I have a block heater on my current vehicle (Subaru Outback) and haven't used it yet here in Minnesota. I ordered one on my Silverado which I understand is supposed to be built this coming week. My experience is not to bother if vehicle is in the garage and only below zero degrees outside. I probably wouldn't bother unless it gets to minus 10 or colder and then only if I wanted fast heat up in the cab in the morning. Its just nice to know its there and a cheap option.
Heck, if anyone wants to see what my Silverado looks like they only have to look at the ads. I went for the 1500 LT Pewter z71 option. I'll save on film. :-)
I made a post a while back about shopping for a 2500 LS 4X4. I had the invoice price in hand for the one with all the options I wanted, compliments of MS Carpoint. The dealer didn't want to "deal" at all, and wouldn't budge from his price of $2,000 over MSRP ($6,000 over invoice!).
He called me back today (three weeks later) and offered it to me at $2,000 over invoice. I told him to forget it.
Besides, I'm thinking about waiting to hear more about folk's experiences with this truck in these posts. Besides the bad experience cookei1 is having with his Canadian built truck, there is a guy on another topic "Chevy quality build problems", that has had problems with his Canadian built '98 truck. It sounds to me the Canucks don't have the quality control the Michigan plant does. I have a '96 that was built in Pontiac Mich., and the quality has been top notch, I'm not willing to trade it for something that has been assembled sloppy.
I have not seen anyone else having problems posting where their trucks were built? Sure hope the Canada plant is not the problem. My truck was built there Dec. 17th and I would hate to have problems right off the bat. Hope the snow thaws enough for them to load it and send to me soon??
My boss has a 98 Z71 built in Canada and has had no problems.
Has Anyone towed a fifth wheel Camper with a 1500? I have one on order (since 30 Sept) 5.3, 3:43 rear end and the towing package. I am debating if the truck is worth the wait. I have a 1992 1500 that tows just fine. But I do like the idea of a new truck. The tow rating on the new truck is 8300 or 8600 lbs.
I have seen numerous posts on problems in Canada. Not sure how many but quite a few. Scroll back through these posts and you will see them. On the other hand the Pontiac plant has gotten good remarks. If there having problems in Canada ,wait to they move to Mexico. Look out amigo!
Hey, I love it!!!!! I picked up my Silverado 4x4, x-cab, 4.8 liter, 3.73, black, LS this morning and it is NICE! I even got the opportunity to pull out a nice old 85 year old gentleman who did not negotiate a snowy corner on one of our Northern Minnesota roads in the little town I live in. Locked it into 4 wheel and out he came. Not that big a deal, but I thought it was pretty cool.
Dave39, I have a 97 z71 350 with 3.42 rear end . I never planned to tow when I got it but this past year we bought a 27 ft 5th wheel that weights 7000 empty and 9000 gross. It is a struggle but if I don't push it its ok. I pull in third gear, 65 mph. Fourth it just down shifts anyhow. I do have the towing package. Got it for the hitch, but I'm sure the xtra oil and tranny cooler are helping me survive.Your new 99 should do better with a 3.73 rearend. I have been interested in the new chevy 3/4 ton since we got the camper. I am ordering with the 4.10 rearend which has a capacity of 10000. Of more concern to me is the 1/2 ton rear seems to bounce with the load. I have boasters on it but still not what i would like. I have a kingpin load of 1100 empty. My 97 truck is only rated for 1000 pound kingpin.
to fetz.. i ordered a 99 silverado 2500 ex cab 4x4 longbed about 10 days ago.. i also had all the invoice prices with me from carpoint..had it all printed out showed it to the local dealership. he just said "well looks like you did all the work for me" and promptly sold it to me for 500 over invoice. not msrp!!. I'd tell your dealer to go pound salt.. it would save you money to go to another state and buy a new one!! sounds llike this dealer should be in the "sleazy dealer" post... good luck!! (still waiting for mine)
Where did you buy your truck? Most likely too far away for me to go anyway.
In case anyone is curious, the dealership that wants to gouge me is Capitol Chevrolet in Salem, Oregon. This is kind of a small city, and they are the only Chevy dealer in town. They act like they're the only dealer in the state. I called their service department recently to find out how much a 30,000 mile service would cost for my current truck. They want $600. Then I called a Chevy dealership about 30 minutes away from here and they want only $275!
There are a few other Chevy dealers in nearby towns within 30-40 minutes drive. Also there's Portland an hours drive north. I have a feeling the "drive a little, save a lot" theory would be the case here.
I haven't looked at other dealerships yet because I'm not in any hurry to buy a new truck. My '96 only has 29,000 miles on it and is in fine shape.
My Silverado has had no problems, and was built in Pontiac, Michigan (just had first service). It has the 245 white letters, and they are Firestones. It doesn't matter what the factory puts on, your next set will be considerably better.
Well, I just ordered an LS Silverado, 4WD, autotrac, limited slip 3.73, firm ride suspension, 265 BSW tires, bucket seats, and 4.3 V engine. It's light pewter/graphite interior. I also went with the short box. I was debating between short/long. Also debating the engine size. That V6 has been around forever and proven, that's why I went with it. With the regular cab and shortbox, should have enough power. Dealer said about 12 weeks. Paid $100 over invoice. Comments?
...this weekend I visited two Chevy dealers here in Phoenix with the intention of ordering a 2500, long bed, biggest V8...the first, Chapman, told me they had several 2500 orders on hold but the factory wasn't picking them up...the second, Courtesy on Bell...told me that Chevy was not going to build any more 2500s until JUNE!!! They both had a gold 2500 short box on the lot (not what I need) but were not in any mood to do any deal at all. I pull an RV and CANNOT wait until June for a new truck...either I will buy a Ford or maybe a used truck until the 2000s get the four doors they should have had to begin with. Because of this start and stop act, Chevy must be losing THOUSANDs of sales across the country... anyone else having this problem?
fasteddie1: Of course, this happens every time a manufacturer brings out a new model. And they're probably not losing customers that badly -- if they'd waited until they had enough inventory on hand to do the release, would you be driving an old-style C2500 right now or a Dodge/Ford? The older Chevys are still around for really good prices down here at least.
Davydd, Been waiting for a 2wd Xcab short-bed LT since October 16th. Build date of January 11 has been moved to January 18th and holding. On the home stretch! So, what's it like?
Mine was built in Pontiac, and so far so good! (950 miles on it). Anyone know how to hook up the electric brake controller pigtail supplied with the trailer package?
Anyone try putting there down payment on a creditcard? I was thinking about doing it on the one that gives me airline miles and paying off the card before the bill is due at the end of the month. Can't imagine the dealer would like it since they pay a service fee.
Where are you guys finding out where you truck was built? I don't have mine yet. I assume it must be on the truck some where.
If the first letter of your VIN (vehicle identification number) starts with a 2, then it is built in Canada. If the first letter of the VIN is 1, then it is built in the USA.
mtebben: In my merchant agreement it states that Visa/MC may not be used for automobile purchases, but that AMEX can. I don't know how standard a restriction this is. Dealers won't be paying the 2-3% AMEX surcharge though...
Unless different Visa/MC has different policies, we used our MC on the down payment for our Toyota in 1997.
Last Sunday test drove a regular cab 99 1500 with 5.3 V8 the first time. Quite impressed, but the power steering and brakes seemed over-assisted compared to Toyota. A matter of change of habit, any one?
The dealers I visited did not even have 4.8 V8, much less V6 trucks (except base long bed). What deal was that? Will make sure it is built in the US before making the deal.
Looks like all the 1/2 ton trucks that are in my area(AZ)are built in Canada,and 3/4 ton in Pontiac. I checked out about 20 trucks. It is listed on the sticker. Also noticed that the 3/4 ton has a different tailgate cap,no exposed screws,and it doesn't have the lip on the edge.Haven't seen any 3/4 LT's yet either.
My 99 Sierra (now w/ 900 miles) was built in michigan. Came from factory with nonfuncting 4WD and ? loose vent fan or bad fan bearing along with some sloppy interior work. As I said earlier the dealer has corrected these problems and I'm happy with the truck for what I want to do with it. This was the first bad experience with a new vehicle in the last 8 new GM cars during the last 25 years. Anybody making a product can make mistakes but along with the long wait and the poor information on build dates it is dissapointing. I still wouldn't recommend any other brand over what I think is the best package out there this year.
I picked up my pickup tonight and have but 30 miles on it so far. I do love it. It is the top of the line LT Light Pewter Metallic z71 exactly like the ones in the commercials and ads.
The z71 ride is firm but not jarring like my pickups from the 60s and 70s I owned.
Everything appears to be working. No rattles. Fit and trim looks great. Yes, and it was assembled in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada.
Since we had another 5 inch snowfall today here in Minnesota on top of 2 inches yesterday, I left it in the Autotrac 4wd mode. It responds every bit as good as the Subaru Outback AWD I turned in on trade. I thought a lot of that Outback. For a car it was great. It just wasn't a truck. I write this as the local news shows cars slipping and sliding all over and causing traffic jambs. I noticed no slippage. I can go up my 200 ft. long 12% driveway slope from a dead stop start at a liesurely pace. Something I could never do with any 2wd vehicle. The Outback performed similarly as well.
The brakes are awsome. Acceleration surpasses my former Outback. The only problem is there was so much traffic on the roads I felt pent up to test it out. So I laid back and relaxed. I've got plenty of time.
The power seats with two memory settings are going to be a godsend on long trips where I trade off with my wife. It adjusts tilt of back and seat, up and down, front and back, and lumbar support. Push a button and everything automatically goes back to your setting. That's a cheap fun thrill in itself. The power seats are not as convenient as the manual seats of you want to enter the rear seat from the driver side or even throw briefcase in back. That's a trade off I guess. I carpool with adults and just as soon have rear seat passengers load in on the passenger side when I pick them up anyway. My car salesman was a 6'-8" 300 lb. Irishman and he could sit in that rear seat.
What else can I say except from coming from a medium size Outback to a full size 4wd pickup is that it is HUGE! You do have that on top of the world feeling. The two month wait was worth it. This was the first time I ordered a vehicle and the salivating anticipation was getting unbearable. Looking back this was the first vehicle I bought EXACTLY the way I wanted it. Maybe I'll keep it more than the customary 2-3 years this time. The last two pickups I bought this decade where 2wd (and don't ask me why I did so in weak moments here in Minnesota), and I bought the Outback thinking I could wean off pickups (I couldn't).
They were chevy trucks,had the 6.0 engine and ex-cabs. This was the most 3/4 ton's I have seen at one time, about six of them. Seems the plants are coming up to speed.
I would go for the 5.3 engine - the fuel economy is the same as the 4.8 and it is MUCH more responsive. The V-6 is too weak for a full-sized truck and will definitely hurt you on resale. Also, I was told by my salesman that when they went to training, the GM engineers recommended the 4.10 rear end on all of these trucks, regardless of what you planned to use it for.
I can't say if the 4.3 or 4.8 is better since I have never owned either one. I don't believe you can have too much horsepower but you can get caught with not enough.
Its been over a month (12/9) since I had a vebal agreement with my salesman to order a 3/4 ton. He is to call me when he gets an allocation to give me a last chance for changes etc. and make a down payment. I guess I will call him. Am now within 12 weeks of April 1. Debating on forgetting it if I cann't get one about then and wait for a 2000 model with 4 doors and possibly a bigger engine. Cann't have too big an engine(G). I think I'm about ready for my fourth mid-life crisis(G). ........ Rich
The only problem is that the 5.3L engine is $1,100 extra and the 4.8L is $500 extra. The only reason I was leaning towards the 4.3L is that this engine has been around a long time and is proven. My friend has this engine in his reg cab/shortbox and seems to like it. I'm just a little leary about any NEW engines.
I have a new 99 sierra that I was able to get off the lot 1 month ago. 5.3 V8,4x4,3.73. Does any one else get a loud rattle down the right side of the truck when accelerating from 30-40 mph after decelerating to low RPMs. It doesn't sound serious and the dealer says there is nothing wrong but it sure is annoying. I've checked the heat shields and exhaust but nothing seems loose. Is is possible that it has something to do with the new northeast emmisions? Any comments appreciated.
Just test drove a dark red LS 2500 with 3.73 4 wheel drive tow package 6.0 extened cab. Was impressed ! I'am still waiting for my reg. cab 6.0 with 4.10 .The 3.73 was quick and smooth but the 4.10 should put the icing on the cake!
the 4.3 is a proven workhorse. If you're not going to tow anything, it has plenty of gitty-up for normal driving, and good mileage also.
someone posted the 4.8 was pretty peppy and comparable to the 5.3, so if towing is not that big of a deal, the 4.8 might be the better choice once you look at the additional cost of the 5.3 and the slightly better mileage of the 4.8. then again, the reports say that the 5.3 gets 15/20 mpg, so how can you go wrong...
Got hold of my salesman. Not looking real good. He says he has had a hard time getting information from the plant on whats going on. But he has been told 800 3/4 tons were built and production was halted because of a problem. They will not tell him what the problem is, but production has still not resumed. This goes along with www.wheels.com saying production is halted till February for 3/4 tons. This dealership has not recieved any 3/4 allocations in a while. As far as 1/2 tons go, he says they seem to be building them about 2 weeks after allocation, with delivery another week or two after that. So he hopes that once I get an allocation for my 3/4 ton I should get it built quicker than the 8-12 weeks I had been thinking. ..... Rich
I had the 4.3 in my last truck. It had a 5 speed and was a good motor, with the exception of a strong head wind or pulling a boat, then it was too small in overdrive in those situations. 4th worked well then, but mileage dropped. I have the 4.8 in my club cab, 3.73, 4x4. I only have 110 miles on it and haven't pulled anything, But I like it so far. My wife claims there is a little wind noise coming from her window somewhere. Can anything be done to reduce that??????????
Thanks CDEAN and FISH6 for the info. I still don't know which way I'm going to go. I'll have to decide soon, though. My truck will be a reg cab/shortbox. Hmmm...decisions, decisions. Anybody else out there compare the two engines (4.3 vs. 4.8)?
mw1 - drove both, bought the 4.8 as I will tow and definately liked the greater upper RPM power. If you like to rev 'em buy the v8, if you like to lug 'em buy the v6
The LS1 engines (4.8 & 5.3) are not brand new. Just brand new in trucks. A 5.7 liter version of the engine has been in the Corvette at least two years, and in the Camaro for one year. They have relocated the valves so there is even spacing from intake to intake, exhaust to exhaust. They have changed the firing order to make it smoother. Of course, there are differences among them all. The Corvette has an all aluminum block and heads, the Camaro I can't remember if it gets the aluminum block. The 6.0 Silverado doesn't get the aluminum heads even. The 4.3 liter v6 is basically the old 350 short block with two cylinders chopped off. It is somewhat noisy, buzzes in my S10 Blazer, but has been very reliable, and still makes good power with 102k miles.
if the truck is just a reg cab shortbed, i'd say save some money, you probably only need the v6. the 4.8 will give you a good tire burner for those frisky moments....
the 4.8 has a little more torque than the v6, a quite bit wider torque range than the v6-- it will pull something much better
Who Likes the seats in the Silverado ? Very uncomfortable sticky cloth has to go ! Why no Leather in the reg cab ? Called auto upholstery shop today and they said 750 bucks to cover in Leather. I'am gone for it soon as I get THE TRUCK ps get the 4.10 with the 6.0 the 3.73 didn't cut the cake!
dave40: Not everyone wants an impractical sports-car. For a light-duty truck the 5.3 with the 3.73 that I drove would be plenty, even for towing a decent boat or pulling a heavier 2-horse every now and then. The smaller size engines would probably do just as well for daily transportation and light hauling.
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He called me back today (three weeks later) and offered it to me at $2,000 over invoice. I told him to forget it.
Besides, I'm thinking about waiting to hear more about folk's experiences with this truck in these posts. Besides the bad experience cookei1 is having with his Canadian built truck, there is a guy on another topic "Chevy quality build problems", that has had problems with his Canadian built '98 truck. It sounds to me the Canucks don't have the quality control the Michigan plant does. I have a '96 that was built in Pontiac Mich., and the quality has been top notch, I'm not willing to trade it for something that has been assembled sloppy.
Guess I'll keep waiting.
My boss has a 98 Z71 built in Canada and has had no problems.
I have one on order (since 30 Sept) 5.3, 3:43 rear end and the towing package. I am debating if the truck is worth the wait. I have a 1992 1500 that tows just fine. But I do like the idea of a new truck. The tow rating on the new truck is 8300 or 8600 lbs.
i ordered a 99 silverado 2500 ex cab 4x4 longbed about 10 days ago.. i also had all the invoice prices with me from carpoint..had it all printed out showed it to the local dealership. he just said "well looks like you did all the work for me" and promptly sold it to me for 500 over invoice. not msrp!!. I'd tell your dealer to go pound salt.. it would save you money to go to another state and buy a new one!! sounds llike this dealer should be in the "sleazy dealer" post...
good luck!! (still waiting for mine)
Where did you buy your truck? Most likely too far away for me to go anyway.
In case anyone is curious, the dealership that wants to gouge me is Capitol Chevrolet in Salem, Oregon. This is kind of a small city, and they are the only Chevy dealer in town. They act like they're the only dealer in the state. I called their service department recently to find out how much a 30,000 mile service would cost for my current truck. They want $600. Then I called a Chevy dealership about 30 minutes away from here and they want only $275!
There are a few other Chevy dealers in nearby towns within 30-40 minutes drive. Also there's Portland an hours drive north. I have a feeling the "drive a little, save a lot" theory would be the case here.
I haven't looked at other dealerships yet because I'm not in any hurry to buy a new truck. My '96 only has 29,000 miles on it and is in fine shape.
Mine was just under 4 months.... GOOD FOR YOU!!! Enjoy!!!!
So, what's it like?
Where are you guys finding out where you truck was built? I don't have mine yet. I assume it must be on the truck some where.
identification number) starts with a 2, then it
is built in Canada. If the first letter of the
VIN is 1, then it is built in the USA.
Last Sunday test drove a regular cab 99 1500 with 5.3 V8 the first time. Quite impressed, but the power steering and brakes seemed over-assisted compared to Toyota. A matter of change of habit, any one?
The dealers I visited did not even have 4.8 V8, much less V6 trucks (except base long bed). What deal was that? Will make sure it is built in the US before making the deal.
This was the first bad experience with a new vehicle in the last 8 new GM cars during the last 25 years.
Anybody making a product can make mistakes but along with the long wait and the poor information on build dates it is dissapointing.
I still wouldn't recommend any other brand over what I think is the best package out there this year.
The z71 ride is firm but not jarring like my pickups from the 60s and 70s I owned.
Everything appears to be working. No rattles. Fit and trim looks great. Yes, and it was assembled in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada.
Since we had another 5 inch snowfall today here in Minnesota on top of 2 inches yesterday, I left it in the Autotrac 4wd mode. It responds every bit as good as the Subaru Outback AWD I turned in on trade. I thought a lot of that Outback. For a car it was great. It just wasn't a truck. I write this as the local news shows cars slipping and sliding all over and causing traffic jambs. I noticed no slippage. I can go up my 200 ft. long 12% driveway slope from a dead stop start at a liesurely pace. Something I could never do with any 2wd vehicle. The Outback performed similarly as well.
The brakes are awsome. Acceleration surpasses my former Outback. The only problem is there was so much traffic on the roads I felt pent up to test it out. So I laid back and relaxed. I've got plenty of time.
The power seats with two memory settings are going to be a godsend on long trips where I trade off with my wife. It adjusts tilt of back and seat, up and down, front and back, and lumbar support. Push a button and everything automatically goes back to your setting. That's a cheap fun thrill in itself. The power seats are not as convenient as the manual seats of you want to enter the rear seat from the driver side or even throw briefcase in back. That's a trade off I guess. I carpool with adults and just as soon have rear seat passengers load in on the passenger side when I pick them up anyway. My car salesman was a 6'-8" 300 lb. Irishman and he could sit in that rear seat.
What else can I say except from coming from a medium size Outback to a full size 4wd pickup is that it is HUGE! You do have that on top of the world feeling. The two month wait was worth it. This was the first time I ordered a vehicle and the salivating anticipation was getting unbearable. Looking back this was the first vehicle I bought EXACTLY the way I wanted it. Maybe I'll keep it more than the customary 2-3 years this time. The last two pickups I bought this decade where 2wd (and don't ask me why I did so in weak moments here in Minnesota), and I bought the Outback thinking I could wean off pickups (I couldn't).
Is is possible that it has something to do with the new northeast emmisions? Any comments appreciated.
extened cab. Was impressed ! I'am still waiting for my reg. cab 6.0 with 4.10 .The 3.73 was quick and smooth but the 4.10 should put the icing on the cake!
the 4.3 is a proven workhorse. If you're not going to tow anything, it has plenty of gitty-up for normal driving, and good mileage also.
someone posted the 4.8 was pretty peppy and comparable to the 5.3, so if towing is not that big of a deal, the 4.8 might be the better choice once you look at the additional cost of the 5.3 and the slightly better mileage of the 4.8. then again, the reports say that the 5.3 gets 15/20 mpg, so how can you go wrong...
Anybody else out there compare the two engines (4.3 vs. 4.8)?
if the truck is just a reg cab shortbed, i'd say save some money, you probably only need the v6. the 4.8 will give you a good tire burner for those frisky moments....
the 4.8 has a little more torque than the v6, a quite bit wider torque range than the v6-- it will pull something much better