what to look for on burbs when buying?

[jjlaughner]

Friend of mine is buying a 89 or 90 burb... what to look for on burbs when buying?

I told him about the tailpan and the rear side panels. Owner says it was a flordia truck till last year when it was brought up here.

 

[R72K5]

rear quarters, up underneath and inside them, rockers, bottoms of fenders, floors, tails just in front of back bumper yeah

major rot areas, bad on the burbs, burbs are the rustiest ones of them all, they hold so much water and muck its not anywhere near funny

being in FL doesnt prevent it from rusting any much more than up here, down there is sand and sand and sand and if it was anywhere near coastal areas then they say that salty air moisture kills the metal just as bad as up here with salted roads mushy sloppy slush crap all winter packed into body panels

inspect very closely from up underneath the truck, flashlight and all, flat thin fridge magnet run over body panels slide around and see if falls off the body skin anywhere where bondo may be

also check spring packs in centers between u bolts for cracked leaves, look closely, make sure packs are uniform and ends of leaves are all orderly and inline and straight and all bushings in places on ends of leaves, if not then most likely has been run hard not taken care of and id be scared then,

look for gov lok junk too

pull pvc valve and check for exhaust gas pressure in crankcase while engine is running, if there is any then run away fast, bad rings and.or valves or hole in piston,








good luck

 

[b00sted]

General body condition...Especially the floor-pans and around the wheel wells. Make sure the engine isn't blowing too much smoke. A little bit is probably the valve-seals, alot is usuall the rings.

 

[Ddragggon]

You can check rot repair with a refrigerator magnet. throw it at the truck, and if it falls off, it's bondo. Check the rear springs, and make sure they're not sagging, or inverted. my 77 had flat springs which rapidly became broken springs, and unless you plan to lift it and replace them anyway, stock 3/4 ton wprings are $400 each. If it's a half, it's not as bad, but still more than zero. If it has rear air, make sure the blower motor works, as that's not the easiest part to find. Rear tailgate motor is no longer a dealer item, since 91 was the last year with a tailgate, and it's been more than 10 years. Check the frame rails. My 77 had bends up and down the frame rails from being a high torque heavy tow vehicle for the better part of 20 years.

Beyond that, check the transmission seals for leaks, differential seals for leaks, excessive rust on anything, and etc. body mounts may need replacement, but that's no real shock.

 

[jjlaughner]

good so far, forgot about checking the leaf springs for cracks...

it has barn doors on it and it looks pretty good in the pics, he's going to pick it up / check it out Saturday

bump for the night crew...