The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop them newer chevys...any good?

so i was talking to a friend and he told me that basically after 72, chevy quality declined drasically and hasnt been near as good as it used to since. he was telling me (and hes not the only one that has) that the way they made the engines changed and turned out to be pretty bad. i dont know, ive just been considering buying an 83 1/2 ton and all i hear from people ive talked to is that theyre not very reliable like their predicesors. obviously it would be hard to make anything as reliable as the stovebolts, but am i still okay with the 80's chevys?

any feed back from people that have owned them would be appreciated.........

undecided,

Murdoc.

My dad had an '82 or '83 Suburban, which he bought new and sold around '99. Except for burning a valve seat at 12,000 miles (that was his fault for not reading the owner's manual), a shimmy at highway speeds (probably needed a suspension overhaul), and an engine fire in '87 (mechanic's fault), we never had any trouble with it. He was going to overhaul it and keep on going, but the body work and repaint was going to be too expensive to really justify it. The last I saw it, it was still running fine.

He now has an '88 3/4-ton pickup he bought new (the Suburban was next to it at the dealer when it caught fire ), and an '01 or '02 Suburban, both of which run quite nicely.

Yes, they are more complicated and have far more things that can go wrong (the '88 has had a ridiculous number of electrical problems for a sub-50,000 mile vehicle), but they are still well-built. Just don't buy a vehicle during the first model year after introduction or a major redesign - we learned that lesson with the '88.

I bought a 1997 GMC 1500 new and have had very few problems with it. The only item that was a little expensive was the power window motor on the drivers side died two months after it came out of warranty.
My truck is going on 60k miles and it has been one of the best vehicles I have ever owned.

I have owned many GM vehicles in my 27 years. I have owned a 1983 Z28, 1984 K5 Blazer, 1985 Cavalier, 1980 Delta 88, 1981 Olds 98, 1991 Chevy Truck, 1998 Olds Intrigue, 1999 Cavalier, 2000 GMC Denali, and 2000 Chevy 3/4 ton truck. I have had great luck with all. I sold my 1991 truck three years ago with 160,000 miles on it, and the guy still drives it daily. I typically drive the hell out of a vehicle. I believe in using every horse power possible, and I still have had excellent luck with GM vehicles. I do believe that the mid-1980's vehicles are of good quality, but their horse power and fuel mileage absolutely suck. My Z28 was rated at 195 hp and only got 16 MPG!

Phil

I haven't owned an '80s pickup, but I had a number of '80s cars and wouldn't say they had any more trouble than anything else I've owned.

I drove my '88 Olds wagon until it had 172,000 miles on it, and aside from the mass air sensor failing one day, it was oil, gas and tires and other usual maintenance kind of stuff.

An '80s pickup is probably going to have a lot of miles on it, and I would not expect it to be trouble free. Too much depends on how it has been driven and maintained.

I currently own three vehicles that aren't listed below. A 2000 Subaru Outback, which my wife drives, a '82 Kawasaki 1000 LTD which hasn't moved in years, and a '75 Chevy van I bought for parts. I was just thinking I'm the wrong guy to comment on new cars because I don't own any, and probably never will...

Let's see... it is an 1983 truck we are talking about, right?

Wouldn't an unreliable truck have little chance of surviving for twenty years?

My driver is an 84 K10 shortwide with the 305 and SM-465. I bought it 10 years ago used with 120k miles on it. It now has 192K miles. Only thing I've done besides normal oil changes and grease jobs is replace the brake pads & shoes, and put a new water pump on. I sure can't complain about that. I've been kind of hoping the 305 would die so I can install the 292 six banger I have waiting to go in it. I'm thinking the 292 will love the 2.73 axle ratios this truck has. They are too tall for the 305, at least using the SM-465. I'm the slowest thing around getting off the line.

400000 on a 66 GMC

300000 on a 77 Chevy w/454

5000 on The Ox.

The '83 still is carbureted. Can't comment on that year, but I have an '86 GMC Suburban 3/4ton 4x4 w/350 T400 and 4.11 gears that was my daily driver for close to 6 years. Bought it with 130,000 miles on it. Towed a lot with it, hauled the family with it, built a house using it as the tool truck and needed 4WD just to get close to the house due to mud a foot deep. Yanked logs out of the brush with it, didn't wash it for 2 years, only did the most meager maintenance as required. Now has over 240,000 miles and I have only put tires on it and changed oil and 1 tuneup. . . . still starts and runs like a dream. Probably the best $ value vehicle I have ever owned.

Sounds like your friend is full of crap to me. :p

Well don't sugar coat it, Ken -- Tell him what you really think :p Bottling up your emotions will be your undoing you know...


John

1988 GMC Fancy and beautiful one heck of work truck. 4X4 350 150,000 mi. Using it today to bust thru snow drifts and hauling people back and forth to work. It sat for 2 yrs before I bought it blue and silver put about 2 grand in it plus the 25 hundred I paid. Would do do it again and Yes my children I'm a Dodge man.
popcorn The Truth is Out There (Except for my little ol 59 Apache)

Don't know how good they are but them really new ones are butt ugly! Had a guy park an Avalanche beside my old AD at a truck show and I was embarassed to say I was a Chevy truck man!

Had a '86 Olds Calais 8+ years. Replaced mass air sensor 4 times, fuel pump (in tank) 3 times, water pump 1time. had 27k wen bought, 250k+ when sold. Engine always ran excellent.

I'll agree with Ken that your pal doesn't know what he's talking about. We have an '84 Suburban 1/2 ton 2 wheel drive. Besides tires, oil changes, and brake shoes the only thing I've had to replace was the fuel pump at 120,000! It now has almost 190,000 on it. Still starts first crank & gets about 18 m.p.g. out on the highway. I wish I had another new one just like it sitting in the garage for when this one finally does die.

murdoc,you mite check edmunds.com for info on new trucks. it says new chevs are ok but subject to ''inconsistant build quality''. all my chevs(a 2000 is my latest) have been good enough.

My 93 suburban has 260k some MINOR quirks along the way but reliable, water pump, alternator, fuel pump, but these are to be expected best $ I have invested. Zeke

I been buying used Chevy trucks for 25 years.No difference in the mechanical reliability, but the sheetmetal lasts way longer. Used to be a truck 5 years old had major rust through starting, now they go 10 -12 years.And the seat material last much longer too.