How good are the late 90s Chevy Blazer 4.3 V6 now as daily drivers?
I've been looking around for an SUV I like, and there isn't much out there that takes my fancy, except that model of Chevy Blazer, no idea why. I guess I like American SUVs, dislike the Jeep hype, and don't trust the Ford Explorer (too many rollover deaths in those years). So there, that leaves a ten to 15 year old Blazer. But are those any good now? I can pick them up around Europe around 2.000 to 3.000 Euros in really good shape. Any owners who'd like to share their experience?
Generally they are money pits as the miles pile on, like most other SUVs of this era. Eats ball joints like a good steak. Squeaks & rattles. Cheap plastic, typical GM. Has the worst of the two GM intake manifold gasket problems, as the coolant leaks in the engine. Gas mileage is typical truck numbers.
All that said? Probably one of the best vehicles I've ever owned. I always enjoyed mine despite its problems and my empty wallet. Built like a truck on a truck platform with enough cargo space to swallow anything. Off road Boyfriend Goodrich radials with 4wd made treacherous driving a non issue. 4.3 vortec has good torque and can be improved via aftermarket. Truck has multiple platforms from other GM vehicles so plenty of parts out there to swap around. LT models are well equipped for its time with heated leather auto dim mirror power everything sunroof etc.
If you want to deal with the extra maintenance costs of an older SUV, go for it.
I have two. The reason they squeak is that it has a separate chassis and body. You can eliminate the squeaks with rubber lube. I have over 180,000 miles on both. No ball joint failures. One is a 93 and the other is a 95. The 93 is 4WD while the 95 is RWD. The 4WD gets about 16 MPG while the 95 gets 18. On a highway trip, both improve by about 3 MPG. The only engines with intake manifold problems are the ones with composite (plastic) intake manifolds. You can tell simply by touching it. I won't go into the reasons that GM opted for intakes made of composite, but it does make for better fuel efficiency and HP.
They roll over just as well as the Ford.
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