Hi Scotty,
i recently purchased a 98 C1500 with 169k miles. It drives great and handles amazing for an old truck. I did a tune up and found that the oil hadn’t been changed in so long, that the oil filter literally rusted…. Needless to say that the oil was completely. The air intake filter was filthy, and the serpentine belt was cracking… obviously the previous owner didn’t care for it as I will. Do you think that if I start to maintain it regularly from here on out it will be worth keeping? Or should I sell it as soon as possible and try to get some of my money back? Please email me or text me your thoughts. Ps i need this truck for the long haul because I’m a rancher and this will be a farm truck.
very respectfully,
Bryan González
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Thank you gentlemen, I did the oil change the first time & it was black. I checked it last night after dailying it for a week & it was still clear (not milky). I appreciate the responses
Please email me or text me your thoughts.
We do not email or text, so you hopefully you come back to this page.
if I start to maintain it regularly from here on out it will be worth keeping?
Depends on the condition. Measure the cylinder compression to test the health of the engine block.
See if the shifts are firm, and look at the condition of the transmission fluid when you change it.
i need this truck for the long haul because I’m a rancher and this will be a farm truck.
It's a 24yo 1/2 ton truck with high mileage. I wouldn't expect miracles. Especially given how it was looked after.
If you want "long haul" then you better buy something newer with lower miles.
Keep it. The only thing you might add to what you've done so far is a can of quality injector cleaner to the fuel tank. Pickups are not made like that any more. As parts wear out or break, fix it. They're inexpensive and not hard to find. You can't say that about trucks made in this decade. I could be biased though. My '96 C2500 7.4L has over 220k on it.
Thank you 🙏
Another bonus of having an older vehicle is insurance and taxes are usually lower than newer ones.