what do you use as a (PARTS CHASER/TRANSPORT)

now If theres one thing Ive found out its that you can,t depend totally on a single car or truck, over the long term if your into hot rodding simply because theres ALWAYS going to be times when you need to go get parts while your working on the car!
you also can,t easily transport a race car to the local track without a flat bed truck or a trailer too put your race car on, nor can you stick larger heavier parts like blocks or differentials or transmissions, easily into the area behind the seats on a corvette or the trunk of most more modern cars.
and trust me.. as sure as the sun comes up, daily, there will be times youll want to transport a non-drive-able car, pick up larger components or help transport a friends or your own non-drive-able car to a destination like the local dyno, or transport parts you purchased from a local machine shop or salvage yard.

there will be times when you need to transport a new tool cabinet, or new air compressor , or a buddies car breaks down 30 miles from home, , occasionally you'll find a great deal on a spare engine, or a welder and you can,t generally just use your hot rod as the only vehicle you own , long term, if your transporting large & heavy components to your shop.
I can,t even imagine how you can get bye without at least occasional access to a truck of some kind if your into hot rod cars.
I bought a chevy avalanche for my most recent parts chaser but my youngest son seems to have adopted it and its rarely available since he moved out and bought a house across town, now its my truck legally but getting it back for more than a day at a time seems to be all but impossible lately.
now this is ESPECIALLY true if your main car is a corvette, or a cobra or some other two seat car with very limited trunk space,
now for many years I had a DATSUN 4x4 pick-up truck I used for local trips to salvage yards and auto parts stores and machine shops, I know lots of guys that own corvettes, cobras,t-buckets, and similar cars and almost without exception they also own, or at least a family member owns an SUV or a pick-up truck, thats used to transport parts or in rare cases a car trailer is used behind the second family vehicle to transport the larger bulky items we all occasionally need to transport.
I don,t care if its 6 bags of groceries, a spare dana 60 rear axle, a set of spare tires or a floor jack or engine crane,or the family Christmas tree, theres going to be items you would rather not try to transport in your hot rod

so what do you gentlemen use for your parts chaser?
Ive used a chevy avalanche and a 20ft long 4 wheel car trailer for my shop for the last 5 years

related info
viewtopic.php?f=27&t=25

http://2loose.chevytalk.org/cherrypicker.html

It seems Im not going to be able to reclaim my avalanche from my son, so Id like everyone's opinion on the best 4x4 4 door truck value available in a truck thats been produced since about 2003 as I don,t care to go much older unless the price is exceptionally good, with low mileage
it takes a certain mind set to drive an older muscle car or corvette, its just a fact that when a cars 15-40 years old it WILL require some occasional maintenance, and it WILL be a P.I.T.A, to own at times.
if you want to drive the older corvettes or muscle cars,as a daily driver it will require constant maintenance , inspections,and occasional repairs
that's why almost everyone I know that's a corvette owner also owns a second truck/car that's used just as or more often than their corvette.
I own a couple c4 corvettes , and have for many years,and the best second vehicle in my opinion is a pick-up truck or larger SUV that can tow a car trailer,something like a CHEVY AVALANCHE is about ideal if its got the right tow and suspension options, simply because theres times you'll want to transport 4-5 people, go get or deliver parts or shop supply's or tow the corvette some place

ok , lets say like many of us, your driving a corvette thats 5-30 years old and theres a seeming endless progression or repairs, and you start thinking about trading it in on a newer model, now naturally the condition your cars in and what needs to be replaced,repaired or adjusted is a major factor here as is your skill level and familiarity with tools and having the time and place to do the work, but theres also a huge tendency to look at a newer car as a car that's far less likely to need repairs, which is not always true, because at some point you've replaced or repaired a good deal of the potential problem areas, in your current car.
yes I know your goal is to have a fast car that looks good, obviously you need to make personal choices, just remember that, you can replace interior components like seats,, do paint jobs and replace engines a whole lot cheaper than the cost of a new corvette in many cases.
paying $600 for a complete brake upgrade ,and $1200 for new tires on your current car, is usually going to be a whole lot cheaper, in the long run than monthly car payments on a new car.

the need to do repairs will be an intermittent part of ownership with any used car , so get used to occasionally replacing parts or adjusting things, if you step back and total up the cost over a long time period it tends to cost less than the constant car payments, of having a new car.(especially once you realize once you drive any car off the lot its a USED CAR, and in most cases you pay a good deal extra for a bumper to bumper warranty after the first few years and that many "WEAR ITEMS" like belts,hoses and brakes and tires, are seldom covered in any warranty)
look at it this way, you may need a new clutch, or transmission,new tires,new brakes, a new water pump, a valve job, etc. over any given time period, its part of owning a car.some parts have a rather predictable life expectancy, for example you can reasonably expect to replace brakes every 60K or water pumps at 80K, and tires depending on your driving style at between 30K-50K
purchasing a newer corvette could easily cost $35-$75K, every choice is a compromise in some area,but while you can occasionally delay repairs car payments must be made on a set schedule.
over a 72 month payment time frame that,s a monthly payment of at least $500-$1100 OR MORE a month and those month roll by rather fast, your almost always ahead maintaining a used corvette, especially when you factor in the far higher cost of insurance on a newer vette, into the financial picture.

besides theres always the option to do something special to an older c4 corvette


http://forum.grumpysperformance.com/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=151


it takes a certain mind set to drive an older muscle car or corvette, its just a fact that when a cars 15-40 years old it WILL require some occasional maintenance, and it WILL be a P.I.T.A, to own at times.
if you want to drive the older corvettes or muscle cars,as a daily driver it will require constant maintenance , inspections,and occasional repairs
that's why almost everyone I know that's a corvette owner also owns a second truck/car that's used just as often, or more often than their muscle car or corvette.
I own a couple c4 corvettes and have for many years, ,Ive owned several GTOs, ROAD RUNNERS,CAMAROS,a bbc chevelle,a 1965 lemans and every one of them occasionally needed repairs,the best second vehicle in my opinion is a pick-up truck or larger SUV that can tow a car trailer,something like a CHEVY AVALANCHE is about ideal if its got the right tow and suspension options, simply because theres times you'll want to transport 4-5 people, go get or deliver parts or shop supply's or tow the corvette some place.
now If theres one thing Ive found out its that you can,t depend totally on a single car or truck, over the long term if your into hot rodding simply because theres ALWAYS going to be times when you need to go get parts while your working on the car!


so what do you gentlemen use for your parts chaser?
I've used a chevy avalanche and a 20-ft long 4 wheel car trailer for my shop for the last 5 years,
but I recently gave that truck to my younger son,
so now I'm looking for a decent replacement truck,
preferably a 4x4 crew cab version
index.php


http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...king-for-a-used-crew-cab-4x4.4709/#post-12794

viewtopic.php?f=62&t=845&p=9228&hilit=trailer#p9228

viewtopic.php?f=27&t=3508&p=9249&hilit=trailer#p9249

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/your-back-up-transportation.3531/#post-9333

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/just-a-truck-question.3031/#post-8023

I,ve been looking off and on for a decent deal on,
a v8-or-v6 4x4 crew cab truck,
for a combo parts chaser and fun to drive truck,
I've looked at several brands but ,
I was recently looking at a 2016 NISSAN at a dealership,
the price was reasonable and the dealership sales guy,
was all smiles and seemed thrilled and was even willing to accept offers...he,
wanted me in the worst way to take a test drive , I stated, that before I did a test drive....
I wanted to see a CURRENT CAR FACTS print out ,
and Id like the truck put up on a lift to look at the suspension and frame....
and the expression on the guys face,
changed ,
from a big smile...
too looked like....
I'd kicked him in the privates and asked permission too rape his mom.....
honestly how many people buy
a used car/truck without doing some basic research on the vehicles history???


http://www.vincheckpro.com/vin-go?sems=google&sem_net=g&sem_campaign=373606699&sem_adgroup=26150655619&sem_cre=95800849819&sem_targetid=kwd-24567962568&sem_feed=&sem_key=car facts report free&sem_mat=p&sem_issearch=1&sem_iscontent=&sem_ismob=&sem_dev=c&sem_mod=&sem_pla=&sem_ran=4824098978257390774&sem_tar=&sem_adp=1t1&sem_ace=&sem_geo=9012039&sem_interest=&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_fHiyZuY1QIVlLrACh1sVAkSEAAYASAAEgKKW_D_BwE

I've been watching the auto trader and similar places, that advertise used trucks, for sale,
for a bargain value, in a reasonably low mileage, 10 year old or newer , crew cab, 4x4 truck, thats in decent shape.
after going too see several I'm begining to think my expectations are unrealistic,
or most of the people selling those trucks have a significant serious drug use issue's .
I stopped to look at a 2010 Ford F250 4x4 crew cab, with 120K miles, parked by the side of the road recently,
and the guy with a strait face... was asking for $30,000

You are not the exception. I quit often see prices on Craigslist that are just unbelievable
without even going to look at the vehicle.

I saw a 2010 GMC 4x4 today with over 150K miles for sale at a small local used car lot!
and while the truck looked rather nice the $43K asking price,
had me walking away rapidly..I doubt the truck cost that much when it was new back in 2010!

I use my TBucket some times to get parts. Once I hauled a 5 speed transmission for my
Toyota Celica back in the 1980's in the TBucket. Otherwise I use my 1998 Park Avenue.

Ive been looking for a decent used 4x4 truck ever since I gave my younger son the 2004 chevy avalanche Id been using as a parts chaser....
I don,t regret helping my son, but without a parts chaser working on the corvettes can be a total p.i.t.a. at times,
as machine shop runs can be restricted until I can get a buddy to help or I rent a truck.
(home depot trucks for about $20 an hour have seen a few engines being transported)

I have had it with 4L60 E transmissions.
Only 2 you can count on in a GM Truck .
The Turbo 400 & Newer brother 4L80E.
I will take the Turbo with Highway Gears.

Look around Alabama & Georgia.
Lots of guys are advertising on Facebook groups. Ignore the idiots.
Takes forever to get out of Florida driving north I know.
Takes a long time to get out of Illinois driving south.
Deals to be had always out of state.

You can not count on any 4L60E Trans in a 4x4 Tow vehicle to tow 4000 -10000 lbs gross weight back 400-1000 miles.
It will fail that 4L60E after 100-200 miles.

Killed the Suburban 4L60E.
Killed the Chevy Tahoe 4L60E.
All from Towing heavy loads.
The worst crap GM ever built I think.

Here is a list that I found posted for the trucks that use the 4L80E for Chevy.

AVALANCHE 02-03 4 SP RWD/4X4 V8 8.1L 4L80E

C/K PICK-UP 1500-2500 95-99 4 SP RWD/4X4 V8 5.0L/5.7L/6.0L/7.4L/6.5L DIESEL4L80E 17 BOLT PAN

C/K PICK-UP 1500 00-03 4 SP RWD/4X4 V8 6.0L 4L80E

C/K PICK-UP 2500 00-03 4 SP RWD/4X4 V8 5.7L/6.0L/7.4L/8.1L/6.5 DIESEL4L80E

C/K PICK-UP 3500 95-03 4 SP RWD/4X4 V8 5.0L/5.7L/6.0L/7.4L/8.1L/6.5L DIESEL4L80E 17 BOLTPAN

SUBURBAN 1500-2500 95 4 SP RWD/4X4 V8 7.4L/6.5L DIESEL4L80E

SUBURBAN 1500 96-99 4 SP RWD/4X4 V8 6.5L DIESEL4L80E

SUBURBAN 2500 96-03 4 SP RWD/4X4 V8 5.7L/6.0L/7.4L/8.1L/6.5L DIESEL4L80E

TAHOE/YUKON 95-03 4 SP RWD/4X4 V8 6.0L/8.1L/6.5L DIESEL4L80E

VAN FULL SIZE 2500 96-03 4 SP RWD V6 4.3L V8 4.8L/5.7L/6.0L/8.1L 6.5L DIESEL4L80E 17 BOLT PAN

VAN FULL SIZE 3500 95-03 4 SP RWD V6 4.3L V8 4.8L/5.7L/6.0L/7.4L/8.1L/6.5L DIESEL4L80E17 BOLT PAN

Yes.
They never used the 4L80 In 1/2 Ton K1500 Suburbans and K1500 Tahoes with a 350 Chevy Small Block.
1994 Tbi and 1999 Vortech 5.7.
It looks like a pain to install a 4L80E.
The transfer case is wrong to match.
Need a 454 model or diesel.
Hard to find in Illinois.
Think both driveshafts have to be swapped also.

The Suburban I want a Turbo 400 or 4L80E.
Found the correct transfer case input gear for 1994 for TH400.

2 Different Gen transfer cases in each I have. Suburban is full floor manual shift.
Tahoe is Auto 4wd with electric transfer case shift. Push button dash.

454 Chevy Trucks hard to find now here.

Like The Suburban and Tahoe.
The Suburban Tows nice due to its huge size and wheelbase.

Did some research tonight.
Pirate 4x4 Forum.
On my Own with transmission measurements of 4L60E 1993-1994 K1500 Suburban Trucks & with the GM Turbo 400.

With the tailshaft housing removed on each if 2wd car or truck the Turbo 400 is exactly 15/16"- .9375" inches longer.

The front driveshaft has a center slip joint yoke so It should extend out far enough to reach the transfer case moved back 15/16".
The rear driveshaft will have to be shortened 15/16".
The speedometer will work yet because the VSS electronic speed sensor is in the Transfer case output shaft.

To put a 4L80E in takes more work as its Longer than a Turbo 400 .

It has been done a few times in a Vehicles like the Suburban.

Cost I can get it done $400-500.

I found several Turbo 400 Transmissions around me online.
Going to buy another soon Grumpy.
Tax Return time. Should be here soon.
Also Payday is just a few days away.

The 4x4 Turbo 400 ready to go is hard to find.

But I can just swap out the output shaft to make it work. Trans has to come apart but no Biggie for me.

Going backwards but I do not care.
I do not need overdrive for Towing.

I have put 15,000 miles on the 63 GP driving now in last 1-1/2 years.
Turbo 400 trans the entire time.

yes theres little doubt that a properly built th400 is a good deal more robust , and easily absorbs more abuse,
than the now more common 700r4/4l60e or the older th350,
I purchased a 4l80e which I will eventually either personally convert or pay someone,
with more experience to convert to full manual control.
for my intended bbc c4 swap.

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...ience-converting-a-4l80e-to-full-manual.5579/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/4l80e.11645/#post-54467

Lots of deals online Grumpy.
Need a Truck that can tow to get them.
Found 2 Turbo 400s I want.
1 Chevy.
1 Pontiac.

Waiting for that Tax Refund.
Wife gets most to put away.
But I am taking $600 for me.

my younger son is looking to purchase a , new or lightly used,
extended cab 2018-19,
two wheel drive truck
hes looking at these

Chevy Colorado,
Nissan frontier
Toyota Tacoma
dodge longhorn

if you have any comments plus or minus please post your thoughts

Up here in the north... I see dodges rust out the fastest. I have never owned a overseas brand but I have heard the Toyota was a good truck
If he can wait abit , the new 2020 Ford Bronco will be introduced. My boy had an opportunity
to test drive one earlier this year. (he works with Ford..... the little Traiter). He said it was a nice ride and they will have it priced around $30,000 . reminded him of a small f-150 truck for size.

Grumpy said:

my younger son is looking to purchase a , new or lightly used,
extended cab 2018-19,
two wheel drive truck
hes looking at these

Chevy Colorado,
Nissan frontier
Toyota Tacoma
dodge longhorn

if you have any comments plus or minus please post your thoughts

Click to expand...

Dodge Longhorn with a Cummins Diesel be nice.

I don't like the Colorado any.
Old S10-S15 Was better.

Nissan I hate.

Toyota Ok Grumpy.