I am heartbroken...the end of an era is upon me...

[doncaruana]

On January 30th of 1998, I drove off the lot in my 97 Tahoe with 32 miles on it. Over 25 years and 300,000 miles later, I still have it, but the old guy is just not what he used to be. My daughter drives it now, but there are so many things. There is major squeaking and grinding from the undercarriage. The rust got way ahead of me and I hate myself for it - one of the back doors is so rusted it's almost through. She thinks one of the window seals is loose. The wipers now have a mind of their own as to when they will work. The engine is still good (despite my fuel pump issue with I suspect would be finally resolved by replacing the spider, but that's another already documented story), but I just can't trust it anymore to get my daughter around. And at this point, absent the personal skills and tools to repair it, I think making it fully road sound would be cost prohibitive.

I think it's finally time to put the old guy to rest. I reminded my wife at dinner I've had the truck longer than her (we met the year after I bought the truck). My daughter named him "Buster" and spent so much of her childhood riding around in him, including every soccer practice and game across 3 states for many years.

This is like watching a family member die. I know it's dumb to have this much emotion and sentimental value tied to a vehicle but damn...this hurts.

I figure if anyone would understand, it's the folks here. Thanks for letting me share.

 

[OR VietVet]

Sounds like it is time. It's the rust that does it for me. To this day, I wish I still had my 2 door 96 Tahoe Sport.

 

[Mean_Green]

Sort of like cancer in people, some get it, others don't. Not a spot on mine anywhere. I've seen lots of pictures of others here without any at all visible. Yet I've also seen several with panels flapping in the breeze.

 

[iamdub]

On January 30th of 1998, I drove off the lot in my 97 Tahoe with 32 miles on it. Over 25 years and 300,000 miles later, I still have it, but the old guy is just not what he used to be. My daughter drives it now, but there are so many things. There is major squeaking and grinding from the undercarriage. The rust got way ahead of me and I hate myself for it - one of the back doors is so rusted it's almost through. She thinks one of the window seals is loose. The wipers now have a mind of their own as to when they will work. The engine is still good (despite my fuel pump issue with I suspect would be finally resolved by replacing the spider, but that's another already documented story), but I just can't trust it anymore to get my daughter around. And at this point, absent the personal skills and tools to repair it, I think making it fully road sound would be cost prohibitive.

I think it's finally time to put the old guy to rest. I reminded my wife at dinner I've had the truck longer than her (we met the year after I bought the truck). My daughter named him "Buster" and spent so much of her childhood riding around in him, including every soccer practice and game across 3 states for many years.

This is like watching a family member die. I know it's dumb to have this much emotion and sentimental value tied to a vehicle but damn...this hurts.

I figure if anyone would understand, it's the folks here. Thanks for letting me share.

It's not dumb at all. I sobbed as I pointed out some of the one-off mods to the buyer of my S10 Xtreme that I had since nearly-new and put so much of myself in to. Hell, I was a little choked up driving away from the transmission shop where I had to leave my old work van after getting everything out of it. It wasn't even mine. It was a company van but I put all but 34 of the 230,000+ miles on it. Logged lots of hours and adventures together all over the gulf south so I was attached.

 

[Foot0069]

On January 30th of 1998, I drove off the lot in my 97 Tahoe with 32 miles on it. Over 25 years and 300,000 miles later, I still have it, but the old guy is just not what he used to be. My daughter drives it now, but there are so many things. There is major squeaking and grinding from the undercarriage. The rust got way ahead of me and I hate myself for it - one of the back doors is so rusted it's almost through. She thinks one of the window seals is loose. The wipers now have a mind of their own as to when they will work. The engine is still good (despite my fuel pump issue with I suspect would be finally resolved by replacing the spider, but that's another already documented story), but I just can't trust it anymore to get my daughter around. And at this point, absent the personal skills and tools to repair it, I think making it fully road sound would be cost prohibitive.

I think it's finally time to put the old guy to rest. I reminded my wife at dinner I've had the truck longer than her (we met the year after I bought the truck). My daughter named him "Buster" and spent so much of her childhood riding around in him, including every soccer practice and game across 3 states for many years.

This is like watching a family member die. I know it's dumb to have this much emotion and sentimental value tied to a vehicle but damn...this hurts.

I figure if anyone would understand, it's the folks here. Thanks for letting me share.

Absolutely understand your feelings. They can mean as much as a well loved pet. My daughter still cries, if she thinks about the passing of her first car.

 

[Joseph Garcia]

Sorry to read that, but it is totally normal. It was a true member of your family with tons of great memories. Let the truck go to great truck place in the sky and keep all of the memories.

I got choked up when I drove my 97 Yukon SLE (RIP) onto the scale at the salvage yard. I've got a lump in my throat now, just thinking back on it.

 

[Hoesgottaeat2]

We in our house definitely understand attachment to a vehicle with memories tied to it. Our youngest is still at home, 21 years old. He still wrenches with me when I can find time with him but it‘s less and less these days.
But he has the grille from our late ‘98 Suburban still hanging on his bedroom wall. Countless wrestling practices and tournaments in it for him, volleyball practices for one daughter and voice and musical practices for another daughter. Plus we did Disney in 2009 in that truck.
He used to have the old console to the truck on his floor to play video games too. But recently got rid of that.
Rust, too, was the final fate of that rig. RIP ole ’98…

 

[YukonGTmaster]

I know just how you feel. I bought my '97 GT new, with 13 kms on the dial. I lived in a part of Canada, that loved to salt and gravel the roads for a decade. The rust started to take hold. I ended up doing a rustoration, and spent Way too much money on it. It's an ongoing project. I just couldn't part with it at that time. Post up some pics if you can.

 

[Rafs]

On January 30th of 1998, I drove off the lot in my 97 Tahoe with 32 miles on it. Over 25 years and 300,000 miles later, I still have it, but the old guy is just not what he used to be. My daughter drives it now, but there are so many things. There is major squeaking and grinding from the undercarriage. The rust got way ahead of me and I hate myself for it - one of the back doors is so rusted it's almost through. She thinks one of the window seals is loose. The wipers now have a mind of their own as to when they will work. The engine is still good (despite my fuel pump issue with I suspect would be finally resolved by replacing the spider, but that's another already documented story), but I just can't trust it anymore to get my daughter around. And at this point, absent the personal skills and tools to repair it, I think making it fully road sound would be cost prohibitive.

I think it's finally time to put the old guy to rest. I reminded my wife at dinner I've had the truck longer than her (we met the year after I bought the truck). My daughter named him "Buster" and spent so much of her childhood riding around in him, including every soccer practice and game across 3 states for many years.

This is like watching a family member die. I know it's dumb to have this much emotion and sentimental value tied to a vehicle but damn...this hurts.

I figure if anyone would understand, it's the folks here. Thanks for letting me share.

I had a white 94 Tahoe 2 door that was a family member, it was my all time favorite vehicle. It had to go to make room for a 4 door as the family grew. To this day if I say "Look at that" everybody knows I'm pointing out a white 2 door. The other day, a near perfect white 98 Yukon 2 door popped up for sale 6 miles from my home. I bought it within 30 minutes including the test drive.

 

[LovedmyDenali]

On January 30th of 1998, I drove off the lot in my 97 Tahoe with 32 miles on it. Over 25 years and 300,000 miles later, I still have it, but the old guy is just not what he used to be. My daughter drives it now, but there are so many things. There is major squeaking and grinding from the undercarriage. The rust got way ahead of me and I hate myself for it - one of the back doors is so rusted it's almost through. She thinks one of the window seals is loose. The wipers now have a mind of their own as to when they will work. The engine is still good (despite my fuel pump issue with I suspect would be finally resolved by replacing the spider, but that's another already documented story), but I just can't trust it anymore to get my daughter around. And at this point, absent the personal skills and tools to repair it, I think making it fully road sound would be cost prohibitive.

I think it's finally time to put the old guy to rest. I reminded my wife at dinner I've had the truck longer than her (we met the year after I bought the truck). My daughter named him "Buster" and spent so much of her childhood riding around in him, including every soccer practice and game across 3 states for many years.

This is like watching a family member die. I know it's dumb to have this much emotion and sentimental value tied to a vehicle but damn...this hurts.

I figure if anyone would understand, it's the folks here. Thanks for letting me share.

Totally understand gave up my suburban fue to engine failing x2 and 250 miles. Raised my twins in that beauty. Now my Denali Yukon life has ended just want to cry. It’s so good looking inside and out but engine is gone too at 175 miles. I feel like I am losing a child I raised. Good luck