Best way to buy a rust-free truck from a distance?

I think that one is grossly overpriced. A well optioned, V8, 4x4, Ext Cab in a fairly amicable color, for less than $9k, listed for over 2 months now? Hmm.

Compared to that black truck on eBay - this one shows quite a bit more wear and fewer options. And no Toby Keith CD.

The stick-on chrome panels are usually a major red flag for hidden body damage/rust. But the rocker panels look clean on this truck so perhaps the previous owner just has poor taste in trim.

If you look carefully in the photos, you will see major sections of peeling paint, which is typical for a white GM truck of this vintage. The roof has a huge section missing, and there are smaller patches missing from the driver's side of the bed (over the Z71) and on the passenger side, behind the 3rd Door window. If the roof is peeling, the hood almost certainly was/is as well. So someone has repainted the hood. Unfortunately, none of these photos are good enough to tell if that was quality work or not.

The tailgate is missing the trim around the handle, also typical for these trucks, but also a cheap, easy fix to avoid a haggling point. Likewise for the tires that are obviously underinflated in the photos. Would the tires not hold air long enough to get a good picture? Also, the tires do not match front to rear, which is not at all unusual on a 25 year-old truck. But as a buyer, you bet I'd point that out.

The bed obviously has a LOT more wear/use on it as well, which is okay, depending on your intended use. More on that later. Based on the wear over the fenderwells, and the lack of wear on the bed floor, it likely had a plastic drop-in bedliner until fairly recently. (Where'd it go, why was it unfit for sale? Who snatched it for their own truck?) But the real eye catcher for me is the trailer wiring receptacle on the inside of the left bed side panel, just forward of the stake pocket. If you look closer, there looks to be a hole cut in the middle of the bed floor too. Either this is not the original box for the truck (so what happened? Accident?) or this truck has had a gooseneck hitch installed. This is highly unusual on a 1500, let alone a shortbed, more common on the 2500 and 3500's. All of a sudden, I'm very concerned that 144k miles (which was never "low miles" for these trucks at any age) is a lot for a 4L60e transmission (especially with unknown service history) towing at the limit or likely well over its tow ratings.

The interior condition is just average. Some damage to the carpet there on the driver's side of the trans tunnel, but all of the seats are intact with remarkably little wear. Some weird staining going on with the driver's seat backrest though. Especially odd since it looks like it had seat covers, as the front seats have no fading, and show a slight color difference vs the lower seat cushions, carpet on top of the trans tunnel, and the backseat. The missing radio knob is just obnoxious at this point. Come on. That's a junkyard freebie fix.

But is it a better deal, than say, the black truck which will likely sell for $15k+ with 90k miles and no major cosmetic issues whatsoever. Depends on your intended use. If you want one to throw wood/rocks/dirt/mulch in and it doubles as daily transportation - This one is overpriced IMO and carries a lot of risk buying it sight unseen. If you had a service history for the transmission, and it could be verified with a test drive, I might give $5-6k for this truck. If you don't care about the cosmetic flaws, there are many options for less than $9k. And I'd have reservations about buying ANY truck in that category sight unseen. If you're looking for one to drive as a classic vehicle and wanted a super-clean example, this truck just has too many flaws, for the money. $9k asking price and it's going to need tires, paint, and a full detail job (a few prayers wouldn't hurt) to start describing it as clean and complete. And this is a 1500, the most common model. If it was a 2500 or SRW 3500, $9k may be a bit high, but certainly palatable.

 

Maybe I should start "finding" clean GMT400's to enjoy and resell. Seems like I still have it bad for them. I like the GMT800's ('99-2006) just fine too. Far better engine options, but even worse with the rust issues than GMT400's.

 

Maybe I should have invested in more Toby Keith CD's .....

Original condition OBS Chevy's in that good of condition are a rarity. And that one has most of the option sheet checked. Yeah, you can find them rebuilt, or half-way rusted out yet. But even here in SC where rust hasn't claimed all of them, clean, original examples that haven't visited the machine shop or the paint booth are rare. $18k certainly is premium price, but considering $1 isn't worth near what it was 10 years ago, and the fact that examples like that ARE in fact rare, I wouldn't call it nuts or unrealistic. A similarly optioned (minus the leather I guess) K10 square body with similar mileage in the same exterior condition, even re-painted, would easily fetch $18k. Few would call that crazy, and these are MUCH better trucks. Keep in mind that it's unlikely this was purchased as an affordable daily driver, and most likely as a classic truck to drive on Sunday.

 

I wouldn't bat an eye with that powertrain. As long as reverse is good, she's good to go. What's the difference between a big block and a small block? What a small block will do once or twice on the weekends, a big-block will do all day, every day, for 200k+. With a small-block, it would have the 4L60E (vs the 4L80E paired to the later big-block trucks) behind it. Especially with any towing use, it's a matter of when, not if, it will need to see a good trans shop.

EDIT: I need to get more sleep - All 3/4T trucks, had the 4L80e, even with the 5.7 V8. It's the half tons that got the 4L60e.

The more they work, the closer a small-block gets to the big-blocks for MPG too....