Breadfan
06-05-2009, 06:39 AM
1995 Chevy Suburban K1500 - 170k miles $1500 neg
Well, the time has come and I've decided it's best to sell the 95 Suburban.
This truck has many good points, but also some bad points. I'm brutally honest when selling something, so you'll get everything I know here, bad or good...I'm going to get those bad points out of the way first:
Needs Work
Needs: Transmission work and driveshaft rebuild.
This truck needs work - specifically a transmission (or new case) and a driveshaft rebuild. The trans works great - and is a GM rebuilt unit with only about 20,000 miles on it. However it was installed years ago and is out of warranty (over 3 years). The trans case cracked at the rear part of the output shaft.
See pics below
This caused a driveshaft faliure at 40mph. Good news is the way it broke it vibrated very badly and I slowed down, the ujoints gave way at about 5mph. No damage to the undercarriage.
The driveshaft however fell to the ground. It is complete, but needs new ujoints and a balance. Also, it has a dent in the tube - it's not a huge dent, but may be enough to warrant a new tube. The yokes look fine, meaning this is a very rebuildable unit and won't cost much to fix. To fully diagnose what caused the failure, I removed the transfer case, which is in good shape and worked last time used.
Costs to Fix and Make Run:
If you are so inclined, you can buy a used trans case online for about $150 shipped. I know b/c I found a few matching ones on Ebay. A trans rebuild kit is another $150, and you can transfer the old trans innards to the new case. You may also need special tools - bear in mind a modern auto trans is relatively complex so I'd only recommend this for folks who would know what they're doing. YMMV on a diy job!
Alternatively a rebuilt trans will cost $650-$1200 and if a core is involved you may not get it due to the cracked case.
I do not think this can be fixed by welding, it's aluminum first, and second it may alter the length of the trans slightly - maybe I'm wrong but it would seem like a tough job even for a good welder due to the thickness of the metal and type of metal plus upsetting the balance of the driveline.
The driveshaft can probably be rebuilt locally for $150-$250 depending on if a new tube is welded. The yokes are the pricey part and they look ok to me.
Other issues
The A/C doesn't work. It's R134a though, and the rear lines were replaced - those are the hard ones for sure.
The rear hatch seal leaks. I added some window weatherstripping tape to it, which helped. To really repair it, it needs replacement weatherstripping though.
Costmetically it's in good shape for the age. The paint still has some gloss and no peeling clearcoat. It does have some scratches but looks decent. The front grille is busted on the top, just cracked though. Otherwise no other major defects.
Interior is good and clean, no seat rips. Seats up to nine. Carpet is dirty, mainly in the rear hatch, but for age in good shape.
The Good
This is a very solid, effectively 1-owner truck. I say that because although I'm the second registered owner it's simply b/c I picked it up from my folks who bought it new in 1995. The truck was parked in 2006 due to worn front 4x4 axle shafts. In 2007 I replaced them, got it inspected and on the road.
I drove it for over 10k miles and it currently has 169,000 miles. I parked it in Summer 2008 when the driveshaft broke. I've known this truck since it was bought new, and aside from being backed into a tree once (resulting in a replacement bumper) it has never been in an accident.
It spent 2 weeks per year for many years going to the beach in Deleware. It was used to drive onto the park beaches there. As a result, we did have some corrosion of the rear a/c lines and rear brake line. Both were replaced a few years back, and it was retired from beach duty some time ago.
The good news is that it's a VERY solid truck. There is no rust through and only some very minor surface rust. Pics will tell that story best. The body though has nearly ZERO rust. Just a tiny bit of surface rust in the front wheel well and behind the rear tire on the passenger side. (Again see pics)
I really enjoyed driving this truck. I even got 16.5mpg on a highway drive to richmond.
The truck has a 350 V8, TBI, 4spd 4l60e auto, 4x4 NP241C transfer case. The engine runs just fine.
Parts Replaced:
Prior to me getting it back on the road in 2007, it had received within the previous 2 years the following:
- Tuneup including plugs/cap/wires, new hoses, belts
- alternator is a brand new rebuilt unit from the parts store
- radiator is new
- tires are just about brand new
- trans (kinda no point to that anymore though)
- water pump
- exhaust (cat back) was replaced due to oem rust hole
When I got it, I did the following:
- front axle shaft cv axles
- all new brake hardware in front: rotors, pads, calipers, and lines (due to age more than anything else)
- new battery (duralast gold)
I hate to part with it, but I don't feel like tackling this job right now and could better use the money elsewhere as I'm saving for a new place.
Towing
This truck did not come with a tow hitch and we never towed with it. If you do, I recommend a trans cooler to go with a hitch. This was part of my plans for it, and it would make a good car/people hauler but with a new trans should come a good cooler!
Price
Due to new parts and a solid truck minus the issues, the price is $1500
More Pics
http://www.ionicflux.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10002/suburban-4.jpg
http://www.ionicflux.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10002/suburban-3.jpg
http://www.ionicflux.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10002/suburban-6.jpg
http://www.ionicflux.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10002/suburban-33.jpg
http://www.ionicflux.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10002/suburban-43.jpg
http://www.ionicflux.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10002/normal_suburbantransmission-4.jpg
http://www.ionicflux.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10002/normal_suburbantransmission-13.jpg
Well, the time has come and I've decided it's best to sell the 95 Suburban.
This truck has many good points, but also some bad points. I'm brutally honest when selling something, so you'll get everything I know here, bad or good...I'm going to get those bad points out of the way first:
Needs Work
Needs: Transmission work and driveshaft rebuild.
This truck needs work - specifically a transmission (or new case) and a driveshaft rebuild. The trans works great - and is a GM rebuilt unit with only about 20,000 miles on it. However it was installed years ago and is out of warranty (over 3 years). The trans case cracked at the rear part of the output shaft.
See pics below
This caused a driveshaft faliure at 40mph. Good news is the way it broke it vibrated very badly and I slowed down, the ujoints gave way at about 5mph. No damage to the undercarriage.
The driveshaft however fell to the ground. It is complete, but needs new ujoints and a balance. Also, it has a dent in the tube - it's not a huge dent, but may be enough to warrant a new tube. The yokes look fine, meaning this is a very rebuildable unit and won't cost much to fix. To fully diagnose what caused the failure, I removed the transfer case, which is in good shape and worked last time used.
Costs to Fix and Make Run:
If you are so inclined, you can buy a used trans case online for about $150 shipped. I know b/c I found a few matching ones on Ebay. A trans rebuild kit is another $150, and you can transfer the old trans innards to the new case. You may also need special tools - bear in mind a modern auto trans is relatively complex so I'd only recommend this for folks who would know what they're doing. YMMV on a diy job!
Alternatively a rebuilt trans will cost $650-$1200 and if a core is involved you may not get it due to the cracked case.
I do not think this can be fixed by welding, it's aluminum first, and second it may alter the length of the trans slightly - maybe I'm wrong but it would seem like a tough job even for a good welder due to the thickness of the metal and type of metal plus upsetting the balance of the driveline.
The driveshaft can probably be rebuilt locally for $150-$250 depending on if a new tube is welded. The yokes are the pricey part and they look ok to me.
Other issues
The A/C doesn't work. It's R134a though, and the rear lines were replaced - those are the hard ones for sure.
The rear hatch seal leaks. I added some window weatherstripping tape to it, which helped. To really repair it, it needs replacement weatherstripping though.
Costmetically it's in good shape for the age. The paint still has some gloss and no peeling clearcoat. It does have some scratches but looks decent. The front grille is busted on the top, just cracked though. Otherwise no other major defects.
Interior is good and clean, no seat rips. Seats up to nine. Carpet is dirty, mainly in the rear hatch, but for age in good shape.
The Good
This is a very solid, effectively 1-owner truck. I say that because although I'm the second registered owner it's simply b/c I picked it up from my folks who bought it new in 1995. The truck was parked in 2006 due to worn front 4x4 axle shafts. In 2007 I replaced them, got it inspected and on the road.
I drove it for over 10k miles and it currently has 169,000 miles. I parked it in Summer 2008 when the driveshaft broke. I've known this truck since it was bought new, and aside from being backed into a tree once (resulting in a replacement bumper) it has never been in an accident.
It spent 2 weeks per year for many years going to the beach in Deleware. It was used to drive onto the park beaches there. As a result, we did have some corrosion of the rear a/c lines and rear brake line. Both were replaced a few years back, and it was retired from beach duty some time ago.
The good news is that it's a VERY solid truck. There is no rust through and only some very minor surface rust. Pics will tell that story best. The body though has nearly ZERO rust. Just a tiny bit of surface rust in the front wheel well and behind the rear tire on the passenger side. (Again see pics)
I really enjoyed driving this truck. I even got 16.5mpg on a highway drive to richmond.
The truck has a 350 V8, TBI, 4spd 4l60e auto, 4x4 NP241C transfer case. The engine runs just fine.
Parts Replaced:
Prior to me getting it back on the road in 2007, it had received within the previous 2 years the following:
- Tuneup including plugs/cap/wires, new hoses, belts
- alternator is a brand new rebuilt unit from the parts store
- radiator is new
- tires are just about brand new
- trans (kinda no point to that anymore though)
- water pump
- exhaust (cat back) was replaced due to oem rust hole
When I got it, I did the following:
- front axle shaft cv axles
- all new brake hardware in front: rotors, pads, calipers, and lines (due to age more than anything else)
- new battery (duralast gold)
I hate to part with it, but I don't feel like tackling this job right now and could better use the money elsewhere as I'm saving for a new place.
Towing
This truck did not come with a tow hitch and we never towed with it. If you do, I recommend a trans cooler to go with a hitch. This was part of my plans for it, and it would make a good car/people hauler but with a new trans should come a good cooler!
Price
Due to new parts and a solid truck minus the issues, the price is $1500
More Pics
http://www.ionicflux.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10002/suburban-4.jpg
http://www.ionicflux.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10002/suburban-3.jpg
http://www.ionicflux.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10002/suburban-6.jpg
http://www.ionicflux.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10002/suburban-33.jpg
http://www.ionicflux.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10002/suburban-43.jpg
http://www.ionicflux.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10002/normal_suburbantransmission-4.jpg
http://www.ionicflux.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10002/normal_suburbantransmission-13.jpg