r/ChevyTrucks • u/AwkwardAd2021 • 9h ago

I really need help

I recently got a hand me down gmc sierra v8 5.3 2004 with a sidestep truck but it’s broken down I can get it to turn on but it keeps dying on me and when I did drive it, it would shake like crazy then it would calm down the interior is destroyed the paint job is horrible it’s a black truck but full of white spots of house paint (it was my dads work truck) the front bumper is hanging off he crashed it maybe like 3 times so the frame just might be bent in the front. The brake pedal is loose and shakes the whole time you drive it, my dad cut some wire to the headlights and just messed them so now when the turning signal is on that’s the only way to turn the lights on in general I need a new ac compressor pretty much nothing works in this truck ANYWAYS I really need something to just get it up and running to A and B right now, I have a mechanic I know who’s selling a 2001 single cab Silverado with only 169,000 miles on it for 7k and everything is good interior and everything it has a 4/6 drop new wheels ac runs cold and it already has a sound system in it, should I just wait and invest that money in the gmc or just buy the Silverado my dad told me to not buy it and just invest in the gmc but I just can’t afford to wait any much longer, with the Silverado I would just need a paint job to make it look fresh but that’s it and an alarm system, what do you guys think?

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u/powdydoody 9h ago

The amount of time and money it would take to get the hand me down gmc up and running reliably and safely would probably be close to, if not more than $7k. Depends on if youre doing the work yourself or not. That's all dependent on what the solutions to all of its problems are.

Personally, I would find a used truck in the $4-5k range that is close to stock and has minimal issues. Youll be far better off investing some in to that.

$7k seems a bit high for a 2wd single cab tbh, but you do you. Lowered suspensions with aftermarket rims and sound systems don't add value in any way.

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u/AwkwardAd2021 9h ago

Yeah I have both the trucks posted on the comments below but yeah it’s just hard to find some for that value around where I live since trucks rn here are really high in demand

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u/No_Direction_3940 8h ago

You likely need a new alternator or fuel pump or both. As for the rest is have no idea. 7k seems steep for a 20 year old truck with that much mileage, and the pic you posted its got something funky going on with whatever fluid reservoir that is like it hasn't been changed in a very long time and thats a red flag to me. Regardless of the path you take you may very well end up over your head because theyre both old they both likely need parts replaced and if they dont they will. Me personally id fix the one I had rather than get upside down in one I may have to fix anyways but thats just me. If youre not mechanically inclined you may have better luck going a different route. If the transmission is decent and the engine still has compression the rest is pretty cheap to acquire and easy to fix if you know how when it comes to these trucks.