I got the truck! *large image files*
April 26th, 2009, 9:29 PM
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I got the truck! *large image files*
I posted a thread a few days ago seeking advice on the purchase of a used Chevy truck. I got some good feedback from you guys, and it helped in my final decision. Here is a link to the previous thread for those of you that missed it: https://chevroletforum.com/forum/silverado-sierra-fullsize-pick-ups-21/seeking-advice-insight-chevy-4x4-purchase-22257/. I was told that you guys lived off of saga length posts with lots of pics, so I will try and satisfy your hunger.
On Saturday my wife and I went to look at a 1995 K1500. I knew that he was asking $4500 from the Craigslist ad, so I wanted to be prepared to get the truck if we liked it. Now, if you've ever tried to round up $4500 in cash on a Saturday - then you know what we went through. I do not have a local bank, so we had to call and have our bank raise our daily limits. No problem. Then we had to try and find an ATM that would let us keep taking money out, until we got the full $4500. The first ATM, no dice - it let us take out a paltry $400, and would not let me do another transaction. We got lucky at the next ATM, and we were able to do several transactions at $400 at a time, until we got the full $4500.
Thirty minutes later, we were on our way. He lived way out in the country, which was a nice drive for my wife and I. It took us just over 45 minutes to get to his place. We got there as he was pulling it around to the front of his house. Off the bat it was a nice big tall looking 4x4, just the way we like em'. I noticed the paint was rough, just like he had said in his ad. Also, the dual exhaust was off the hangers in the back.
He got out, and we talked for about 5 minutes before I asked him about the price. In the Craigslist ad, he listed it for $4500. On the phone he said that he might drop to $4000 if the buyer had cash. He said that he would let it go for $4000. I told him we'd take it for a 20 minute test drive, and let him know when we got back.
The test drive went well, I freaked the wife out on the first sharp turn - she thought we were going to roll it. I was only doing 45, but she is so used to drive her little Pontiac Vibe hehe.. I found some open road and got it up to 65 mph, the ride was rough, which I had expected with the 36" swampers, but not too bad. I found a spot to put it in to 4WD and crawl around a bit, no issues. Aftwards, we pulled over to a service station and got out to take a look underneath for leaks. There was a small leak at the oil pan drain plug. I didn't see any other leaks, and the suspension looked like it was in good working order. I was concerned the tranny would be ragged out, because he loved to go muddin', but it all sounded very smooth.
The only issues we could find were cosmetic in nature. Exterior door handles loose, cracked. The passenger side rear window was missing the latch. Hood latch lever was broken. CD player was kind of rigged in place, not mounted in the tray like it should have been. Other than that, the interior was in great shape for a 14 year old truck.
After the test drive, we headed back to talk with him. I had printed out some rough estimates from NADA, Edmunds, and KBB. Armed with those, and the issues we found on the test drive - I told him I was comfortable with paying $3500-$3800 for the truck, and that I had the cash on hand. I wasn't try to lowball him, but there was going to have to be some work put in to the truck... He thought about it long and hard, then went inside to talk with his folks/friends. He came back out about 10 minutes later and asked me if I'd give him $3800. Naturally, I said yes!
1995 Chevy Silverado K1500
V8 5.7L Automatic
- 6' suspension lift, 3" body lift
- Throttle body spacer
- Headers
- American Racing wheels
- 36" Swampers, with spare 35" set of BFG All Terrains
- 12,000lb winch
- Front and rear receiver hitches
- KC lights
- Truck box
- Bed liner, and extra bed mat
Now that I've got the tension built up - here is our new truck!
Taken at our place, before I washed it:
From the side (Notice the trash can to dump all the Skoal cans and Mt. Dew bottles in to haha):
This is after I washed it, you can see the paint damage on the sides:
Closer view of paint damage:
Paint damage on the hood, it actually was a MUCH larger area than this after I started chipping away at it with the sander. It was so bad on the hood, you could take your thumbnail and just run 12-16" gouges in the paint!
Tailgate damage:
Roof damage:
The roof was really the only place with a large rust spot, near the windshield.
From the looks of things, about all the guy did was mud the hell out of it and change the oil. It atleast had a new filter on it. The wiper fluid was dry. Brake and power steering fluid was low. K&N filter was dirty as hell. The truck probably had not been waxed since it rolled off the production line in 1995... So, needless to say it needs some TLC to bring it close to par. Just getting the truck, I was not ready to put another $500-$1000 for a low end paint job - besides, it's not like my wife would let me anyway at this point!! So, I opted for the backyard rattle can job...
At 8 a.m. this morning, (Sunday, sorry neighbors!!) I went to work with my stripping wheel on the paint. The panel were actually not that bad, I pretty much had to strip all the way down the length of each panel where the body line is. The roof, and hood on the other hand... By the time I finished stripping away paint with the wheel and my thumb, I had what amounted to a coffee can full of paint chips! Luckily I had my respirator, because it was nasty..
I finally got it all stripped down, then spent the next 2+ hours wetsanding it with 400, 600 grit to smooth down the edges for the primer. I washed it all, and wiped it down again. Luckily it was hot today and it dried off quick. I then started in with the primer. After three good coats of primer, I started painting. I had gone to the auto shop and color matched the paint off the VIN, but the original paint had been so neglected, that it was dull next to the new stuff. I layed down three coats of white Dupli-Color, and here are the results!
I do not think it turned out half bad - it's a HELL of a lot better than it was before. Defintely worth the $25 in paint! I ran out of paint on coat #2 on the hood, so I will need to go back and lay another coat on it in the next day or so. Once I get the paint finished I am planning on giving it a few days to cure, then putting on a light polishing compound, followed with some glazing wax to try and blend the old/new paint together better.
That about wraps it up for now boys. I am going to drive it around for a week and see what kind of mileage it gets - I am figuring 8-10 mpg with the tires, based on the 13 mpg rating from Chevy. After that, trying to find the nit noid stuff to replace the various broken levers, bulbs and handles etc on it. Please feel free to leave any feedback you have. This is my first full size Chevy in ages, I'd really like to hear what you guys have to say!
- Kerry
On Saturday my wife and I went to look at a 1995 K1500. I knew that he was asking $4500 from the Craigslist ad, so I wanted to be prepared to get the truck if we liked it. Now, if you've ever tried to round up $4500 in cash on a Saturday - then you know what we went through. I do not have a local bank, so we had to call and have our bank raise our daily limits. No problem. Then we had to try and find an ATM that would let us keep taking money out, until we got the full $4500. The first ATM, no dice - it let us take out a paltry $400, and would not let me do another transaction. We got lucky at the next ATM, and we were able to do several transactions at $400 at a time, until we got the full $4500.
Thirty minutes later, we were on our way. He lived way out in the country, which was a nice drive for my wife and I. It took us just over 45 minutes to get to his place. We got there as he was pulling it around to the front of his house. Off the bat it was a nice big tall looking 4x4, just the way we like em'. I noticed the paint was rough, just like he had said in his ad. Also, the dual exhaust was off the hangers in the back.
He got out, and we talked for about 5 minutes before I asked him about the price. In the Craigslist ad, he listed it for $4500. On the phone he said that he might drop to $4000 if the buyer had cash. He said that he would let it go for $4000. I told him we'd take it for a 20 minute test drive, and let him know when we got back.
The test drive went well, I freaked the wife out on the first sharp turn - she thought we were going to roll it. I was only doing 45, but she is so used to drive her little Pontiac Vibe hehe.. I found some open road and got it up to 65 mph, the ride was rough, which I had expected with the 36" swampers, but not too bad. I found a spot to put it in to 4WD and crawl around a bit, no issues. Aftwards, we pulled over to a service station and got out to take a look underneath for leaks. There was a small leak at the oil pan drain plug. I didn't see any other leaks, and the suspension looked like it was in good working order. I was concerned the tranny would be ragged out, because he loved to go muddin', but it all sounded very smooth.
The only issues we could find were cosmetic in nature. Exterior door handles loose, cracked. The passenger side rear window was missing the latch. Hood latch lever was broken. CD player was kind of rigged in place, not mounted in the tray like it should have been. Other than that, the interior was in great shape for a 14 year old truck.
After the test drive, we headed back to talk with him. I had printed out some rough estimates from NADA, Edmunds, and KBB. Armed with those, and the issues we found on the test drive - I told him I was comfortable with paying $3500-$3800 for the truck, and that I had the cash on hand. I wasn't try to lowball him, but there was going to have to be some work put in to the truck... He thought about it long and hard, then went inside to talk with his folks/friends. He came back out about 10 minutes later and asked me if I'd give him $3800. Naturally, I said yes!
1995 Chevy Silverado K1500
V8 5.7L Automatic
- 6' suspension lift, 3" body lift
- Throttle body spacer
- Headers
- American Racing wheels
- 36" Swampers, with spare 35" set of BFG All Terrains
- 12,000lb winch
- Front and rear receiver hitches
- KC lights
- Truck box
- Bed liner, and extra bed mat
Now that I've got the tension built up - here is our new truck!
Taken at our place, before I washed it:
From the side (Notice the trash can to dump all the Skoal cans and Mt. Dew bottles in to haha):
This is after I washed it, you can see the paint damage on the sides:
Closer view of paint damage:
Paint damage on the hood, it actually was a MUCH larger area than this after I started chipping away at it with the sander. It was so bad on the hood, you could take your thumbnail and just run 12-16" gouges in the paint!
Tailgate damage:
Roof damage:
The roof was really the only place with a large rust spot, near the windshield.
From the looks of things, about all the guy did was mud the hell out of it and change the oil. It atleast had a new filter on it. The wiper fluid was dry. Brake and power steering fluid was low. K&N filter was dirty as hell. The truck probably had not been waxed since it rolled off the production line in 1995... So, needless to say it needs some TLC to bring it close to par. Just getting the truck, I was not ready to put another $500-$1000 for a low end paint job - besides, it's not like my wife would let me anyway at this point!! So, I opted for the backyard rattle can job...
At 8 a.m. this morning, (Sunday, sorry neighbors!!) I went to work with my stripping wheel on the paint. The panel were actually not that bad, I pretty much had to strip all the way down the length of each panel where the body line is. The roof, and hood on the other hand... By the time I finished stripping away paint with the wheel and my thumb, I had what amounted to a coffee can full of paint chips! Luckily I had my respirator, because it was nasty..
I finally got it all stripped down, then spent the next 2+ hours wetsanding it with 400, 600 grit to smooth down the edges for the primer. I washed it all, and wiped it down again. Luckily it was hot today and it dried off quick. I then started in with the primer. After three good coats of primer, I started painting. I had gone to the auto shop and color matched the paint off the VIN, but the original paint had been so neglected, that it was dull next to the new stuff. I layed down three coats of white Dupli-Color, and here are the results!
I do not think it turned out half bad - it's a HELL of a lot better than it was before. Defintely worth the $25 in paint! I ran out of paint on coat #2 on the hood, so I will need to go back and lay another coat on it in the next day or so. Once I get the paint finished I am planning on giving it a few days to cure, then putting on a light polishing compound, followed with some glazing wax to try and blend the old/new paint together better.
That about wraps it up for now boys. I am going to drive it around for a week and see what kind of mileage it gets - I am figuring 8-10 mpg with the tires, based on the 13 mpg rating from Chevy. After that, trying to find the nit noid stuff to replace the various broken levers, bulbs and handles etc on it. Please feel free to leave any feedback you have. This is my first full size Chevy in ages, I'd really like to hear what you guys have to say!
- Kerry
Last edited by Molon Labe; April 26th, 2009 at 9:40 PM.
April 26th, 2009, 10:55 PM
#5
one thing i don't understand. if you to BARGAIN with a seller, why would you tell him that you are comfortable with $3500 - $3800? of course he "succumbed", after "hard thinking and consult with pals, family, and ghost of uncle Harry" to a HIGHER offer.
couldn't you just put $3500, in 20s, to make it look "fatter', into an envelop, put the back up cash into pocket, pull envelop out, open it to show him the stack of bills, and say - this is all I have, take it or I'm leaving?
btw, regarding "drain plug" leak. take a good look at the front of the oil pan. leaks from the oil pan gasket or main seal droop back along the pan and look like they drip off the drain plug. my truck is the living proof to that.
couldn't you just put $3500, in 20s, to make it look "fatter', into an envelop, put the back up cash into pocket, pull envelop out, open it to show him the stack of bills, and say - this is all I have, take it or I'm leaving?
btw, regarding "drain plug" leak. take a good look at the front of the oil pan. leaks from the oil pan gasket or main seal droop back along the pan and look like they drip off the drain plug. my truck is the living proof to that.
April 27th, 2009, 12:38 PM
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Thanks mudmaniac!
I could have tried to lowball the guy to $3500, but the truck had only been on Criaglist for 2 days, and there had been several people come look at it. I could have really put some pressure on him, but he did not have to sell me the truck. I did not want to push him away and lose out on a great truck - whether it's $3600, $3800, or $4000. I'd rather have the truck in my garage, then trying to milk him for a few hundred dollars.
Before I got there - I was willing to pay $4000 for it. By giving him a range of $3500-$3800 to choose from, he feels like he is getting his slice of the pie too. I knew that he undoubtedly would say $3800, which, unbeknownest to him, was $200 less than I had already told myself I would pay for it.
Thanks for the drain plug tip btw, I'l get under it again and take a look.
I could have tried to lowball the guy to $3500, but the truck had only been on Criaglist for 2 days, and there had been several people come look at it. I could have really put some pressure on him, but he did not have to sell me the truck. I did not want to push him away and lose out on a great truck - whether it's $3600, $3800, or $4000. I'd rather have the truck in my garage, then trying to milk him for a few hundred dollars.
Before I got there - I was willing to pay $4000 for it. By giving him a range of $3500-$3800 to choose from, he feels like he is getting his slice of the pie too. I knew that he undoubtedly would say $3800, which, unbeknownest to him, was $200 less than I had already told myself I would pay for it.
Thanks for the drain plug tip btw, I'l get under it again and take a look.
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April 27th, 2009, 1:45 PM
#8
CF Monarch
The truck looks, if not good, definately a lot better!
Just curious, but how did you get the yellow inspections sticker on a truck with standard tags?
Just curious, but how did you get the yellow inspections sticker on a truck with standard tags?
April 27th, 2009, 2:34 PM
#9
The sticker says "Z-71" on the side of the truck. The way to verify this is to look in the glove-box ;on the inside of the glove box there's a sticker marked "Service Parts Identification " with three-digit alpha-numerical codes. Somewhere near the end of the list you should see "Z71".
I like it! But what the hell do I know, I like white paint.
Of course, you made sure the winch works,right?
I like it! But what the hell do I know, I like white paint.
Of course, you made sure the winch works,right?
April 27th, 2009, 7:45 PM
#10
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Man...that is one BEAST of a truck. Initially I thought $3800 sounded kind of expensive...but after seeing the truck I take that back. Awesome awesome looking truck. What strikes me the most about the truck is that there is NO rust on it. Most of the trucks I looked at had holes so big in the cab corners I could put my fist through them...and that's why I bought the one I did...because it had only surface rust in a couple spots...yours doesn't have any rust at all. Really nice truck. Good find.