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*C-10 simplex* · 09-01-2011, 02:41 PM

Lots of good points so far.

My take on the topic:

i would love to have a new truck, but the numbers don't pencil out; An equivalent or better to a new stripper 1500 W/T v-6 model (i don't think silverado comes with v-6?) could be built for no more than $5000 total and probably less than that.

2) Only disadvantages to older:

No air bags. The chances of ever needing these are slim, but if you are in that situation, air bags are the best thing to have.

No anti lock brakes. Not such a big deal in my opinion.

Even without air bags i think a newer car/truck cab has better crash integrity/design.

But those are the only real disadvantages to older in my opinion.

3) Another good thing about "older" trucks (especially non-computerized) is that if the engine quits, you can drop "any old" small block in there and be up and running in probably 8 hours or less. These engines can be found running on craigslist/salvage yard etc. for $100-$400. Let's say your newer 2007 truck's motor seizes. It's out of warranty. What are you going to do?

4) Another thing to consider is the issue of "current technology maintenance." For example, the GM Throttle body injection of 87 to 95ish(?) was/is a very good system. However, how many techs at the dealer RIGHT NOW are really familiar with this and can actually fix it?

What i'm trying to say is after your newer truck becomes 7-10 yrs old the technology has undoubtebly changed and it's not cost-effective for the dealership to train techs on older systems because they may not see that type of car but 1-2 times a month. So let's say you end up with a 2002 silverado---not real old, but not really "current" either. Can the techs or anyone else for that matter fix this?

Carburetor technology is simple and straightforward to understand to the point where you really don't need to "bring it in" to the dealer to get it fixed because you can do it yourself. Or even if you did bring it in, someone at the dealer will know how to fix it because these systems were so overwhelmingly common and stable (as compared to FI technology which constantly changes).

i don't feel a person should even think about buying a new car unless their liquid net worth is at least $110K plus the cost of the car.

09-01-2011, 02:41 PM	#23
C-10 simplex Account Suspended Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: indisclosed Posts: 1,515	Re: New vs. building old one Lots of good points so far. My take on the topic: i would love to have a new truck, but the numbers don't pencil out; An equivalent or better to a new stripper 1500 W/T v-6 model (i don't think silverado comes with v-6?) could be built for no more than $5000 total and probably less than that. 2) Only disadvantages to older: No air bags. The chances of ever needing these are slim, but if you are in that situation, air bags are the best thing to have. No anti lock brakes. Not such a big deal in my opinion. Even without air bags i think a newer car/truck cab has better crash integrity/design. But those are the only real disadvantages to older in my opinion. 3) Another good thing about "older" trucks (especially non-computerized) is that if the engine quits, you can drop "any old" small block in there and be up and running in probably 8 hours or less. These engines can be found running on craigslist/salvage yard etc. for $100-$400. Let's say your newer 2007 truck's motor seizes. It's out of warranty. What are you going to do? 4) *Another thing to consider* is the issue of "current technology maintenance." For example, the GM Throttle body injection of 87 to 95ish(?) was/is a very good system. However, how many techs at the dealer RIGHT NOW are really familiar with this and can actually fix it? What i'm trying to say is after your newer truck becomes 7-10 yrs old the technology has undoubtebly changed and it's not cost-effective for the dealership to train techs on older systems because they may not see that type of car but 1-2 times a month. So let's say you end up with a 2002 silverado---not real old, but not really "current" either. Can the techs or anyone else for that matter fix this? Carburetor technology is simple and straightforward to understand to the point where you really don't need to "bring it in" to the dealer to get it fixed because you can do it yourself. Or even if you did bring it in, someone at the dealer will know how to fix it because these systems were so overwhelmingly common and stable (as compared to FI technology which constantly changes). i don't feel a person should even think about buying a new car unless their liquid net worth is at least $110K plus the cost of the car. Last edited by C-10 simplex; 09-01-2011 at 02:52 PM.