Chevy Silverado/GMC Sierra

[hung-solo]

Understood. I'd agree with you on the early 90's trucks. The later Vortec motors from the late 90's and early 00's were MUCH better performing engines. both in power and fuel economy. Performance does not equal longevity though. I've never had one so I can't comment.

I can say the TH-700R4 has proven to be a very good tranny for stock vehicles and as long as you aren't looking for a race transmision or a heavy towing trans, one should go 150K without any problems.

My 99 4.3 Vortec in a Safari ran great 'til 140K miles (with a 700R4) when I traded it in. I was getting some carrier bearing howl near the end but it never gave out on me.

Speaking of my 99' 4.3 liter...

SHS,

If I were to give any advise on the late 90's or early 00's trucks, I'd say look into the recalls involving the DexCool coolant and the failure of the intake manifold gaskets because of it. The 4.3 liter used from 1995 to 2000 was covered if used in the S10/S15, and SUV's on the S platform.

The same 4.3 liter was used in the Astro/Safari and C/K trucks but NOT covered by the class action suit. Be careful with the 4.3's from that time if you do go with the six.

I developed a leak in mine at around 100K and had to pay out of pocket to get a new gasket put in. No big deal on a truck but on the Safari, everything is under the dash and impossible for a do-it-yourselfer to tackle.


Good luck in your search,

Chris

thats why they call the fluid "death" cool.... one of the biggest blunders GM has had to deal with. It goes for the cars as well.. as of right now i do not wish to own an "american" vehicle.. not saying japanese vehicles are perfect but they really have a much better overall track record. hard to argue that imo...


i would get the chevy truck with the 350cu motor.. rock solid. nothing more nothing less if i had to get one

 

[silenthunterstudios]

I was going to go with a 4 door Tacoma at first, but the size of the Silverado cab is preferable. I'm a big guy.

 

[hung-solo]

I was going to go with a 4 door Tacoma at first, but the size of the Silverado cab is preferable. I'm a big guy.

tundra... hands down... overall better quality the only downside is the gas mileage. you wont get 22mpg with that big f**ker rolling down the interstate.. however you will have reliability.. what is 1-3 extra mpg's anyway? :jerkit: if you are going to use this truck as a truck and not some country limo then go with the tundra..

 

[Black-Jacket]

Understood. I'd agree with you on the early 90's trucks. The later Vortec motors from the late 90's and early 00's were MUCH better performing engines. both in power and fuel economy. Performance does not equal longevity though. I've never had one so I can't comment.

I can say the TH-700R4 has proven to be a very good tranny for stock vehicles and as long as you aren't looking for a race transmision or a heavy towing trans, one should go 150K without any problems.

My 99 4.3 Vortec in a Safari ran great 'til 140K miles (with a 700R4) when I traded it in. I was getting some carrier bearing howl near the end but it never gave out on me.

Speaking of my 99' 4.3 liter...

SHS,

If I were to give any advise on the late 90's or early 00's trucks, I'd say look into the recalls involving the DexCool coolant and the failure of the intake manifold gaskets because of it. The 4.3 liter used from 1995 to 2000 was covered if used in the S10/S15, and SUV's on the S platform.

The same 4.3 liter was used in the Astro/Safari and C/K trucks but NOT covered by the class action suit. Be careful with the 4.3's from that time if you do go with the six.

I developed a leak in mine at around 100K and had to pay out of pocket to get a new gasket put in. No big deal on a truck but on the Safari, everything is under the dash and impossible for a do-it-yourselfer to tackle.


Good luck in your search,

Chris

4l60e, havent used a 700r4 since the early 90's

 

[Black-Jacket]

thats why they call the fluid "death" cool.... one of the biggest blunders GM has had to deal with. It goes for the cars as well.. as of right now i do not wish to own an "american" vehicle.. not saying japanese vehicles are perfect but they really have a much better overall track record. hard to argue that imo...


i would get the chevy truck with the 350cu motor.. rock solid. nothing more nothing less if i had to get one

and if you do your regular maintenance you will never have a problem, the reason gm went to dexcool is because it is less acidic than "green antifreeze" hense less costic to aluminum engine parts.

lets see

97 tahoe 5.7
98 sierra 5.7
01 cavalier 2.2
01 sierra 5.3

plus count less other vehicles owned by family that have never had one problem related to dexcool, you know what the major cause of the intake leak issue are? expansion rates. heads are aluminum, intake is composite, both expande and contract at different rates

 

[dougo83]

FWIW I have a 1999 Silverado Z-71 with the 5.3 and I get really good mileage. My cousin has a 99 2WD with the V6 and his mileage is about the same as mine. I have more power too. I would honestly suggest stepping the motor up.

As far as problems, power accessories tend to be an issue. I haven't noticed anything major on mine and it has about 160k on it...I am the 3rd owner...

 

[m1marty]

those year models are not the best from GMC or Chevy imo.. folks are now starting to get some issues with them (rear ends, tranny, and electrical malfunctions). the early 2000's was at the height of american made models "less quality" years..

My brothers hunting rig (02, 4X4, 5.3, auto) has 246k and counting. Guess how much drivetrain and/or electrical repair has been done? None other than 1 fuel pump and a window reg.
My company has an 03 Chevy van with the 5.3 (I think). 291k with zero drivetrain work. The van gets cheap oil (does burn a little) and gets beat on.
If that's "less quality", I'll take it.
YMMV

 

[silenthunterstudios]

As far as problems, power accessories tend to be an issue. I haven't noticed anything major on mine and it has about 160k on it...I am the 3rd owner...

Power windows, door locks, mirrors etc are nice, but I had to replace those a couple times in my 91 S10 Blazer. Good old "manual" windows is enough for me.

 

[chtudor]

I have a 2006 1500 Sierra GMC 5.3L, SLT, Crew (means it has a sissy bed, but it carries the family and can tow) 4x4 with the Locking rear diff (Aka Eaton, Aka Magic) it gets 15city/19Hwy. I could really try and get 16 city, and really try and get 21Hwy, but there you go. I really really really like my truck. I've owned a few (more then 3 less then 7) 4x4s (3 trucks, 3 jeeps) including a '42 willys that I still own and here's what I've learned..

Everyone makes a good truck. As a GM bigot, it causes me physical pain to say this, but Ford makes a good truck, Dodge makes a good truck, Toyota, Nisson, etc. Everyone makes a good truck, from a car maker's perspective the truck is the moneymaker, so they all try their best.

Now, ( I realize that the OP wasn't asking about 4x4 or brands. He was just looking for justification or opinions on 2wd but roll with me on this.) Unless you get a locking rear diff on a 2wd it's not a whole lot better then a 2wd. And a vehicle with 2wd and a locking diff will out tow, and out pull, and out not-getting-stuck a lot of 4wd or Awd familymobiles. I'm not talking about every 4wd on the planet, I'm talking about most built in the heyday of SUVmania. I'm saying that a '68 Ford 2wd with a locking rear diff vs a 2001 Ford Explorer 4wd and a limited slip diff.. That locking rear diff also means you can make better 11s. So yes different applications but stay with me.

All that being said, if *I* were to buy a new(used) truck right now. I'd first look for an imported 4speed manual, 4x4, diesel toyota hilux circa 1988-1994. Next I'd look for the smallest engine, 4-speed, manual 4x4, toyota or nissan truck I could find. Why toyota/nissan? They have that electronic locking rear diff thing that's quite a bit cheaper then the Eaton that GM is offering (I forget what Ford/Dodge calls theirs) and that's my big reason. Finding a standard in the US really isn't that easy anymore. The 4banger truck isn't going to get stuck, it gets better milage by a fair bit then my small V8, I could tow my willys to parades, I could squish my family into it if need be and it means I still don't need to plow my 100yard long quazi-steep driveway in the winter. Plus it would be easier to park when I leave my country-esque area and head into the city. But, I don't wanna buy another truck I just paid this one off.

All that unrelated sh*t having been said, I'd also recommend the small 8 over the big 6 if you're getting a full sized truck unless you find one with a locking rear diff then buy that even if it's rubber-band powered.. Oh, and you can peel off those stupid GM badging decals if you get a GM don't like them. But before that I'd say go drive a small 4-banger 4speed manual 4x4 just for giggles.