1988 GMC S-15 Sierra review from North America

I bought this car from a fella in La Pine, Oregon. When I got it, the speedometer didn't work; the fuel gauge didn't (and still doesn't) go up all the way to "full" when I fill up with gas (and now neither does it go to "empty" either), and the odometer didn't work. On top of all this, a bearing was going out in the engine and the screeching was so bad it was hard to guess when to shift as I drove alone on the freeway back to my home in a small town of 500 people...

I figured that me and my father just didn't want to come home empty handed after the long trip there.

The problems include an exhaust leak on the manifold, a fellow in town where I live said that the exhaust manifold was recalled in this year of vehicle (1988) because of its tendency to leak. At the local shop, a mechanic said that it was "missing", but the guy that told me about the exhaust leak said it wasn't. Spark plug wires and plugs were replaced; I also replaced the valve cover gasket due to an oil leak, and discovered that SOMEHOW I got a spark plug wire caught underneath it.

Recently, my lights were screwy - When I would turn on the right indicator light, the right indicators - one on the bumper and next to the headlight - would go on, along with the lower light on the left. My tailights also did not work for several days at night. There is no horn; and the little cover comes off. There is a slight delay sometimes when I push on the gas, this has me somewhat worried.

Also, I am missing the right side mirror due to a deer hitting me broadside; and the left mirror has a hole in it. The windshield also has a crack going through it.

It fires up every time I turn the key, and takes very little gas to start up (I have a can in the back of my pickup, which has saved me many times when I ran out of gas).

It's my first real rig I took care of, and am looking to get a car for the commute to my school, I live 23 miles away. It has a loss of power at the most ridiculous places, and having over 200,000 miles I'm not sure it will get me to college, and definitely not THROUGH college. My plan is to make it a work pickup when I get a car.