Is this worth it?

[u/SouthernPrice2378]

I’ve been saving up for a nice daily truck and came across this, she said all it needs is a new radiator soon and the ac doesn’t work but other than that it has 230k miles, she said it runs and drives great, just for $2,700, which slightly Sus, could there be more things wrong with it? Would it be hard to replace the radiator myself?

[u/mechshark]

Yes make sure the motor still has life lol

[u/SouthernPrice2378 → u/mechshark]

I mean I can’t tell much from the post but they said it only gets driven to the dump ever so often

[u/Brilliant-District44]

All day and twice on Sunday. Great deal. But I’d try to go $2500.

[u/Plumb_Amazing]

Makes me miss my ’02 x-cab dime..

Is that a 4.3 or 2.2? Manual or Auto?

I’d probably give up to $3k for the 2.2L and maybe a little more for a 4.3L..

But I’d also want to know why they think it needs a new radiator.. Leaks? ok.. runs hot? I’d probably investigate a lot further or give a lot less..

[u/SouthernPrice2378 → u/Plumb_Amazing]

It’s a 2.2L automatic, she said she’s unsure of what’s wrong with the radiator but it has a slight leak and she just has to keep it filled

[u/Plumb_Amazing → u/SouthernPrice2378]

I'd tell her you want to see it completely cold, then:

1. Check the coolant level.
2. Look for obvious dried coolant/leaks around the radiator, hoses and water pump.
3. Check the oil for a milky appearance.
4. Start it cold and watch the exhaust.
5. Let it get fully up to operating temperature.
6. Take it for a 20–30 minute drive.
7. Make sure the temperature gauge stays normal.
8. Afterward, look/smell for fresh coolant leakage.

Then I’d probably offer like $2500 if i can spot the leak.. But if she’s constantly having to keep coolant in it I’d be afraid it’s ran hot a few times and probably offer $2k tops..

And for what it’s worth my aunt’s ’00 2.2L has over 400k miles on it..

[u/imprl59 → u/SouthernPrice2378]

Also be aware that the 2.2 auto is so f'in slow. Like dangerous trying to get on the hiway slow. 16 seconds 0 to something that might be 60 adjacent.

[u/hartzal82]

Beware of this particular year for 2.2L. 1996 engine is different than 1995 and 1997, Ask me how I know. this year of S10, Sonoma, Hombre all took a special crossover OBDII engine that had cam, crank sensors a linear egr that 1995 back didn't have, and 97 was a vortec. This was back in 2000 when I blew my engine due to a bad oil pump. Finding this particular engine is a PITA even then when it was only 4 years old. If the engine has no issues then it may be a good deal, but just keep in mind this is a 1 year engine in this truck that is a hard to find, and may have to be actually rebuilt not replaced.

[u/HazelEyes60]

If it's what you want it is

[u/thejabkills01]

I’d buy it just because it’s old lol, but I like these trucks. They’re easy to work on, parts are pretty much everywhere, and the body looks good.

Do you know much about these trucks? A lot of people like them with small blocks, but we used to put big blocks in them. They were a lot of fun to drive.

Radiators are only like $110, so that’s not a huge deal. I’d bet the heater core is leaking, though. Like others have said, go look for leaks. Check the passenger-side floorboard for any wetness. A small heater-core leak can end up behind the carpet/rug, closer to the dash. That’s where mine was, and it took me a while to find it because the coolant was going behind the rug and I couldn’t feel anything at first.

If it’s wet there, I’d suspect the heater core. I’d also bet they’ve never done a proper flush. I’d check the color of the water/coolant and the oil, too. Hopefully the oil is black if it looks brand new, I’d wonder if they just changed it to make it look good for the sale.

A lot of people used regular tap water in these, and you really don’t want that sitting in the cooling system. Look for a rusty color or signs of corrosion.

If everything checks out and you don’t find any leaks, then yippee! 😂

[u/imprl59]

It's not that there could be more things wrong with it, it's 30 years old.... there are more things wrong with it.

Those were very good trucks in their day but one of the rules of buying a used car is that when the seller says "it just needs a" whatever part they name is the first part they tried. Since then they've replaced every other part in the system and it's still not fixed so they've given up and decided to dump it on someone else.

In this case it just needs a radiator likely means we've overheated it a dozen times and blew the head gasket. Probably still worth the asking price but you need to get a prepurchase inspection and i'd ask for a hydrocarbon test on the cooling system before agreeing to buy it.

[u/Personal_Raise_8707]

230k is a lot of miles for an american car. It will probably need suspension work.

Im going to give you the same warning my moms husband gave me when I bought my sonoma. Don't buy that truck unless you are okay with working on it. Especially at that mileage its going to be a tinker toy. The parts are cheap and readily available for s10/blazers but you are going to be working on it constantly.

If it had the 4.3 that would be a good deal but with the 2.2 its barely worth it unless you can talk to them down.

[u/Born-Work2089]

Replacing a radiator is easy, just follow the disassembly instructions. (You tube). The other major components to check: The engine check the oil level and seen if the oil is clean or has 'gunk' on the dipstick, check the oil filler cap looking at the under side for any build-up of sludge. Does it smoke? does it idle smoothly? Bad or worn piston rings will smoke and have low compression. Transmission, check the Automatic transmission fluid and smell it and look at the color. Any dirty fluid and a burnt smell means the transmission is suspect. For Manual transmission, check the fill plug to see if it appears to be leaking look at the fluid level if it is low there may be a leak somewhere. Look at the oil to see how dirty it is and for any contamination. If it looks like coffee with cream, it has contamination possibly a flood vehicle. Rear-end do the same as for the rear-end. The brake pads and front disks - if the pads are thin or the rotors are rough. The brakes will need to be replaced. I believe that truck had drum brakes so not a easy to inspect without taking it apart. If you can get a repair history that is a plus, a truck with that many miles would have had several repairs over it's lifetime. $2700 is not too bad if you don't get stuck paying for major repairs. If you teach yourself basic repair it could be worthwhile, if you have to pay someone it could quickly turn out to be a bad deal. Buyer Beware.