88 chevy 4 wheel drive fix it or junk it?
 

I just bought a 88 chevy at a estate auction. They couldnt find the title a Bonded title would cost $250. The truck is 100% rust free and not too badly dented. The engine has the heads and intake taken off. All the parts are there and those parts are rusty. its a 1/2 ton automatic truck doesnt have the towing package with the aux . oil & trans cooler. Will need a engine and tires. I had a engine last week. I had a 94 extended cab with a good engine. Rough old truck. However my sons pickup burned and I gave him the 94.

Re: 88 chevy 4 wheel drive fix it or junk it?
 

I'd keep an eye out for a good engine to slap in it. There's a guy in Bald Knob who parts out the 88-98 trucks all the time.

Re: 88 chevy 4 wheel drive fix it or junk it?
 

I have a 4.3 V6 throttle body that I could put in it. I bet as long as its been setting the fuel pump is shot and the tank needs a good cleaning. I was told that it overheated and they got different heads and had them redone and it just never got put back together. The 5.7engine in it is so rusty it would need a rebuild before it could be ran.

Re: 88 chevy 4 wheel drive fix it or junk it?
 

Ok I went this afternoon and took a garden hose and washed the mud from the undercarriage. inflated the front tires and washed the rat turds and nest off the engine and engine bay. blew the block dry with compressed air draine the oil & water from the pan. sprayed the engine with WD40. its a former rebuilt block. the pistons are .040 oversize. The son told me there was less than 2000 miles on the engine?

Re: 88 chevy 4 wheel drive fix it or junk it?
 

Well, what's the front end like?

Most of them need everything: ball joints, tie rod ends, pitman, idler, and CV axles.

I bought my 89 for $800 and it ran good (still does) but needed a bunch of stuff. Still even running the same tires but they are pretty old and cracked.

Re: 88 chevy 4 wheel drive fix it or junk it?
 

All the front end components are in good cond. Probably worth fixing. However I have plenty of trucks. And I hate to spend $250 on a bonded title when I only paid $190 for the truck LOL. I think if they find the title I will fix it and use it some. Something I was told the guy said sometimes the trans wouldn't shift and you had to raise up and set down in the seat and it would then shift because of some component wired in the drivers seat?

Re: 88 chevy 4 wheel drive fix it or junk it?
 

Fix it!

Re: 88 chevy 4 wheel drive fix it or junk it?
 

The executor of the estate should be able to request a duplicate of a lost title and sign it over to you.
He has the legal right and duty to do this. It's part of the job.

Re: 88 chevy 4 wheel drive fix it or junk it?
 

No matter what, you could sell it for more than scrap money due to being a rust free body. In many parts of the country finding these trucks w/o rust is a tough thing to find. They run for hundreds of thousands of miles, last longer than the body. Interest in these as simpler older great looking trucks is ever increasing and the clean trucks ain't so cheap anymore. Most are old enough to run historic tags on them now too. Heck, here in Maryland they dropped from 25 to back only 20 years

Re: 88 chevy 4 wheel drive fix it or junk it?
 

Here in Arkansas they raised it from 25 to 45 years. Greedy SOB's in govt.

Did it last year too, right before Dad could have gotten antique tags on his 95.

Re: 88 chevy 4 wheel drive fix it or junk it?
 

That is overbearing gov't right there. I was truly amazed when All about regulating the public Maryland rolled it back in a time when it is not uncommon the see 20 year old vehicles still in daily use. I ran the '92 I bought new for 22 years, working it every mile. I smell a rat. I figure they did it to encourage more improper use on daily drivers for those wanting to get around the one time, when first titling & registering, thorough safety inspection for their beater rust bucket, 4-tone, red tape tail lamp, Visqueen side glass Sentra so they can nail them. It sounds wacky, but not long after they went to 20 years, and you did start seeing the tail dragging Sentras with trunk lid strapped down over a load of tools with ladder on top displaying historic plates, now a crack down on the same laws for use that were rarely enforced all the years I've been driving are being enforced quite strictly.

On the other hand, they began a permanent plate/registration program for vehicles 50 years and older. I have no idea, really, why they kicked it back to 20, but I see it going the other way at some point. The law can't issue safety equipment violations to a vehicle that wasn't required to be inspected in the first place

Re: 88 chevy 4 wheel drive fix it or junk it?
 

Here's an example I want to relate to this original post. I found a rustfree '94 C3500 regular cab single rear truck that had a front end accident. No left fender, hood grille/support, engine, or trans for $600. Interior is nice being this truck had very low miles. I would only consider buying it if I had a donor with engine & trans complete with all missing related underhood components, or at least all the components/harness. This truck in this thread only needs another engine with all that other stuff still there. No different than an old pre-electronic/computer controlled vehicle. EZ PZ

Re: 88 chevy 4 wheel drive fix it or junk it?
 

Its just a way to get funds for the state. I do not know about every state, but most I have run across if you get an antique or classic tag, you also have restrictions on it (most it can't be a DD). Down here it is 25 years and no restrictions. Of course our tags are expensive here for newer stuff as many of you taxes come from the tag. I am told it was set up that way since so many folks don't own land (or didn't) thus they couldn't collect taxes. Far as the truck, as many said they are super popular. Folks down here will replace the engine multiple times to keep the things running. I am not sure I would trust the engine shown in your pictures. Way to much rust on the cylinder walls.

Re: 88 chevy 4 wheel drive fix it or junk it?
 

Here in Arkansas They now if you let the insurance lapse send you a letter telling you to bring the tag to the revenue office. If you don't comply they send the state police to get the plate. If you decide to start driving it again you have to pay a extra $100 fee or fine whatever you want to call it. I haven't did anything to the 88 yet. I bought a kinda rough 2002 yesterday. runs good 4 wheel drive and air cond works. I actually drove it home. It ran like crap on the old stale gas, I added 5 gallons of fresh gas and a can of ChemTool and that fixed it. only paid $500 I might part it out and swap the engine in to the 88? I likely will do whatever comes first. Im truck poor anyway. I have a real nice 2006 Silverado 3/4 ton 4 wheel drive extended cab. 6.0 engine Allison trans . 14000 tow package. Its become my daily driver handles a trailer really well.

Re: 88 chevy 4 wheel drive fix it or junk it?
 

Yes it would need a rebore to be viable. Im kinda a hoarder have way too many projects. However I do sell stuff. In 1998 I went a entire year without buying one vehicle and sold 10 and lots of parts. My inventory is constantly changing it never gets smaller .At present Im actively Parting out 16 73 thru 86 square cab trucks. Mostly advertise on facebook Marketplace.

Re: 88 chevy 4 wheel drive fix it or junk it?
 

What's your handle on bookface? If I ever have time to dig back into the 83 I know I need a couple of small odds and ends.

Re: 88 chevy 4 wheel drive fix it or junk it?
 

Man I haven't ever heard of that happening. With all the folks driving around here without insurance they must not do it in the Delta!

Re: 88 chevy 4 wheel drive fix it or junk it?
 

New law just went in effect July 1st.

Re: 88 chevy 4 wheel drive fix it or junk it?
 

I'll believe it when I see it around here. I'll bet 50% of the people driving in Helena every day don't have insurance.

Re: 88 chevy 4 wheel drive fix it or junk it?
 

New York State was already doing that in the 1970's.
I still remember my grandfather talking at length a NYS trooper that came to collect the plates on his car. He'd recently changed auto insurance companies because the coverage was noticeably better for about the same money.
There was no lapse in coverage and gramps had the full policy paperwork from opening the new policy stamped and notarized along with the paperwork from closing the old policy. The trooper looked it all over and just shook his head in disgust. I'm sure he was not pleased with having his time wasted.
Turns out his prior insurance agent was pissed about loosing an auto, farm, and homeowners insurance customer so he cut off his nose to spite his face... calling the troopers made sure he would never get any more business from my grandfather or my uncles or mom. They all moved to other insurance agencies. My dads' folks and several friends of both grandparents dropped him too. Word gets around when you're a jackwagon.

Re: 88 chevy 4 wheel drive fix it or junk it?
 

I've got permanent plates on my namesake pickup and I haven't insured it in years because it burns oil so bad I don't drive it.

Actually everything has permanent plates except the 2016.

Re: 88 chevy 4 wheel drive fix it or junk it?
 

something I have done in the past. I get the seller to sign a bill of sale and leave the title open. I fill out the bill of sale but don't date it. We have ten days to transfer title & tags. I buy insurance and drive the vehicle. If I get stopped I quickly date the bill of sale. Saves me the hasell of assessment and buying tags. I hate to wait for hours at the dept of revenue. I mostly do that on something that is for sale and im driving it to get the bugs out and road testing it. Its ben too hot for this old man to do any wrenching .

Re: 88 chevy 4 wheel drive fix it or junk it?
 

Its a new law. How stringently its enforced will remain to be seen? I can insure about anything for $50 for 6 months of liability.

Re: 88 chevy 4 wheel drive fix it or junk it?
 

Ok the tags on my 82 chevy expired the 5-30 -21. a month or so later my wife transferred the insurance from it to a little 83 dodge 4 cyl. I got a letter from the state informing me if I go to register that truck I will have to pay a $100 penalty plus $3 for every 10 days that it hasnt been licensed and insured. We have 4 vehicles licensed and insured for two drivers. I spent more on tags and insurance for that 82 than I spent on gas the last year it was licensed.

Re: 88 chevy 4 wheel drive fix it or junk it?
 

Very similar here in NC too