Picked up a 2005 Suburban

[JustinH]

When I worked for a city in Texas I had this same year Tahoe with 40k original miles.

It was nice!

 

[dja4260]

I have an 05' 1500 LT, loaded w/ 71k on the clock. I love it.

 

[Delta]

Congrats! That thing is super clean, I'd drive the Hell outta that (after rust treatment of course!)! Like NY, most of those of that vintage here in PA are quite crispy and only pass inspection from Joe's Uncle Brothers Sticker Slap Service. Even though they look terrible they all have high mileage and are just ticking along!

 

[Blinker]

This is my favorite generation of GM trucks, along with the 67-72 body. These trucks are very reliable and have only a few trouble spots. They are a great truck.

That blue is a great color. They also had a metallic red and a VERY rare dark forest green.

 

[RhondaHonda]

That’s a nice clean Burb! Is the cladding on the lower quarters part of the Z71 package? I don’t remember noticing that before. Care to share what this set you back? If not, no big deal.

 

[redhat]

That’s a nice clean Burb! Is the cladding on the lower quarters part of the Z71 package? I don’t remember noticing that before. Care to share what this set you back? If not, no big deal.

Yes it is. It might be black on other colors. Paid $5900.

 

[meep]

Really nice find, looks mint! Drive and enjoy!

 

[Fattylocks]

now, find a rusty one with a good interior...
the Texas sun is MURDER on the plastics. you might find some parts falling a part from normal usage, (when i bought the '05 neon from my brother in Dallas in 2010... within a month both front visor clips cracked right in 2 just pulling them out to cover the side windows. got some JY replacements from ebay, still on the car, still working just fine. (it's currently at Fort Hood with my buddy's little bro.)

went to visit my brother in Dallas in early oct. 2014, while there we had to re-glue the perf "leather" inserts on the door cards of his 07 Mustang, the Texas sun/heat had cooked the factory glue to where it was no longer holding, the inserts peeled right off..

The door inserts fell off the panels on my '05 Mustang. Northern garage queen that never spent a night outside.

 

[redhat]

Thanks everyone. I am already making my Rock Auto list.

I am going through it all:

- brake hoses all around
- rad hoses
- heater core coolant connectors and heater hoses
- all filters (guess this actually has a fuel filter being a flex fuel motor - RPO L59)
- all fluids
- new coolant bottle -- more of a dress-up item
- new battery

Fluids -- Mobil 1 EP 5W-30 will go in the crank, ACDelco Dex VI from RockAuto in the trans, GM AutoTrak II in the t-case, and bought a gallon of Mobil 1 Delvac 75W-90 for the front and rear diff. I had FordPass Rewards and picked up a bunch of the new Ford Yellow coolant- the PHOAT stuff. Ford says you can mix it with their Dexcool, so I see no issue doing a good flush of the cooling system and using this here.

Battery -- will probably pick up an Everstart MAXX from Walmart, they're $88 now, good price.

Filters -- oil and air, going with WIX, trans is getting an ACDelco and fuel is a tossup... I have to see what style this is.

Most other maintenance items are going to be either GM OE/GM Genuine, ACDelco. Belts are Gates. NGK Laser Iridium Plugs, ARP exhaust bolts are going on also.

This is the stuff I love. Got to be honest with you guys, I am so looking forward to this. Going through maintenance items, enjoying getting it ready for my wife.

Once all of the maintenance items are out of the way, it is getting a remote starter, new Sony XAV-AX1000 headunit for Bluetooth and CarPlay -- really nice model radio that has a matte grey plastic finish that doesn't look gaudy AND a volume knob. Come summer, with warm weather, the interior will get a FULL detail and a new carpet front to back. Carpet is stained and faded, but that is an easy fix.

More pics after I get it home. Have to wait for the NY DMV to get it registered.

 

[RhondaHonda]

Yes it is. It might be black on other colors. Paid $5900.

Now that you mention it I’m not sure I’ve seen a Z71 that wasn’t black.

 

[clinebarger]

Thanks everyone. I am already making my Rock Auto list.

I am going through it all:

- brake hoses all around
- rad hoses
- heater core coolant connectors and heater hoses
- all filters (guess this actually has a fuel filter being a flex fuel motor - RPO L59)
- all fluids
- new coolant bottle -- more of a dress-up item
- new battery

Fluids -- Mobil 1 EP 5W-30 will go in the crank, ACDelco Dex VI from RockAuto in the trans, GM AutoTrak II in the t-case, and bought a gallon of Mobil 1 Delvac 75W-90 for the front and rear diff. I had FordPass Rewards and picked up a bunch of the new Ford Yellow coolant- the PHOAT stuff. Ford says you can mix it with their Dexcool, so I see no issue doing a good flush of the cooling system and using this here.

Battery -- will probably pick up an Everstart MAXX from Walmart, they're $88 now, good price.

Filters -- oil and air, going with WIX, trans is getting an ACDelco and fuel is a tossup... I have to see what style this is.

Most other maintenance items are going to be either GM OE/GM Genuine, ACDelco. Belts are Gates. NGK Laser Iridium Plugs, ARP exhaust bolts are going on also.

This is the stuff I love. Got to be honest with you guys, I am so looking forward to this. Going through maintenance items, enjoying getting it ready for my wife.

Once all of the maintenance items are out of the way, it is getting a remote starter, new Sony XAV-AX1000 headunit for Bluetooth and CarPlay -- really nice model radio that has a matte grey plastic finish that doesn't look gaudy AND a volume knob. Come summer, with warm weather, the interior will get a FULL detail and a new carpet front to back. Carpet is stained and faded, but that is an easy fix.

More pics after I get it home. Have to wait for the NY DMV to get it registered.

The OE "SABO" radiator hoses last forever, The Radiator will fail long before the hoses. Good call on the heater core adaptors & quick connects though.

Are all the manifold bolts in place? If so.....Run the crap out of it & remove the 2 outside bolts on one manifold first....Replace them with the ARP's, Repeat for the other side. Then replace the inner ones. Don't be surprised if one or more of the outer bolts shear off at that mileage!

 

[Fifth87]

That is a nice looking truck, beautiful color.
All I ever see are the champagne anymore, it seems.

 

[Nick1994]

You got a great deal there.

How's the suspension? Tie rods, slop in steering etc.

 

[AutoMechanic]

Those things will go forever especially when taken care of. Our family has always wanted one but the ones we find are 350k and up miles and wanted tremendous prices for them. Never seen one that color as others have mentioned I’ve seen the style before this one in that color though. Most of the ones I have seen are white or that weird GM tan color. I would not add an aftermarket remote starter though all that programming you have to do in the computer system is not fun and sometimes it goes wrong I know several who have done it.

 

[JT20]

A really nice truck but it is a shame that it will now be driven on your salty roads and be another NY rust bucket in a few years. As a lifelong Florida resident I could never live in the salt belt. I watch the South Main Auto YouTube channel from upstate NY and seeing how rust destroys cars up there is sickening. The annual damage to otherwise perfectly good cars must be in the billions.

They just put salt down before it even snowed, can't tell you how many times the do that and it doesn't snow.

I could show you a pic right now of the street just lined with with salt.

 

[JT20]

They just put salt down before it even snowed, can't tell you how many times the do that and it doesn't snow.

I could show you a pic right now of the street just lined with with salt.

See those white lines? Thats salt.

Now watch it not even snow.

 

[CKN]

See those white lines? Thats salt.

View attachment 43389View attachment 43391Now watch it not even snow.

They have a beet base brine they put down on our streets before it snows. When they put it down ahead of time it usually snows.

 

[redhat]

I have a shop I go to in Erie PA for remote starter installs. Been going there for the better part of 10 years. They do awesome work.

 

[redhat]

Last week, went through the whole Suburban.

All new coolant hoses, heater connectors, coolant bottle, thermostat, water pump, belts, tensioners, idlers, brake hoses, spark plugs, wires, brand new GM OE fuel pump.

Pulled the manifolds -- three bolts were broken off, the rest all came out with an impact. Welded nuts and washers to the broken off studs and got them out. New Fel-Pro exhaust gaskets with ARP bolts went in (NICE and quiet exhaust).

Pulled the tranny pan -- fluid and filter. Accidently ordered the shallow pan filter (didn't know there was a difference). So got to do the job x2 with the correct filter. Tranny fluid was like new, CLEAN. Tranny actually looks new, it is clean like it came off of a pallet. That and the torque converter is blue, so I'm thinking someone put a tranny in this truck. Shifts good also.

Truck has new u-joints, freshly done. Rear diff was just serviced, fluid looked clean. Put new AutoTrak II in the transfer case and some Mobil 1 Delvac in the front diff.

Rear shocks were blown out, only thing local was some Monroe OESpectrum... put those in. When I need shocks again, I'll go Bilstein 4600.

Outer-tie rods up front had a ripped boot, so I did all inner and outer tie-rods. Went with ACDelco Professional Gold, hoping they're a better quality that some aftermarket.

Wix Air and Oil filters, Mobil 1 EP 5w-30 in the crank, Motorcraft Yellow PHOAT coolant in the cooling system. Truck did not have Dex-Cool in it, someone must've converted it to AM/AM or Global before I, cooling system was clean looking, no chunks (thankful!).

Got it aligned and it drives great. Rides real good too. Firestone told me "uhhh you have a really bad gas leak we smell gas and can diagnose...", they didn't know what to say when I said "Yeah I just replaced the fuel pump and got a little gas on the top side of the tank".

Really good truck, runs good, shifts good. She's an old girl, but it is evident that someone maintained this truck.

Got it sprayed Saturday with Fluid Film, the rust on the frame literally happened with a week of driving. It is nothing but surface rust. No big deal.

The wife already loves it. Up next is two new Daytime running light connectors (they're kinda burnt) with LED bulbs, LED bulbs in the interior, hookup the backup camera and the Mic for the Stereo. Also put LED in the plate lights and puddle lamps. I learned that LED bulbs in the brake lights makes the truck think there's no tail lamps and poof no Cruise control.

 

[redhat]

Some pics and then the one the wife sent this morning after her first drive to work in it. Said it is better in the snow than the truck. Guess that 1,000lbs extra helps.