have wanted one for years but always get stressed out trying to find the "right H1".. if money wasn't an issue i would obviously grab an H1 Alpha, but i'm looking to be smart in my purchase and looking at 2000 and before models... have seen some nice coupes and several nice 4 doors.. a big fan of the soft top so not looking for a wagon.

seems like maintenance is always an ongoing thing and most owners are frequently doing quick fixes at home (expensive to have worked on elsewhere).. the vehicle i just recently noticed the seller has owned for 2 years... and has a list of repairs he has done to the vehicle:

92,600 changed oil, fuel filter, greased all fittings, changed rear axle fluid, transfer case fluid, changed front axle fluid.
92,800 changed PDF valve($35.00)
92,888 Changed transmission fluid and filter($300)
95,500 Replaced Pitman arm($70.50), idler arm($184.44), and both front right and left tie rods(2x173.73)
95,600 new Good Year Kev M/T($1500)
95,654 changed front and back gear hub oil
96,100 changed and flushed radiator fluid/ fleet charge
96,143 charged air
96,152 changed oil n greased fittings
96,500 all 8 glow plugs changed(Ac Delco 60G)
97,895 fuel filter
97,974 egr solenoid($40.00)
98,000 fuel lift pump($55.00) and delphi glow plug controller(84.99), had turbo gaskets replace($1,300), computer reflashed ($100)
98,265 thermostats(2x35.00) and surge cap(6.34)


which could seem excess to some, but could also just be screwing around in the garage on weekends (good to see the owner knows vehicles and has the ability to change these items as if there were other issues it seems like he would have repaired them.



curious what i should look for when test driving and viewing said vehicle, the owner states the ATF vampire issue was fixed, also states the heater has been bypassed. (no need for heater for me)...

i'm not looking for a brand new 06' Alpha, but want a vehicle that i can drive on occasion and not have it leave me on the side of the road.. i do have vehicle knowledge but not to the extent of removing a head and getting down and dirty with internals...



the owner also states that it runs a little rich and he would maybe change the injectors down the road and has already purchased them (8 delphi injectores new from advance and socket and gaskets($586), that he was going to swap eventually), and has other additional parts like ball joints and CTIS lines, fuel filters, oil filters, trans filters, extra shocks, additive, the works..

i've owned many random cars and usually i prepare ahead and buy parts and such as well.. going to see the vehicle later this week and curious things i should look for... i dont mind having spend a few grand actually putting his purchased parts on down the line.. but dont want a total failure that leaves me stranded and up sh*t's creek for a week trying to hunt down problems.

-Riley

 

also, owner states he bought all the injectors/sockets and gaskets because of a slight jerk at 60mph...





FWIW: i would be buying the vehicle for pleasure use, i have other vehicles for day to day use but i wouldn't mind taking small road trips across florida in the H1 as well... the owner says that he would feel comfortable driving it on road trips 5-10hours without qualm right now how it sits.. i know the vehicle is not a touring vehicle.. but to use and enjoy the vehicle i would like to be able to drive an hour or so regularly in the vehicle without any problems/issues....

again, any help is appreciated.. i have never owned a HMMWV or H1 in past.

 

Run the VIN through AMG, Tustin Hummer(Rob or Mike ) or some other provider. Check to see if the block has been replaced. Most of the items on the repair list are normal service items. Most of the others are normal wear items. Having the heater core bypassed means you don't have heat or AC. Probably something you would want in Florida. Heater cores aren't that expensive (400-500 ) but are a pain to replace.
Sounds like the owner was on top of the services.
Many trucks get sold when it is time to do the services so it is not surprising he spent some money right after he bought it.

 

question:

if the cracking 8th cylinder was such a big issue and design flaw and engines were swapped under warranty.. how come nobody ever made a bigger deal out of it causing it to become a recall? a known faulty engine would be easy to get a recall for (and all owners could get the swap)...

i'm not sure how hummer not being around would affect, but GM is still around and was directly linked to hummer back when operating...

we have any lawyers on the forum? seems to me this would be a quick case and all H1 values would go up a good 10k each with proper working engines installed.

 

So any of the 96-00 trucks are still running the original blocks with well over 100K on the clock. They replaced those that failed under warranty. Most failed under 30K miles if they were going to.

 

have heard of them randomly going out above 100 as well. one guy 109, another 130.

 

Yes. The one in my 98 went at 80K but if they made it past 30K the survival rate was pretty good. Ant truck that hasn't had the block replaced is suspect.

 

I drove mine from Florida to Texas when I first bought it. Make sure you have good AC and a radio before taking a trip like that lol.. And I would question your price range.. Buy really cheap and replace the drivetrain like I did is time consuming but I feel like I made the right choice. I plan on doing the engine sometime in spring.

 

My 97 runs strong with 48k miles on the clock.
But its a time bomb and I just know it will blow somewhere like MOAB or the dark side of the moon.
Next summer, Cummins and Allison in my Hummer.
The trucks are worth upgrading.
Or...a Penninsula replacement 6.5