Surburban as a beater-To buy or not to buy?

My mechanic has a loaded 04 suburban LT 4x4 w/ 305,000 miles that has an engine knock. Its been garaged, highway miles, and well maintained. The Owner doesnt want to even pay for a diagnosis. My mechanic who is a trusted friend, says his gut tells him crank bearing and it can be fixed for about 4 hours labor. Owner will take a grand...maybe less. Just so ya know....this will be a 3rd vehicle. Backup to the avalanche basically. I also have a little escort but when I go to the camper, the escort will only hold me, the dog, and the beer cooler so a bigger beater is needed to haul tools, etc. Do I:

a: buy it quick before someone else does, and hope it can be fixed cheap
b: pay mechanic to look at it even before I own it. (he says just involves dropping oil pan and inspection-then oil change)
c: buy it, drive it till it blows up, and put in a junkyard motor or scrap it.
d: run like hell-too many miles

Going to test drive it this afternoon. What do ya'll think????

 

Buy now fix later
$1000 for 4x4 is worth it to me
in great shape is even better
it's only 9-10 years old
you could have the mechanic put just one new bearing in. maybe it will last

 

Find out the scrap value and offer him that or a little more.

 

half ton 5.3 gasser. My friend the mechanic was going to buy it but he bought a honda beater instead and is now outta the market. He has maintained it its whole life for the owner and knows its in good condition other than the motor issue.

 

GM never put a Duramax in a Suburban. Just pick-ups and a de-tuned version in the vans

 

If u got cash buy it. I think its worth it. Offer like $600. New bearings most likely would be a band aid but parts are worth that if y wanted to part it.

 

U be riding in style if u get it.

 

Even it the motor does take a dump, 5.3's are a dime a dozen. You could have a pretty nice ride for under 2K.

My BILs 5.3 puked on him and he swapped in a used motor with under 90K miles for $800.

 

No good if it is just a money well. But, if you can use it, and you trust the mechanic, then go for the diagnostics, then make your decision from there. Of all things nice to have, a number three car that needs insurance, registration, inspection and contined maintenance is extra expensive if it us going to sit there most of the time. I own my truck and only put 1600 miles on it last year. But I need it enough that it would be hard not to have, still it is costly per mile.

 

Option C has my vote

 

Probably mine too. Drive it till it pukes and then decide to drop in a used motor, part it out, or scrap it all at once.

 

At 305k the tranny has probably been done a couple of times the 4L60e was not a robust tranny! The sunshell would usually break around 120-160K or the overdrive clutches would go. I had a 99 GMC 4.8 pickup with 395k before I finally parked it,motor had NEVER been touched and I usually ran 20-25k on oil changes. Probably still be driving if the frame would have held up!

Gary

 

I'd look underneath and see how corroded it might be, see if things like ball-joints, and such are needed. A full brake job on one of those with calipers/rotors etc is $1500 or more.

Nice 2nd ride if it doesn't cost another 4 -6K to get it road worthy.

 

not if u do the work yourself

 

Yea its basically a truck with a different body on it.