Picked up another GMT!

Ziggy

Original poster
Member
Feb 8, 2015
207
Lemme set the scene for you... My kid is 16. Just got his license a few months ago. Anticipating this monumental milestone in his life, my wife and I had managed to squirrel away a little bit of money to buy a third vehicle for the household. As homeowners, and parents of a 16 year old boy, the only vehicle that made sense to us was a pick up. So we set out, scouring Craigslist to find a pick up that would be just right, for under two grand. We happened across this little Dakota that ticked off most of the boxes, and decided to go ahead and roll with it for $1700. She wasn't a beauty queen, but had solid bones, and a lot of potential for improvement over time as the boy's disposable income increased.

20160204_175712_zpsp6wdgx4j.jpg


Then our plan for the truck was derailed on Easter Sunday, March 27, 2016. The Dodge fell victim to a 62 year old man named King Kong* (pronunciation, not spelling) who rolled a stop sign and pulled out in front of my kids on the way home from church on Easter Sunday. Fortunately, the boy did everything he could to stop, but the old dude just kept coming. My wife and I were following the kids home that day, and let me tell you, watching my kids be involved in an accident is not something I EVER want to experience again! Fortunately, my son did everything he could to avoid the accident, and King Kong's insurance company agreed, so they wrote us a check for the damage. The damage wasn't hateful, but it did tweak the frame a little bit, so I took the insurance money, and sold the truck as is, with full disclosure of the frame damage.

20160327_131712_zpslf3oiicn.jpg


With the insurance money, and cash from the sale of the truck, it was time to start shopping again. Only thing now, is that the wife had some requirements for the replacement truck. It would seem that it never occurred to her that the Dakota only had one airbag. Not to say that she felt like they should have gone off, or anything, just that if they were needed, my daughter in the front seat of the truck wouldn't have benefited from that particular piece of safety equipment. So the wife says; "He didn't do anything wrong, it seems really not right to take the truck that he loves so much (first car, you know?) because of something someone else did, and not try to get him another truck." So the search parameters were established: Pick up truck, dual airbags, needs to have enough space to put the kids backpacks and son's guitar out of the weather, and it can't cost more money than we've got.

After a week of scouring Craigslist, and a weekend of looking at a bunch of junk, I happened to refresh the screen at just the right time to spot the ad that would become the latest addition to our GM fleet. I knocked off work a little early, and drove about an hour to see, test drive, and ultimately make a deal on the rig you see below.

20160411_185656_zps73eiucct.jpg

She's a 2000 Silverado Z71, with a 5.3 Automatic. Only mods are wheels, tires, steps, toolbox, and tint. It's done over 200k, but runs and drives great. Needs a couple of odds and ends; at least one hub and bearing assembly, windshield wiper control module, 4wd switch, and the like, but that's all stuff that we can do as time and money allow.

I think we did okay, and the boy is STOKED!
20160411_185717_zpsnuxkcet6.jpg


Now I've got a reason to visit another section of GMTN! As if I needed to spend any MORE time here... LOL! :wink:

**Edit** Forgot to mention: I STOLE this truck for $2900!!!
 

Sparky

Member
Dec 4, 2011
12,927
Nice find!

The V8 Magnums in those older Dakotas would run forever and couldn't care what crap you put them through. My brother had one that ran out of oil (double gasketed filter, oops), severely overheated to the point of blowing up the radiator (temp gauge was broken so he didn't notice it getting hot), and that darn thing never, ever missed a beat. I think when he sold it it was pushing 200k.

The Silverado is a much better truck though IMO. Biased yes, but what I didn't mention about my brother's truck is something else was always broken on it!
 

HARDTRAILZ

Moderator
Nov 18, 2011
49,665
Nice looking reg cab!
 

Ziggy

Original poster
Member
Feb 8, 2015
207
Nice find!

The V8 Magnums in those older Dakotas would run forever and couldn't care what crap you put them through. My brother had one that ran out of oil (double gasketed filter, oops), severely overheated to the point of blowing up the radiator (temp gauge was broken so he didn't notice it getting hot), and that darn thing never, ever missed a beat. I think when he sold it it was pushing 200k.

The Silverado is a much better truck though IMO. Biased yes, but what I didn't mention about my brother's truck is something else was always broken on it!

I always liked that body style Dakota honestly, and to find one with low miles and a 318 was a bonus. I was a little hasty when I bought it though. Didn't ask enough questions of the guy. The guy we bought it from was the second owner. He bought it because he was renovating a house to move into, and needed a pick up to make runs to and from the hardware store. The man said his son changed the oil shortly after he bought it, and he only put 2000 miles on it, so he never changed the oil again. Only issue with that is that 2000 miles was spread over two and a half years! I changed the oil right away, and what came out was thick like molasses, black as night, and smelled bad. I added Seafoam to the crankcase per the instructions to try to get rid of some of the sludginess, but I never did get to where I trusted the truck. Once it came up to temp, the oil pressure would fall down to just *at* the line on the low pressure side of the gauge. It also had an automatic transmission, and after replacing the trans in my 97 Ram a few years ago, I've been kinda hyper critical of anything that resembles transmission slip.
 

AWD V8

Member
Jan 12, 2015
463
Looks like one happy boy! Good looking truck, he'll be the envy of his buddies.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ziggy

djthumper

Administrator
Nov 20, 2011
14,950
North Las Vegas
I think we should be having a new site member so he can learn more about his new (to him) truck.
 

Matt

Member
Dec 2, 2011
4,019
Congrats to your son on his new truck...looks like a beaut!

So, are you both going to come to a meet?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Robbabob

Sparky

Member
Dec 4, 2011
12,927
Yeah we need to get something midwest set up - see my post in the regional section :wink:
 

Ziggy

Original poster
Member
Feb 8, 2015
207
Weekends are pretty jammed up through middle July, but if there is one close enough to do a day trip, I'd definitely be interested. Columbus, Dayton, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Lexington, Louisville... The boy maybe not so much, he's working on getting his first job lined up, and Saturdays and Sundays are where he's going to make most of his bank.
 

danj

Member
Sep 29, 2014
264
I have a 2000 Silverado 1500 5.3L 4x4. It's about to round 300K and I still tow full size trucks behind it. I love that truck> It's been super dependable, and has never left me stranded. I've beat the ever living hell out of it. That is the best truck I've ever owned. Great buy!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ziggy

murdog

Member
May 20, 2016
30
Duluth MN
Those are awesome trucks! Take care of the 5.3L and be nice to the tranny and as said above 300K will be nothing.
My first truck was an 88 Scottsdale with a 350 and a 5spd. And I have never been without one since.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ziggy

northcreek

Member
Jan 15, 2012
3,310
WNY
Traded in my wife's 2011 NOX LT for a 2015 NOX LTZ .I aways hated the Buzzy 4cyl....the new one has the 301 hp V6 and the rare 19" chrome wheel option and actually every option. It was worth the 7+ hour round trip drive, oh yeah, 15K on the clock...Mike.100_3599.JPG100_3601.JPG
 

mrrsm

Lifetime VIP Donor
Supporting Donor
Member
Oct 22, 2015
7,639
Tampa Bay Area
I always liked that body style Dakota honestly, and to find one with low miles and a 318 was a bonus. I was a little hasty when I bought it though. Didn't ask enough questions of the guy. The guy we bought it from was the second owner. He bought it because he was renovating a house to move into, and needed a pick up to make runs to and from the hardware store. The man said his son changed the oil shortly after he bought it, and he only put 2000 miles on it, so he never changed the oil again. Only issue with that is that 2000 miles was spread over two and a half years! I changed the oil right away, and what came out was thick like molasses, black as night, and smelled bad. I added Seafoam to the crankcase per the instructions to try to get rid of some of the sludginess, but I never did get to where I trusted the truck. Once it came up to temp, the oil pressure would fall down to just *at* the line on the low pressure side of the gauge. It also had an automatic transmission, and after replacing the trans in my 97 Ram a few years ago, I've been kinda hyper critical of anything that resembles transmission slip.

This little piece of information will prepare you for a Worst Case Scenario regarding the finding of the Oil Thickening. I had what would eventually become THE LAST CHRYSLER PRODUCT I WILL EVER BUY... that sported the 318 CID Engine and discovered that there was an outrageous design flaw in the engine block that was allowing the Motor Oil to get heated up so hot by the exhaust manifold that it literally COOKED IT INTO THICK, STINKY SMELLING BLACK TARRY OIL THAT COLLECTED IN THE CRANKCASE IN NO TIME FLAT! The result was my son and I were taking the vehicle for a test drive and all of a sudden...the Valve Train started ticking first ...then clattering and the Oil Pressure dropped to ZERO. I had it towed to the local Chrysler "Stealership" and they worked on it overnight and when I went back to see what went wrong... "The Service Manager" lit into me about being "One THOSE people who NEVER changes their Oil and then complain about what happens when things go wrong..." Then he tried to lay a $3,500.00 Bill on me...

It literally took three of his Wrench Jockeys to pull me off of him and I laid out what I going to do to him in no uncertain terms if he did not honour my Very Expensive Extra Coverage. I yelled at him,"If you don't Check your OWN GD Records right now, Jackass... I'm going to make wish your Mother never met your Father!" Go on... Check it, Fool... and you'll see that since buying this damned thing... I RELIGIOUSLY had the Oil Changed HERE... at THIS VERY DEALERSHIP.... EVERY 3,000 Miles... every 3,000 Miles...without fail... EVER!"

The long and the short of it was that he produced images that showed the Oil in crankcase was 2" thick and was Black Tarry Muck that was caused by a serious design flaw in how the oil was being routed through highly excessive heat exposure that more or less cooked all of the essential fluid out of the "lubricant" leaving nothing but this TAR behind. I urge you to backtrack and research this engine problem and be prepared to de-sludge that engine by filling up a brand new Oil Filter withAT I STRAIGHT TRANSMISSION FLUID and the rest as plain old 5w-30...and run that engine at idle for about 5-10 minutes...no more.. This is HIGHLY DETERGENT and will loosen that crap enough so that you can drain the oil and have a screwdriver ready to gouge out the loosened muck. Every time this is done... PUT IN A BRAND NEW OIL FILTER-- FILLED FIRST WITH STRAIGHT AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUID and then the rest as before with Regular HQ Organic 5w-30 Motor Oil into the Oil Filler Neck... DON'T RE-USE A DROP OF THE STUFF THAT COMES OUT OF IT AFTER THAT... IN ANY OTHER ENGINES!

You will have to do this around three or four times and then use a pint of Marvel Mystery Oil and the rest Plain Old 5W-30 Motor Oil for a few hundred miles to get the rest of that crap out of the lifters, valve train and the crankcase. This is one of those problems in design that you will have to stay on top of regularly with Oil Changes every 500 Miles for a few months and then 1,500 Miles... or the problem will creep right back in. You have to be thorough with your "clean-out" procedures... or pieces of this Muck can get sucked into the pick up tube and block it off completely with this loosened Sh*t. He should NEVER gun the engine until you can see very high idling Oil Pressure after a series of these "clean-outs".

If your Son ...(He's A Chip off the Old Block, I'd bet... He looks Real Nice Kid...You've done well!) ever hears even the slightest ticking noise in the Valve Train... have him keep an eye on the Oil Pressure and Baby That Truck home for more "Clean Out" Treatments to settle things down. Don't waste your money using expensive Mobil1 or other synthetics right now... Regular High Quality Organic Oil will do a better job of mixing with and removing that sludge with the Xnsm Fluid in there as TF is acting like a Very High Detergent Cleaning Fluid! Good Luck...





 
Last edited:

Forum Statistics

Threads
23,271
Posts
637,476
Members
18,472
Latest member
MissCrutcher

Members Online