datsunlover Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 If you've read my 'smash bang crash' thread, you'll know my current truck has been smashed, and probly going to be wrote off. (If it gets fixed, I'm selling it anyway, I'm tired of it and don't need such a heavy duty vehicle anyway) For the past two days now, I've been driving a rental truck which I must say, I'm pretty impressed with! It's an 07' GMC reg cab, 8' box 2wd. (good thing it's not winter anymore, this thing would be sideways all the time!) I don't know what you guys think, but I really like the look of the new 07's... The 4.8 seams to be a decent motor; It revs willingly to 5500, pulls hard and sounds good to boot! The 1st - 2nd shift still feels like a GM (a bit of a shudder/clunk) but overall, I'm pleased with it. Rides nice for a truck, stock CD player/stereo sounds great, and the fuel millage is WAY better than my 91 454 dually! duh... I've priced one out and I'm looking at around $26500 for a base w/4wd, remote entry and a/c. I can use these 'points' I've been saving up on my GM visa card, (amounts to $2000) combined with the bare minimum I should get from the old truck, and I figure I'll be paying on about $20k. Oh, and they have a 5 year / 160K waranty as well! Now, I have a line on a used truck too, but I'm not sure if I'd want to trade 'brand new' and peace of mind for 5 years to save a few bucks... it's a 2002 GMC 2500, 4x4 diesel. 4 door, short box, oversize tires. Close to 100k on it, although it looks in very good shape, aftermarket dual exhast (about 3" pipe from the looks of it! ) and a 'superchips' sticker on it... hmmm.. Problem is, although the price is decent, (around 20K, so with money down, I'm financing around $14K)... it's at a FORD dealer, so no warenty and it's an 'as is' deal. I know NOTHING about diesels, but I know heavy duty GM's are pricey on parts... although, they seam to hold their value. I'm not deciding yet, but what would you guys do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
80LS1T Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 Well if the GM's are anything like the Dodges with "superchips" and "piggyback fuel/timing controllers" its only a matter of time till your high pressure fuel pump takes a $$$$$HIT! The power is amazing with these chips but its really hard on the fuel pumps. Just a heads up. If it was me I wouldn't bother with the 4.8L, no resale value and its underpowered if you ask me. Go with atleast the 5.3 if not the 6.0L. The 6.0L is pretty hard on gas though from what I have heard. Its got to still be better than a 454 dually though! LOL As for the looks of the truck, I'm glad GM ditched that ugly front end on the last body style, too boxy IMHO. I really really like the new 07's though! Everyone that I've talked to likes them too, even the Dodge and Ford boys! Guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrFancypants Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 Ive got a 2005 Nissan Frontier 4x4 (Nismo). It's a great truck. It has the power of a big truck, can comfortably tow 5,000 lb, is rated as a half ton, but is small enough to comfortably get around town, parking lots, etc. The Titan is also a great truck, but pretty large. I have a friend with a newer Silverado (~2-3 yrs old) and he's not happy with the quality. - Greg - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gvincent Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 I have a 2000 SILVERADO 4X4 Ext Cab Z71 with the 5.3 motor, I bought it new, and it now has over 140K and I have replaced the following items: Front Brakes and rotors at 84K Rear Brakes and rotors at 96K Rear U joint at 54K and again at 104K but that was the dealers fault. Passenger window motor. That's it in 7 years!, the dealer never lubed the replaced U joint because it was supposed self lubing type but was replaced with one that had grease fittings but the person who did the lube and oil change never lubed it because it wasn't supposed to have a fitting, they replaced it for free. Needless to say I am very happy with the truck, It will need a water pump soon as it has been seeping out anti freeze at about a cup every 2 months since December, but it was too cold to swap it out until now. Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LineC Posted April 27, 2007 Share Posted April 27, 2007 Not sure if this helps but I bought my 04 GMC Sierre Z71 extended cab 5.3l 4wd sle trim, towing package and steering wheel controls for 24,500 out the door during friends and family for everyone. It does not have BOSE bucket seats or onstar. Is GMC still doing this or has there business bounced back a little? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WickedWild Posted April 27, 2007 Share Posted April 27, 2007 I maintain about 100 GMC Trucks on a regular basis. From the 4.3. 4.8, 5.3 are all good motors, the 6.0 is an oil burner and I have seen a few with issues. I'd recommend the 4.8 or 5.3. The front axle will more than likely seep after a wile, they are a pain in the ass to replace but not too much $$. Change the transmission fluid & filter every 40-50k, the fuel filter yearly, oil every 3-4k, and flush the Dexcool out and replace it with Global Longlife when you first get it. And you should have no problem getting 175k out of the truck. But trust me on the Dexcool it loves to eat intakes and water pumps, it is the worst thing GM has ever done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datsunlover Posted April 27, 2007 Author Share Posted April 27, 2007 Well, a little 'seeping' from the front axle wouldn't be too bad.. the dually pretty much DRIPS it, although it keeps the underbody oiled I guess... ? As far as the 4.8, I feel it's got enough power for what I need, and I'm liking the fuel mileage.. I figure if I had more power, I'd use it, and that just costs more $$$. Oh, and the used 02' is out, as the dealer wholesaled it today, and apperently got upwards of $35K for it! Guess it was out of my price range anyway! I like the nissans, but I really want a full size truck/box, and the Titans (awesome as they are) are just to pricy for me right now. Oh, and another problem now, I called the Visa people, and although it's not ever mentioned in the bill, over half the 'points' I had, have now expired.. as of march first! Doh... Now.. I'm not really a Ford guy, but another 'maybe' is the local Ford dealer's 'old' plow truck. A 2002 F250 reg cab 4x4, 5.4L V8, WITH a nice 8' Western plow.. From what my friend said (a tech there) they'd probly let me have it for around $16-18k.. and some sort of warenty. If it was really rough, my friend would tell me, but he's actualy done services on it, and tells me it's pretty decent.. and I could always find quick cash to be made with a plow around here.. (or just sell the plow setup for a few grand!) And service/parts for a Ford would be fairly cheep for me, as I actually know about half dozen people at this dealer, (techs, salesmen, service advisors, ect) and I can get a bit of a discount. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datsunlover Posted May 2, 2007 Author Share Posted May 2, 2007 Hmm... well, that 02 f250 was sold, (dam!) but I did go for a test drive on saturday in an 07 F150 4x4.. Base model w/air, reg cab (which is HUGE in the new f150s!) with the little 'suicide' doors behind the main doors, 8' box, and it's already wired for towing (4 pin). Drove nice, 4x4 is an electronic dashboard switch (ugh...) and the window cranks are in a stupid spot beside the seat, but otherwise not a bad 'truck' imo. The 4.6 V8 doesn't seam as powerfull as the GMC, but I have a Z for 'fun' driving so brute power isn't my main objective here. I really just need a daily driver truck that I can get decent milage with, but still 'work' a bit.. Oh, and this one has been marked down to $24000 +tx which makes it slightly cheaper than the base GM, and the cab is roomier.. Any thoughts on these? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ledphoot Posted May 2, 2007 Share Posted May 2, 2007 I've noticed with fuel prices here in the US that there are alot of low milage 1-2 yr old trucks on dealers lots. I am a firm beleiver in letting someone else eat the initial depreciation as long as I can document the vehicles history and if possible speak with the previous owner. I love the Fords they are roomy and drive nice. Stay away from the diesels as they are having headgasket issues for the last few years. Dodge builds a good diesel truck but stay away from the gas burners as rear axle and tranny failures are abundant. GM is hit or miss.... 6.0 is problematic. Diesels are pricey to maintain and GM just asks too damn much for what they sell when the quality isnt any better than the other guys! GM is in financial trouble as well so that makes me nervous. If you intend to use this as a worktruck remember when you smack it with something you're loading you'll cringe alot less it your not making a 500-600 payment each month. Toyota builds a good truck but it is pricey as well as are the Nissans. I come full circle back to the Fords if you buy new. I'd take my cash and ride south to the US and pick up an easy to maintain mid 80's-early 90's Chevy 4x4 and bank the rest for Z toys !! Most expensive thing you'll ever have to do to it is rebuild the 700r4 or 4l60e tranny and that's cheap. PS wonder how the old dually motor would roast some rubber in a Z?..LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datsunlover Posted May 3, 2007 Author Share Posted May 3, 2007 ... PS wonder how the old dually motor would roast some rubber in a Z?..LOL Oh don't worry, I HAVE thoguht about it! But it's not my truck anymore (signed over to the insurance company) so the ol 454 is going by-by I'm still not sure what to do with the freshly rebuilt 355 in my shop.. either put it in my near mint 85 RX7 (which is set up for it already, but currently under a tarp in the back yard) or sell the old mazda to some rotary guy and V8 the Z this winter.. Ok, back on topic.. yah, I like the GM's, but I'm really leaning towards a new ford if I'm gona be making payments for 5 years.. otherwise, I might as well buy another 10 year old GM 4x4, cash deal (no financing) and drive it till it drops, or another Chrysler runs a stop sign in front of me! Thing that bugs me, is the fords don't offer a V6/5 gear in 4x4 pickup (only a 4.6 or 5.4 V8 and the auto).. but I've seen lots of GM's with the vortec 4.3/5 speed in a 4x4 truck.. Oh, and any make of diesel is out for me, unless its a GREAT deal, cause I know little about diesels but I know they can be pricy to fix. Although, I've had enough of the old throttle body injection and it's horrible milage so I guess I need a GM newer than 96.. not sure how the ford's are on fuel economy.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ledphoot Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 Stay away from the Ford v-6 in the full size anyway. They just dont hold up. Keep in mind an underpowered truck will cause you to drive it harder trying to keep up. So fuel milage actually tends to be worse in real world driving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datsunlover Posted May 4, 2007 Author Share Posted May 4, 2007 Well, I've been in a few older chevs with the 4.3 'vortec' motor and a 5 gear, and they seam to be fairly tough, but I'm sure with a load on it would get a little slugish. I must say though, after driving this rental 07' GMC for the last week, I have no problems with the 'small' 4.8L motors. I put a big load of lumber/sheeting in it two days ago, and it didn't seam to bother it much, aside from the rear leafs saging (it's only a 2wd 1/2 tone) and still pulled well. Seams to me they've been using them for the last few years, so it's not like it's an 'untested' motor.. And they have MUCH better fuel economy than I'm used to! I'm gona look at an 04' Chev tomorrow; reg cab/long box, 4.8L 4x4 with 70k on it.. full load, mag's, nice looking truck... they want $17,900 cert/e-tested, which is a little high IMO but if I could talk them down to somewhere around 16k or so, I could handle it payment wise. (Now I'm able to put a down payment on it of around $7000, which would mean roughly a $260/month payment) I have to give this nice new truck back to the rental place monday, so I kinda have to figure something out this weekend or next week at the latest.. the Z needs some attention, and I don't really wana daily drive it too much right now.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ledphoot Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 If thats 70,000 km thats good otherwise it is high miles for the year. 16-18,000 miles per year. I guess thats around 34,000km?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datsunlover Posted May 5, 2007 Author Share Posted May 5, 2007 yeah, thats kilometers I'm talking in. Interesting thing.. I found another truck today, almost identical but a little cheeper! The one I drove yesterday had a few little issues, a dent in the rear of the box, the ac didn't work, and under hood was rusty and dirty. I didnt think much of it till today.. This one is again, an 04 chev, 4x4 reg cab/8' box, but it has about 90km. More miles, but it is extreemly clean under hood, has nice original paint w/no dents/scratches, the ac WORKS and all it's 'missing' is the cd player. I have a nice Pioneer mp3 anyway.. It rides and drives nicer than the first one I looked at, and apears to have been taken care of better. So, although the price was on the window EXATLY the same as the other one, I told the salesman about the other truck, and basicaly I live 30mins away from here or there.. so what are you willing to do for me? I got this guy down to $16600, emisions tested/certified,with a 1 year powertrain warenty to boot! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datsunlover Posted May 11, 2007 Author Share Posted May 11, 2007 Well, I'm shifting gears a bit, but after doing some # crunching and looking at what I REALLY need as far as a vehicle, I've made a chioce. I just can't afford to finance a 4x4 pickup, insure it (full coverage as it's borrowed monies) AND put fuel in it every week. AND keep renovating/fixing my house. Basicaly, the times I actually USE a truck 'for truck stuff' don't equal out the higer cost of having it for a daily driver. Anything I can afford to pay cash for (no financing, therefor only basic/cheeper insurance) is high milage and rough, and I'm done with older high milage trucks.. Cheep and fairly simple mayeb, but they're ratty, clunky, TERRIBLE on fuel, and for me, not really comfortable to drive for any length of time. Granted the newer ones are nicer, but it comes down to the simple fact I just can't afford one right now. But I still want something newer, reliable, decent on fuel, and 4wd. So, being a Nissan guy at heart, I'm going for a 2001 Exterra. Found a really nice one owner, low miles and fully loaded model for a decent price. (a/c even works!) It's certified, emisions tested, drives nice, should be at least twice as good on fuel as the 454 dually, and it's got a trailer hitch. If I need to pick up something fairly big, I'll borrow a trailer. Another thing about this vs. a pickup; I won't be 'that guy with a truck' anymore... IE: I won't get roped into helping people move crap, hauling stuff for my boss, ect. It's a little more than I can pay cash for, so I'm going to still be into a finance payment, BUT it's a lower payment than a newer pickup truck, and a cheeper vehicle to insure.. and put fuel in! Again, it's an open loan, so in 4 months or so the little 'black mark' drops off my credit history, and I'm good for a 20K line of credit, I'll pay off the higher intrest car loan with it, finish my house off, and hopefully sell next year for a decent profit. Oh, and I'll also OWN this 01 Exterra with low milage at that point so I could sell/ trade it while it's still worth something if I want... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ledphoot Posted May 11, 2007 Share Posted May 11, 2007 I don't know anything about their reliability but I see your judgement as sound. You can always grab one of those little $400 4x8 utility trailers if you need to keep something handy to haul wood, mowers, and such. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datsunlover Posted May 12, 2007 Author Share Posted May 12, 2007 Actually, I've been thinking of building my own trailer.. basicaly a small car trailer (big enough say... for the Z..) with a fuly covered/flat deck. On the sides I'll put holes for poles to slide in, and with a few pieces of plywood, it would convert to a decent size box trailer for hauling whatever I need. I can stick it in my backyard when it's not needed, so it doesn't take up space in the driveway. A GMC dually and a cavilier (my renter) was TIGHT in my 1.5 wide driveway! As far as the Exterras go, evrything I hear/read says pretty much the same thing; Reliable, good 4x4, decent ride/control, but noisy under heavy aceleration and lacking a little in the power department. Personaly, I don't need 300hp on tap for my daily driver (..cause if its there, I'll use it.. ) and I know 175 horse isn't much these days for an suv, but I feel that it moves well enough for me... like I've said, I'm trying to SAVE money on fuel costs here! (I have a Z for 'spirited' driving anyway!) As for the engin 'noise' I don't mind it much, as it's still a very quiet vehicle IMO compared to what I've been used to lately! I figure at 125k, it has plenty of life left in it anyway. I test drove another extera two days ago with over 200K and it didn't feel too bad, but they wanted almost as much money and I didn't like the pushy salesman. Anyway, I'm picking it up tuesday or wednesday next week (parts are apparently on order to complete the safety check, and won't be in till monday) so I'll post some impresions after a few days of ownership, and some pics maybe.. Just gota make it a few more days with the Z.. (poor car is hurting.. thats a whole other story!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ledphoot Posted May 12, 2007 Share Posted May 12, 2007 I understand the whole reliability/fuel economy issue. I went out 2 yrs ago and decided I needed something cheap but new for a daily driver so I bought a Hyundai Accent, I did spring for the GT..LOL it is a 2dr with a wing, little ground effects package and alloy wheels from the factory, drives surprisingly well and is pretty peppy. At $212 a month and a 100k warranty with 32mpg I can't complain. I've had no problems with it at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrFancypants Posted May 12, 2007 Share Posted May 12, 2007 First off it's Xterra not Exterra... Shame on you! They are very well reviewed. I actually considered the Xterra but went with the Frontier instead. It's just so nice having a bed. But if get a trailer like you described, youre all set. I really think you should go for the new 4.0L Xterra though, rather than the older wimpier ones, especially if you plan to tow. - Greg - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datsunlover Posted May 13, 2007 Author Share Posted May 13, 2007 Well like I said, I simply can't afford ANYTHING 'new' at this point, so the 'wimpy' 01' 3.3L will have to do for now.. I'll probly be puting some sort of exhast system on it (ever seen an Xterra with dual exhast? Heh heh...) and a decent air intake/filter, but either way I won't be towing most of the time anyway so I don't see it as an issue. Also, if I can work things the way I'd like to, I 'could' sell this one in a year or two and at that point afford something new/more powerfull. I may end up really likeing it and want to keep it in the end.. heck.. if it's paid off, maybe V8 the sucker? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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