My 94 GMC SL 1500 Long bed

[94SL]

So, picked up a new truck yesterday. 1994 GMC long bed. 4.3, Auto, and that's pretty much it. Is just shy of 80K on it. Has a/c (not working). Still has the original am/fm cassette, still works, time to find some old cassettes. Drove a little over 100 miles to get it home and if the fuel gauge is accurate, used about a half a tank to do so. I filled up with 24+ gallons yesterday, plus some fuel system cleaner. Need to work on the MPGs.

I will need to decode the sticker in the glove box door, but guessing its the 25 gallon tank.

Anyhow, it drove well. Handled the hills getting home pretty well. actually was hard to keep it below the posted speed limits, seemed to want to cruise at 70. Looked down once and was doing almost 80 per the GPS. Need to work on controlling that to help on the gas bill. Steered and rode decent considering it's age and no weight in the back.

Head & tail lights are fogged up, so either need to try and polish or replace them. Guess I will have to look in the forums for some write ups and that. Never had to do this before any other vehicle. Noticed my 3rd lite/cargo box light gasket is shot so need to replace that I guess.

Interior was pretty dusty, but dash is not cracked, bench seat is not ripped and only has one stain I can find. One little piece of speaker grille is snapped of, but have the piece. maybe I can glue it back. Weather stripping seems soft and pliable. headliner is starting to drop and has some tears near sun visors. sun visors are bare cardboard. drivers door armrest/pull handle is on it's last legs, passenger is a little bit better.

No rust to speak of. Paint is not the best. Pretty sure the color is gold metallic. I have some polishing compound so maybe give that a try and see if it comes back a little.

First things I guess are to get the lights buffed out or replaced. Then the a/c working. It also has that annoying clicking or knocking under the dash on start up or shutting it off. Thinking about a dash mat to help keep the dash from cracking. Comments and suggestions welcome.

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[kennythewelder]

Very Nice truck. I had a 93 like it for 10 years. As for the headlights, and tail lights as for as that goes. you can sand out most of the haze with some 400 wet sand paper, then polish them out with some polishing compound. You can bring them back to good as new with a little work, If you don't have a big buffer. you can get an attachment for you drill. Once your done polishing them out, a good coat of wax will protect them. At 80,000 miles, that truck has a lot of life in it. My 93 burnt up the trans at 275,000 miles. I sold it to a co worker, who had the trans remanufactured. Last I heard, ( lost touch with him a few years ago) the truck had over 300,000 miles on it. A free flowing muffler is a step in the rite direction, and if you can, a high flow cat will help too. This will add a little fuel millage also, as it removes restrictions, and lets the engine breath. I thing my tank on my 93 was 32,34 gallon IDR , but it had a big tank.

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[Eveready]

So, picked up a new truck yesterday. 1994 GMC long bed. 4.3, Auto, and that's pretty much it. Is just shy of 80K on it. Has a/c (not working). Still has the original am/fm cassette, still works, time to find some old cassettes. Drove a little over 100 miles to get it home and if the fuel gauge is accurate, used about a half a tank to do so. I filled up with 24+ gallons yesterday, plus some fuel system cleaner. Need to work on the MPGs.

No rust to speak of. Paint is not the best. Pretty sure the color is gold metallic. I have some polishing compound so maybe give that a try and see if it comes back a little.

First things I guess are to get the lights buffed out or replaced. Then the a/c working. It also has that annoying clicking or knocking under the dash on start up or shutting it off. Thinking about a dash mat to help keep the dash from cracking. Comments and suggestions welcome.

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I think you did very well with only 80 K. I have a '93 Chev with a very similar setup. I joke that I bought Kenny the Welder's 93 but not really. I am at about 260K and it has had a motor and a trans. You should be good for another 100K before you have to do either one.

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I think mine was painted with a Tahoe color much like but not exactly the same as that Tan. In my case they painted right over the dings so at some point it will get another effort. I will be interested in what yours turns out to be once it is buffed.
Welcome to the forum and keep posting pics !

 

[94SL]

Thanks for the input guys. I'll try sanding and polishing the taillights and see how it goes.

I've had 4 S-series trucks with this powertrain and had pretty good luck, hopefully didn't jinx myself saying that.

Was there a tan metallic color in 94? To me, up close when I was washing it looked a metallic. When wet, dry not so much, but the paint is not the best. Maybe it was an optical illusion. Once it cools off outside I'll try to decode the paint color from the glove box. Both yours and Kenny's look to have nicer paint.

 

[kennythewelder]

I had mine repainted in 2013.

 

[Eveready]

Thanks for the input guys. I'll try sanding and polishing the taillights and see how it goes.

I used Jewelers rouge (the red kind) and a cloth wheel to do mine . Here is the before and after:

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I've had 4 S-series trucks with this powertrain and had pretty good luck, hopefully didn't jinx myself saying that.

Was there a tan metallic color in 94? To me, up close when I was washing it looked a metallic. When wet, dry not so much, but the paint is not the best. Maybe it was an optical illusion. Once it cools off outside I'll try to decode the paint color from the glove box. Both yours and Kenny's look to have nicer paint.

Mine was repainted right before I bought it, probably to distract me from the transmission being on its last legs. What attracted me though was the very sound 350 engine. After getting the trans done it has been really nice to drive.

 

[98BlackSierra]

Not a big fan of the color, but it sure looks to be in good shape! Not sure I'd spend the time polishing the headlights & taillights when you can buy new ones from Rockauto for next to nothing.

 

[94SL]

What is the quality like on the Rock Auto parts? I have seen replacement lights at AutoZone & O'Reillys but not sure of the quality. Of course, the OEM stuff might not be that good either.

 

[Eveready]

Not a big fan of the color, but it sure looks to be in good shape! Not sure I'd spend the time polishing the headlights & taillights when you can buy new ones from Rockauto for next to nothing.

In my case the buffing of the tails took about an hour on a nice Spring day. I already had the buffer and the buffing compound. Net outlay $ 0.00 and I didn't have to wait for the order to arrive. I did get new headlights and park lights that will be going on the truck soon. I will be interested in what the OP finds out about the paint.

 

[94SL]

It was 99 degrees here today, same tomorrow. Supposed to cool off over the weekend, so I will try working on the taillights over the weekend. Buffing the paint will be a little down the road probably.

After that, I'll try to unplug the wire to the blend door actuator/motor and hopefully stop that clicking noise. Got a new blend door motor on order.