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Comments
That's what I have been say all along, that they are out there, and can be found. In my case, I found one on another dealers lot, and had my dealer get it from him on a trade. Still, in your case I would probably just fly out there and get it so there would be no concerns about transport. Did you try checking any dealers around Denver? I have seen Chevy 2500 4x4 6.0L ext. cab long-beds up here also, a little bit closer to you. Either way, congratulations!
So you've actually seen (and driven) the 2500 4x4 ext longbed. What were your impressions? Is it visibly bigger than the 1500? At almost 21' it must be a monster. How was the ride/handling? Were the frame/suspension/brakes noticeably beefier? Did the ones you saw have auto or 5spd?
I have seen the 2500 long-bed on a darkened lot, but not driven. Visually, the long-bed is, well almost 21 feet. I have only seen 6.0L automatics. You could see an extra leaf or two in the rear springs. There are 8 lugs instead of 6, so it has heavier axles. Ride height was raised because of the springs compared to the base 1/2 ton, but about the same as my 1500 because of the larger P265 tires.
Chevy gas engine just a rumor. Could happen, but 6.6L direct injection Izuzu turbo-diesel should happen by 2001, but stay tuned. No waiting on Ram 2500 quad cabs with 24V Cummins turbo diesel and leather interiors. Will fit in same garage as Chevy unlike F250 Superduty. Will also pull todays fifth wheel or tomorrows. Timing of purchase will mean little to you over long haul. Same cost factors on front-end you cite for waiting for 2000 model year are affecting your present trade right now on back-end. One thing I can guarantee, your costs of ownership will go up, not down when you buy. Trading every 36 months you're paying a lot of sales tax unless you're gettting an agricultural exemption for towing your fifth wheel to the cabin and RV'ing.
I understand you on all points. As I see it, you can't be hurt by waiting, since your '97 is but 2 years old, and must still be very nice if your previous trade-ins are any indicator. The problem of allocation delays is not anything you can control, so clear your mind. I understand loyalty to the dealer. That's why I suggested one possible alternative if you found your ideal vehicle on another lot would be to go to your present dealer and say, "I found one, get that vehicle for me." He may try, possibly trading out an allocation to satisfy you, a loyal customer. If nothing else, you'll have fun looking. And if nothing jumps out at you, 2000 will arrive soon enough with four doors. At that time, you'll be glad you waited, agreed.
4.8L and 5.3L on a website or in a magazine?
Dealer inventories are finally good on 2wd 1500's
so I need to choose which engine.
According to my literature from GM, the following specs are:
4.8
255HP @ 5200 RPM
285 lb.-ft. @ 4000 RPM
5.3
270 HP @ 5000 RPM
315 lb.-ft. @ 4000 RPM
The only graphs that I have seen were in a GMC Sierra brochure. I have read that the torque curve is pretty flat in the 5.3L from 2K to 5K.
Hope this helps.
Also,all this talk about waiting for 2000 models and for 4 doors is just speculation.And just when you think thats all you want,the 2001 will have some other neat thing,more power,new interior,crew cab and the list goes on.They (auto builders) know how to keep us hanging.I think the 4-door rumor is letting gm catch up on a large back log. I think its coming,but they are having trouble just getting this one off the assembly line. I have been waiting almost 4 months! Guess I can wait a little longer.
I do agree that four doors is long overdue and
worth buying. However, if you are going to get
into that kind of accident where a full size
truck gets hit so bad that the back two doors
popped open, then you will probably be either
dead or near death.
In response to cookie1,if you are going to get into that kind of accident you had better hope that you have a safe vehicle and your not that crash dummy.
From what I see the government watches Volvo then makes it a requirement airbags, ABS, etc...
CENTER CHARGE FOR ALL THAT LUBE. DO YOU THINK I
CAN JUST BUY THE FILTER AND DO THE CHANGE MYSELF?
FOR 26 ANDREW 1: I GUESS THAT IF YOU DON'T FEEL THAT THE VEHICLE IS SAFE ENOUGH FOR YOU, YOU
SHOULDN'T BUY IT. NOT ONLY IS YOUR VEHICLE AN
EXTENSION OF YOUR PERSONALITY, IT SHOULD ALSO BE
PIECE OF MIND.
Typing in all CAPS is the net way of yelling and screaming. I'm sure you don't mean that. ..... Rich
I have enjoyed reading the wealth of information posted, and look forward to any further input.
Automakers have a lot more experience with this than you think. Remember the hardtop sedans of the 60s and 70s? They had no B-pillars - the door pivoted from the frame up. When you rolled down the windows - there was no post between front and rear. There's not a convertible alive that has a B-pillar, either - the rigidity is restored with chassis crossmembers. Dodge even made the Dakota convertible - kinda resembled a bathtub with the top off.
A severe enough impact will open any door, standard or suicide. Vans have had what amount to these same doors on the curbside for decades. The double-door side entry is the exact same concept - Open the forward door first with the handle, it releases the rearward door so you can open that, leaving a huge pillarless opening. I think we'd know if it was that unsafe by now.
My only gripe about suicide doors is with young children, who have an annoying tendency to whip open a door and bolt from a vehicle. They figure out the sequence very quickly; as soon as Mommy or Daddy opens their door, they can reach around and open theirs. But on the driver's side, that suicide door really is - it obstructs the view of oncoming vehicles, and you are exiting the vehicle with your back to that oncoming traffic.
The onslaught of new light-duty crew cabs (Dodge Dakota, Ford F150, Nissan Frontier) are more family-friendly in my opinion.
I bought 3 of 'em at my local Checker auto parts. They had to order the PF59 and charged me $5 each - they came in a couple of days. They said they would start stocking them for all of us new Silverado owners.
At least you have your horse (truck), I have the cart (3 filters) but no horse........
As for weight in the cab, I regularly haul in my carpool three guys over 200 lbs. (as well as my self) and the doors close fine.
Mileage rating 15 city, 19 hwy. He was shocked when I showed him the sticker from my 5.3L Z71 4WD
rated at 15 city, 18 hwy! Got 15.65 mpg on my first 250 miles, almost all city. The Ford is OK but does not compare to my Chevy! Back seat is much smaller and less comfortable. It does have 4 doors but the Chevy has many things that surpass the Fords.
Only problems so far are minor! Does anyone feel cold outside air coming into the cab from the hole around the door handle? I also have a very slight pull to the right which is probably due to transport throwing off the alignment? I need to talk to the dealer about the warranty alignment? Has anyone had any problems from the dealer with this? Over 700 miles and love it! Worth the wait!
If I'm not mistaken the reason that convertibles were stopped back in the 70's was because they didn't survive roll overs very well. People got smashed.Cars do have a lower center of gravity and don't roll as easy.But the point is in a 4x4, you are more likely to roll the vehicle.We are talkin running offroad,jumping hills,driving along roads with big dropoffs,thats what some of us are gonna do. I have been involved in two rollovers in single cab trucks and the top was held up by a roll bar,lucky for me.Just look at the ones in the junkyard.There is a much shorter distance between the windshield and rear window than in an ext-cab.The doors are not part of the frame in a 4-door.Also doors do open on impact depending on what kind of accident your in. In roll overs you can flip more than once. It took gm 14 years to figure out that gas tanks on the side of trucks were a problem with safety.Sure its easy to get in the back seat, so are crew cabs and SUV's,but they have the pillar.
The second problem was touched on in an earlier post. I have a loud frame squeak that is awfully annoying. It is loud enough to be heard above the radio and comes from the rear of the passenger cab. It can be isolated to the rear 18mm bolt that bolts down the cab to the frame. When this bolt is torqued, the squeak is reproduced. Lubrication and spacers do not help. The dealer replaced the bolt and bushing (which helped in the previous posting of this problem) but the squeaking actually became more frequent. Does anyone else have this problem or know a solution. Thanks.
Sorry about the problems. I know your frustration. I made the earlier post about the 18mm cab bolts. Before I took it in, I loosened it and sprayed with penetrating lubricant. No effect. It occurred to me if the squeak was in the sheet metal itself, replacing the bolt and bushing should not fix it. Since it did (when the dealer replaced it), I haven't worried. I've kept a cautious ear for it, but it's under control at this time. If I could offer to help, I could probably come up with the name of the service adviser/technician who repaired mine. Perhaps your dealer or G.M. rep could contact him if he has questions. But going back, if that squeak is in the sheet metal itself, you suggest to them that they have the body shop weld some sheet metal patches to the area to increase the strength, and re-paint that area. I hope they take care of you on this and the other problem, so you can be a satisfied customer. Please keep us posted.
jxyoung,
I have not noticed air coming through the door handle, but will check for that. As for the steering pulling to the right...check carefully, might be wind, or crown in the road. Sorry about your friend who bought the F150...but he shortened the wait for some lucky Silverado buyer out there.
No one is denying what will happen during a rollover. I watched some unlucky soul barrel-roll a Chevy van at 60mph after their front tire blew out on I-80. Van rolled 7 times through the center grass median at full speed and was a good 8 inches shorter vertically when it stopped. The rear doors blew open, flinging all their belongings all over the grass. All six lanes (both directions) came to a stop to help. It was not pretty.
But rollovers are generally considered extreme accidents. That blowout at 60 mph won't cause a rollover if you're on a city street doing 20. Similarly, off-roading is considered extreme driving, and precautions you may not need taking your teens to the mall must be exercised on a trail run. As I said in my post, a severe enough accident will open any door. But, the missing B-pillar on its own isn't enough to cause a total body collapse in an impact.
If your oil filter sits straight up and down when its screwed in, then fill it with oil before you screw it in, that way you get oil pressure almost immediately. that's what i do on mine. If the oil filter is on sideways, though, there's nothing you can do.
was it really that noticeable a difference in the engine response after putting in the Mobil 5W-30? you have the 5.3, correct?
That's a good tip. Yes, the filter is straight up and down, and I wish I had filled it first. Will definitely do that from here on on out.
As for Mobil-1 5W-30 in my 5.3L, well if you just spent $30 for a do it yourself oil & filter change, you'd feel it too! Seriously though, it does seem to warm up better. It feels more loose, and smoother at idle, especially when coming up to temperature. But it is not like it was rough running before I put it in, either. The thing I used to note when I would switch over to synthetic was oil weeping out from around gaskets. That indicated to me the oil was doing a good job of getting where it needs to be for lubrication. This engine, on the other hand is touted to have larger sealing surfaces at least than the old vortec, or my LT1 which weeped (even dripped) oil, so we'll see what happens. There was not a drop of anything under it before I changed it, and I tried to wipe everything up after. As for the 300 horsepower, Dave40 will never know what my answer will be until he pulls next to me..vroom vroom...
Alaways wanted to try one of those Badboys > Must be a rush! Plus a couple of grand.
Can we say shallow, extension of who we are Haaaa.
Last I saw it was a mode of transportation. We wonder why truck prices are so high.Oh yea I work for GM.
You asked how other people did price wise. I bought my Chevy Silverdo LS Ext Cab w/ 5.3 engine, auto, & CD player for $22,400 - $500 discount for Farm Bureau Insurance. I was very pleased. So far, I love my truck. I really looked hard at the GMC's but didn't like the side moldings or the tailgate protector as well as Chevy, although I did like the grille a little better. The engine is very powerful, smooth, & quiet. I drove a new rental Dodge Ram Ext Cab before buying my Chevy & the engine clattered while accelerating. It wasn't as smooth as the Chevy. It's great having the 3rd door, but there have been times when I pull into our garage and need to unload some stuff & it's irritating having to go around to the passenger side, especially since it barely fits in our garage. To me, that's the only thing Ford & Dodge have on the Chevy, but didn't sway me & I couldn't wait another year in hopes of a 4th door.
Thanks for the info. I'm sure I will love mine. I got a Z71 4x4 with ext. cab and a few more "goo-gahs". It seems that whenever I buy a car, even if its a good deal, I still feel like I'm getting overcharged.
I took my deal to three other dealers who said that they wouldn't match it so I assume it good but I will be into it for about $27500. I'm getting lots of add ons but when I hear you got yours for $22,000, my stomach dropped! That's significantly below dealer invoice! Did you buy ti from a dealer or thru a buying service?
i currently have a 92 4x4 and still love it, 135,000 miles later.
There seems to be alot of concern about structural issues with 4 doors...some of it just rumors I'm sure, but the articles indicate that the 4th door will also effect structural rigidity which is the big improvement with this frame.
I'm not sure why they put the door on the passenger side except that it would be on the curb side if you parallel parked.
Installation this morning was a breeze. The hitch was a one-piece (the only way to go) and bolted easily to the frame (3 bolts per side). Adding the flat4 wiring connector ($3.99) was also easy once I located the factory harness (color-coded to match) up under the spare tire.
I really don't need the extra oil/tranny coolers like some of y'all do and I'll spend the extra $$ on some other goodies for THE TRUCK.