Hello everyone,
I am looking around at used trucks and went to see a 2003 Silverado this morning at a Chevy dealer. Not a bad looking truck, 137K 4.8 V8 and body in pretty good shape. What got my attention was underneath though. Someone has recently sprayed what looks like black undercoating on parts of the frame and various other parts.

The trailer hitch and everything around it was also sprayed with glossy black paint.

Can anyone please explain why this was done in the first place? Just for appearance or to cover up some problem? I posted some photos in an album called ‘Used Silverado’.

I’m not sure what to think after looking at it, but would appreciate what others think about it. Priced at $6595.

I'm on my own here so TIA for the help.
Steve

 

Well first being a truck from Minnesota...rust comes to mind...but if they were trying to cover it up they didnt do a good job at all...infact a very haphazard job....from the pics it looks like it is all on the passengers side.....Im wondering if this is maybe tar spray from road work or something like that. I would poke and prod on the frame alitte and see if it has rust that they were trying to cover.....you can see pitting in the steel on some of the frame pics but agian this is Minnesota we are talking about and that is common.....those are my thoughts it looks clean for a truck from MN though....its hard to say weather its a problem or not

 

Looking at how some of the spray was blocked, I would say the dealer was spraying what would be visible to the typical person that would just kneel down and look under the truck. A quick coat of black to disguise some of the surface rust.

 

You can get a better truck than that with no rust and a real V8 for less than that, Keep looking

 

I would keep looking. No reason to take a chance on it.

Dennis

 

a lot of dealerships do that to make the truck look better. It doesn't sell good if there is any bit of rust on a truck in the lot of the dealership. It's prolly not a big deal. If you're worried, then don't get it. Get one that doesn't worry you at all and that you automatically think is perfect right when you drive it.\

I just looked at the pics and that doesn't look like a dealership job that I've ever seen. Looks like maybe the PO that the dealership got it from may have done that. I don't know why he would have though. Truck looks good enough that they really shouldn't have done that to begin with. I don't recommend buying from a dealership, they are way overpriced. This truck isn't terribly overpriced though. I would give maybe 5800 otd. No more than that. I am a cheap person though.

 

I agree ... this is very common. Likely not a big deal either.

 

Absolutely a bad spray paint job. Looks like someone was using up a can or two of spray paint they had sitting around in the garage. It doesn't look like tar from chip sealing, the over-spray would have been more uniform splash back.