by "marvthegrate" (marvthegrate)
Published 05/23/2017 at 14:31
by "marvthegrate" (marvthegrate)
Published 05/23/2017 at 14:31
No Tags
STARS: 6
This weekend I found myself in possesion of a very boring, beat to hell, high mileage, beater Tahoe. This expression of vehicle is about the 4th choice for what I was looking for. My criteria were as follows:
1. Cheap (Sub $1K)
2. Can haul stuff from Home Depot
3. Suitable for mild soft-road/off-road adventures for camping
The order of desirability was Ford Ranger/Mazda 2500 > Full Size pickup > Jeep Wrangler > Full Size SUV > Small SUV.
That said, one of my closest friends mentioned in passing he was getting rid of a 1996 Tahoe. He didn’t want a ton of money for it, and it was running well. He could use the cash and I could use the car. A deal was forged.
The Bad: Mid 90's Clear Resistant Paint, Speed Sensitive Steering computer is idiotic, Leather interior is torn, mild to medium oil leak, Vortec 5700 motor isn’t a great candidate for much in the way of performance mods.
The Good: Add a leaf upgrade makes it a wee bit higher, Drives pretty well all t hings considered, CHEAP AS HELL, body seems free of rust, sporting (old) BFG tires that I rather like.
It’s everything that my Mazda 6 isn’t. It’s big, cumbersome, vague steering, old, high miles, POS. But it’s rather fun to drive, and with the recent home purchase I really wanted something I could throw some lumber in. It’s already moved a bed for my mom. While far from my first choice, I think it will be a damned fun POS to beat on out in the desert.
"crowmolly" (crowmolly)
05/23/2017 at 15:00, STARS: 1
Yeah, it’s a shame the induction system is so MEH. Heads are good and the bottom end isn’t too bad either.
"Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer" (smallbear94)
05/23/2017 at 15:12, STARS: 2
I love these, but I’ve got to ask. Why is a small truck more desirable than a full-size, yet a full-size SUV more desirable than a small SUV?
Not criticizing, just curious.
"marvthegrate" (marvthegrate)
05/23/2017 at 16:20, STARS: 1
Small truck for utility and fuel economy. If I am going with the SUV I want something I can comfortably sleep in and at 6'4" a small SUV doesn’t really fit the bill. FWIW I consider a Grand Cherokee or Cherokee full size where a small one would be like the Liberty.
"marvthegrate" (marvthegrate)
05/23/2017 at 16:21, STARS: 0
Yeah, for the last gasp of the Small Block Chevy, it’s a bit lackluster in the power department and the aftermarket didn’t really take off that much.
"crowmolly" (crowmolly)
05/23/2017 at 16:27, STARS: 1
Well, it’s the induction system that’s the issue. The heads themselves are (were?) super popular for cheap speed and the bottom end isn’t too bad either.
There’s no shortage of “Vortec 350" combos making 385-425hp for little money... but they are all for carb’d engines.
"Junkrat aka Rick Sanchez: Fury Road Edition" (realasabass)
05/23/2017 at 20:56, STARS: 1
They are basically cast iron LT1 heads. The only thing that sucks about them is the special intake.
"crowmolly" (crowmolly)
05/24/2017 at 09:25, STARS: 1
Yup. Well, that and the cam lift restriction, but I think that can be easily solved these days with new valvesprings. You don’t need to grind anymore.
"Lokiparts" (lokiparts)
05/24/2017 at 10:55, STARS: 1
I’ve been seriously thinking about buying my Dad’s old Tahoe from him. He has meticulously maintained it and it is ridiculously clean. It had the transmission replaced just a few years ago and the engine runs like a top. Aside from being a 90's GM product it’s an amazingly solid vehicle. The only real thing holding me back is the simple fact that I just don’t need it.
I already own a newer Tahoe and a small pickup truck. Although in all seriousness his Tahoe is actually in better condition than our ‘04 and I have genuinely considered selling our newer Tahoe to replace it with his. The only problem is I don’t think my wife will be happy going from a vehicle with power everything, leather, multi zone climate control, flip down DVD, etc... to cloth and 90's tech, since the Tahoe is her daily driver. Granted while she sees less features, I just see less shit to break. I mean please don’t get me started on how crappy the electronics in her truck are... like the fact that her power drivers seat barely functions anymore because apparently the computer that runs it needs a software update...
"marvthegrate" (marvthegrate)
05/24/2017 at 10:57, STARS: 0
My use case (and the 200K miles on the motor) makes doing much more than the K&N that it came with pointless for me. It’s got enough grunt to move at highway speeds and perhaps tow a wee bit.
"crowmolly" (crowmolly)
05/24/2017 at 11:16, STARS: 0
If you can, try opening up the exhaust a bit with headers or something.
FWIW split pattern cams (favoring the exhaust) make the most power in Vortec engines from what I remember.
Again, only if you care enough :)
"marvthegrate" (marvthegrate)
05/24/2017 at 11:23, STARS: 1
Thanks for the advice. I think right now the plan is to deal with the quality of life issues it has, namely the EVO sensor sucks so will probably bypass it as well as an oil leak.
If I find that the stock power isn’t enough then I will look to modding it, but it’s not a priority.
"crowmolly" (crowmolly)
05/24/2017 at 11:25, STARS: 1
Good luck with it!
One other thing to keep an eye on the brake lines. Might not be an issue with the SUVs but the trucks from that era (and a bit later) are known to have the lines leak or burst.
"marvthegrate" (marvthegrate)
05/24/2017 at 11:26, STARS: 1
Strictly speaking I didn’t need this one either, but I do appreciate having a beater to take to the desert.
"marvthegrate" (marvthegrate)
05/24/2017 at 11:28, STARS: 0
So far no indications of brake issues. But I’ll watch it. I tend to do so with things I beat on just in case.
"Lokiparts" (lokiparts)
05/24/2017 at 12:12, STARS: 0
Trust me if I had somewhere to park it I’d be all over it with no hesitation because I know my dad would sell it to me for next to nothing. But it’s really hard to actually justify a fourth vehicle in a two driver household... and even if I could it would probably be something more fun or interesting than an old Tahoe. But for what it’s worth my wife is tired of her truck’s random gremlins too, so it might just be possible to talk her into it. She on the other hand has been trying hard to talk me into getting her a minivan...