The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Considering a "new" truck...what am I in for?

A potential new truck crossed my path yesterday...

1988 or '89 Chevy 2500, 5.7 litre (350?) AT, PS/PB, AM-FM, A/C.


Presently has a Reading utility body on the back...if I get it, I will want to ditch the utility body and find a pick-up box (8ft).
(Has regular 3/4-ton 8-lug single rear wheels)

Cab and frame appear to be in good shape, truck is showing about 119,000 miles...


Price is right...is there an ugly side to these newer Bowties that I should be aware of ?


Having a newer P.U. might free-up sometime and money to restore one of my older Bolts...


Thanks for any suggestions/warnings...

If it fits your needs I would buy it, after all you appear to need another one for your collection,,Fred

We have an '88 GMC Suburban with 240K. It is used for driving to/from town, trailering horses, and on Friday - hauling home a parts car from the salvage yard.

We've had no problems to speak of. If the truck is in good shape and well maintained, go for it.

Im with Joker,heck buy another one.Life is beautiful. :p :p :p

Fred,

Hmmm...this one is not intended to be a "collectible"...

My presumption is that a regular pick-up box will just drop-on the back-end of this thing once the Reading body is gone...

I need a pick-up that is in decent shape, starts, runs, stops, can run down the highway @ 60+ MPH all day long...maybe also do some towing (AD on a tow dolly)...

I jus' don't know nothing 'bout these new trucks !

Frank - you shouldn't have any problems if the truck is in good condition for its age. The only aspect of performance I don't like about the '88 Sub is it lacks a tow package. If I've got more than 2 horses in the trailer, it heats up to the point that I need to keep the heater blowing to keep the temperature down. When I haul horses, it is usually over 50 miles one way with lots of hills. The truck maintains 50 - 70 mph with a full trailer with no problems.

I also wish it was a 2500 Sub instead of a 1500 for trailering purposes. I frequently use my Dad's '95 2500 Silverado with the horses, and the 3/4 ton is just a better tow vehicle. That said, he's had to take the Silverado in for service more often than we have the older Sub - and the Silverado has half as many miles on it. The guys took the Sub hunting this year because the '95 has been having intermittent fuel problems and they thought the '88 was more reliable.

We don't do much/any wrenching on either truck ourselves because they are too new and beyond our shade tree skills. Hope that helps.

Frank54

http://www.chevytalk.com - has a '88-'98 chevy trucks section... I'm sure they could tell ya more.

Also the http://www.67-72chevytrucks.com forums has a '88-'98 area as well.

There is also a site called http://www.fullsizechevy.com - which is mainly '88 and newer chevy/gmc trucks.

Good luck,

-W

FUEL PUMP AND REAR MAIN LEAKS!!!!

I've owned several '89 2500's, and my father in law just bought one a few months ago.

Every one i've ever encountered had a rear main seal leak about 100,000 miles, and the fuel pumps (which are in the gas tank) like to give up the ghost anytime after 80,000 miles.

Other than those two issues, those trucks are good looking, and built rock solid.. i know of one with over 300,000 on the clock and still purrs like a kitten.

As for the rear seal leak, if it aint that bad, dump a can of that stop leak stuff in there every now and then.. works like a charm.

As far as towing, the '89 2500 my father in law has pulls a 5th wheel stock trailer with 9 to 12 head in it without missing a beat.. and i'm not talking calves.. i'm talking 900+ lbs steers. Up thru the wildcat hills and you wouldn't know anything was even on the back.

Thanks guys...


What model year range trucks share the same fleet-side p.u. box with the '89 ?

Fumblin' 46 - any of your 2500 been automatics ?

My uncle told me years ago that an automatic in a truck is about 'as helpful as a crocodile in the swimming hole'... or was it 'useless as tits on a bullfrog'?

Either way, it stuck with me.. I prefer a manual transmission in a truck.. which reminds me of another seemigly common problem with the 1500's and 2500's after 100,000 miles.. the starters like to flake out.

that body style is 88-98 but the 1 tons kept the old body style till 91 but my dad had a 1988 Chevy K1500 bought it brand new and just one awesome truck had plenty of power and even though it was 1/2ton my dad used it as a fram truck and treaded it like a 3/4 - 1 ton truck and it is very well maintained very little rust problems mainly just cab corners and a real little bit above rear wheel wells well i rolled the truck in jan. 2004 the cab top was totally smashed down well truck was totaled but i kept it almost two years after rolling it and it still runs like new just have some problems with gettin started (could use a tune up badly) but other then that still runs like new and does not burn any oil even now it steers tight suspension is good, one awesome truck was 5.7L (350) with automatic single cab fleetside long box
Nate

1988-1998 all have the same boxes, the front ends of those trucks changed a bit, but the boxes were the same for that whole body style. my '92 was a great truck, it ran like a top, pulled hard under load, and even got decent gas mileage. here are the thing i had trouble with or did not like.

1) the digital heater controls are poorly laid out, hard to use while driving, and really expensive to replace.

2) the outside door handles are really flimsy and come loose and break periodically, i replaced my driver door one twice in three years.

3) the inside door panels are equally flimsy, my armrests came loose all the time, and eventually broke, this was a low mile (80,000 mile) truck too.

4) the engine gave up the ghost at 150,000 and the rear-end followed 5,000 miles later.

despite these problems i would do it all over again, for no other reason than that motor has to be the best thing that chevy has ever put together. it idles like glass, runs like a dream, has tons of power, and it has the best sound of any v-8 that i have owned (chevy anyway). i really like that little truck a lot and would buy one if the opportunity presented itself. happy hunting.

I have a 88 GMC 1500 4X4 350 w/168,000 miles. The only problem really was the fuel pump in the tank. Replaced at 125,000 mi.

We pulled a trailer w/race car for years went thru brakes a little faster but has been a great truck. Cab corners and bed was repaired 5 yrs. ago but the gremlins are back. Also #7 cylinder is leaking by just a little.

Would I buy it again problay because I knew where it came from but my next truck will be a 2500. Aquiring more land and a bigger tractor so the pulling aspect has to be considered. Personall my auto w/overdrive works fine and I will most likely stay w/auto. Getting to old to press in the clutch.

popcorn The Truth is Out There (Nice to know about what years bed would fit my truck Thank you)Ben

Watch out for the electricals. My dad has an 88 that he bought new (light 3/4-ton), it has had gremlins since the day we brought it home...that, and the transmission and transfer case blew up. About 60K miles on it now. It's still good for hauling stuff, but definately ask if they've had any trouble.

two 94's i have for work trucks do good both over 250k (1 has 295k) miles only needed starters, brakes regular items with 1 bad problem was driver side exhaust manifold on both trucks broke the rear most manifold bolts off couple times. ended up puttin new manifolds on both trucks problem went away. all my work trucks live on slick 50 every 30k with regular oil changes @ 5k miles. heck i don't tell many but i have an e-350 box van w/ 400k on it same practice oh yeah all automatics all orginal too well maintained with responible drivers makes a difference!

I have an '89 with about 160,000 on it. I like it, and it does what I bought it for very well. But mine is a K3500 with a 454, so its a little different than what you are going for.

The 1-ton big block will pull a loaded trailer 80 mph at less than 8 mpg...

But it has never left me feeling my pickup is too small for the job, even with another 1-ton truck on the trailer.

My brother had a '88 GMC for about 14 years, and only had the fuel pump problem that Fumblin46 mentioned in his post.