My Blazer ownership review
sickcallawayc12
07-28-2008, 12:02 AM
I decided to make this post cuz I just paid it off and have the title in hand (no, i'm not selling it, even with gas as it is:biggrin: ). Here is my post when i first got my Blazer.
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=582642
A solid two years ago and then some. Had 135,200 miles at the time. It has the overhead console instead of the sunroof and a touring suspension, but has all the other options. It had the original receipt along with the manual in the glovebox. Its been in Colorado all its life (evident by the current rust), driven by a woman. The only problem it had was the A/C blew only hot air and it has the electric climate control so its pretty much constant one way or the other. They took it to a Grease Monkey to get it recharged (yeah, as if they are ASE certified mechanics who works on A/C systems) and no dice. I thought I'd make a review of what i've put this truck through the past two years of ownership and overall satisfaction.
Wow. This truck has exceeded my expectations. I bought the truck cuz it was second on my list to a Subaru Outback and I couldn't find one (more a lack of patience). Cargo space, available luxury items, 4wd capability, and a reliable ride to drive across the country if needed were my four main concerns when shopping. I was quite nervous when getting this thing mainly because of all the money pit talk, but it has always run strong and has done everything I needed it to do up to the 169000 mile mark its at now. Its terrific in the snow and always has enough grunt to get through the heavy stuff. I've only gotten stuck once and it was in a ditch on the side of the road that no normal SUV would get out of. A great truck.
WHAT HAS GONE WRONG WITH THE TRUCK:
Tires: The first thing I did, like most used cars I buy, was got new tires. The old ones still had life left, but were all seasons, and that just won't cut it in Colorado. Got a set of Dunlop Radial Rover RVTs that following November and they are still there to this day. The back has a little more tread left than the front, but i'm still gonna get another set late in the fall (all 4 are still good for the street and rain). Cost around 450 bucks. Also got front and rear rubber floor mats that time.
Radio: The stock CD/Cassette had LOC when I got it, but I never use the stock system in my vehicles and my Panasonic deck (250 bucks) was in the next day. Then got an Alpine Type R (200 bucks total on box, sub, and wiring). I eventually got a Pioneer DVD monitor (500 bucks) to replace that Panasonic and is currently the HU source. Its hooked to one of the brake wires and only cuts DVD playback when I hit the brake pedal (will play DVDs while driving OR in park).
Bug shield: I kept using it as support when I opened the hood and broke after two weeks. Didn't matter. I gave it to a friend who had a 93 2 door Blazer for free.
Front suspension work: This was done after about 8 months or so of purchase. Just about everything needed to be replaced including ball joints and bearings. It was the first "major" work I did on the truck (I had done oil & tranny fluid change, chassis lubrication, and all other typical stuff before) and costs around 2500 bucks. Plugs, cap, and wires were done at the time also. Haven't done it since, but probably will have to sometime this winter. We'll see.
Battery: The stock AC Delco was still in there and I took that out after about 10 months after purchase. I was blastin' the subs with the truck off and it only lasted for 30 minutes or so, which I thought was lame. Got the most powerful battery Wal-Mart had and is still there. About 80 bucks.
Crank Position Sensor: This failed not too long after the suspension work was done, cost about 400 bucks or so.
Intake Manifold Gasket: This failed the following early winter, 2007. What really sucked about it was that I was coming from an Avalanche game and was 100 miles from home. I felt at the time it was cheaper to drive it back rather than tow. Once it was fixed, the engine had already eaten a lot of coolant and had a hesitation/miss going at high speed around 65 mph. I parked it after a couple days and sat the rest of the winter. About a 700 buck job.
Engine/radiator: I let it sit because I decided to save money to get a new engine instead of letting it die cuz I can't stand the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" philosophy. It sat in my driveway until April of this year and I paid some Mexican 100 bucks to get rid of 3+ months of snow piled on top of it. I got a remanufactured longblock (which appeared to have came from a 97 Jimmy) along with a new radiator cuz I was told its a good idea to replace it when replacing the engine. Once the old block was ripped apart, the truck needed new motor mounts, hoses, and various sending units and such showing their age. All in all, I spent about 4600 bucks in total parts and labor. This was done at the 163300 mark. I did my break in period for 600 miles and then I went to my excessive speeding ways again and it felt like a new truck.
Tranny line: A pinsize hole was made by one of the screws in the engine bay and was leaking coolant. I followed advice by Rick Norwood on putting a tube there like when you're adding a tranny cooler and problem solved (thanks Rick).
Exhaust manifold: This was a recent fix, about 3 weeks ago. Typical exhaust leak symptoms. I could've left it alone till the winter, but couldn't stand all that goddamn ticking so I had that swapped out. About 600 total including the alternator swap listed next.
Alternator: It was replaced at the same time the manifold work was done. Nothing was wrong with it. I only replaced it cuz I was going on a 2000 mile round trip drive to Mississippi the next week and it was the same alternator when I got the truck two years ago and didn't want to risk it failing on me during the drive. A bit of irony here, as you'll see next:headshake .
Fuel pump and fuel filter: Went bad about a week ago. This really chapped my ass. I'm still in a bad mood because of it. I understand that it was old and it was a good 102 degrees outside. The thing is it failed when I was in Kansas heading back and it was the first time my Blazer had left me stranded. What bullshit. A 24 year old black kid wearing baggy jeans and an Allen Iverson jersey walking on the highway in the middle of "hick"ville. Especially because I had done the same drive two years ago and I had driven through multiple states a few time after that without anything failing. Anyway, called AAA, spent 7 hours off the road total, and 754 bucks later my truck is fixed and i'm heading home again.
Front door is bent in where the "Blazer" logo is: I noticed this the other day. Don't know how it got that way. I assume I pissed someone off and they kicked my door. It won't close all the way if i do it gently, but will with a little half-assed muscle. No big deal to me.
CURRENT STATE OF THE TRUCK: Overall its good considering its 10 years old. The front interior is dirty (mix of black and tan) and the front leather seats are a little faded and mine is kinda torn in some spots. The back looks like new cuz no one ever sits back there and the seats are down most of the time. Kinda rusty chassis. Paintwise its good in most places. The driver door on the inside (around that A pillar) could use a touch up job and a touch up job here and there overall. The worst is probably the hood. I still try to keep the truck relatively clean on the outside anyway cuz it still looks good when I do. The A/C STILL blows hot air. I never felt the need to get it looked at cuz I live a mile and a half above everyone else and this mountain air balances it out:smokin: . I was gonna get it looked at once I got back from my trip (the DVD player overheats on long drives with hot days), but after that damn fuel pump, I'll probably have to put it off for a while longer. Truck runs great. Gets about 17 miles to the gallon with a mix of fuel efficient highway driving and aggressive speeding city driving.
FUTURE PLANS: I'm not selling it. Screw that. Why would I want to? Forget fuel prices. I've put a good 8 grand in parts, labor, and upgrades and i'm gonna sell it to some 17 year old local idiot for probably 2 grand just to make payments on some Subaru for another 2 years that's 3 years newer than this truck? No way. I think i'll just get some 22 year old 4 banger bucket in a couple months and let my Blazer sit on the lawn unless I need it. My experience with it has proven to me that it is more than a dependable truck for whatever, especially if it won't be a daily driver. Just about everything that has gone wrong really was only because of age. I'm actually thinking about making it a "Bronco Truck" since its a perfect blue to the Denver Broncos. Maybe have a custom paint job with Elway, Cutler, and Plummer on the hood. How sweet would that be?:iceslolan
And that's my review. I'll try to post current pics of the back as I have the Broncos magnet back there. You won't believe how well it blends in. Here are links to other pics when it was dirty. They are kinda old, but the truck still looks the same: STOCK.
http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff188/sickcallawayc12/blazerinbroncoscountry2.jpg
http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff188/sickcallawayc12/blazerinbroncoscountry.jpg
http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff188/sickcallawayc12/IMG014.jpg
http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff188/sickcallawayc12/IMG015.jpg
http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff188/sickcallawayc12/IMG001.jpg
http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff188/sickcallawayc12/signature.jpg
http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff188/sickcallawayc12/signature22.jpg
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=582642
A solid two years ago and then some. Had 135,200 miles at the time. It has the overhead console instead of the sunroof and a touring suspension, but has all the other options. It had the original receipt along with the manual in the glovebox. Its been in Colorado all its life (evident by the current rust), driven by a woman. The only problem it had was the A/C blew only hot air and it has the electric climate control so its pretty much constant one way or the other. They took it to a Grease Monkey to get it recharged (yeah, as if they are ASE certified mechanics who works on A/C systems) and no dice. I thought I'd make a review of what i've put this truck through the past two years of ownership and overall satisfaction.
Wow. This truck has exceeded my expectations. I bought the truck cuz it was second on my list to a Subaru Outback and I couldn't find one (more a lack of patience). Cargo space, available luxury items, 4wd capability, and a reliable ride to drive across the country if needed were my four main concerns when shopping. I was quite nervous when getting this thing mainly because of all the money pit talk, but it has always run strong and has done everything I needed it to do up to the 169000 mile mark its at now. Its terrific in the snow and always has enough grunt to get through the heavy stuff. I've only gotten stuck once and it was in a ditch on the side of the road that no normal SUV would get out of. A great truck.
WHAT HAS GONE WRONG WITH THE TRUCK:
Tires: The first thing I did, like most used cars I buy, was got new tires. The old ones still had life left, but were all seasons, and that just won't cut it in Colorado. Got a set of Dunlop Radial Rover RVTs that following November and they are still there to this day. The back has a little more tread left than the front, but i'm still gonna get another set late in the fall (all 4 are still good for the street and rain). Cost around 450 bucks. Also got front and rear rubber floor mats that time.
Radio: The stock CD/Cassette had LOC when I got it, but I never use the stock system in my vehicles and my Panasonic deck (250 bucks) was in the next day. Then got an Alpine Type R (200 bucks total on box, sub, and wiring). I eventually got a Pioneer DVD monitor (500 bucks) to replace that Panasonic and is currently the HU source. Its hooked to one of the brake wires and only cuts DVD playback when I hit the brake pedal (will play DVDs while driving OR in park).
Bug shield: I kept using it as support when I opened the hood and broke after two weeks. Didn't matter. I gave it to a friend who had a 93 2 door Blazer for free.
Front suspension work: This was done after about 8 months or so of purchase. Just about everything needed to be replaced including ball joints and bearings. It was the first "major" work I did on the truck (I had done oil & tranny fluid change, chassis lubrication, and all other typical stuff before) and costs around 2500 bucks. Plugs, cap, and wires were done at the time also. Haven't done it since, but probably will have to sometime this winter. We'll see.
Battery: The stock AC Delco was still in there and I took that out after about 10 months after purchase. I was blastin' the subs with the truck off and it only lasted for 30 minutes or so, which I thought was lame. Got the most powerful battery Wal-Mart had and is still there. About 80 bucks.
Crank Position Sensor: This failed not too long after the suspension work was done, cost about 400 bucks or so.
Intake Manifold Gasket: This failed the following early winter, 2007. What really sucked about it was that I was coming from an Avalanche game and was 100 miles from home. I felt at the time it was cheaper to drive it back rather than tow. Once it was fixed, the engine had already eaten a lot of coolant and had a hesitation/miss going at high speed around 65 mph. I parked it after a couple days and sat the rest of the winter. About a 700 buck job.
Engine/radiator: I let it sit because I decided to save money to get a new engine instead of letting it die cuz I can't stand the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" philosophy. It sat in my driveway until April of this year and I paid some Mexican 100 bucks to get rid of 3+ months of snow piled on top of it. I got a remanufactured longblock (which appeared to have came from a 97 Jimmy) along with a new radiator cuz I was told its a good idea to replace it when replacing the engine. Once the old block was ripped apart, the truck needed new motor mounts, hoses, and various sending units and such showing their age. All in all, I spent about 4600 bucks in total parts and labor. This was done at the 163300 mark. I did my break in period for 600 miles and then I went to my excessive speeding ways again and it felt like a new truck.
Tranny line: A pinsize hole was made by one of the screws in the engine bay and was leaking coolant. I followed advice by Rick Norwood on putting a tube there like when you're adding a tranny cooler and problem solved (thanks Rick).
Exhaust manifold: This was a recent fix, about 3 weeks ago. Typical exhaust leak symptoms. I could've left it alone till the winter, but couldn't stand all that goddamn ticking so I had that swapped out. About 600 total including the alternator swap listed next.
Alternator: It was replaced at the same time the manifold work was done. Nothing was wrong with it. I only replaced it cuz I was going on a 2000 mile round trip drive to Mississippi the next week and it was the same alternator when I got the truck two years ago and didn't want to risk it failing on me during the drive. A bit of irony here, as you'll see next:headshake .
Fuel pump and fuel filter: Went bad about a week ago. This really chapped my ass. I'm still in a bad mood because of it. I understand that it was old and it was a good 102 degrees outside. The thing is it failed when I was in Kansas heading back and it was the first time my Blazer had left me stranded. What bullshit. A 24 year old black kid wearing baggy jeans and an Allen Iverson jersey walking on the highway in the middle of "hick"ville. Especially because I had done the same drive two years ago and I had driven through multiple states a few time after that without anything failing. Anyway, called AAA, spent 7 hours off the road total, and 754 bucks later my truck is fixed and i'm heading home again.
Front door is bent in where the "Blazer" logo is: I noticed this the other day. Don't know how it got that way. I assume I pissed someone off and they kicked my door. It won't close all the way if i do it gently, but will with a little half-assed muscle. No big deal to me.
CURRENT STATE OF THE TRUCK: Overall its good considering its 10 years old. The front interior is dirty (mix of black and tan) and the front leather seats are a little faded and mine is kinda torn in some spots. The back looks like new cuz no one ever sits back there and the seats are down most of the time. Kinda rusty chassis. Paintwise its good in most places. The driver door on the inside (around that A pillar) could use a touch up job and a touch up job here and there overall. The worst is probably the hood. I still try to keep the truck relatively clean on the outside anyway cuz it still looks good when I do. The A/C STILL blows hot air. I never felt the need to get it looked at cuz I live a mile and a half above everyone else and this mountain air balances it out:smokin: . I was gonna get it looked at once I got back from my trip (the DVD player overheats on long drives with hot days), but after that damn fuel pump, I'll probably have to put it off for a while longer. Truck runs great. Gets about 17 miles to the gallon with a mix of fuel efficient highway driving and aggressive speeding city driving.
FUTURE PLANS: I'm not selling it. Screw that. Why would I want to? Forget fuel prices. I've put a good 8 grand in parts, labor, and upgrades and i'm gonna sell it to some 17 year old local idiot for probably 2 grand just to make payments on some Subaru for another 2 years that's 3 years newer than this truck? No way. I think i'll just get some 22 year old 4 banger bucket in a couple months and let my Blazer sit on the lawn unless I need it. My experience with it has proven to me that it is more than a dependable truck for whatever, especially if it won't be a daily driver. Just about everything that has gone wrong really was only because of age. I'm actually thinking about making it a "Bronco Truck" since its a perfect blue to the Denver Broncos. Maybe have a custom paint job with Elway, Cutler, and Plummer on the hood. How sweet would that be?:iceslolan
And that's my review. I'll try to post current pics of the back as I have the Broncos magnet back there. You won't believe how well it blends in. Here are links to other pics when it was dirty. They are kinda old, but the truck still looks the same: STOCK.
http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff188/sickcallawayc12/blazerinbroncoscountry2.jpg
http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff188/sickcallawayc12/blazerinbroncoscountry.jpg
http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff188/sickcallawayc12/IMG014.jpg
http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff188/sickcallawayc12/IMG015.jpg
http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff188/sickcallawayc12/IMG001.jpg
http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff188/sickcallawayc12/signature.jpg
http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff188/sickcallawayc12/signature22.jpg
ZL1power69
07-29-2008, 05:31 PM
Thats an impressive list, but some of that just comes by owning one of these trucks. After all that you might as well keep it since the resale value on it is only a couple grand. I'm not too conserned about gas prices either......as long as they don't hit the $5.00 mark :uhoh: .
sickcallawayc12
08-06-2008, 05:19 PM
True. The gasket just failed at the WORST possible time and i'll probably replace it every 20k or so from now on because of that, regardless of its condition. I was expecting the suspension to go bad soon mainly cuz it was from a used car lot (Come to think of it, I actually think the bearings were kinda bad already when I bought it) and I had researched it some beforehand. I'm just glad the new engine is out of the way. I got a good mechanic who knows these trucks and doesn't charge a whole lot for labor compared to most so replacing suspension parts really isn't that bad to me moneywise, just a pain when I did it the first time. Tranny is still in good condition and I don't expect that to be that costly of a fix once it does go bad either.
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