on FB for *you* to see?

Sure, the picture is a form of communication...but it pales in comparison with
sharing a slice of a real Tomato from your garden while breaking bread with
that same individual.

That's the best I can do. But I can report that the chore truck seems to be
spreading good vibes here in Salt City. Whether stopping to buy gas or
parking at the local Wegmans, people strike up conversations about it all the
time. Always fun. And I am actually surprised how many of them comment on the
color-matched wheels -- I guess they really stand out in a sea of same same
aging alloy wheels (slightly discolored by rusted brake dust) on today's daily drivers
here in the rust belt?

So, yeah, I think there's definitely a feeling about driving old/driving different.

Keep on keeping on -- you will eventually finish getting the Subdivision fully sorted...




**Author of a book about Quality: "Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance"

 

[GrimsterGMC]

That was an excellent explanation of something we all feel but have trouble articulating. While most people drive their vehicles, we live them. My wife will turn the key, put it in gear, release the hand brake and drive. I turn the key and watch the dash lights come on, I turn it a bit more and hear the starter solenoid engage and the engine start to crank over. I hear that first cylinder fire, followed by the rest. I watch the rev counter jump up to start with and then slowly settle, just as I have tuned it to do. I pull the shifter into drive and feel the rear axle building tension against the brakes. I hear the exhaust rumble and feel the torque converter loading up the drive-train as I pull away from the curb, I slowly roll on the gas as I sped up to hold it in gear until I want it to upshift then back off a little and settle in for the ride. We live the experience, and extract great joy from it in a way that most people would never understand. Most people might think I spend to much time on my truck but they don't understand what they are missing out on.

 

[HotWheelsBurban]

That was an excellent explanation of something we all feel but have trouble articulating. While most people drive their vehicles, we live them. My wife will turn the key, put it in gear, release the hand brake and drive. I turn the key and watch the dash lights come on, I turn it a bit more and hear the starter solenoid engage and the engine start to crank over. I hear that first cylinder fire, followed by the rest. I watch the rev counter jump up to start with and then slowly settle, just as I have tuned it to do. I pull the shifter into drive and feel the rear axle building tension against the brakes. I hear the exhaust rumble and feel the torque converter loading up the drive-train as I pull away from the curb, I slowly roll on the gas as I sped up to hold it in gear until I want it to upshift then back off a little and settle in for the ride. We live the experience, and extract great joy from it in a way that most people would never understand. Most people might think I spend to much time on my truck but they don't understand what they are missing out on.

And 95% of the people out there could be described by: if I have to explain it to you, you probably wouldn't understand.....

 

[OutlawDrifter]

Just keep at it, at this point you're money ahead to fix what you have rather than start all over with another unknown used vehicle.

We've all been there, hell I've threatened to sell my Suburban and my Z28 more times than I can count. But, I keep moving forward and sort the problem, and then all is well with the automotive world at my place again

You've got this, and with every new repair, it becomes one less thing you'll have to worry about in the future.

 

[HotWheelsBurban]

Just keep at it, at this point your money ahead to fix what you have rather than start all over with another unknown used vehicle.

We've all been there, hell I've threatened to sell my Suburban and my Z28 more times than I can count. But, I keep moving forward and sort the problem, and then all is well with the automotive world at my place again

You've got this, and with every new repair, it becomes one less thing you'll have to worry about in the future.

Last year this time, I was at this point with Rawhide, my crew cab. I'd had to have the hydro boost unit replaced 3 days after buying the truck, and the shop I trusted to do the job, didn't do so well. At first it was fine, great stops, like a new truck. Then about 2 weeks afterwards, it started going cuckoo. You'd be leaving a light, and it was like it took a loooong time to get out of first gear, and it didn't want to move. No warning, except sometimes there'd be a whoosh sound under the dashboard. And most of the time the brakes would self apply....but topping the transmission fluid off and letting it sit for 10-15 minutes would "fix" it!
Turned out the booster unit was bad, and they had installed it poorly so that didn't help. I found this out, after wrangling with the original shop for several weeks, them trying to convince me it needs a new transmission (4L80E with 125K on it... nope), and finally getting it to a new shop. $1300+ later, my truck is back, and it's fixed like it should've been the first time. I had used those guys for repairs on my Suburban several times, and had good results. But apparently they don't know as much about one tons as they'd have me believe!
Anyway, the point I'm getting at, is that I hung in there, and didn't sell my "new" truck, and it/he's been faithful 98% of the time since. Had to replace the battery twice (Sam's Club sold me a bad one first time, and then didn't want to replace it in line with the "free replacement for the first 3 years" warranty. They finally did, but it's frankly not worth the Plus membership at $120 a year, just to have a useless warranty on a $150 battery. Costco doesn't require the upgrade in membership to have a warranty on their batteries and tires, so I may be getting a membership there later this year. They have lots of not too expensive food options there that I think we'd enjoy....but I will still keep the Sam's Club regular membership because they are cheaper on stuff we get, that both clubs have. And Costco doesn't carry some items we do use, like the Lysol laundry sanitizer in a big jug(for lots cheaper than the grocery store).
So hang in there! These trucks are like kids; you love em, sometimes they give you enough trouble, you wonder why, but they're worth it.