At $35,900, Is This 'Showroom Condition' 1999 Chevy Tahoe Worth Driving Off The Lot?

The GMT400 series, like today's Nice Price or No Dice Tahoe, was the last in the line of Chevy's full-sized two-door SUVs in the U.S. That makes them appreciably rare, and they are, arguably, the best-looking of the bunch. Let's see if this survivor is priced accordingly.

Syd Mead, the self-described visual futurist, designed the retro-future look of the 1982 sci-fi crime noir movie "Blade Runner," including that flick's fantastic flying cars. It's surprising that he had nothing to do with the design of the 2017 BMW i8 Protonic Red sports car we looked at last Friday, as its radical appearance meant it could easily pass as one of Blade Runner's rain-soaked set pieces. The daunting problem facing its seller is that the i8 was originally an expensive BMW, and as we all know, expensive BMWs tend to drop in value faster than teenagers unhand slang once their parents get the hang of it. Its $55,000 price tag proved to be both a sizable drop from the six-figure cost when new and insufficiently low enough to get most of you buy-curious. That ultimately led to the car suffering a narrow 53% "No Dice" loss.

Today, we're going to look at something with a much greater mass interest than Friday's butterfly-door Bimmer. That's not to say that this 1999 Chevy Tahoe two-door embodies universal appeal, but being an SUV and one of the best-looking of that ilk, to boot, it has a lot going for it.

First off, however, let's get down with that name. Now, why Chevy chose to replace the long-standing Blazer nameplate with the less aggressive and more chichi Tahoe branding is beyond me. I'm actually a little uncomfortable with the spelling of the Tahoe name because it looks like it should be plural—like potato/potatoes—when it's not. Considering that it's a native word meaning lake from the Washo (or Washoe!) language, I'll get over it.

Regardless, with the mid-cycle refresh of the GMT400 line of trucks in the 1995 model year, the Tahoe took the reins from the long-running Blazer nameplate for Chevy's two-door four-by-fours, and the rest is history. It would be a short run for the two-door Tahoe, though, because Chevy dropped the bodystyle with the model's next major refresh—the GMT800 series—in 2000. This handsome white-over-beige leather Tahoe is an excellent reminder of what once was.

Powering the Tahoe is the 5.7-liter Vortec V8. That simple-as-a-pimple pushrod mill made 255 horsepower and a sizable 335 pound-feet of torque, per factory specs. Gear changes are made possible by way of a four-speed automatic with column shift, and the 4WD requires little more than a push of a button to select ranges.

According to the ad, this LT-trim truck has recently undergone servicing, including replacing the battery, most fluids, and installing a new water pump. All four factory alloys are wrapped in new knobby Goodyears, and the peek at the spare shows it has likely never been used. Notably, both the engine bay and undercarriage appear to be in an amazingly clean, unmolested condition. It even has a working trouble light still mounted to the underside of the hood, illuminating the Vortec should a late-night dipstick check be necessary.

Per the description, there are a modest 80,200 miles on the clock, and the truck will come with a clean title and a smog certificate, making the transfer of that title possible.

As far as the looks go, this truck is all that one could ask, save for the somewhat institutional color combination. The seller promises that the paint is all original and free of scratches or dings. There's a tinted bug shield on the hood, but that's probably not going to turn off most buyers. Plus, it has prevented peppering on the paint below (and bugs) from marring the look. Out back, the load area is accessed through a pair of side-swinging doors, which look cool enough to make up for the annoying rear-view interference they create.

Craigslist

There's more to like in the cabin, with intact leather upholstery and clean carpet to greet occupants. Everything looks to be original, save for the driver's seat squab. The ad doesn't say so, but the slightly different color and texture imply that it is newer than everything else in the cab. That's not a bad thing, and kudos to whoever has been keeping this Tahoe on its toes, as it all looks tidy and neat. This is also a fairly well-loaded truck, so there are niceties like A/C, along with power windows, seats, and locks. You might not win the crown at Radwood in this Tahoe, but it should prove a comfortable and respectable show truck nonetheless.

That's all well and good until we get to the part where we have to actually consider what to pay for this laudably well-kept and reasonably rare two-door Tahoe. The seller asks an eyebrow-raising $35,900 for its sale, which is either "I know what I've got" territory, or the seller's way of placating an at-their-wits-end spouse who wants to free up driveway space, telling them, "Yeah, I've got it up on Craigslist, Hon."

Whatever the motive, we now need to weigh that $35,900 asking price against the truck's presentation. What do you think this Tahoe should reasonably go for? Is it close to the seller's estimate? Or is there a vast gulf between the seller's and your expectations?

You decide!

Bend, Oregon, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.

H/T to Don R. for the hookup!

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