88-98 Chevrolet Silverado or GMC Sierra C/K's

[CoachRoss07]

Didnt see a thread on this version truck. I have a 1996 Silverado K1500 with 321K miles. Original Vortec 5.7 engine. I bought several years ago. I used to drool over this exact truck when I was on the school bus waiting to be dropped off at school in the mornings. A classmate's of mines mom owned it and would drop her off at school every morning. Always loved the GMT 400 platform trucks. Runs like a top. I am the 2nd owner. After many years of being told no, they finally sold it to me. I plan to strip it down to the frame and rebuild it back up slowly with all new parts.

And of course since this is BITOG I have to mention. The original owner ran Quaker State 5W30 Syn its whole life until I purchased with 190K miles. (A woman owned it, its while life). I have since switched its diet to Mobil 1 5W30 "vanilla".

(Few pictures posted below) oil psi pics are actually some i took tonight after a long drive in Park and in Drive. They just don't make them like they used to.

What do you got? What year is yours? How many miles? Original engine?

 

[andrew_j]

Those all rotted away to nothing years ago. Anything left looks like Swiss cheese now and likely has agricultural plates so it no longer gets inspections

 

[CoachRoss07]

Those all rotted away to nothing years ago. Anything left looks like Swiss cheese now and likely has agricultural plates so it no longer gets inspections

Come down south brother. We got something to show you

Thousands down here in mint condition lol. They are almost everywhere. Up north I do not disagree lol.

 

[fantastic]

Very popular models of an era & I agree with you that it's my favorite 1/2 ton.

I've had at least x3 of these trucks. All being 2 wheel drive.
Pic of my brother right after I recruited him to help take the side molding off my 1993 C1500 that I traded my 96' Mustang for. Circa 2003-2004. 5.7 350

You can see a sliver of my 88' Corsica next to it.

Here's another red 1994 C1500 but this one was a short bed. Newly installed rollpan. 5.7L 350.

I had some Tahoe Limited Edition leather seats I put in.

Had a skid loader come off the trailer & wack the truck.

Below is my 91' Festiva, 96' Hardbody, 98' Eldorado

Rebuilding it. I put a step side bed on it & gave it a 5/7" drop but don't have any pics sadly before I sold it.

 

[fozzdesy2001]

Didnt see a thread on this version truck. I have a 1996 Silverado K1500 with 321K miles. Original Vortec 5.7 engine. I bought several years ago. I used to drool over this exact truck when I was on the school bus waiting to be dropped off at school in the mornings. A classmate's of mines mom owned it and would drop her off at school every morning. Always loved the GMT 400 platform trucks. Runs like a top. I am the 2nd owner. After many years of being told no, they finally sold it to me. I plan to strip it down to the frame and rebuild it back up slowly with all new parts.

And of course since this is BITOG I have to mention. The original owner ran Quaker State 5W30 Syn its whole life until I purchased with 190K miles. (A woman owned it, its while life). I have since switched its diet to Mobil 1 5W30 "vanilla".

(Few pictures posted below) oil psi pics are actually some i took tonight after a long drive in Park and in Drive. They just don't make them like they used to.

What do you got? What year is yours? How many miles? Original engine?

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I have the 1988 1-ton K3500 diesel version, they all are nice trucks!

 

[PontiacHO]

That body along with the 5.7 is the toughest truck GM has ever built.

 

[stevejones]

Nice truck!

 

[snarl]

1995 cclb 6.5 312k

 

[Chris142]

I remember replacing front suspension parts often on those. Especially idler arms and upper control arm bushings.

 

[CoachRoss07]

I remember replacing front suspension parts often on those. Especially idler arms and upper control arm bushings.

Yes. Those were a weak point. For sure! And hubs along with power steering box. When I bought this with 190K this still had the original and original ball joints. It was crazy. Females definitely are a lot easier on vehicles than us men tend to be for sure lol.

Believe it or not the power steering box doesn't even leak till this day. Crazy.

 

[CoachRoss07]

That body along with the 5.7 is the toughest truck GM has ever built.

It definitely is. Truck has been flawless. Common failure on these were the original intake manifold gaskets which I changed to the felpro "problem solvers" before I even tagged the truck lol. Also the pre AFM GMT 800 (1999-2007) trucks with the newer LS engines were right there with them. They were tanks also.

I have the 1988 1-ton K3500 diesel version, they all are nice trucks!

Man I would love to see a picture of it! That is definitely a unicorn. 6.5? Or 5.7 diesel.

 

[Nick1994]

I’ve got a soft spot for these trucks.

I had a ‘96 C1500 5.7L as my first car. Bought it from my dad’s neighbor in 2011 for $700. All it needed was a battery and front brakes. With 3.73 gears it had plenty of power and could roast the rear tires. Not that I ever did that at 16 years old . Sadly I need something more economical in college so I sold it a few years later.

 

[CoachRoss07]

I’ve got a soft spot for these trucks.

I had a ‘96 C1500 5.7L as my first car. Bought it from my dad’s neighbor in 2011 for $700. All it needed was a battery and front brakes. With 3.73 gears it had plenty of power and could roast the rear tires. Not that I ever did that at 16 years old . Sadly I need something more economical in college so I sold it a few years later.

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I had one around that age too but I actually bought a 97 tahoe 4x4 right when I graduated just becuase I liked them so much! I drove it more than i did my new 2004 at the time. Sold it, regretted it and purchased another 1999 tahoe, then sold it and lastly this 96, some years back. They do something to ya, I tell ya . I have a feeling you'll regret this too with enough time, or you may already. But you'll be hard pressed to find one for 700$ anymore. Value of these things are stupid now!

 

[OVERKILL]

My buddy's dad always had several of these that he picked up for a song through various connections. One of them had like 2" of sludge underneath the valve covers, this would have been like 2008? We used that one to tow his S10 to Shannonville for the drags, it had the worst headlights of any vehicle I've ever been in, they were like little candles in housings totally oxidized to hell. The drive back was scary! LOL!

He later put a plow on it and stopped DD'ing it, not sure if he still has it. The other gold one he had at the same time, I haven't seen it in years driving by their place, so I'm assuming it went to the wreckers. That's where everything he used up went, he wrung all the life out of them.

When I was in Uni, the truck stop I worked at had a 2500 or 3500 with the diesel and a stick. Think I've told this story on here before? It was also the plow truck. Anyway, the Manager asked me to move the truck, and reminded me (as I often heard him complain) that it is really hard to start. I went out, turned the key, waited for the glow plug light to turn off, and it fired right up. Huh... Relocated it, went back in side and just mentioned to him that it started just fine. He looked confused, so I told him exactly what I did (on the suspicion he had no idea what the glow plug light was...) and he was like "the what?" and at that point the great mystery of why everybody seemed to struggle with the truck was solved

 

[Kruse]

A couple of months ago, a neighborhood kid gave me a 1990 CK1500. I guess I should say almost gave, as I got it for very little money. It has no rust, 200K miles, the 350, 4WD and the NV3500 transmission. The problem was the transmission was going out. Not a Chevy man myself, but I've since gone through the transmission and am waiting for some spare time to reinstall it. I've heard of a few people replacing the light-duty NV3500 with the heavier NV4500, but wasn't going to put that much money in it.
While I live in an area where a 4WD is quite often needed, I'll probably flip it.

 

[CoachRoss07]

We used that one to tow his S10 to Shannonville for the drags, it had the worst headlights of any vehicle I've ever been in, they were like little candles in housings totally oxidized to hell. The drive back was scary! LOL!

You are 1000% correct about all of this lol. One day soon I need to upgrade the lenses and install LED lights. That seems to wake them up pretty good.

Your story is hilarious lol. Down here some of the guys I've noticed on gas engines tend to turn the key and wait. It's actually pretty funny to watch. I'm assuming they are either OTR drivers or been around mostly diesels all their lives.

 

[dfarr67]

'89 Silverado k1500 fleetside Torch Red/White. Still better looking than the new ones. 385cid FIRST-TPI, 700R. 200k km

 

[Elkins45]

Here's a picture of the rear axle of my dad's 98. This truck has 54K miles on it.

 

[CoachRoss07]

Here's a picture of the rear axle of my dad's 98. This truck has 54K miles on it.

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Yikes. Shes holding on though. Man you northern boys and gals got it rough and I do mean that. Wow. As much as I'd love to move to colorado and considered it heavily, this is one of the reasons i won't. I have a 22 yukon that I purchased new and will probrably be my last purchase I buy for the next 20 years if the Lord allows. All my other vehicles are almost 10-20 years old (flawless). You guys need to replace (if not meticulous about undercoats) ever 5-7 years. That's brutal.

Would he sell it?

 

[RhondaHonda]

I like this generation. I can feel the door sag as it opens.