Hey guys,

My transmission recently blew out on my car. I'm looking to make it through my last two semesters of college, so just need a vehicle that will be reliable enough to get me to and from school til May.

Anyways, I would like to purchase a truck, working with about $7000.

I found a 1999 Silverado with 90xxx miles on it, regular cab, long bed, with the 5.3L V8 and 4WD. I was able to talk the guy down to about $6200 plus taxes and plates (think he said it would be about $6700 all together).

Is this a good deal assuming the engine and transmission are solid? I havn't yet looked at the truck yet (going tomorrow), but he claims the engine and transmission feel great.

If that is a decent deal, and the truck is in good shape, I plan on picking it up tomorrow. Any problems in particular that are prominent in that years model that I should look for when i'm giving the truck a once over?

Thanks for the advice. Just wanted to make sure im getting a decent deal and that im not overlooking anything when I inspect the truck.

 

I wouldn't give that for it, maybe start with 3K$

 

Is $6200 really too much? KBB has that truck values at $7850 with that powertrain and mileage.

Been researching for the past week and didn't see much in terms of trucks with less then 100k miles for under 7k

 

Mileage is good, but keep in mind that this is still 13 years old. Price IMO is a bit high. First off, never negotiate a price until AFTER you've looked it over and test drove it. Price for this year should be closer to $5000 with those miles around my neck of the woods, provided everything works on it. What I've noticed on these years are cab corner, rocker panel, and bedside rust above the wheelwells. Problems with the push button 4x4 switch seem to be common too. 5.3 is a good motor.

 

Thanks for the input grumpy. Only reason I decided to negotiate the price a bit with the guy is because it is an hour and a half drive. Just wanted to make sure he wasn't firm at his original price.

Thanks for the input though. I'll be sure to look for rust in those locations and to test out the 4x4 switch. I also planned on checking out the inner tire wall to look for signs of wear that might indicate too much camber or too much toe. Obviously taking it for a test ride to get a feel for the powertrain too.

 

Find out if there has been any tranny maintenance service. See if he has the receipts. The tranny, transfer case, and both axles should have been done at least once (at 50k) and probably more than that due to the number of years.

Have a professional mechanic (ie dealer) go over it before you buy it.