Custom build?

[Lazarus Long]

This is probably a stupid idea, but I've been thinking of customizing my 97 Tahoe.

 

I've been looking at the new Tahoes, I'm don't really like what I'm finding. They all have 3rd row seats which I don't need or want, take up cargo space, and can't be removed. I would rather have the 6.2 engine, but can't get it unless I get a Denali or Cadillac for big $$$ and lots of gadgets I don't want. They're a lot bigger than mine, which is already quite big.

 

For that kind of money, I'm wondering if it makes sense to take my old Tahoe to a custom shop and turn it into new car, with a better interior, upgraded brakes, engine, tranny, etc. I live in indiana, which charges an excise tax based on the age and original cost of the vehicle. Seems like this would also keep me at the bottom of the chart.

 

So is this a stupid idea?

[SouthernSilveradoGuy85]

I wouldn't say it's a stupid idea since you don't like modern gadgets and it would keep your insurance and tax on it low, but before you think about it seriously you'll need to go to a custom shop so you get an idea of how much it would all cost. I'm sure they could give a rough estimate at first and then look into everything to get a more approximate amount. It's easy to figure out how much the parts will cost, it would be harder to figure out labor cost I would think.

 

Or instead of looking at the brand new stuff, look into a newer used Tahoe. You don't have to make a huge jump to something brand new (even though I did, from a 98 Silverado to my '14).

[The Zip]

You are probably looking at over 10K without labor, add labor and you might as well get the next gen Tahoe from yours (00 - 06). Those are some nice trucks. I have a low mileage 01 Tahoe (130K) and the KBB on it is around 6.4K. I agree with SouthernSilverado, I would look at a newer gen after yours. Once Indy takes their share you still may save bucks versus a custom build.

 

After driving my 2015 Tahoe for over a year now, the safety bells and whistles are the best features, the prior two gens don't have these options

[Lazarus Long]

Does the 00-06 generation have a better transmission than the POS 4l60e in mine? Brakes that work?

[The Zip]

I owned the 00-06, 07-14, and the 2015 gens at the same time. I did a comparison with them while at the house, but I can't compare the 00-06 gen to yours. I will tell you that I bought a Tahoe in 00, still have it today, and never did anything with the brakes; only flushed and filled the trans once. Never any drips or leaks from any of the fluids. If I had to I could jump in it right now and make a 3K trip easy. All of my Tahoe's were/are LA diamond lane drivers, so they have to bring it. GM did an outstanding job with the 00-06 gen truck, that's why you see so many of them still on the road today.

[Friz2]

I have a '95 K30 truck, had an '03 Tahoe, '08 Suburban, and now have a '10 Denali and '15 C1500.

I was very unhappy with the brakes and power on the '03, loved the '08, and REALLY love the '10.

 

Your Tahoe is still my favorite body style. If I had one of those, I would be willing to spend $10-15k to upgrade it rather than buy a new one. However, the '10 Denali sure is the ultimate road trip vehicle...

[The Zip]

I know you are not looking to get a 15, but all prior gens run a distant second. The gens from 00 to 15 compare similar on a road trip with hp ranging from 285 to 355 with the 15 being a bigger vehicle but more dominate in the city. Actually the 15 doesn’t lose much cargo space with the fold-down seats, it’s made up on the top end by having a squared, higher roof.

 

Your body style is similar to the 00-06 gens, upgrading to that gen then making brake/engine/tranny mods may be a better option and possibly savings on interior improvements.

[KARNUT]

Go on EBay , 4 years ago I bought a custom 92 Chevy P/U. It's stroked got a whipple custom trans, bell tec lowering springs, custom seats wheels radio etc. I paid 7500$ it looks good runs real good and every thing works. The guy I bought it from had lots of money in it, he bought it from his friend who was the original owner.

 

 

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[Lazarus Long]

 

I know you are not looking to get a 15, but all prior gens run a distant second. The gens from 00 to 15 compare similar on a road trip with hp ranging from 285 to 355 with the 15 being a bigger vehicle but more dominate in the city. Actually the 15 doesn’t lose much cargo space with the fold-down seats, it’s made up on the top end by having a squared, higher roof.

 

Your body style is similar to the 00-06 gens, upgrading to that gen then making brake/engine/tranny mods may be a better option and possibly savings on interior improvements.

 

 

I need to park mine next to a 15 and measure the cargo space. The 15 3rd row seats do fold down flat, but I also noticed the floor space is several inches higher. I don't know how the floor to ceiling distance compares. I sometimes carry my road bike in the back of mine, which will not quite sit upright. If it can't sit upright, it will fill up the back.

 

My 97 is plenty big, the 15s (and previous generation) seem almost comically large in comparison. I asked the dealer about weight, he said about 6000# empty, which is over 1000# heavier than mine (which is 4800#). The 5.3 has more power than my 350, but it is also a lot heavier, which is one of the reasons I am interested in the 6.2. Another reason I want the 6.2 is almost all of the large naturally aspirated engines are gone, everyone else is going to small turbos. This is the end of big engines, so I want the best one. But I can't get it unless I get the $$$ Denali or Cadillac. For that kind of money, I'm wondering if there are better options like a Range Rover.

 

How is the electric steering in the 15? I haven't test driven it yet, but so far I am not impressed the systems I've driven. My dad has a BMW X5, it is terrible - completely numb. And this is opinion of a guy used to driving a 18 year old tahoe!

[Lazarus Long]

Go on EBay , 4 years ago I bought a custom 92 Chevy P/U. It's stroked got a whipple custom trans, bell tec lowering springs, custom seats wheels radio etc. I paid 7500$ it looks good runs real good and every thing works. The guy I bought it from had lots of money in it, he bought it from his friend who was the original owner.

 

 

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One of my concerns with going custom is getting service later. Do you do all your work yourself, or do you have a mechanic? Can he work on a vehicle that isn't stock?

[Lazarus Long]

I have a '95 K30 truck, had an '03 Tahoe, '08 Suburban, and now have a '10 Denali and '15 C1500.

I was very unhappy with the brakes and power on the '03, loved the '08, and REALLY love the '10.

 

Your Tahoe is still my favorite body style. If I had one of those, I would be willing to spend $10-15k to upgrade it rather than buy a new one. However, the '10 Denali sure is the ultimate road trip vehicle...

I bought mine new in 97, it is a 4 wheel drive LT with the towing package. It has been a good vehicle, but it has had its share of problems. Seems like something is constantly breaking on it.

 

The good:

Very little rust, even after 18 midwestern winters. No rust in the wheel wells or tailgate.

Engine is still good

'only' 147,000 miles on it

 

The bad:

Interior - driver seat is a wreck. The fake 'leather' is cracked and lots of holes in it

headliner is starting to sag in a few places.

brakes are terrible (has had new brakes)

Blower control is failing, only does 'off' and 'med-high' now.

left rear power window

Need to fix/replace the right rear door (sideswiped a tree that got too close while backing up)

 

The replaced:

Transmission @ 120k

Fuel pump (twice)

water pump (twice)

AC compressor

coolant lines

oil lines

plugs & wires

alternator (twice)

power steering pump

steering gearbox (twice)

frozen front output shaft for 4 wheel drive system

cracked bottom case of transfer case

repainted hood and roof

 

Every time something breaks I fix it. I think it is in good shape now, but I keep wondering if it makes sense to keep fixing it. It is probably worth less than $2000. Could have almost bought a new one compared to the repairs I have into it over the years.

 

My folks have a cabin on a lake in northern wisconsin.

 

My dilema:

1) Buy a new car, and leave the tahoe in wisconsin for everyone to use on the dirt/rocky back roads so I can bring my other car (98 Corvette) and not worry about banging it up.

 

2) Fix up this one nice and keep it as my daily driver. By fixing it up, I mean new modern interior with good quality stuff, new/better suspension that handles and rides better, bigger wheels so I can get brakes that work, new transmission that was designed for a heavy truck instead of a cavalier, more power for the engine.

 

The problem is I waited too long before looking. The big engines have disappeared and have been replaced with small turbos, the long term durability of which I am highly suspicious. I don't like turbo lag, which they all have despite the marketing claims to the contrary. I not so unhappy with the handling of my old tahoe after driving some of the newer cars with electric power steering.

 

But with a new car, eveything will be new, will work, and will have support from any dealer. It just annoys me that they have run up the cost with tons of gadgets that I don't want but have to pay for.

 

The nicest SUV I've test driven so far is the Porsche Cayenne (base mode). It is comfortable, should be big enough, handles really well (even though the electric steering is a bit numb), costs about the same as a Denali. But for that $$$, I want more than a 300 hp V6. The Cayenne weighs over 5000#, the V6 is just adequate.

[KARNUT]

Myself, and a qualified mechanic I've use for 30 years. In the 4 years I've had it I've done very little to it. I look at it this way, for what I paid for it just covers the whipple if I built it myself. I learned that the hard way.

 

 

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[The Zip]

The nicest SUV I've test driven so far is the Porsche Cayenne (base mode). It is comfortable, should be big enough, handles really well (even though the electric steering is a bit numb), costs about the same as a Denali. But for that $$$, I want more than a 300 hp V6. The Cayenne weighs over 5000#, the V6 is just adequate.

 

What are you actually looking for, your '97 has you way out of touch if you bring-up a Cayenne and Range Rover in a GM fullsize SUV conversation. Not even a comparison. Are you looking for an SUV to go fast or one that hauls or tows?

[Lazarus Long]

 

 

What are you actually looking for, your '97 has you way out of touch if you bring-up a Cayenne and Range Rover in a GM fullsize SUV conversation. Not even a comparison. Are you looking for an SUV to go fast or one that hauls or tows?

 

 

I don't really need anything as big as my Tahoe, it is just for myself. I do travel back and forth between Indiana and Wisconsin frequently and want to take my stuff and bike with me. Ideally, something with the 6.2 V8 but I'm not much interested in the Escalade, Denali or a pickup truck. Past experience with GM V6 engines has left me greatly unimpressed, so I'm not getting another GM vehicle if it doesn't have a V8. I'm less interested in the size of the vehicle as I am the engine.

 

I went through the same process when I first got my Tahoe. My previous car was a Chevy Lumina (3.1 V6) which blew up. When I replaced it, my #1 priority was I wanted a 350 V8. What vehicle it was installed in was less important. I ended up liking the Tahoe, so that's what I got.

 

This time around, I want something that handles better than my Tahoe, better brakes, decently fast, and can still haul my stuff. I doubt I will ever tow anything, and I have rarely used all the cargo capacity, but want a trailer hitch for my bike rack.

 

For the same money as a Denali, I can get a Porsche or Range Rover, so that got me thinking I should be looking them also. Thanks to all the regulations you can't get a V8 in either any more, which is also disappointing.

 

So my options seem to be:

1) Get a denali so I can get the 6.2, but is too big, too much bling, less cargo capacity, and doesn't have the handling.

 

2) Get a Porsche/Range Rover/???, which will be closer to the size I want, much more nimble, but will have a forced induction V6 of some kind that doesn't have the low end grunt that I'm used to and questionable long term durability.

 

3) Rebuild my Tahoe, which is a completely different and unknown can of worms which may end up being a big nightmare.

[KMGZ400]

Why not a Acura or an Infiniti suv? They can do everything a cayenne can do for way cheaper.. And to compare a Denali and a cayenne.. They are at 2 different ends of the field