another new Coloradoan!

[astrnaughtwanabe]

Hello guys, I am new to the forum, don't have a duramax yet but I am trying to change that and that is my main reason for joining the site. First, A bit about myself, I moved out here with my wife and daughter right after Christmas in 2010, we came from Las Vegas, NV, where I was born and raised. We have added a son to the mix which is also helping the push for a new truck. Putting two car seats, then kids into them in the extended cab of a 1995 GMC sierra without 3rd or 4th door really sucks
Now onto my question for you guys. I am looking at all LB7s because that is the only thing in the price range. Along with that low price tag comes quite high mileage, I am lucky to find crew cabs with 170,000-200,000 miles. I found a, in the pictures, really clean 02 GMC at happy motors in Lakewood. Haven't looked at it yet in person but it has 224,000 on it. Would you guys take the time(1hr15min drive, I live up in wellington) to go look at it? Or just pass it up and find something closer? Wait a year or so, save some cash and find one with 120-150ish on it? The kids will be out of college before I can afford one with less than 100,000 on it, so that's out of the question. Advice would be great? Thanks


Jeff

 

[Mile_high]

The lowest milage truck I own is at 219k. All of them require maintenance, no matter how many miles they have.

That is one man's view of the world...

 

[chevyburnout1]

Welcome fellow Coloradoan!

 

[NinjaMax]

Welcome! I'm at 240XXX miles and going strong, I'd have no problem at all picking up a 200k+ truck, but that's just my opinion:thumb:

 

[TheBac]

I would wait, save my money, and buy an LLY or LBZ later on. Granted, all versions of the Dmax have their little problems but people who have never owned a Dmax before need to go into buying an LB7 with their eyes open.

Make sure you budget an extra $3000 (or get the truck for quite a bit less than they are asking and bank the difference) for when you have to replace the LB7 injectors. If you are mechanically able to change them yourself, then you can budget $2000.

 

[astrnaughtwanabe]

Thanks guys, I have also found a 01crew cab long bed which I really want with 170,000, owner claims new head gaskets and injectors, of course I will ask for receipts, I also found a extended cab lly with 218,000 I may go for.
I have been researching the lb7 almost to point of divorce. I had a ford power struggle 6.0 and it lost an injector and blew white smoke like crazy. I drove it home, to work, then to the dealership. It doesn't seem like it is that way with the lb7, you drive it that far and you have a crankcase full of diesel and a toasted motor? If you could be out in the middle of nowhere, blow some smoke and lose some mpg's I wouldn't be as worried, granted this truck will see 6,000 miles a year. 30miles a day back and forth to work only, so it will prob never be in the middle of nowhere. If I ever tow it would be small half ton towable anyway.

Jeff

 

[02greysixer]

A clean truck is a clean truck. I put less stock in mileage than in the overall condition of the truck. If you find a 200-250k mile stock truck with lots of service records and it's very clean I wouldn't be scared of it

 

[Duramax52513]

I own a LB7 and injectors is deffinetly something you will have to replace around 200,000 mine have been going down hill for about a month now but it has never left me stranded knock on wood, it smokes like crazy sometimes but the lb7 injectors are the most expensive ones, other than that I've never had any problems with the truck and I love it. And I'm at 211,000 and when I bought my truck 2 years ago it had 176,000

 

[Mile_high]

I own a LB7 and injectors is deffinetly something you will have to replace around 200,000 mine have been going down hill for about a month now but it has never left me stranded knock on wood, it smokes like crazy sometimes but the lb7 injectors are the most expensive ones, other than that I've never had any problems with the truck and I love it. And I'm at 211,000 and when I bought my truck 2 years ago it had 176,000

Wrong.

Believing you will have to replace them at a certain milage is faulty logic. Some make it longer than others and you won't know how many miles are on your current set.

LB7 injectors are also the cheapest of all the generations at many retailers.

 

[chevyburnout1]

My buddy here in Colorado just purchased an '06 Sierra with 475k miles on it. And it looks like it just came off the showroom floor. Even the driver's seat had less rips than mine does at 220k. It really just depends on the seller and if you can get the truck inspected before purchase.