Thoughts on SyTys? (Page 1/1)
Pancake APR 28, 12:45 PM
Due to an accident my wife can no longer drive her daily Mazdaspeed3 (left leg/clutch in traffic) and we're also looking to replace my beater/backup manual 4runner. We never wheel the 4runner, it sadly spends all its time on pavement these days and we have it for 4wd in bad weather and grocery cargo space. Looking at what I've pretty much fallen in love with the idea of finding a Typhoon to replace both at once. Also I honestly really want a Typhoon . I know the Typhoon is a pavement only "SUV" and has basically no load capacity but it's cool and damned fast.

Anybody have any experience with SyTys? What to look for? Am I nuts for considering this instead of something new and generic?
RayOtton APR 29, 09:54 AM
This is all subjective but here's goes.

Those are some pretty nice trucks but two things come to mind. One is that they are very expensive and two is that they have probably been driven hard.

If you prefer Gm products a different, less flashy option would be one of the GM Trailblazer clones.

I've owned two Olds Bravadas with the 4.2 inline 6. More than enough power, a very comfortable cruiser decked out with a ton of standard equipment and no issues at all. After Olds left the scene Buick took over production for a few years, calling it the Rainier. At some point in production they stuffed a 330HP V8 in there although they're hard to find now.

And of course there's the Trailblazer SS but now we're back to big $$$$$ so I think the 330HP V8 would probably be about 80-90% of the SS's performance for a lot less money.

Depending on your immediate needs you can set up a search and alert function on all the the used car buying sites to let you know when a vehicle that matches your needs pops up.

Just my two cents.
Pancake APR 29, 08:30 PM
Honestly I'd lean toward Japanese for a light truck/SUV but it doesn't get the fun factor. The Speed3 is a rocket for being a soccer mom car, it will easily hang with a stock C5 through well above the speed limit. The smile when you hit the pedal is 100% why I gravitate toward a Typhoon vs something practical like another old 4runner. Thanks to how she got injured a Typhoon is definitely a possibility budget wise, I'd rather it never happened but the other insurance is paying

[This message has been edited by Pancake (edited 04-29-2017).]

Monkeyman APR 29, 10:39 PM
You don't want a Trailblazer SS because of the "fun factor"???? Seriously? It's got the 6.0L LS2 from the Corvette with AWD (for awesome traction).

What's your budget? A good TB SS will probably set you back $20k+ but if you want something fast with good handling AND be able to carry both the groceries AND a few lawn chairs, not much else comes close. If I had the $$$, I'd buy one in a heartbeat.
Pancake APR 30, 11:46 AM
I was responding to the Bravada 4.3 part, for some reason the Trailblazer SS didn't even register. There are some locally too, I'll have to take a look. They sure seem to make the right sounds in videos . Generally I like to shoot for OBD1 or older for simplicity of wrenching on them but that's not a hard and fast rule for the right vehicle.

[This message has been edited by Pancake (edited 04-30-2017).]

LitebulbwithaFiero APR 30, 06:29 PM
While I would love to own a Sy or Ty, I would not want it for a daily. Due to age and what it is, I do not think it is something that should be racking up miles.

The newer TBSS on the other hand seem to be more practical and should be plenty of reliable.
Raydar MAY 08, 04:45 PM
We had a 2004 TB, with the 4.2. I still miss it.
The only odd problem I had was with the cam phaser and solenoid. I got to be really particular about what weight oil was used, and whether it was changed frequently enough.

Edit - It generally seemed to be of better build quality than any of the "S" trucks I owned (an '83, a '92, and a 2001.)

[This message has been edited by Raydar (edited 05-08-2017).]

Darth Z MAY 12, 02:49 AM
I love the SyTy's! Check out SyTy.org for your research. You can find some really nice ones, just make sure you look it over pretty well. Being 24+ years old, some of the parts may be on their way out, unless you spend some decent money for a meticulously maintained truck. These are more of a collector item, than a daily driver these days. That's not saying you can, but just be ready for some old parts to fail, especially anything made out of rubber or plastic.

For a daily, I do agree with RayOtten. A Trailblazer, Envoy (Envoy XUV is really cool, retractable roof opens and back glass rolls down to allow for transporting tall items), Bravada (AWD), Rainier, and 9-7X (Saab) are all excellent. Roomy, and up to 3 rows of seats. If you want to spend the extra money for the 390HP LS2, it's available in the Trailblazer (SS), Bravada (CXS 6.0), and 9-7X (Aero). I dont know what model of the Rainier got the 330 HP, can't find any info on this one. The TBSS was available in 2 or AWD, while the Bravada and 9-7X were AWD. I love the look of the Trailblazer SS, BUT I actually think I like the 9-7X Aero even more. You should be able to find a pretty decent TBSS for as low as $15k or so, about what nice daily Typhoon will run you.

I'm not big on Japanese trucks. The hardbody Nissans, and the Toyota 4X4 from 85-94's are the only ones I care for, but the metal that make them up is very thin. What year was that Speed3? I just looked up some quick specs after reading that it will easily hang with a stock C5. According to the numbers that I found, I don't see how that's possible, unless the C5 driver keeps his foot off the pedal. It's definitely peppy for the type of car, but according to specs, still slower than the 99-04 Mustang GT.

Monkeyman, for $20k+, that TBSS better be immaculate, or be fully built. I see them all the time under $20k. Maybe the prices are higher in your area.

Pancake, I don't know what you said about the 4.3 Bravada, but when I went to Pull-A-Part, I came across a green Bravada with the gray interior. I was amazed at how nice those things were. Even though it looked like it was picked apart by buzzards, I could tell it had to be REALLY nice when it was new. Then I know the 4.3 is a damn good motor that will run forever. It's just underpowered by today's standards.