RichinKs I'd wait for the next yr model as long as your '97 is still doing the job OK. I think they are still working out shortages from the strike, plus any first year bugaboos. If the heavy duty models make it out next year, you may be happier with the big block gas or Isuzu diesel other than the 6.0, which might not be big enough depending on your fifth wheel size.
and to all doubters, chevy's and GMCs used to come from the same factory (don't know about the '99s) I've seen chevy trucks get to the dealer with a GMC grille, or a GMC door emblem, etc...
shooz, I know the brochure says you have to order the Z85 or ZX3 when ordering the heavy duty trailering package...but I was able to order it(the HD trailering pcg.)with the Z83 suspension. The Z85 susp. cost $81.70(invoice) more and mine doesn't have it listed on the options...The ZX3 sounds like a neat idea if it works... might be worth the wait....007
PULL IT OFF BEFORE IT MARKS THE PAINT! IS IT A DECAL? if so use your finger nails and warm water.OR you can use a hair dryer I pull all mine off soon as I get it. Including the factory stuff SILVERRADO sticker in chrome OR GMC TRUCK . JUST PREY THEM OFF WITH A SCREWDRIVER carefully LOOKS MUCH NICER WITH NOTHING ON
wally8 All you have to do is get your wifes hair drier put it on low heat and warm up the sticker and peel it off. It will leave some glue, just get some rubbing alcohol on a soft rag and rub the glue off. If the alcohol does not work then you will have to get some wax and tar remover at your local automotive store. I would wax the area after your done.
cdean- I've seen the same thing as well as talked w/ sales guys who've seen trucks come in w/ some GMC markings and all else Chev. I understand that both are still being made in same factories.
Tom201- when did they let you know you had a build date? I'm hopeful that things work out for all of us who ordered the G80 differential option.
Dave40- I chose the CHEVY over the gmc because I prefer the grill. Although I like gmc's just fine, the grill looked a little too much like a big mouth for my tastes. Just my humble opinion.
WHY DID YOU ORDER THE Z83 smooth ride package? I ordered the same on my 2500 but was going to get the Z85 firm ride Not sure I made rigt choice I don't tow any thing BUT like to handle on corners. Did I make the right choice? ps. The ZX3 seletable shocks aren't avalable on the 2500 I heard?
My 2500 sierra was supposed to be built NOV. 9th. Today the dealer said its still laying in the factory .No paper work sent out yet check next week he said! HERE WE GO. piss me off and I'LL buy a F------g FORD
How are those new foglights on the new 99s I see a lot on the GMCs but not many on the CHEVYS. Do they work as driving lights too or just fog lights? What are they 55 watt ?
www.wheels.com/fr_news.htm gives monthly updates on production holds for all vehicles. Don't see the G80 limited slip on hold. November report should be out shortly. 3/4 ton silverados are now being manufactured per the report. Chevy says 12 to 16 week leads....
I was ready to order my silverado, but there is a hold on the non-carpet floor and camper mirrors and I will have to make decisions.
6.0L should do a dang good job towing anything less than about 10,000lbs. I have owned two diesels and will never buy another unless I do at least 50% of the milage towing long distances. For everyday driving, buy a gas motor. Hell, insurance on you vehicle is probably more per year than 10,000 miles worth of gasoline.
Catback guy: Why would you replace an all-stainless steel, well engineered exhaust system with a junk aftermarket exhaust? I race dirt bikes, and in general, I believe that exhausts that are stock and quiet are the best, be they for tow rigs or race vehicles!
Of course, you can get a nice stainless well-engineered aftermarket exhaust that will give you benefits. I'll be adding the Banks system to my F350 as soon as they finish testing and EPA approval for the V10. It runs ~$2,000, but will hold up nicely. Its also nice and quiet (very important for long trips). Overall dyno gains on prior systems have been in the 75 hp, 75 lb. ft range (verified by independant sources).
Of course, there are plenty of options out there if you JUST WanT someTHING THATS LOud...
Ok, stanford, you are right on the Banks setup as far as quality. Most of gale's power increases are tend to be near the peak HP RPM range. If you got another 50 hp at 4500rpm, how often would you operate there? How long is the payback for a $2000 investment for an exhaust system if you gain 10% fuel economy?
My salesman told me tuesday that there IS a restriction ordering the G80 rear end. He said that all orders placed as SOLD will get them first, until they run out!
I ordered 2 silverado's on oct 14 and still have no preference date etc... my dealer in Montana says he has 6 on order for customers including mine and hasn't got a date on any of them including one ordered one month before mine!?
Went by Lynn Smith Chevrolet in Burleson TX today and they had an LS Z71 ext cab Flareside on the lot. Truck is loaded, minus leather, with a 31,771 sticker price. Looked pretty good if you like flaresides.
LETS HEAR SOMETHING FROM YOU 99 SILVERADOS and SIERRAS! Hows that ride feel with that wider stance! DISC BRAKES FRONT and REAR! ANYTHING WORTH HEARING?
I just talked to the GMC Dealer in Ft Worth I ordered my new Sierra from. He said the G80 slip is going to be availble on orders that are already sold. Dealer orders for stock may not be have the G80 on them because of the limited supply. Nice to see GM getting the 3rd truck plant (Ft. Wayne) up and running. Maybe the 3 month plus wait for the new design will start to ease somewhat.
Picked up my LS ext cab Z71 today. Ordered Aug 22, delivered Nov 16. Lynn Smith dealership did an excellent job preping the truck. I couldn't find one thing to complain about. The ride is excellent, very quiet inside, 5.3L engine has plenty of pep. And it DOES have the G80 rear end! I'll let you know more after I've put a few miles on it.
I am considering ordering a new 3/4 ton ext cab 4*4 silverado. One of my questions is about the new engines. The salesman states the replacement for the 454 (the 6000) is capable of gas mileage between 16 - 22 mpg. Are there any of these on the road yet? and what kind of mileage are they getting?
Ordered a Sierra with the SLE trim Nov 3. Just got a build date for the week of Dec 14th. Here's a big disappointment from GMC. I called their 800 # to find out the build date myself and customer service said they won't give that information out anymore to the customer. You have to call the dealership and have them get the information for you. What a bunch of crap!!! That probably means they won't give out a ship date either. It seems Chevy has won this round in customer service.
Boy, talk about 'build dates': After some research I found a dealer in California (Salinas) willing to order 2WD LT XCAB short-bed for invoice + $500. On August 16th I placed this order and a $500 deposit. Eight to twelve weeks, I'm told. Ha! Two weeks later I was informed the entire 'order system' has been revamped: No more wait to be prefferenced and then a build-date... No, what we need now are 'allocations'. Allocations are issued at 10:00 AM Eastern Time Tuesday mornings. No allocation, no order. (No soup for you today! Wait until next Tuesday!) Four weeks into the proccess, no allocation, the order has not been even entered yet! Next Tuesday 11/24 is do-or-die because, due to Thanksgiving weekend no allocations will be issued on 12/01. Anybody else having a similar order experience or am I being played for a sucker?
I ordered a Sierra Reg. Cab w/ G80 on 10/1. No build day yet. Dealer says that GM is only picking up the dealers Ext. Cab orders. They had no information on the G80 but none of the latest trucks they received have G80 option. Info for what its worth.
Does anyone have any experience with utility body p/u's? Do they squeak? I'm thinking of ordering a Silverado 2000 in 1999. I like the STAHL contoured body. Can anyone think of a good reason not to go that way? If I do have squeaks, Chevy will likely say it's the STAHL utility body and vice versa.
I have done my homework, specs and price. I am checking dealers now. Preference is a 1999 Silverado 2WD Extended Cab with the 5.0L Vortec V-8 no trailering or 4x4. (Have the option of the GM employee discount.) Looking over the responses, after the GM strikes, how bad is the production on catching up, barring the special orders? Also, I am finding either no or inconsistent information on the rebates and dealer's incentives (have checked Edmunds, autobytel, etc.) Obviously this is one of GM popular vehicles has out this year and pricing is just starting trickle out. So I know GM dealers want to make up the lost due to the strike too!
Opinions on the G80 please. I think I can find pretty much the truck I want on a lot except for this option. What are the pros and cons? As I understand it, this is pretty much just a safety feature that keeps one wheel from turning at a different rate than its counterpart, right? I'm not trying to downplay that as a nice feature, but is there something else that I'm missing?
Also, it seems that everyone here is ordering as opposed to buying off the lot. Is that just because of the still limited inventory that most dealers have?
On the suspension options, can anyone speak to the difference in the ride between the Z85 (towing/trailering) and the Z83 (smooth ride) on the 2-wheel drive? Vast majority of my driving will be paved road and no towing, at least for now, so I'm obviously thinking the Z83 is the choice.
However, with the other options I want and the limited dealer inventory, the Z85 seems to be more readily available. Is it safe to assume that the Z85 ride will be noticeably rougher than the Z83 or is the difference negligible.
I ordered a 'Silverado on Sept. 28 and the build date is Nov. 30th in Detroit. Anyone know when I can expect this truck to be at my dealer here in Northern Minnesota?
For what its worth, I know for a fact Chevy is putting in the G80 locking differential now. I just looked at a Silverado that had one on the dealer's lot. It was on an extended cab LT.
My SIERRA 2500 BUMPED BACK TO DECEMBER 7th. supposed to be built NOV 9th BUMP ME BACK ANYMORE AND I'LL BUY A PEARL HARBOR SPECIAL NISSIN DATSUN TOYOTA LETS GET ON THE BALL GM ! I ordered it aug 1st WHATS THE HOLDUP?
I made my decision. I'm getting exactly the truck that tantalizes in the commercials--the Silverado 1500 4x4 LT light pewter metallic with z71 off-road option with graphite custom leather interior. The first slot in the CD carrier will hold "The Best of Don McLean" and I will be playing "American Pie" when I drive off the lot.
I noticed the 4x4 or z71 trucks being about 4inches exactly taller than 4x2 trucks. I think the height and look of the z71 is more truck like than the 4x2. I noticed that 1 inch was due to the difference in tires, 4x2 being 235/75/r16 and the 4x4 being 265/75/r16. What other things work together to make the other 3 inches? or is one of the 2 suspension packages on the 4x2 model increase the height of vehicle or ground clearance, etc.. Thanks
I ordered mine Aug 26 and drove it away on Nov 16. Its REAL nice! F250 SD's are being built even quicker now. Just a thought.... oh and the Ford dealers didn't mind invoice deals, but all the Chevy dealers did. I wouldn't take that treatment anymore; you should go and speak with your friendly neighborhood FORD dealer. ;-D .....just a thought.....
no, no, no. the 4x4s have different suspension setups that make them sit higher off the ground. the difference in tires may be only a half an inch, probably less.
shocks make NO difference whatsoever on the height of a vehicle.
Well, I've joined the waiting game. Put my depo down on Friday 11/20 for a base model 1/2Ton Silverado with the 4.8L motor, 4x4, 5-speed. We will see how the new GM allocation system works. Price and tow capability with the manual were the main reasons I went chevy vs ford this time.
There has been considerable discussion on the Locking Differential option (G80). What is the real value to having this option and is it needed with a 3/4 ton 4/4.
jvaughn: I'm not a tech, but the way it was explained to me is that a "4x4" without limited slip differential is really a 2x4. Since one of the front wheels is not a "drive wheel" so that the vehicle can turn easily, only one front wheel provides traction. Limited slip rear axle provides the ability for the second rear wheel to provide "drive" when the first rear wheel begins to loose traction (slip). So with the G80 your "4x4" is really a 3 wheel drive. (not sure of your age, but if you can remember when "positraction came out, you could tell if the burn marks were fron a car with or without "posi" if there was a single tire burn, or a double burn.
Comments
I'd wait for the next yr model as long as your '97 is still doing the job OK. I think they are still working out shortages from the strike, plus any first year bugaboos. If the heavy duty models make it out next year, you may be happier with the big block gas or Isuzu diesel other than the 6.0, which might not be big enough depending on your fifth wheel size.
and to all doubters, chevy's and GMCs used to come from the same factory (don't know about the '99s) I've seen chevy trucks get to the dealer with a GMC grille, or a GMC door emblem, etc...
I know the brochure says you have to order the Z85 or ZX3 when ordering the heavy duty trailering package...but I was able to order it(the HD trailering pcg.)with the Z83 suspension. The Z85 susp. cost $81.70(invoice) more and mine doesn't have it listed on the options...The ZX3 sounds like a neat idea if it works... might be worth the wait....007
Including the factory stuff SILVERRADO sticker in chrome OR GMC TRUCK . JUST PREY THEM OFF WITH A SCREWDRIVER carefully LOOKS MUCH NICER WITH NOTHING ON
All you have to do is get your wifes hair drier put it on low heat and warm up the sticker and peel it off. It will leave some glue, just get some rubbing alcohol on a soft rag and rub the glue off. If the alcohol does not work then you will have to get some wax and tar remover at your local automotive store. I would wax the area after your done.
Tom201- when did they let you know you had a build date? I'm hopeful that things work out for all of us who ordered the G80 differential option.
Dave40- I chose the CHEVY over the gmc because I prefer the grill. Although I like gmc's just fine, the grill looked a little too much like a big mouth for my tastes. Just my humble opinion.
ps. The ZX3 seletable shocks aren't avalable on the 2500 I heard?
Any IDEAS WELCOME !!!
Don't see the G80 limited slip on hold. November report should be out shortly.
3/4 ton silverados are now being manufactured per the report. Chevy says 12 to 16 week leads....
I was ready to order my silverado, but there is a hold on the non-carpet floor and camper mirrors and I will have to make decisions.
6.0L should do a dang good job towing anything less than about 10,000lbs. I have owned two diesels and will never buy another unless I do at least 50% of the milage towing long distances. For everyday driving, buy a gas motor. Hell, insurance on you vehicle is probably more per year than 10,000 miles worth of gasoline.
Catback guy: Why would you replace an all-stainless steel, well engineered exhaust system with a junk aftermarket exhaust? I race dirt bikes, and in general, I believe that exhausts that are stock and quiet are the best, be they for tow rigs or race vehicles!
Of course, there are plenty of options out there if you JUST WanT someTHING THATS LOud...
Most of gale's power increases are tend to be near the peak HP RPM range. If you got another 50 hp at 4500rpm, how often would you operate there?
How long is the payback for a $2000 investment for an exhaust system if you gain 10% fuel economy?
compare to the FORD SUPER
DUTY 3/4 ton 6.0 vs V10.
Who has smother ride ?
Lets see, the vehicle will weigh approximately 2.5 tons......
You have a VERY good salesman if you believe this.
I'd bet about 10 to 12 around town and 15 on the highway.
Govt doesn't do economy ratings on vehicles with GVWR above 8600 lbs.
Gas prices now are relatively cheaper than they were in the 60's at 25 cents per gallon.
I wouldn't sweat the mileage......
service said they won't give that information out anymore to the customer. You have to call the dealership and have them get the information for you. What a bunch of crap!!! That probably means they won't give out a ship date either. It seems Chevy has won this round in customer service.
Two weeks later I was informed the entire 'order system' has been revamped: No more wait to be prefferenced and then a build-date... No, what we need now are 'allocations'. Allocations are issued at 10:00 AM Eastern Time Tuesday mornings. No allocation, no order. (No soup for you today! Wait until next Tuesday!) Four weeks into the proccess, no allocation, the order has not been even entered yet! Next Tuesday 11/24 is do-or-die because, due to Thanksgiving weekend no allocations will be issued on 12/01.
Anybody else having a similar order experience or am I being played for a sucker?
:-)
from an Unbiased and Happy NEW truck owner
Dennis
would like to hear comments
Also, it seems that everyone here is ordering as opposed to buying off the lot. Is that just because of the still limited inventory that most dealers have?
However, with the other options I want and the limited dealer inventory, the Z85 seems to be more readily available. Is it safe to assume that the Z85 ride will be noticeably rougher than the Z83 or is the difference negligible.
supposed to be built NOV 9th BUMP ME BACK ANYMORE AND I'LL BUY A PEARL HARBOR SPECIAL NISSIN DATSUN TOYOTA LETS GET ON THE BALL GM ! I ordered it aug 1st WHATS THE HOLDUP?
The Z71s have bigger shocks
and much firmer ride.
.....just a thought.....
shocks make NO difference whatsoever on the height of a vehicle.
4/4.
I'm not a tech, but the way it was explained to me
is that a "4x4" without limited slip differential
is really a 2x4. Since one of the front wheels is not a "drive wheel" so that the vehicle can turn easily, only one front wheel provides traction. Limited slip rear axle provides the ability for the second rear wheel to provide "drive" when the first rear wheel begins to loose traction (slip).
So with the G80 your "4x4" is really a 3 wheel drive. (not sure of your age, but if you can remember when "positraction came out, you could tell if the burn marks were fron a car with or without "posi" if there was a single tire burn, or a double burn.
Thank you for the explanation on the locking differential
option. I can now see the value to ordering this option.