1999 Chevy/GMC Showroom Debut

maple · August 1998

I live in northwest Texas and today my GMC dealer
called me to say that they got in a 2WD 1999 GMC
ex-cab.LST. I looked at it and the salesman said it
listed for $27,300 but they did not have the
sticker yet. He sure would have taken $27,300 for
it. I checked out the back seat and the leg room is
about the same, just more seat room. It is more
comfortable. Does anyone know when Chevy/GMC plan
to have a shrowroom date?. I asked the dealer, and
he said he might have some more by the end of the
month.

glenn2 · August 1998

yawn

Azchevyguy · August 1998

Maple,

I haven't heard when the intro. date is on the new trucks....

Say glenn2:
Was that your Mitsubishi Mighty Max I saw broken down along the side of the road????

kent123 · August 1998

I had almost settled on what would've been my first Ford since my '65 Mustang -- an F150 Ext. Cab Lariat 2wd w/ 5.4. But, I'm in no hurry and decided to wait until the new Silverado hit the street. Glad I waited.
Test drove the Chev today. Nice improvement over the old model without going overboard on re-styling like Ford did.
Best deal right now--$1200 over invoice. Some folks are actually paying full sticker (around $3000 over invoice). Dealer said wait a few weeks and he could probably order me one for $300 over. I think they're expecting shipments to really pick up during the next 30 days. I'll wait. Maybe get one for invoice if I try hard. Still, that Ext. Cab Silverado LT w/ 5.3 will set me back about $24500 plus TTL (Kelly Blue Book price info).

glenn2 · August 1998

Kent123: don't feel bad, we all know bad habits are hard to break.

tom201 · August 1998

Kent123 Where are you shopping at . Around Okla. City the best I can find is about $500 above invoice for a special order. I plan to special order a Z71 Lt in about a month dealer said it will take about 12 weeks. Most dealers here have only one. The wider inside width between fender wells in the bed was a good idea along with the hot engine and overall sporty design. I almost went for the new ford too but I'm glad I waited. The GMC grill was not as impressive as the chevy.

glenn2 · August 1998

Kent I do not sell Fords and out of the six vehicles I own only two are Fords. None are GM products because I and my family have had too many problems with them to buy them anymore. I wish you well on your new truck.

Azchevyguy · August 1998

kent123:

Cloth or Leather depends on your preference. Both are very comfortable but I would go with the cloth seats due to where I live (Phoenix). I think the speckled design is attractive and looks and feels durable. If you don't need to seat six, I'd definitely go with the buckets. If you go with the leather, I would go the extra mile and get the LT. The standard leather buckets are heated. May come in handy on those cold winter mornings, if you have those in NE Texas.

amadeus131 · August 1998

Using the dealer locator feature on the Chevy web page, I found a Chevy dealer near me (between Utica and Syracuse, NY) which claims to take orders for any '99 Chevy truck for only $99 over invoice. I couldn't believe it, so I called them up to confirm. The salesman seemed somewhat uncomfortable that I had found that information on the internet, but declared that they had "done that for years now". I drove by the dealership also; it's a very small affair, with maybe half a dozen new cars on their lot and 12-15 used. I could maybe understand them taking an order for even a loaded '99 S-10 (which is the sort of thing I'd be looking for) for $99 over invoice, but could they really do that with a 3/4 or 1-ton truck order, if there are no incentives? I'm still skeptical.

Chillian · August 1998

KENT123,
I just got my 99 saturday. it is a ls with cloth and i love it. seats are very comfortable and you don't slide around as much as you do on leather. This is my first truck without bucket seats in it and I think that i like the bench better. I sure wish that I could have gotten this truck for anywhere near the $500 over mark... I paid a whopping $1450.00 over. Only truck that they had and my salesman, who is a good friend, had to talk with the general manager for 1/2 an hour to get them to sell it to me. Normally I would have waited, but I had sold my old truck right before that damn strike hit, with hunting season starting soon I had to have a pickup. Honestly the truck is great. If you have any questions on it, drop a line and I will try and help you out.

kent123 · September 1998

Chillian- I don't blame you for getting anxious and paying extra so that you wouldn't be truckless when hunting season starts. It has already started hear in Texas with dove season yesterday. Shot a limit opening day and getting ready to take my 11-year old son on an overnight dove trip tomorrow. Since we have my wife's 4WD Trooper, I can afford to be patient for a good Chevy truck deal.

Thanks for the info on leather vs. cloth. I'm still somewhat undecided. That Ext cab LT is really a nice ride and except for about 15-20 hunting outings per year (mostly local stuff), my primary use for the truck is carpooling the kids to school and commuting to the office.

I hear that the leather is more durable and easier to clean. Also, with only 3 doors (darn it), it might be better if the back seat is a bit slippery for passengers to slide out.

tglab · September 1998

Kebt123 is right about the leather rear seat. I bought the GMC SLT this Tuesday and it is much easier for the kids to slide across the rear leather seat than the cloth.

I found a dealer through the internet that just got the truck in 3 days before I bought it. It was the only one he had (or had ever seen). He let it go for $850 over invoice with a full tank of gas!

Brutus · September 1998

amadeus131,

Low rates, especially under invoice rates, are often only advertised on the internet. I think the rationale is that they feel you probably would have bought somewhere else if they didn't have the webpage and something on that webpage caught your eye. I've found also that they tend to be either small dealers or dealers in places that are a little more remote than other dealers. In other words, you need some incentive to make the trip. You have to specifically mention the deal you read about. The rate is not usually advertised at their dealership since the people who show up there have already made the trip.

I ordered my truck for $99 below dealer invoice based on an ad I found on the internet. The deal was legit. As a matter of fact, if the dealer you called won't honor it, it's likely false advertising. That doesn't mean they are too happy selling the vehicle for so little. The dealer still makes money on the holdback, which tends to be in the $1,000 range per vehicle on a $30,000 vehicle. The salesman usually makes a minimum commission of $50-$75.

Two things to remember if you decide to order from one of these dealers. If they are getting a lot of response to their ad, their orders could be backlogged. If the factory has more orders than it can keep up with, dealers are given a certain allotment of trucks based on how many similar trucks they sold last year. If your dealer was a low volume dealer last year, but now has a large number of orders, it's going to take longer for him to get all of his trucks than it is for a dealer who sold a large volume last year.

The second thing also relates to the time you may have to wait for your order. Dealers have the ability to prioritize orders. A dealer is likely to assign a higher priority to someone who pays more for his truck since the dealer will make more profit on that transaction. The way to limit the waiting period is to start bugging your dealer after a few weeks. Unfortunately, the squeaky wheel does appear to get the grease over the patient, model customer.

Either way, if you are patient, and don't mind waiting a little longer, the $99 below invoice deal might be the way for you to go. And who knows? You might get lucky and get your truck in a normal amount of time.

Brutus · September 1998

I'll enjoy it more after having to wait so long. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

In case you didn't catch my other post, my order finally got pulled and the truck is due at the dealership 10/5.

The standard order time for a vehicle is about six weeks. The wait for new models that have been significantly redesigned can average 12-16 weeks for the first few months. The delay with my order was the exception and not the rule.

amadeus131 · September 1998

Now it's 2 weeks after the last post, and I just thought I'd mention that I asked a salesman at a local GMC dealer when we can expect to see the full '99 truck line on the lots, and he said about three weeks from now. Of course, that's just in my area of central New York. One reason I miss Detroit, I guess. Now I'm just chomping at the bit until the '99 prices come out, which will hopefully be before then, if they're not here even now....

maple · September 1998

I started this topic and might as well add to it. Other than a few ex-cabs coming in, my local Chevy dealer got in a new long bed regular cab.
It was only a base Silverado six cylinder, auto, with the appearance package, and cruise, and it listed for $19,100. With out the appearance package, it would have listed for about $18,500. Not too far off from a 98 list price. The seats sat good, better than a 98.

kent123 · September 1998

Most of the dealers around here have a half-dozen '99 Silverado Ext. cabs (all 2WD) on the lots, a mix of V-6 and V-8. Still, I plan on ordering one to get what I want and for a better price ($300 over). LT in Pewter, 2WD w/ limited slip and OWL tires. Not too many options you can get on the LT it is so loaded. Price will come to about $25,000 plus TTL, another $3000 for the 4WD if you want that.

cdean · September 1998

A friend of mine bought a '98 ext cab, and his sticker was ~25,000. He paid about 2K less than that. anyway, i took him to the dealer to drop it off for service work, and we saw a '99 on the lot equiped exactly like his was, with a few extras like keyless entry, CD player-- just a few more stuff. The truck had the 4.8 engine and the sticker on the truck was 24,500. Add the 5.3, and the price would be pretty close to what he the sticker on his was last year.

templeowl · September 1998

i've seen only one 99 pu in this area, near philadelphia, and the dealer called it a "token" and didn't expect any more on the lot for weeks! how come texas gets them?

kent123 · September 1998

You'd have to live in Texas to understand. The extended cab PU is the national vehicle here and the competition between Ford and Chevy is fierce.

There are probably more PUs in the 175,000 pop. county I live in than in all of the greater Philly area. Just ordered a Pewter LT 2WD today. I'll have to wait 8 weeks or so, but got a good deal and I have reliable wheels for now.

tom201 · September 1998

Kent I guess we can have a pickup race before they are delivered. I ordered a 99 Z71 LS package on Sept 10 and they told me 8 weeks also. So may the best man win. I'm not getting my hopes up that it will be in by then. I just want to get it in time to break it in a little before christmas as we plan to drive to Calif. and go skiing over the holidays so maybe I can put the auto-trac to the test in the mountains. Every time I go skiing I wish I had 4 wheel drive. I had to get the LS model cause the dealer said the LT model is not avail. in split seating and the LT model does not come in victory red or white. But we found if you drop back to a LS you can get the colors you want and build it up to about the same as the LT. My sticker was close to 32k and I got it for 600 over invoice which made it about 28,900. About the option I did not get was the seat heaters. Let us know when yours comes in and I'll do the same . Tom201 in Okla City. BEAT TEXAS

kent123 · September 1998

HOOK EM' HORNS!!!

I agree that the 8 week estimate on delivery is probably optimistic, but there's always hope.

The dealer had about 6-7 2WD ext. cabs on the lot when I placed the order about 10 days ago, but no LTs. The fleet mgr. said that he figured that the loaded 4WDs and the LTs will be the hardest to get. But, since I plan to keep this truck for 4+ years, I'm willing to wait for what I want. I'll be sure to post when it arrives. Good skiing.

zonk1 · September 1998

Hey guys can I join the race? I ordered my LS Z71 on Aug 22. They told me 6 to 8 weeks (ha). Ordered it from Lynn Smith in Burleson, 500 over invoice. I called GM on Sept 16 and they said it was preferenced on Sept 9 and to call back in about 2 weeks. I called monday and they said there was no movement and to call back in 3 weeks! Hope its here soon, I sold my '79 4x4 2 weeks ago.
I stopped at Hudiburg Chevy last weekend and the saleslady said that some trucks were being built before they get a build date.?

tom201 · October 1998

Where is Burleson? Did you call direct to GM or did you mean your dealer if so please share the main GM phone #.

zonk1 · October 1998

Deja Vu

kent123 · October 1998

If it's a race, then I'm already about 4 weeks behind. I told the dealer that I wanted the truck at $300 over and they said they could enter the order in mid-Sept. I'll need to get the numbers from them so I can bug GM on their dime.
BTW, I'm in Tyler, about 130 mi. east of you.

glenn2 · October 1998

At the dealership in my little town they had to put a big banner announcing the trucks as they put the "daring new designs" out front and nobody noticed......

kent123 · October 1998

Actually, I'm pleased that GM wasn't "daring" in the exterior redesign, but rather made the improvements where it counts (drivetrain and chassis). I want a truck that looks like a truck. Ford went a bit too far in redoing the F150.

Davydd · October 1998

Dodge and Ford went out on limbs with bold statements and total redesigns. Chevy and GMC didn't, but did refine the existing design more than critics want to admit for 1999. I think General Motors got burnt once with the futuristic designs of their vans and did not want to repeat that mistake. A good question is what will Dodge and Ford do for an encore when their designs come up for renewal?

Davydd · October 1998

I saw a commercial Friday night on TV for the Chevrolet Silverado that showed nothing and said wait until October 8. I also went to the 1999 Silverado web site back in August and requested a brochure that have yet to arrive. The truck is out on the streets. So, why the tease?

cdean · October 1998

there are so many changes made on the new trucks you just don't see right away. You have to get in it and spend time in it to see all the "little things" they put into the trucks. Powertrain and exterior are obvious, but there's a lot more to 'em.

kent123 · October 1998

What will Ford and Dodge do when it comes time to redesign their exteriors? Probably change them back to look like trucks again.

amadeus131 · October 1998

I might be the last to find this out, but I finally found from a salesman today why the '99 Sonomas and S-10s (also Jimmys and Blazers) are persistent in not coming to the lots. Apparently they're flunking emissions! Meanwhile, a few '98s continue to trickle onto the lots. Annoying for folks like me who are shopping for an S-10 or Sonoma. Maybe I'll check out the Ranger or Frontier. Hate to give up that Vortec V-6 though....

Azchevyguy · October 1998

Amadeus131,

If I were you, I'd check with other Chevy & GMC dealers. The vortec V6 has been around for years, and the '99s are flunking emissions? I don't believe it!

amadeus131 · October 1998

That's very true, Azchevyguy -- I forgot about that. What the (GMC) salesman said sounded so strange that I did wonder if he was making it up. If it's true, perhaps it's an exhaust/catalyst problem? Or maybe the V-6 is fine; it's the base level inline-4 that's flunking all of a sudden? I'm really guessing here; I know so little about cars. Anyway, I'll keep you all posted.

C13 · October 1998

Regarding the 99's failing emissions:
In the unlikely event that the salesman was telling the truth, it *must* be a very temporary problem; a bad batch of computer chips or something. As someone said, these engines are tried and true.

jmathews · October 1998

Bad news on Sierra production, I ordered a 99 Sierra on July 1. It was preferenced on August 13 and I had a production date of October 5 until two days ago when I was informed that the production date had been pushed back to November 16. Deliver is now not expected until early December. Speculation is that there many be a supply problem with the rear locking differential. I am thinking very seriously about passing this truck and waiting for the 4th door that may come out this spring. Any advice?

walth1 · October 1998

The emission problem is not a real problem but the meeting of a federal guideline in relation to all the vehicles sold by that manufacture. When trucks are your biggest seller they overload the total equation and before the model year you have exceeded the emissions allowed for that model year. Thus the '99 C/K truck that came out early. It is a dance of stats' staying ahead of the feds regulations. NOT an engine problem. They are tried and true.

amadeus131 · October 1998

On the plus side with the GM compact pickups, look on the incentives/rebates page -- already $750 consumer cash on the '99 S10s and Sonomas! And they're not even OUT yet, at least not in my area!

What you're saying is interesting, walth1 -- and I think is also consistent with what I heard from the salesman about the '99 compacts. Maybe it only needs a few more weeks of number-crunching.

kent123 · October 1998

Checked on the status of my Silverado LT order today.... Ordered in mid-Sept., preferenced either 9/23 (says GM) or 9/29 (says the dealer). Still don't have a build date. What gives Chevy?

Anybody hear whether 2000 model will have 4dr and when it will be introduced?

walth1 · November 1998

Has anyone noticed a price difference between the full size ext. cab 4wd (with apple to apple options) '99 GMC and the Silverado. I like the grill better on the Chevy but no grill is worth big bucks. Appreciate any info as to the why on this one. Has anyone recently made a deal for a new '99 and how much over invoice if any did you have to go. Everyone have a good Turkey Day.

chuck21 · November 1998

I'm considering a GMC Sonoma base extended cab for
work commute. How does the 2.2 liter with manual transmission perform or not perform? Comfort zone?
What is the seat arrangement with the 3rd door? All comments welcome.

glenn2 · January 1999

the trucks looked dated already and just think, they will lookl that way for at least 10 years.

1999 Chevy/GMC Showroom Debut

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