how much would you pay for vehicle with bad head gasket?

Status
Not open for further replies.
IMO, it would be a waste of time and money to try a head resurface/ head gasket change on an engine with that mileage that has been overheated badly. Besides cracks, there is the possibilty of piston scuffing and ring annealing. You might end up with an oil burner.
 
Originally Posted by maxdustington
I You should bring a coolant tester with you to check if there is exhaust in the coolant.


To what end?

You think they are lying about the head gasket and its really fine?

Hoping to negotiate the price upwards?

Don't get that bit. Rest seems to make sense, but if you're going to gamble on this it seems like it should be for low low stakes.

Maybe twice scrap value tops?
 
Originally Posted by dogememe
Originally Posted by dishdude
263k miles and a picture from across the street? It's scrap.


i'm having a [censored] of a time finding a clean condition vehicle for under $2k that isn't beat to heck inside and out. i understand that if i replace the head gasket probably in 6 months the tranny will go out given the way i drive and i've already killed four 4l60e transmissions.


GHT? Is that you?
You've moved on from AWD Volvo's to Chevy now?
 
Originally Posted by Lolvoguy
Originally Posted by dogememe
Originally Posted by dishdude
263k miles and a picture from across the street? It's scrap.


i'm having a [censored] of a time finding a clean condition vehicle for under $2k that isn't beat to heck inside and out. i understand that if i replace the head gasket probably in 6 months the tranny will go out given the way i drive and i've already killed four 4l60e transmissions.


GHT? Is that you?
You've moved on from AWD Volvo's to Chevy now?


Why would I get a Volvo? Everyone here knows I hate European cars LOL
 
No way Jose. Blown head gasket probably means the engine overheated and blew up. Not worth your time.

I know it's boring but just save up the money and pay off that Escape so you can sell it too and just have 1 cool car you like.

Also, how do you park a Suburban in San Francisco? I drove through there 5 years ago and couldn't stop, there was NOWHERE to park at all.
 
Originally Posted by Nick1994
No way Jose. Blown head gasket probably means the engine overheated and blew up. Not worth your time.

I know it's boring but just save up the money and pay off that Escape so you can sell it too and just have 1 cool car you like.

Also, how do you park a Suburban in San Francisco? I drove through there 5 years ago and couldn't stop, there was NOWHERE to park at all.


Nick always brings common sense to these threads.

Forget about these humongous old bombs, drive the boring, slow Escape and enjoy living in the Bay Area. Go out and socialize, date. In a few years when you have some extra cash you can pick up a project car.
 
Originally Posted by dishdude
Originally Posted by Nick1994
No way Jose. Blown head gasket probably means the engine overheated and blew up. Not worth your time.

I know it's boring but just save up the money and pay off that Escape so you can sell it too and just have 1 cool car you like.

Also, how do you park a Suburban in San Francisco? I drove through there 5 years ago and couldn't stop, there was NOWHERE to park at all.


Nick always brings common sense to these threads.

Forget about these humongous old bombs, drive the boring, slow Escape and enjoy living in the Bay Area. Go out and socialize, date. In a few years when you have some extra cash you can pick up a project car.

grin2.gif
I'm just too practical! I daily drive a Hyundai and have an old Toyota Camry that hasn't had any work in almost 2 years. Literally have pumped up the tires 3 times and changed the oil on it this summer, my brother drives it.

I'm too vanilla!
 
Originally Posted by Nick1994
Originally Posted by dishdude
Originally Posted by Nick1994
No way Jose. Blown head gasket probably means the engine overheated and blew up. Not worth your time.

I know it's boring but just save up the money and pay off that Escape so you can sell it too and just have 1 cool car you like.

Also, how do you park a Suburban in San Francisco? I drove through there 5 years ago and couldn't stop, there was NOWHERE to park at all.


Nick always brings common sense to these threads.

Forget about these humongous old bombs, drive the boring, slow Escape and enjoy living in the Bay Area. Go out and socialize, date. In a few years when you have some extra cash you can pick up a project car.

grin2.gif
I'm just too practical! I daily drive a Hyundai and have an old Toyota Camry that hasn't had any work in almost 2 years. Literally have pumped up the tires 3 times and changed the oil on it this summer, my brother drives it.

I'm too vanilla!


I'm waiting for you to let me buy that Camry! We've been short tripping the heck out of the poor Challenger and somehow managed to avoid any parking lot dings from the gym and supermarket. I floated the idea of a beater and all of a sudden we were looking at brand new GTIs
crazy2.gif
 
You keep destroying similar vehicles and you want to pony up for another with issues.

Walk away save your money for a new transmission and engine or save and buy a vehicle for less issues and a better drive train.
 
They can be decent rides-my (sold) '94 C1500 Sub was one-but I wouldn't touch one with a bad HG & that many miles. Mine had the extra clutches in the 4L60E because the PO had blown it up pulling a boat, otherwise I would have held out for a 2500. They all suck down the gas, even a 454 wouldn't have been that much worse-but I wasn't driving it every day, either!
 
Originally Posted by bullwinkle
They can be decent rides-my (sold) '94 C1500 Sub was one-but I wouldn't touch one with a bad HG & that many miles. Mine had the extra clutches in the 4L60E because the PO had blown it up pulling a boat, otherwise I would have held out for a 2500. They all suck down the gas, even a 454 wouldn't have been that much worse-but I wasn't driving it every day, either!


Right, I love Suburbans I've owned a lot. For anyone that's interested here is my history with the 4L60E.

96 Yukon ~115K - floored it leaving work and the rear end went out and took the transmission with it, though the transmission was already having shifting issues before that (admittedly at the time I knew nothing about cars and the tranny fluid had probably never been changed since new, who knows). I drove it around in 1st and 2nd for a month or so since only 3 and 4 were gone.

1999 Suburban ~130K - absolutely beat the crap out of the truck every time i drove it. It had new tires on it when I bought it and by the time I sold it the rear tires had, uh, significantly less tread on the rear tires. Hey, it could drift in the rain while doing UberEats, that was a great truck. Oh and I might have put it in reverse at about 30mph once. It started to flare between shifts so I had the tranny fluid changed, added some K&W tranny fix stuff, and sold it.

1997 Suburban ~210K - this one bothers me the most. i never mistreated that truck once because i wanted the transmission to last. then again it was on the original tranny so perhaps i shouldn't blame myself that it started to have trouble. i sold it to my friend for $500 and he's been driving it since with no trouble - thousands of miles - so maybe it is my driving lol. i did a super ghetto install of another trans cooler (yes, in addition to the one in the radiator and factory tow package one) because the problem only happened when it started to heat up and added some super thick Bars Transmission Repair goo.

and i'm forgetting one but it's too early right now. so am i stupid for wanting another? idk. i do believe i have improved my driving habits besides the occasional hard acceleration if i'm angry so i think i can make a 4L60E last. i don't do major towing or offroading with 263k obviously its a crapshoot but there is no way an abused truck would make it that far. and i can always have the transmission replaced with a fresh rebuild and be good for at least another 100k miles.

and yes i know fuel economy sucks in any full size suv but i have the Escape if i need to drive far. for my 5 miles drive to work in traffic the Escape and Suburban would not make much of a difference.
 
Last edited:
Not a chance for $1,300. I gave $1,200 for my Cadillac with 130k LESS miles on it and it runs perfect. That's a $500 truck tops, and I only say that because it's in Cali and it's clean.

Used 5.3's are cheap, and you could just as easily drop in a 6.0 (which I would). If it's 2 wheel drive, it's a super easy engine swap. You could do it in a day or two in the driveway.
 
Originally Posted by 14Accent
Not a chance for $1,300. I gave $1,200 for my Cadillac with 130k LESS miles on it and it runs perfect. That's a $500 truck tops, and I only say that because it's in Cali and it's clean.

Used 5.3's are cheap, and you could just as easily drop in a 6.0 (which I would). If it's 2 wheel drive, it's a super easy engine swap. You could do it in a day or two in the driveway.


Unfortunately it's 4x4, I don't need that feature but oh well lol. How much more difficult does that.make it?
 
My general take is, if the car was decent, the owners would fix the HG and sell for a higher price. If there is one thing....there are probably more hidden.
 
Originally Posted by turtlevette
How much coolant does it consume. You could run water so there's no smoke and probably limp it around for years.



It has to pass the enhanced emissions test. Won't pass with a bad hg.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

J
can a certain HID kit pull too much current for a certain vehicle?
Replies
11
Views
2K
Skippy722
Back
Top