New (to me) Truck..NEW added Pictures

Well guys, I've been looking for a long time to find one like I just bought.  I had given up and the wife found a Ford XL on some kind of Facebook Market Place...
Anywho,,,,,,,,,,,,,,I went to look at the Ford and here sits this truck over by their shop door.  I go to look and it's still got the sticker in the window, so I tell the salesman; "I want that truck"!  Well he says; "It's not for sale".  I tell him about the sticker in the window and so let's go talk to the sales manager.
So after talking to him, he has to make a call to the district manager.  The district manager says that since the sticker is in the window,,,,,,,,,you gotta sell it to him.  So we get the paper work all done and I drive off except for the new plates.  Got a call 2 days later and have to go pick up the new plates.
The sales manager tells me that he had some real explaining to do to the General Manager....
Seems I got a heck of a deal on it!!  But then I knew that already....

Any how, please except my apology for the long winded thread,,,,,,,,,,but now it's time to find out what YOU guys think.  What to look for and fix right now....
It's a Chevy Silverado, a 2004 that is spotless.  I know Chevies, so I KNOW how badly they rust out.  This one is like NEW!!  NO RUST anywhere except certain spots on the frame!!
It's got the V-6 4.3 in it with an auto tranny,  has 153,000 on it and runs like a top.  It's a plain Jane with no power windows or seats of anything. RUBBER floor mat, no DIC or CD player or anything, a PLAIN JANE, farm truck.  8' box.

SO, what do I look for and what do I need to fix right now.  There are NO records for maintenance so I'm at a loss... I'm thinking about doing a flush with the radiator and new anti-freeze.  Do I have to use Dex-Cool?

What do you mechanics think of this truck?
Thanks Guys!


Edited by Ted J - 25 Mar 2018 at 7:56am

When you flush the coolant I would go with the green antifreeze. Make sure when you flush it to flush the engine and heater core also as mixing Dex and Green is not recommended.  Might check and see if the transmission fluid is getting dark, if it is I would flush that as well. 

I want to know is why weren't they wanting to sell it to you...?

If the serpentine belt looks old then I would change that along with the tensioner and idler if it has one.  Fluids would be first on the list.  Brake inspection and rear end fluid check also. 

Glad you got a good deal and Shameless won't have to "git the rope." Bet they were trying to hold it for one of their buddies. Change all the fluids, flush good and go with green coolant, inspect the brakes, belt etc. and change the fuel filter.

why would you put green antifreeze in it ?  It came with DEXCOOL... if you don't get it 100% removed, it CAN react with different fluid. The green is the old stuff... New long life is yellow.. since you have DEXCOOL I would stick with that.. check that it is ORANGE. Almost all NEW vehicles come with DEXCOOL or  FORD equivalent.

Well Congrats on your new trk, Ted,,,,IF you are really wantin to put new antifreeze in trk,,,that's good but do yourself and the trk a favor and put new Dexcool back in it. The two will not mix and you will have to make sure you flush the block, the heater coil and all its hoses. When I was Assist Service Mgr at the local GM dealer, I seen the mess that mixing the Dexcool with the older green or yellow stuff,,it just clabbers up something ugly.
UMMmm,,,when you gonna let us see the new trk,,,???

congrats on the new to you truck! it should be a good one for you, and i'm also glad you weren't swayed by some of these ferd guys here! JOe was right....he tolt me you wasn't as dumb as you looks! LMAO. I always flush the engine block on anything I buy, and put back in the anti-freeze that it calls for or came to you with. and of course I wants a pic too!

Fuel pump is inside the fuel tank. wait till it quits before you change it the replacements never last as long as the original.  I've usually got about 200 K out of the original and never over 100 K from a replacement. I would change the tranny fluid and filter. I have three of them with well over 200K on the original drive train. only things Ive replaced are starters, alternators, water pumps, brakes and fuel pumps.

As Promised.....(Shameless could learn this,,,,,,,,poke,poke,poke)

You been sneaking around taking a picture of my truck??? Been taking lessons from ol shameless- poke - poke? Got one looks just like that. 1st one I've had with a box cover on it. I did not think I would like it, was gonna take it off, but I'm glad I left it on. This is the second 1 I have had. 1st one was a 2000, it liked to east distributator caps once a year. Don't buy the cheap ones from O'Reillys, they only last about 3 months, NAPA ones at least a year+. At 200000 I had to put a fuel pump in it. It had 260000 on it when I gave it to #2 son. The 05 I have now, same 4.3 motor pulls better than the 2000 and gets 20 to 24 mpg on the highway. If I fill up from the F/S self fill gas station or the Phillips 66 station I usually usually get 23-24 mpg. If I fill up at the convience store I get a couple MPG less. Mine is a 2x4. I put studded snow tires on the back of it last fall. Boy they sure made a difference this past winter. I had regular snow tires on the back of the 2000, same brand, it was pretty helpless in the snow. I hope yours is as good as the 2 I have had.

Dakota Dave wrote: Fuel pump is inside the fuel tank. wait till it quits before you change it the replacements never last as long as the original.  I've usually got about 200 K out of the original and never over 100 K from a replacement. I would change the tranny fluid and filter. I have three of them with well over 200K on the original drive train. only things Ive replaced are starters, alternators, water pumps, brakes and fuel pumps.

My experience with fuel pumps has been the same. I don't know why, but even replacements from GM don't last as long as the original ones have. Odd, because I'd think it would be the same Pump. Some say that they'll last longer if you never let your gas tank get below a quarter full, because the gas keeps the pump cool. Had a fuel pump acting up on a 95 burb I had one time, before I had a good understanding of what was going on with "in the tank" fuel pumps. The thing was having intermittant spells of not running very good, and dying. Pretty soon, the fuel guage quit, too. Took it into the shop. What was going on, was the fuel pump was all but toast, and had gotten so hot that it melted wires going to the fuel sending unit for the guage. Damn, I don't like something getting that hot inside my fuel tank. And Murphy's law applies here, too; Seeing how the fuel tank has to come off to replace the fuel pump, the fuel pump will always take its lest breath when the fuel tank is plum full. And there ain't a good way to get the fuel out of the tank. Darrel

Those 4.3 were noted for anti freeze leaks around intake, mine was fixed twice and was leaking again when I gave up on it.

two things I know
1) gas filler caps up here rust/rot real fast ! I'd talke yours off, blow out any krap in the seams, then lay on a light coat of 'seam sealer' NOT sillycon !  where the inner and outer pieces join. Aftermarket ones up here are $65 !

2) use some heat and GENTLY remove the box mounting bolts as you do NOT want to try 'brubgunning' them out..you'll spin the nuts and make an ugly day long job out of it. Heat and patience is the key and you'll get all 8 of them out.Coat with neversieze and reinstall

3) get it 'oil sprayed' ! Take to car wash, spend $5-10$ and get every nook and cranny 'desalted'.... wait couple days(so it's totally dry) then get it oil sprayed,pay the $100-200$ to get it done, then after that buy couple cans of 'rustcheck' to finish the job.