I've been looking around for a vehicle i can use from time to time for some weekend fun or just a hobby to work on from time to time and have come across a 1990 Chevy Silverado 2500 (Cheyenne Edition) in what i would call overall great condition but what to get some other opinions on the price of it. The Truck: 1990 Chevy Silverado 2500 (Cheyenne Edition) PHOTOS BELOW History: Truck has been siting for a couple years before it was donated to a mechanics school (where I'm buying from) and has had the brakes bleed, fluids replaced and constantly getting minor work done for the past month (eg: Transmission fluid was just replaced). Condition: It's current state is fairly good in my opinion with some interior mold on the seat belts , algae on the grille from weather (etc from sitting), Paint peeling off of the room above the window (only spot) other than that the original paint is in excellent condition with almost no rust on the body as you can see from the pictures. Other than normal wear on the interior it seems fine. BTW the interior has this blue bench seat that is in great condition and is very comfortable. Tires have 80% tread left and i have been reassured they are ok and aren't dry rotted. Engine: The engine is the original 350 with an automatic transmission that comes with the 2500 (3/4 ton) version of the truck and has 155964 miles (251000 kms) on the odometer, other than a small leak in the valve cover gasket which is an easy fix the engine looks and runs fine. MORE: Truck has the original owners manual with the 3 year warranty card from 1990 and dealership delivery (had 12 miles on it when it was bought in 1990) truck also has an added rpm gauge as it didn't originally come with one and the truck has a canopy which i plan to sell once if i get it. So the big question is should i buy it. The teacher from the mechanics school said he'd sell it to me for $1000 US ($1250 CAD) but i plan to talk him into a full tank of gas, he's also stated that if the truck has some major issue with it within a few months of purchase that he'd buy it back from me for the same price and that he'd help with small issues. So Should I?
Schools are not what i trust for a good car but this girl looks really great. Beside, a warranty is included so i advice you to go for it
While I personally have a great dislike for the TBI 350s (or really TBI Chevys in general), the auto that came in those, their horrible brakes, and their boaty steering, $1000 is $1000. Kinda hard to go wrong at that price. As for the oil leak, make extra sure that it isn't coming from the rear main, as that would be so expensive/annoying to fix that you would probably just want to stock up on oil and live with it. Baring ignition problems, there isn't much on those trucks that will give you a hard time. Make sure to listen to the front wheel bearing when you test drive it though. Oh, and if it has a tilt column, it will inevitably fail causing the wheel to flop around (not necessarily dangerous, but kinda sketchy.), and at some point the flimsy glove-box latch will pop itself open and never close again. The inner door handles are more delicate than they look.
Listen to this guy. personally I would get it with a grand. student mechanics are afraid of messing up and they are usually being scrutinized while they work. Jim Bob the local mechanic has been doing this 20 years and just wants your car off his lift so he can get paid. odds are in your favor, give him the grand.
I have taken apart and rebuilt SOOO many of these trucks it isn't funny, probably 10-12. And I've never personally had one, They've all belonged to friends. First obvious thing, It's not a 3/4 ton, the fact that it's 6 lug should have been an immediate red flag, all 3/4 tons will be 8 lug, true 3/4's will be full float rear, while light duty 3/4's would be semi-float. That truck Is a heavy half Cheyenne, Which means it's just a normal half ton with an extra overload spring in the back, and It may have a 12 bolt rear as opposed to a 10, but it's a toss-up, you'd have to look. And It's a Cheyenne, not a SIlverado, for '90 Cheyenne was the base/entry level, and Silverado was obviously top-of-the-line. Be mindful that it's IFS, so it doesn't have manual hubs, they are locked and unlocked by a solenoid on the front diff cradle, and that solenoid has a tendency to go out, leaving you without 4wd. Keep a spare in the glove box. Also from having IFS, you can't use and old oil filter for an SBC. Since it has IFS, the front driveshaft is tucked high up right under the drivers side exhaust manifold, and the oil filter is on a 90* adapter, and takes a different, smaller, oil filter than normal. Also, those aren't factory seats, a '90 Cheyenne would have the 60/40 vinyl or cloth, those seats look like they came from a conversion company. Being a '90 half ton, I'm going to assume it's got a 700R4, Which is an alright transmission, but there are a couple of things to check, first, make sure it hasn't overheated and look for a trans cooler. Second, make sure the TV cable is set right, letting the trans wind up too high can overheat it, and letting it shift too early can wear out the 3-OD clutch pack. If the oil leak is just form an old valve cover gasket, that's not a big deal at all. Even if turns out to be a rear main, I can have an SBC out and back in and running in a GMT400 truck again in 2 hours. So for $1000, I'd say go for it, it's got $500 worth of tires on it as it sits.
