1995 GMC 1500... what to look for?

friend of mine is looking at trucks... i'm the resident car guy so i'm being drug along to check it out...

it's a '95 gmc 1500 short wheelbase with 4.3l vortec and 5spd trans... anything specific I should be looking at?

2wd or 4wd?

if 4wd, make sure the actuator works...it's a POS vacuum system that can be fixed with a bicycle cable

tbi or cpi?

TBI is much more reliable, but less power. On cpi engines, the spider valve is a weak issue

Otherwise pretty much a rock solid little truck.

Leaky intake manifold gaskets, sludgy oil, rough idle due to injector problems as opposed to rough idle due to 90 degree V6, evidenced of some sort of maintainance done over the last 15 years.

2wd mid 100k miles

how do we check for the leaky mani gaskets?

http://pensacola.craigslist.org/cto/1624644098.html is the truck... little rich for my blood but we're in redneck territory where a pick up holds value way to well... and I get his POS isuzu pickup for cheap when he finds something so hey ;-)...

buy it...swap in the built 350 when the 4.3 dies in 10 years.

it'll be a TBI truck - no worries on the intake gaskets.

it's going to run forever, and ever, and ever.

I have a '95 C1500 extended cab, with a 350 and 5 speed. It has given me 170,000 mostly trouble-free miles since I bought it in '96 with 23k. Other than some expected Michigan rust, I can't complain one bit. Like any vehicle, do some maintenance now-these trucks run forever with no maintenance, so there's a chance it hasn't been kept up-to-date.

Let me know if the clutch fork squeaks against the pivot ball. That's probably the only real issue I've had. I contacted an engineer at New Venture Gear (used to be Muncie trans) who helped me fix that small problem.

details on isuzu? I had a sweet P'up 10 years ago that I miss for reasons which escape me now.

sounds good pics look good we'll see what it looks like in real life though...

for the isuzu... '91, needs exhaust work (woot for play with my MIG lol. its ugly but for the price I don't care... http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/91-isuzu-pickup/18944/page1/

If he wants to Do Something with it, Hotchkis and others can fix him up with suspension bits. Also, a few years ago Car Craft had several articles about a screaming orange Calif. Highways Dept. truck of that generation.

Those trucks up here classically rust through at the lower rear cab corners. I don't know what they do in FL.

pretty sure he plans to toss some speakers in it with an amp and a decent head unit and he'll be done... he's not much into cars... just wants something better then what he's driving around.

yep. expect 18-19mpg for years to come. If I didn't live in the snow belt I'd own a 2wd 4.3 chevy no questions asked

Nice lookin truck, but in Wisconsin that thing is worth $2000 tops, even in decent shape. But we require 4WD 90% of the year.

Price seems high for a V6.

ya kbb says it's worth about 2800 tops... but around here you've got the redneck tax on trucks... and obviously 2wd is the norm unless you plan to go out "muddin" or something along those lines... honestly he'd be better off with something else... but then again most people would... not my decision.

Should be reliable.

I understand there were some issues with 4.3 FI hoses running under the intake manifold. They dried out and cracked, removing the intake is required to fix it.

YMMV.

Grtechguy wrote: yep. expect 18-19mpg for years to come. If I didn't live in the snow belt I'd own a 2wd 4.3 chevy no questions asked

I do and have owned 2. In fact, I've never owned a 4wd truck.

4.3 is indestructible. Valve seals will leak. Replace them with the Fel-pro's. Watch for noise out of the trans. Input shaft bearings are a common failure point. Otherwise, 250k out of it with an occasional fluid change will be just fine. Hotchkis rear leafs, Belltech fronts plus poly sway bar bushings and decent shocks added to some wider tires and it will handle like no other truck you've ever driven.

I miss mine.

914Driver wrote: I understand there were some issues with 4.3 FI hoses running under the intake manifold. They dried out and cracked, removing the intake is required to fix it. YMMV.

88-95 fullsize used the TBI engines - beautifully simple and bulletproof. no hidden fuel lines, injector spiders, etc... just 2 injectors atop a simple throttle body with a real distributor and coil.

the price seems fair, shortbed 2wd manuals are desirable here. in cleveland we know how to drive in the winter and nasty snow so most people have 2wd trucks.