Thinking of purchase, what to avoid and go for???

[Oldschool88]

Looking for some advice here since going it on my own is not working so well. Over the past couple months I have been searching for a 2 door Tahoe 96-99 model years, and while the ones I looked at had great bodies, Mechanically they were ready for the scrap yard and not worth half what the people were asking for them. So with that being said, I am moving forward to the new millennium and adding 2 doors onto what I am searching for.

First off, my budget..... Under 10k financed and 4500 if it is a cash sale. 4 wheel drive is a must for me as I eventually plan on giving this ride a suspension lift and some interesting wheels and tires. It will mainly be a 000pavement queen with the back seats folded up and a bicycle and fishing poles being stored in the back for those moments I wish to do some outdoor activities.

What things to watch out for? I saw a LT model with the airbags and was told by several people to stay away from those, nothing but trouble. I am liking the way the 2003 and 2004 models look aesthetically but truth be told I want the most bang for my buck like everyone else. I am seeing these models in various trim levels from 5000-8500 in a search less than 50 miles from my home. Most vehicles have avg of 95k-165k miles. If I could find one locally which was already lifted etc that had a Inspection tag so I could register it in my home state I would prefer one of those, but they are few and far between and people want a lot more than my budget allows.

Any thoughts and suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Tex99Tahoe]

Hey, Oldschool88, welcome to the forum!

My first thoughts are to get a scanner, quick plug-in and scan during actual inspection.
You can get an ELM327 bluetooth scanner plugin off eBay for cheap, use "Torque" or something similar on your smartphone. Really important if you're in an 'emissions' county.

Second, be prepared to get on your back with a flashlight to inspect under it. Look for the obvious, leaks, dings, loose stuff, driveshaft, ...etc. After inspecting a couple, you'll know more of what to look for.

I almost bought a nice/clean low mileage later model Dodge Durango couple years ago. Got underneath it, and found a bent/crushed lower/front crossmember, weld beads, and junkyard greasepen ID marks on all the lower control arms and such. Went back to the sales office, and they had a 'clean' carfax printed out for me. I said: "The front-end impact isn't on this list." They just turned around and walked away...