What made you choose your GMT360

[joshtheawesome]

Let me begin. Before I decided to drive up to Maine for the Rainier I had to make 100% sure that I wanted a rainier. I was loving the Mercury Mountaineer but some YouTube videos cured me of that.

Then I became interested in an envoy, trailblazer and the 9-7x. I ruled out the most of the envoys and the trailblazers. The only variant of those I was looking at was a envoy Denali and a trailblazer two tone. The 9-7x was still high on my list and so was the ascender. I quickly ruled out the ascender because of the rear lights looking to foreign to me and the front grille. I was between the Rainier and 9-7x. Watching this video made me 60% sure of a rainier.

Then I looked at the rainier more in depthley. I love the front end styling on the Rainier as well as the interior with the wood trim. The Buick was the only regular sized gmt360 with a v8. I liked the back end of the rainier as well

 

[Matt]

The rear diff on my Jeep ate some teeth and I was desperate to get something else...lucky I was "talked" into mine by the dealer.

 

[northcreek]

My Mariner(Escape) was eating transmissions on a annual basis(first/last Ford).Took a Denali for a ride and fell in love

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

The Buick was the only regular sized gmt360 with a v8.

This is false. SWB of a few in certain years had the V8. I drove a 5.3 swb TB. Seen Envoy swb with v8 as well.

 

[Tiggerr]

Wife wanted something bigger than her Malibu... this was in a local car lot that was affordable.. was in great shape... got it financed as we were rebuilding our credit... always did like the Rainier when it was new...if it'd been an awd model I'd never have bought it tho...
Love my Rainer

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

I bought mine way back in 09 due to needing a 3 year or less old vehicle to meet loan criteria. Wanted full-size, but the 3 year thing pushed the price higher than I was willing to spend. Found the TB for a deal and finally drove one. Was impressed by the power and ride, so it replaced the previous 93 S-10 Blazer and kept me once again in the GM suv family. Definitely was not the vehicle I had started searching for, but has proved itself to have worked out well and I doubt it ever sells unless someone decides to drop $10,000 cash in front of me.

 

[Reprise]

My Mariner(Escape) was eating transmissions on a annual basis(first/last Ford).Took a Denali for a ride and fell in love

Similar for me, although it took three tries for me to learn to stop buying Fords.

I first had a '99 Explorer with 205K - ran beautifully, but it was succumbing to rust. Sold it for almost what I paid for it, when I bought...

'03 Explorer. This one was beautiful, in comparison - but had a lot of little niggling issues. Thankfully, I knew where to find the info on how to fix them, and I had a great running vehicle for a bit of time & a little bit of money spent.

Two issues I couldn't fix myself - one was the trans, which would slam into reverse from Park. (P > D > R, which I'm always in the habit of doing anyway,) was much better). And it was on at least the second trans.

The other issue was the engine, which was the infamous 'Cologne V6' - FOUR timing chains (in 4wd trim), one of them being in the BACK of the engine. Worse, Ford used PLASTIC timing chain guides, which tended to break. Drove this for about a year or so. My front chain guides were rattling, and replacing the tensioners didn't help. The 'repair' for one of these engines...is a new engine (it's cheaper to find another, than to R&R - and why put another ticking bomb into it. Decided to look for a V8-equipped Explorer.

Found one - in Indianapolis. Had 200K on the clock, but it was well-cared for, with documented receipts over TWO owners (and it was a decked-out Limited, with the beautiful pearl white tri-coat.) Not one sound from the engine, purred like a kitten, and ran like stink - until I got it back home - when it threw a bearing. At that point, I gave up on Ford. As someone said on another forum - "the engineering just isn't there", compared to GM.

The Explorer site I used to frequent had a thread on how the Explorer compared to the TB / Envoy - the people there had a lot of respect for the 4.2L (especially when you compared it to Ford's crappily-designed 4.0L OHC), and I found out on my own that the V8 was based on the LSx engine. Found a loaded LWB w/ the V8, 3.73 gear w/ locker (RPOs: GT4 & G80), and less than 150K on the clock, and felt 'back at home' (I had owned several GM vehicles when I was younger).

Used the 2nd Explorer and cash to pay for the Voy; the 3rd Explorer went to the scrap yard. I still get p!ssed over that one.

(for those that might ask - I wanted a domestic body-on-frame; Chrysler wasn't an option, and the Envoy XL was 'just right', size-wise - the full-size PUs and SUVs felt 'too' big. Plus I had great towing capability, and 120 (?) cu. ft of cargo capacity...I haul 'stuff', not 'people'.

I *almost* went looking for the XUV - until I found out that the midgate / tailgate tended to fall victim to issues a bit too often for my liking.

3 years later, here I am - and plan on keeping my Voy until 'death do us part', or I ever need to tow more than 6000 lbs (it's rated to 7K) - at which point, I'll start looking for a 3/4 ton Silvy / Sierra w/ the 6.0L gasser.

If I ever do sell it, I'm going to list it here first - my posting history will be a testament to the time / effort / love / $ that I put into it (e.g.; I didn't just drive it into the ground, and I only put about 3000 miles/yr on it so far). Body rust isn't an issue with it, thankfully (even though it spent its whole life in the snow belt (central IN for the first seven years; IL for the rest of its life).

Outside of losing a battery (a wear item), a vent actuator that acts up every so often, and burning up my trans and having to have it rebuilt (my fault) - it's been a great truck. Oh, and I'm still trying to find the source of a rear 'clank' that shows up every so often - pretty sure it's the parking brake assy, which I'll be getting to before long.

From a body perspective, I got it with a broken rear spoiler - after trying several things to fix it, I finally found someone selling a backglass w/ an intact spoiler, and just swapped it outright. Looks like 'new'

Has never let me down; I just got back from driving it almost 1000mi in under a week - was hella fun w/ new thermal clutch & Lime-Swap tune!

 

[Mooseman]

In 2011, I was looking to replace the '00 Jimmy that I had for 3 years as I was starting to outgrow it. Although I had a '93 Blazer before it, I found the Jimmy too small for me. I just liked the look of the Trailblazer. Bigger than the Jimmy but not a full size. I knew so little about them that I didn't even know they had inline engines. But at that time, their price tags were still pretty hefty. Then I spotted the '02 EXT in a Kijiji ad cheap. Fully equipped except for heated seats (who gets leather seats in Canada without heat???). Only problem is that the engine had a knock and the front bumper was ripped. So got it for $1000 and drove it home with the knocking engine. That was fun!

So got another engine for $650 and set to replace it. I actually hated the mechanics of this thing. Axles and diff on the oil pan? More electronics than a server room and tight spaces that can make Gumby cry.
http://forums.trailvoy.com/showthread.php?t=89230

It had other issues from neglect by the PO. Once it was all done, she was good mostly. Modded it over time to my liking and it never left me on the side of the road except once when the aux tranny cooler line blew off in -30C. At then end, last year, starter died at the wife's work and then soon after, the tranny, also at her work. Body by then was just too far rusted to bother replacing it. I just finished stripping it and sending it to scrap a couple of weeks ago.

I liked these trucks so much that I bought a 9-7x with the 5.3L 3 years ago and just bought another '07 TB LS from my work which had low mileage and was well taken care of. Figure it will last me another 10 years. That's how committed I am to this platform and I have lots of spare parts and knowledge.

 

[Reprise]

Figure it will last me another 10 years. That's how committed I am to this platform and I have lots of spare parts and knowledge.

That's the thing, isn't it? With the investments made in time & money, and with a stash of parts...why throw away the hard-earned knowledge for something else you'll be dependent on others to fix (at least, initially) ?

If it runs well, the frame isn't rusted out and you enjoy driving it - you know the strengths & weaknesses of the platform, and the improvements / workarounds to mitigate those weaknesses. May as well leverage that knowledge toward lowered TCO.

 

[littleblazer]

It was early 2011. I was going to be getting my permit soon so my dad wanted to find something he could shake down for a few months before I got it so it would be safe. He was a Ford guy before he started working for the shop but after the abuse the 00 c3500 took he was sold on gm building good trucks. Granted he always said a sbc sounded way better than a sbf and the boats dropped Ford and Chrysler power plants for a reason. (He was a marine mechanic for ~20 years) he wanted me to be able to tow the boat as I would eventually get it and he started looking into the platform. There was a Hyundai dealer directly across from the shop and my truck was sitting on the lot there for months. Everyday he left he saw it as the jug handle put him at a light where he stared directly at it. We checked out newer ones older ones envoys etc but none were as perfect as that truck was. I mean it had 95k on it when we bought it. The price was just too high and we kept looking at others even test drove a couple. Then I finally got to sit in it and I was gone. That truck for whatever reason was just more comfortable. I don't know if the previous owner just took good care of it or what but it had zero rust when we bought it and the interior was showroom. I think that the carpet was replaced but I could be mistaken. No one could believe it was an 04 they all thought it was like an 08 09. But what sold it was that the guy wouldn't come down in price but he agreeded to replace the thermostat and the other little nagging issues it had. Signed the paper work that day and I have to say that it's been one of the most reliable vehicles we've had. Stupid stuff like hubs batteries brakes and the fuel pump went but considering the abuse it gets it's doing great. It's my baby and I have a lot of memories with it with a lot of good people. The lip on the bottom of the rear doors is the only part of the truck that is rusting.

 

[SnowBlazer]

Mine was my grandfather's. Always garaged and kept clean. He passed away four years ago. I needed a car for high school since I was doing concurrent enrollment through the local college. My grandmother told me and my cousins, the first one with $3500 gets it. It had 95k when I got it. Granted, I had to unload all my savings and pay my parents back a bit but I've never really regretted it....3 years, 30k miles, a leveling kit, spacers, and bigger tires and she's been good to me for the most part.

 

[carshinebob]

My story starts in 2011 when the building lease ended for my business (Carshine Restorations llc). I was driving a 2007 Cadillac SRX at the time and loving it. It took almost a year to find and buy a building and move in, so money became very tight. I sold the SRX and bought a 2000 blazer for cheap. Blazer served me well for three years but when I saw an add on Craigslist for a guy who wanted to trade his 2002 Bravada (in need of repair) for a working four wheel drive truck. I called and we made the trade. The Bravada had a broken front diff and some creative wiring issues related to previous cobblers. Forward to last August. I needed tires for the Bravada and found an 03 Bravada with a rod knock and new tires for $550. After I got it, it was too nice to part out. Then in October I found an 03 that a tree had fallen on with a good motor. So like Mooseman I learned to change a motor and now I have two driving Bravadas. The bonus has been I started selling extra parts on craigs list and so far I've sold around $2k in spare parts. So then I needed tires for the 03 and found another 03 with a rod knock and new tires on craigs list. The seller wanted $1200. so I called him and told him I've never paid more than $550. for one and he accepted the offer immediately. Now like Mooseman, I have parts and knowledge and plan to keep these Bravadas running for the next ten years. ~BOB

 

[LouisTB]

I got mine the summer going into my junior year of college, so around 2013 I think. I was going to college for auto body repair/restoration, so I needed something that could transport my rolling tool box in the trunk so i already new I was looking for an SUV. Since this was my first vehicle, I did my research on reliable SUV's with semi-decent gas mileage. So after looking around for 2 days I happened upon an 06 Trailblazer, 2wd, with about 130k. I can't remember exactly how much I paid for it, but it was definitely around $6000. After doing a inspection of the vehicle the only things wrong with it were the front windshield was cracked, I think the rear wiper motor was broken and as I found out at a gas station, the fuel pump was broken so it read empty constantly. The place I bought it from said they'd fix the windshield and wiper motor for free but said it would cost me to have them do the fuel pump. Luckily there was a Chevy dealership right next door and from my research, I knew there was a recall on the fuel pump so I took it over there and had them replace it. After all was said and done, the only major repairs I've done out of necessity was a new thermostat cause the O.E. one was stuck open, and a new shift link cable since the little plastic bushing connector broke on me in a parking lot and the replacement bushing wouldn't fit. Other than that, I love this vehicle easy to work on, reliable, and fits my needs perfectly (Bought a bigger tool box and was able to still fit it in the trunk and close it). Couldn't ask for a better vehicle

 

[DAlastDON]

Was in the market for a nissan pathfinder due to brand loyalty. Main criteria was heated leather and 4wd. All the pathfinders in the mileage/year range were pieces of shit that had been beat on and neglected maintenance.

Changed my brand to GM. Found better maintained vehicles. The trailblazers i looked at had leather but no heat. The dash was so plain too. Looked at the envoy i have now and kinda liked the fake wood better than the plainness of the trailblazer. Walked in the dealership with their asking price of 15k in 100 dollar stacks. Gave them one full stack of 100 dollar bills. $10k later i was calling my insurance agent to add another vehicle.

 

[gpking]

Mine was my grandfather's.

Same here. What was it with old people and this platform?

When I was just starting high school I was looking to buy my grandfather's '84 K5 Blazer as a project to work on until I turned 16. Fast forward to my senior year and both my grandparents had died unexpectedly, so my dad was abruptly left with their 7 vehicles and 2 properties. That summer I was the only family member who helped him to clean and fix their properties up. As a thank you for being a decent human being (and as a way to skirt even more taxes on the estate or something) he let me take my pick of any vehicle I wanted before he closed the estate.
I was about to start community college in less than a week, and it killed me that I didn't have time or money for the K5, but I needed something that was roadworthy in less than 5 days.
The two vehicles in perfect shape were an '01 Jimmy SLT with 120k miles, or an '03 TB LS with 54k miles.

All factors considered, the TrailBlazer was newer, bigger, more comfortable, not white, and it had 4 doors and a sunroof so my mind was made relatively quickly.

A TON of cleaning tobacco tar, tree gunk, and a few *minor* cosmetic and mechanical enhancements and I am so deep into this thing that the K5 might have been a good deal. But I ended up loving the TB a lot more than I thought. I caught flack from my friends at first for driving a "minivan", but they eventually changed their tune.
This thing is turning 15 years old this December and it still gets me from A to B every day, so I think I made the right choice.

Then vs. Now

 

[Riktar]

I had a 2001 S10 Blazer that served me well but always wanted something with more hauling capacity. However, I did not want to go up to a Yukon/Tahoe due to the wife's sqeamishness with driving something that big.

Did not like the Equinox style SUV's at all.

The Trailblazer line seemed like the perfect fit: More hauling capacity and (importantly) the wife liked the size.

The biggest problem I have with the Trailblazer is lack of access to it. IE: The wife likes it so much, I am relegated to our Pontiac G6. ;-)

 

[itsatruck]

Well, sometime around the magical year of 2002 I was a junior in high school and my parents got this really cool SUV thing called a Trailblazer. It was way better then the GMC Jimmy that my brother had for a short period of time. Right about 10 years later I got back from Afghanistan, had one child and another on the way, and I needed a vehicle with more room and at a good price. Got the Trailblazer with the worst color ever, but this one had the moon roof which helped sway the wife away from a minivan. We honestly have hated the vehicle ever since as all the interior pieces broke, weird mechanical problems plagued it, the headlight stopped working until the relay recall, and rust has plagued the frame and rear doors. I have recently taken to rebuilding the vehicle though and hope to find a new love for it.

 

[Shaw520]

Always been a fullsize guy,.. actually never liked the TB,...thought it looked way too 'soccer mom' for my liking,... that is until I drove the 03 Denali in my sig,... was hooked.

 

[Reprise]

We honestly have hated the vehicle ever since as all the interior pieces broke, weird mechanical problems plagued it, the headlight stopped working until the relay recall, and rust has plagued the frame and rear doors. I have recently taken to rebuilding the vehicle though and hope to find a new love for it.

Depending on what you're doing to it, I'm thinking 'love' isn't what you're going to be feeling...LOL

The good thing is, body parts s/b plentiful - about the only thing Chevy changed during the entire run (excluding the SS-specific trim) is the grill / ft. fascia (& headlamps-?), depending on trim level. And Chevy was the 'adventurous' division...LMAO...I can use any front end / front door part from '02-'09 on my Envoy.

Depending on how bad and where the rust is on the frame, you can apply a rust 'conversion' product (e.g.; POR-15 or similar) and gain some time.

How many miles are on your rig, and what do you have to replace from a mechanical standpoint? However long the list is, there's someone here who has done it on their own GMT, and posted a thread on it!

 

[vipergg]

I was looking for something to tow my boat and in 2010 I was looking around and I found my Ascender at a dealer used and it had 2900 miles on it and they only wanted $17000 for it so I basically got a brand new 360 for $17000 and I have been driving it ever since and I'm at almost 118000 miles now . It's been a pretty good vehicle and the big repair ( exhaust manifold) was covered under extended warranty by Isuzu/GM . I plan to keep it as long as I can .

 

[JimInRadfordVA]

My son borrowed my 03 Explorer Sport Trac 4WD to take a trip from southwest VA to Michigan and back. Came back Valentine's day, 2016, during a snowstorm and got totalled by a semi about 8 miles from home. No injuries.

My needs mostly centered around the vehicle having a trailer hitch receiver that could handle a wheelchair lift. I had been looking at pickups without much luck. Saw a Craigslist ad for the Trailblazer, met the owner, drove it and liked it. It even has a rear hatch window that opens--great for putting stuff in when there's a wheelchair on the lift. Settled on a price and took it home.

Aside from currently chasing a misfire, it's been a great truck--mostly because of this forum. I've done a few mods and added running boards to make it easier for me to get in and out. I'm already planning on replacing it with another TB when the wheels fly off.

I just wish it wasn't silver... I hate silver.

 

[Kelly@PCMofNC]

Was looking for an SUV, obviously a GM, the TBSS's had pretty much just come out at that point. Drove it, loved it, brought it home! Still with me a decade later.

 

[Bow_Tied]

Needed to upgrade the family SUV ('02 Pathfinder). Also bought a travel trailer (6000lb GVRW) which we don't load to the max. Wife did not want full size and we couldn't afford it anyway. Knew from experience that a 6cyl could pull it but it wouldn't be happy about it so I wanted a V8. Looked for a swb TB 5.3 never saw one for sale. Was seriously considering an '08 Pathfinder LE with the 5.6L Titan V8. Fuel economy and familiarity with GM and that I liked the interior better swayed me to a Denali. From a reliability perspective I think I didn't choose well, but other than that we really like the truck so far.

 

[sunliner]

I got mine for cheap! LoL. Wanted a Blazer for years but couldn't afford one as a kid, then bought one in 1997- my first (and likely last) brand-new-off-the-lot vehicle. Bought it in 1997, took very good care of it, but after 5 years or so, started having to throw parts at it, slowly for a few years then by 2012, it was getting a little expensive to keep it on the road, and I didn't trust it with my family on the interstate. Thing is....I still loved the platform...so my father in law talked me into buying a 2006 Trailblazer that he bought at an auction (insurance write off) and restored. I gave him the Blazer and about $4k (not sure if that was a deal or not.....) for it. Like it's predecessor, it's cost me a good bit to keep on the road after the first few years. Frankly if I had any sense, I'd buy an old Highlander and have something more reliable, but I still like the looks of the 360. There's not another manly-looking midsize SUV out there, in my opinion. The TB will go to my son next year when he starts driving...will probably keep it in the family until it's ready to scrap. I literally have a love-hate relationship with this thing. Wait, what was the question?...

 

[Bow_Tied]

I literally have a love-hate relationship with this thing. Wait, what was the question?...

I can sooo relate to that.

I too started in the S series world with SUVs. I am on my 3rd Jimmy ('91, '99, now '05Z). I consider these trucks low on the reliability scale, but reasonable cheap to buy for what they can do. But they are WAY better in the reliability area than our Envoy and I offroad the Jimmy! Been a GM guy for over 30 years but now I dunno lol.

 

[CaptainKD]

I had a Ford Explorer back in the day but sold it when gas prices sky rocketed and went down to a Pontiac G6. Being over 6 feet tall, squeezing into the G6 got old fast. I decided to go back to a SUV. While looking for a truck I discovered the wonderful world of automotive forums and Trailvoy was booming with a wealth of knowledge at the time. I liked the Envoy style over the TB and pulled the trigger. 9 years and 100k+ miles later, I couldn't be happier.

 

[Blckshdw]

I was getting ready to move to the neighboring county for a new job back in 2009, when my 95 Jeep Grand Cherokee started showing it's age after 220K+ miles on the clock. The transfer case made a lot of noise on acceleration before shifting into 2nd, and the door had broken metal around the mechanism that catches the strike plate on the frame, so it was a pain to get the door to close and stay closed. Did have an instance during a right hand turn around a corner where the door flung open on me

At that point started searching for something newer. The money I was going to pay movers (didn't have many reliable friends I could count on to help with the move) was going to be my down payment, so I needed something big that I could fit a bunch of stuff in so I could move a little bit at a time. I wasn't partial to any particular manufacturer, but for the price, miles, and size, I ended up with a few Envoys and TBs. My first choice was a black 06 V8 EXT, but I didn't have the down payment with me when I test drove it that weekend. Few days later, it wasn't available. 2nd choice was the silver I6 EXT I've got now.

Couple weeks after getting settled into it, I needed to replace the crappy aftermarket HU that was in it. Also needed to figure out how to install my amp and subs that I took out of my jeep. Had never done an amp before, didn't want to shell out $$$ to a shop again, so googled it. Came across Trailvoy, got my answer, but kept reading other threads. Saw some of the cool stuff folks were doing with their rides, so decided to stay a while. The rest is history.

 

[sunliner]

I can sooo relate to that.

I too started in the S series world with SUVs. I am on my 3rd Jimmy ('91, '99, now '05Z). I consider these trucks low on the reliability scale, but reasonable cheap to buy for what they can do. But they are WAY better in the reliability area than our Envoy and I offroad the Jimmy! Been a GM guy for over 30 years but now I dunno lol.

I named my Trailblazer "Denise" after a girl I dated in college. Both nice to look at, fun to ride, but crazy and too expensive to operate.

 

[Bow_Tied]

AHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Classic.

 

[northcreek]

Mid sized, full frame, 4wd, red jewel, V-eight ......what's not to like ?

 

[stcavanaugh]

Was (kinda) in the market for a new car - had an '09 Dodge Journey 2wd with 163,000 miles on it and I didn't really feel like it would last too much longer. I'm moving out west shortly, and have been wanting something with AWD, something as big as the dodge inside, and something with fewer miles on it - it needs to make the trip and survive for about five years. My buddy's family owns a dealership, and we were flipping through their inventory one day when we came across an '05 Envoy with 82,000 miles. He has always loved the Envoy, and talked me in to going down to look at it (didn't take much convincing, honestly). The dodge had a pretty bad rough idle, and has always thunked really hard when going from 1st to 2nd. They were asking a bit much for the Envoy, but I managed to talk them down to a slightly more reasonable price once we got there (helped having the son of the majority stakeholder along). So far, so good. Taking a few longer trips with it over the next week or so to get him broken in, then 1800 miles out west in two weeks!

 

[tsmith1156]

I was finally able to get approved for a vehicle loan and jumped into it. Looking back I shouldn’t of ever bought it but you live and learn lol. Now I’m glad I did.

 

[BuffettTruck]

For me, I used to have a 99 GMC Jimmy that I loved to drive. I chased a few mechanical issues with it and then, one day, it decided it no longer needed the main bearing and dropped parts of it into the oil pan. I was stuck with the choice of paying for a new engine or getting a cheap used car. I went with the second option and got a Sable.

I drove the Sable for a few years, but it only took a month or two before I was window shopping Tahoes, Yukons, Jimmys, Blazers and, yes, TBs and Envoys. Something about the stylizing of the GM SUVs between 2000 and 2006 I found very appealing. Then I started noticing a similar pattern with the Sable, I was starting to chase repairs on it and each repair seemed to be related to the next issue. My last repair was the water pump and two months after that I started getting thick white smoke in the exhaust. I was done chasing repairs and started looking more seriously at the SUVs again.

Despite how much I liked the Tahoes and Yukons, the rated MPG of those tempered my interest. My wife had an Equinox and while it was comfortable to drive, it did not quite have the cargo room I wanted. So while perusing the classifieds, I found an 05 Trailblazer and decided to take a look. The interior was (is) in bad shape, but the engine sounds and feels stable, no strange vibrations or noises, and the body was straight. I had it in the back of my head that I wanted a project vehicle to work on and build up and this seemed to fit the bill perfectly. So I took it home with me.

Since getting it a month and a half ago, I have only put a cheap sound system in it and started rehoning my electrical skills by replacing blown dash lights with LEDs, but I am looking it over more and more figuring out just what all I want to do to it and in which order I want to tackle them. Once I have all my ducks in a row, I may start up a Build thread to track my progress (as well as provide incentive to myself to keep the momentum going).