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$600 Suburban

82355

82355

1 ton status
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Joined
Feb 4, 2009
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Location
Bradish Nebraska
I have some what of a reputation around here for buying any old Suburban, Blazer, or pickup. People call me all the time trying to unload them. Some I buy, some I pass up because the price is too high, and some I pass up because they have nothing I want (half tons, automatics, semi floaters, etc). Well a kid I know had just bought a 1989 K1500 GMC Suburban. He bought it with a broken flex plate. He and his brother installed a new flex plate, but then he called me and asked if I was interested in buying it because the transmission was going out. He wanted a $1,000 for it. I looked it over very quickly and told him no. Probably would have said yes if it had been a Chevrolet. He was persistent though. Next he wanted $800, then $650. Finally he came down to $600 delivered to my place, so I bought it for a buddy to swap the TBI into his 1985 half ton.

Today I went out and started looking it over. The TV cable was not hooked up to the throttle body. So I crawled under it to look for the cable. I figured that was the only problem, and was hoping he hadn't driven it enough with the cable unhooked, to burn up the tranny. I was quite surprised when I looked under there and found a TH400/NP241 instead of a TH700R4....

I jump started it, and took it for a drive. Other than REALLY needing some brake work, it ran and drove fine. So I called the kid and asked him what was actually wrong with the transmission. He replied, and I quote: "It worked fine, it just wouldn't shift into overdrive"

I almost feel guilty........

Martin
 
Oh man, heck of a deal. Sometimes those kinds of things make you feel quilty but always remember he came to you about buying it.

A buddy of mine scored a very clean, rust and dent free 2 door s10 4x4 blazer a while back for $500. It had lots of new parts like starter, alt, battery, etc. etc. The interior looked almost brand new. The guy said the tranny had cracked and was no longer working and that he was tired of dumping money into it and just wanted it gone. My buddy went and looked at it and then called me and told me to see if I would pick him up at his house so we could go get it. We went by the bank so he could withdraw the cash from his account, drove up to napa where the guy worked to pay him for it, the guy had been a machinist in their machine shop for years. While there he also picked up a tranny dipstick o ring and a case of tranny fluid. We put the o ring on the dipstick tube, dumped fluid in it and he drove it for months until he sold it for $2500 to a coworker. Little 10 cent o ring cost that guy thousands, what an idiot.
 
:haha::haha: no need to feel guilty, if it weren't for stupid people, none of us would ever feel smart :D
 
89 GMC huh, man that was my nephew.... I wish he woulda called me first.
 
I had a friend who bought a 1999 1/2 ton chevy 4x4 pickup in very good shape (from florida and only up here a couple of years ,no rot on it anywhere),for 500 bucks,when the owner called and asked him "whats it cost to have a tranny rebuilt and installed,VS buying a "good used one" from a boneyard and installing it...my friend said he didn't rebuild transmissions,but knew someone who did,who usually gets at least a grand for the rebuild and he'd install it for 300 bucks more--a junkyard one would run about 600 bucks installed,but the customer had to buy it,and be who deals with the junkyard should any troubles arise..........................................................................................................................................................................................................The owner says "EH,I was afraid it'd cost that much!--I dont really need or use the truck much any more,my late father owned it and I got it from his estate in florida after he passed away...I guess I'll just scrap it--unless you know anyone interested in it...I bought a plow for it last year,never had it installed,and I'm thinking of moving back down south,so I wont need the truck--darn thing runs great too,my wife took it to the store,and said it just refused to move when she put it in reverse ---no drive in any gears any more..................................................................................................My friend said he'd be lucky to get 350 bucks for scrap ,as the prices were only about 125 bucks a ton then--and he offered him 500 for it,said he'd likely be able to use the engine or other parts ,or sell it to someone else ...the guy handed him the title the next day,and after he left,we started poking around in the truck...my friend noticed the transfer case ****fer was in NEUTRAL!..we put it back in 2WD and went for a ride around the block,it shifted perfectly,and tried 4WD,and it seemed fine!!...someone bought the truck a few weeks later for 2500 bucks,after he used it awhile to be sure the tranny didn't act up after a good trip,etc...............................................................................................The former owners wife came in about a month later ,in a newer Jeep Cherokee,and she wanted an oil change and the tranny fluid changed..as she went to get out of it,we saw her grab her purse,which was looped over the shifter for the transfer case,and she tugged on it pretty hard to get the handles off the lever...we went "UH-HA!"...thats why the other trucks transfer case was in neutral,I bet!".....surprised the husband wasn't smart enough to check for something that STUPID before giving up on the truck and practically giving it away!...but it HAPPENS ,and more often then you think too.....
 
I have told this story before, but I still like it. I got invited to a military auction one time by a friend of mine.
Among the items there was a big bulldozer with a frozen engine. D4 or 6, probably a 4. Only one bidder, and older guy who got it for about $1000.
I was thinking that was a good price, since it would part out for more than that, probably had more than that as scrap value.

Old guy walked over to the engine, took out some wrenches and unbolted the starter. Whacked it a couple of times with a big rubber hammer, and the starter came off.
He fiddled with it a few minutes, and then bolted the starter back on.

Climbed in the cab, set it up, and hit start. It cranked right up.

Turned out the starter was jammed into the flywheel. All it cost him was a rebuilt starter later.........
 
Years ago, I bought two motorcycles - a '78 Yamaha DT175 and a '79 Kawasaki KZ400 - for dirt cheap because their owners couldn't get them running. Actually, the DT was free, one of those "get it out of my yard before the wife kills me" deals.

I threw the DT in the back of my truck and took it home without looking at it. I got it set up in the garage, and went through the usual routine...check the plug, check the oil, check the battery, check the gas. That's when I noticed the tank was bone dry...and I mean bone dry. Not a drop, not even the faint whiff of gas. Without messing with anything else, I poured some fresh fuel in the tank, disconnected the fuel line at the carb to be sure the petcock was working (it was) and then hooked it back up. About a half-dozen kicks later, the bike started up and ran fine. I checked the Yamalube system to be sure it was working, bought a new battery for it and used it as a trail/play bike until I sold it about 6 months ago.

The Kawasaki had been sitting in someone's garage for eons. The seller had tried to get it started, but it was a no go. When I went over to look at it, the guy had put in a new battery, fresh plugs, the oil was topped off, and the tank was half full. I pulled one of the plugs and squirted in a little starting fluid, and then kicked it over. The motor turned, coughed, seemed to catch, but then died. The bike was complete and everything else was functional, so I told the guy, "Look, I like to tinker with these things, but I don't want to insult you with a low ball offer. Call me if it doesn't sell in a few days." He told me he really wanted to get rid of it now, so he'd take $100 for it on the spot (I think he wanted $300 or $350 in the ad) just to get back the money he had put into the new plugs, battery, gas and oil. I couldn't get the cash out of my pocket fast enough. I paid him, and took the bike home.

I was looking the bike over a few hours later when I noticed that the fuel petcock was turned to OFF. Sure enough, I opened the petcock, drained some fuel and hooked the lines back up. The bike started with a few good kicks. I ended up taking the carbs off to give them a good flush - there was some rust sludge floating around in there - but that was the extent of it. I rode the hell out of that thing for about two years before I sold it.

Two bikes, two inattentive sellers.
 
Thanks for sharing, those are great. I love hearing about them, although I have never been on the recieving end of one of those deals (or the selling end thankfully).

Pic of the 'ol rig?
 
mudmobeeler said:
Oh man, heck of a deal. Sometimes those kinds of things make you feel quilty but always remember he came to you about buying it.

A buddy of mine scored a very clean, rust and dent free 2 door s10 4x4 blazer a while back for $500. It had lots of new parts like starter, alt, battery, etc. etc. The interior looked almost brand new. The guy said the tranny had cracked and was no longer working and that he was tired of dumping money into it and just wanted it gone. My buddy went and looked at it and then called me and told me to see if I would pick him up at his house so we could go get it. We went by the bank so he could withdraw the cash from his account, drove up to napa where the guy worked to pay him for it, the guy had been a machinist in their machine shop for years. While there he also picked up a tranny dipstick o ring and a case of tranny fluid. We put the o ring on the dipstick tube, dumped fluid in it and he drove it for months until he sold it for $2500 to a coworker. Little 10 cent o ring cost that guy thousands, what an idiot.
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similar thing happened to my friend's dad....who is the head auto tech at the tech school in the next town over. went to look at a quad cab s10 at a dealership(yes, dealership) that his buddy owned. the thing wouldn't start, no lights, anything. dead in the water. my friend's dad offered to 'take it off his hands' for $500. he then showed up with $500 cash in hand, and a fuse. popped the fuse in and DROVE IT HOME. man, the seller was rip sh*ttin pissed.
 
xenomarine said:
...my friend's dad offered to 'take it off his hands' for $500. he then showed up with $500 cash in hand, and a fuse. popped the fuse in and DROVE IT HOME. man, the seller was rip sh*ttin pissed.
Click to expand...

That's funny.

At least I didn't wheelie by the seller's place on the DT, although I was sorely tempted.
 
Wow I'm looking for a blazer, I'm 16 so I don't know much about them and this thread scares me. I don't wanna be on the bad side of this..
 
I bought an 89 K5 for 600.00 for parts( So I thought), cause the computer and all electronic were toast accorroding to a "mechanic" since it wouldn't run. The ower didn't have the cash to put in it. I fixed the ground on the fuel pump and drove the crap out of it.

P5190038.jpg
 
I got my Tahoe for 1800 bucks because dude couldn't get it started. He changed the pmd and messed with the fuel injection trying to get it to run. I drug it home and found that the flex plate was broken lol! Put a $50 flex plate in it and it ran awesome!

Factory 6.5l diesel 2 door that ran like a top! Mind you, I did have to spend 1k rebuilding the transmission due to a broken housing, but meh! Truck was still worth 4 or 5k haha!
 
anytime a person can get a running, street legal truck for $600 it is a good day!
 
454k30 said:
anytime a person can get a running, street legal truck for $600 it is a good day!
Click to expand...
never paid more than that for one, well except some one tons where I have paid up to $2000, but that is the exception not the rule, the lowest I paid for a one ton 4x4 is $750
And the lowest I paid for a good running truck is $100, lots of times
 
Well, I got my 91 Suburban with a NEW 5.7 , flowmaster and Rebuilt 4l80e for......>WAIT FOR IT...................800$ Granted it was from some good friends, and it needed roughly 500$ in repairs and some heavy clean up and TLC, but for a 2500 4x4 with a new set of 33x12.5x16.5 BFG's on AR Outlaw II rims, power mirrors doors etc......dash is a bit rough, but all the interior has new upholstery along with new roof liner and carpets. also all the wiring had been recently replaced. I freaking STOLE THIS TRUCK! I have never been happier about a vehicle in my life! to think just 2 months prior, I almost dropped $2800 on a 97 Subaru Outback.......
snowmonster.jpg
 
The kid blew out a u-joint in his driver's side front axle shaft in his 1984 Suburban and broke the yokes. I felt bad, so I gave him a shaft out of an '82 10 bolt I had sitting around. Now I feel a little better about the deal.

Martin
 
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