Questions on possible purchase

[mongrol]

Hi folks,

I'm still on the lookout for my first sierra and went to view a 92 Tintop today. It's white, as far as I can tell it's stock, no bullbars, big tyres or anything like that. Bodywise it's very clean (even cleaner than my 2003 GV) with hardly a mark on it but it doesn't look like it's been resprayed. It's seen a bit of island hopping in its life which is apparant from the rusty windae wipers and the inevitable dust in the clocks.

Looking at the front diff though, there's a chrome cover thing on the front of it, about an inch and a half round with a few screws in it. Some of these screws have seen some active service as they've been chewed but the part itself looks quite new. What is this? What could have happened here?

At 220k on the dial it's a bit higher than I was looking for. But with intact seats, a fairly clean interior and exterior, full working electrics with an engine runs well I'm tempted. He's asking $3800 for it.

[mistaboz]

If your thinking of buying it, when you see the car next go there with a screw driver. If he looks worried or hesitates stay clear. IF he seems okm unscrew it anyway.
Id be curious as to why anybody would screw something onto the diff?
If it was a diff guard i think it should be spaced away from the diff a little...?
I may be wrong though.

Bozz

[nicbeer]

Pics? as the diff comes out from the rear it sounds to have made some new holes poss in the housing. more problems??

Nic

[mongrol]

Hmm, it's not a guard of any type. Its right on the front of the front diff, in the lower hemisphere and very slightly to the left. Chromey silver type thing. it looks much like a cover to a hole into the diff itself, though the positioning of the screws are mostly in the lower half of it and the top half I think has a large allenkey type nut (memory fading, need whisky). Couldn't see if the rear diff had the same thing.

[nicbeer]

Allen key thing? could be the diff fill plug which is a 3/8th drive socket. or the cover thing sounds like it is a cover for the drain plug maybe.

cheers

[Gwagensteve]

sounds like the fill plug to me. maybe it and the thread in the diff was screwed up by trying to be undone (very common - they freeze on and can be hell to remove) and some sort of bootyfab repair was carried out. That's my guess.