'99 Suburban story (w/pics and little brag)

Machinest in southern Ill. special orders a '99 Sub new w/all the goodies inc 3:73 posi rear and t/c floor shift. Sticker is $ 43,000.00. Gets it home and instantly undercoats inside doors and other know to rust areas. Puts custom fit seat covers on all seats and full floor mats front/rear. Stores away original floor mats. During it's 73,000 mi life with him , he replaces all wheels inc spare with Am, Racing wheels , Optima gel battery, KN air filter etc. Garage kept and washed/waxed religiously. Now for the "brag" part, I had been looking on Craig list in southern states for this exact vehicle. I had a '99 and loved it and the body style so took a shot that maybe a retiree in the south just MIGHT be ready to sell. Well you guessed it, he isn't quite retired yet but they didn't need the Sub any more and thought they were ready to sell . Made the deal over phone , took trailer down from MI.He said I was the first one to see the seats uncovered since it was new. First vehicle I ever looked at that was BETTER than seller described. This thing was imaculately clean and untouched. They allmost called me night before and backed out on selling it. His wife cried when we left with it. Bassically I bought a "new" '99 Suburban for $8500! ( Sold my old '99 for $3500 so traded for $5500) I havn't figured out what it must have cost him per mile to own this for only 73000 mi. Even under hood was perfectly clean as new. You could eat off the underbody. At 62 , this will be the last one I need to buy. The VW Tdi Jetta Turbo Diesel is our mileage vehicle. Just goes to show what patience , positive thinking and a computer can do. I don't make a habit of bragging but had to tell this story and show pics. Don't beat me up too bad. RB
Incidentally , he made that trailer wiring box out of solid billet aluminum with O-ring seals on ends and door in his hobby machine shop in his garage. Machinists can be meticulous people and I'm glad.

congrats! exceptional find!

WOW !!
What a find.

Steve A W

It's the little things that make a machinist.

I don't care if it is a Chevrolet, that is one sharp vehicle! I think you have a right to brag a little, very few of us get that lucky.

That's too nice to use!!! Great find.

Beautiful! I can even see your reflection in it, like a mirror.

I bought an almost rust free 95 Texas Burb last summer with 180K on it for a grand. Great vehicle, nothing like yours though. Congrats!

AWSOME, I like it!

I had a '98 I really liked. It had the intake manifold problem and got coolant in the oil. I had to replace the 5.7L engine. Will this one have that syndrome?

Very nice Suburban. I have a "98 K1500 ext cab that has 200,000 trouble-free miles on it, and still looks nice too.

These late 90"s Chevy"s were well built trucks. Seems like they keep getting cheaper as time goes on.

I had a Tahoe of that vintage; late '90's. Wife's truck, mine were
Dodges. I did the gasket replacement myself. Didn't have any
idea as to what I was to find when I lifted the manifold. I rigged
a hanger to suspend the wiring harness over the engine since it
was too complicated with too many sensors to unplug it and
move it to the side. As it turned out of the few I had to remove I
forgot to reconnect one: The ignition timing and what an
interesting ride that was till I found it.

I don't remember the replacement brand (well known national
brand) but it had an aluminum frame with a molded o-ring kind
of seal in blue silicon. The alum. frame ensured that you would
not overtorque the actual sealing part, unlike the OEM. Very well
designed and built.

The POS OEM I took off was indeed a mess. It looked like some
5 year old built it. No wonder it leaked. I guarantee you had it
been built like the replacement, it wouldn't have had to come
out.

I was not the least bit pleased with this GM fiasco. And while on
the subject, the seats in that SUV and in my new truck are night
and day on comfort and support for a 250# 6'5 guy.

But what am I driving today? Another GM, only because it's the
nearest dealer, but it seems different than their old school which
I wore out many to realize.

Maybe the Feds got control of the company and let the
engineers do their job and make a reliable product instead of
having to take what I heard a CEO back in the late 70's or 80's
say: They (the American public) will drive what we build because
they have no choice.......daaaa I think Datsun led the invasion
and things haven't been the same since . Had it 2 years now and
no problems. Nice truck.

Mark

Forgot to mention he allready had that done at GM dealership knowing it would eventually need it. Didn't wait til it ruined engine or leaked. This guy was pretty perswaysive ? when it came to warrantee work.

ooops,guess I cant subtract,meant traded for $5000.