So i just bought a small lake boat and i am looking for truck to be able to tow it. My friend said his neighbor is selling a 06 chevy silverado 5.3L vortec v8 with 35,000 original miles. He says it is an older gentleman who owns the truck (in his 60s), i went by to look at it yesterday and the truck looks good on the outside, i didnt notice any rust or anything and the inside looks clean from what i can see from the window. So what brings me here is this would be my first truck and i wouldnt really know what to look for when i test drive it and also should i be concerned with the age of truck?

 

You should be concerned about the age of the truck, the engine capabilities too. Find out what’s working and what’s not. I will advice you to have an engineer tag alone to he or she can provide professional insight to the matter.

 

I would not be at all concerned with the age of the truck. It is new enough to have airbags and ABS braking for safety. One of the bigger cons is that newer is better and with trucks this ain't necessarily so. The only aspect that has improved is the safety features, 8 and 9 speed transmissions, and digital entertainment systems. A new 1/2 ton pickup sells for $30k to $50k and that is a lot to spend to get the better sound system.

With 35k miles the suspension should be in good shape as should the steering linkage. Check Kelly Blue Book to get a ballpark idea as to the street value of the truck.

After you buy it I would change out the motor oil and put on a new air filter and that is about it. You should be able to download the owner manual for the truck and learn about the recommended maintenance schedule.