Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Posted

1999 GMC Sierra 1500 SLE Z71

- 4.8 4l60e 3.73 186,000miles

 

- this is an ongoing build that will probably take me a couple years before it's where I want the truck to be!

 

- lil background and info of truck

 

This is my daily driver and it's been in my family since bought new in 1999. I got this truck when I was 16 from my dad who bought it new in 1999. I was originally going to trade this in for a new truck after college but have now since decided to turn it into well, let's say a toy/work truck! Living in northern Indiana winter's, it has not faired too well when it comes to rust! I hit a fence and the driver door almost got ripped off when you ponder what the dents are from! (Two separate incidents and Long storys and a couple hail storms) The frame is in surprisingly good shape and the only reason I'm fixing/building the truck.

 

I rebuilt most of the front end a couple years ago except for the ball joints which still look in good shape, but I have some new moogs sitting in a box somewhere. I don't think I did the Pittman arm either as that thing was a PITA that never came off. I just changed the front and rear diff fluids, the transfer case fluid, and replaced the seals. (Photos are of leaking seals before I replaced them) All looked well however, the transfer case fluid was a red color instead of blue, I'm guessing none of the fluids have been changed since new! This is a 99 with the auto 4x4 and im guessing auto trak2 came out after 1999! I'll be putting in new plugs and wires as I remember changing them when i was 16 and the truck had 116,000 miles then. Will probably check compression while I'm at it.

 

I also need to hunt down an oil leak, I've changed the valve cover gaskets with felpro and changed the oil pressure sending unit, but no mycoy! (It seems to collect on the front diff, least it won't rust) Probably main seal, I'm just glad I didn't see a ton of sludge when I pulled the valve covers off! Also had new fuel pump installed at 150,000 miles and just changed the heater core!

 

I think I forgot to mention the truck is bone stock except for a cheap eBay CAI that I swapped out the filter for a K&N. I suppose I did have a flowmaster exhaust for a minute but it's just straight piped now! So I need to add a new exhaust to the list of stuff to do! Oh and I forgot it's still rolling on the original shocks, probably order some cheapo rough country leveling kit to fix that as the budget is about gone!

 

My plan is to first make the truck look presentable again, and then eventually do the small mod of a junkyard turbo setup on the engine till it blows up lol! Being the smaller 4.8 engine makes it a good platform to add a turbo as it can handle the RPM's better and has flat top pistons. I don't do a lot of towing so the low end torque I could care less about! Also after the the engine/tranny blow up it'll give me an excuse to do a swap/engine rebuild (still undecided if I'll keep the 4.8) and the turbo setup will fit on the new powerplant!

 

I went and got a newish used truck bed that supposedly came from Texas, and am waiting on rockers and cab corners to arrive! The bed needs some work as you can see from the photos but it is 97.5% rust free which is a biggy in the salt belt! Obviously I will be respraying the bed as I don't want to drive around like it's Christmas year around!

 

I just went and washed my truck to take photos for this and now I'm seeing I may need to order inner cab corners as well, guess Ill find out how bad they are when I cut into it.

 

Sorry this turned into a short story, but I like to be thorough!!!!

 

 

More photos to come after I get parts and time to rip off the old crunchy bed.

63d147a2dca1b1622ea4ff1274582f24.jpg9dd2b387e14454f495408fef5f394e3e.jpgf36a2a7f5536818ecaab96dbc158e206.jpg4fe799fb4a5cd3d48a524552a457b50e.jpg8bd7b166fcc571f45cae3e8c6ba7e815.jpg7d721d4e77ce7fcc3f76035ede0d477b.jpg7e6cb4368ac0297b6313315e951f7dea.jpg472ca98d926239997c4457b7219e3116.jpgf129b60940122bb892d0b56ef90a94c9.jpg58f04c9ba24ef7b3d155c1c3c3fc7a0c.jpg397731db8dba00e21246ceb746ca832a.jpg67f06e0a5c72f9bd8588c9c1cfcce514.jpgb541fc7ca384d307800d1de39907c859.jpg637b6b0d19da7050232ac88a3bb47bea.jpg8364aeb9eb34972cab6c113df61cc518.jpgae714b7830e2e8aaf8361059ac6107a8.jpg1e47d3e68f57a3c74f84de4770bbf7e9.jpgb7d8a661ba850bdb798740b348e93dc0.jpgf5fc5f55e7ef6a2dd2de00e2549ac408.jpgb1e7bd5bd2b57413b99ed9aba148408b.jpg070333c3e676cefbdf11d9dc5148f35d.jpg

 

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

  • Like 1
Posted

an iron one.

nice.

 

I babbled all the chores on my 96..

a lot of it helps that 99.

 

have fun. :)

Posted

It will be a nice truck when finished. Once it's time I would think about a 6.0 love those engines 272k on mine and planning on continue up to 500k nice truck boss keep us up on the build and any problems run into and solutions you come up with

 

Sent from my Z981 using Tapatalk

Posted

Got most of the parts in! I have been gone all week and my mom had to drag all the boxes in the garage, she wasn't too happy haha! (FYI: I'm a typical millennial who still lives at home) I just opened all the boxes literally minutes ago like a kid in a candy store!

 

I also got all of these panels off of Amazon! Way cheaper than LMC Truck or anything else I found! I got a mix of keystone and classic 2 classic panels!

 

The only one I'm not happy with is the driver side cab corner, the rocker indents on bottom don't match and is a very poor cheap look! Check the photos out and you'll see the difference. I guess it'll do though since it's the bottom and who would think to check it.

 

Most of the panels had scratches in them but I didn't see any dents on the first look. I also included a photo of the "bondo" I'm gunna use and I got some metal prep and weld thru primer and stuff still on the way! Oh and POR15!!!

 

I'm gunna try and get started on the bed this weekend! Still need my truck to do truck stuff, will start on it in a couple weeks!

 

More updates to come!

 

e6ec9e8f9ed2eeab6f7f08b8316d2ba4.jpg7da7f27c7d74f6915d93ead972c98b29.jpgdc6ae93b655102d5fd75b4237548cfbe.jpg7fb1fcfc488008c104f9c43eb79d019a.jpgcf0cd3c99910976425e5088f1198a469.jpg083d386c6efcd55dad06a2515e56a2b7.jpgab5f3ccf0dabfdcf2de015e57fd0e0ff.jpg

 

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

Posted

Got most of the parts in! I have been gone all week and my mom had to drag all the boxes in the garage, she wasn't too happy haha! (FYI: I'm a typical millennial who still lives at home) I just opened all the boxes literally minutes ago like a kid in a candy store!

 

I also got all of these panels off of Amazon! Way cheaper than LMC Truck or anything else I found! I got a mix of keystone and classic 2 classic panels!

 

The only one I'm not happy with is the driver side cab corner, the rocker indents on bottom don't match and is a very poor cheap look! Check the photos out and you'll see the difference. I guess it'll do though since it's the bottom and who would think to check it.

 

Most of the panels had scratches in them but I didn't see any dents on the first look. I also included a photo of the "bondo" I'm gunna use and I got some metal prep and weld thru primer and stuff still on the way! Oh and POR15!!!

 

I'm gunna try and get started on the bed this weekend! Still need my truck to do truck stuff, will start on it in a couple weeks!

 

More updates to come!

 

e6ec9e8f9ed2eeab6f7f08b8316d2ba4.jpg7da7f27c7d74f6915d93ead972c98b29.jpgdc6ae93b655102d5fd75b4237548cfbe.jpg7fb1fcfc488008c104f9c43eb79d019a.jpgcf0cd3c99910976425e5088f1198a469.jpg083d386c6efcd55dad06a2515e56a2b7.jpgab5f3ccf0dabfdcf2de015e57fd0e0ff.jpg

 

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

Totally forgot, the box with the wrapping still in it is the new rear bumper, it's powder coated black, I'm getting rid of the chrome on this truck, sorry old timers. I like chrome, but not for Ol' Grumpy! (name of my truck)

 

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

Posted

Didn't get a whole lot done today, 6 inches of rain has flooded the yard and I can move my bed to the car lift to do some real work on it. I did find some annoying things that will have to be fixed on the new bed that I wish I would have noticed when I bought it, mind you it was night time when I picked it up!

 

I'm gunna have to drill out the spot welds and replace the front of the bed with the one from my old bed. I don't think I can bend it straight without doing damage to the rest of the bed as it is already out of whack! I have a porta power but I don't wanna chance it, I don't see how I can secure the bed safely to pull on the front hard enough to straighten it out! See pictures!!!!

 

Also found some bubbling on driver side wheel well we're I'm gunna have to separate the wheel well from the bed to clean it out well enough to keep it from getting worse.

 

It had some sort of ladder rack on it that bent the driver side top rail as well which I knew about when I bought it. I did discover the passenger side had a whole new bedside replaced which is not a bad thing!

 

I peeled off the Z71 sticker and the chrome trim. Then I found some bubbling under the paint inside the bed floor so I took a grinder to it and it's doesn't look serious. (All in the pictures)

 

I posted a photo of some more rust in my current bed which is main reason I opted for a new bed. Also pulled the new bumper out of the box, it came with new mounting brackets and new black licence lights and harness!

 

I'm still undecided if I want to sandblast the bed or just use a DA Sander since I'm just gunna rhinoline the inside! Shoot me any thoughts or questions y'all have about my build!19016abaf75730ca5bd8109250d69f33.jpg1a24a7d19361661e8035d2f985508676.jpg1bc474d7d108ea8cd20f619af1a40ff3.jpgfa05d86b5613bbb9d42375e54bbf4402.jpg8a93671eb29c013b06f7a79b32acbf6b.jpg51cf569938d18a6df60b2fc301799215.jpg1bc8a80a7897af1f31e0a2aaf0aa2bc4.jpgf629b6907fec86a3cbe2805689ae47e6.jpg4ca932cc45ac0ccf9e7368918ebfa7fe.jpg89f33da95b92ac55446b1ffd992759a7.jpg332272c22c808f5a9b71cf82391b15af.jpg

 

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

Posted

Upon further inspection of the driver side "surface rust" on the wheel well, I decided to remove the outer wheel well panel and boy did it reveal someone's past attempt to cover it up!

 

It was a real bear to remove the spot welds of the outer wheel well as I don't have a spot weld drill bit, and couldn't get to the ones inside regardless! Out came the air hammer! I'm going to have to piece in some new metal for the wheel arch as well and I found duraglass and cover-up of rust!

 

I went ahead and checked the passenger side wheel well by sticking my phone up in a hole to snap photos, it's all new which further proved my suspicion of a new bed side on the passenger side, it is covered in lots of dirt already! So a good wash is in order soon for the whole bed before I sand it down.

 

I was hoping to reuse the outer wheel well by just treating it with por15 metal prep, but I'm just going to order a new one! Most body shops don't do rust repair, so why should I, I could probably fix the outer wheel well, but meh!! As you can see in the photos, it is pretty rusty! I'm just lucky I don't have to patch in a new wheel arch, literally caught it just in time!

 

So far this bed has been more trouble than it was worth, I'd now change my statement of 97.5% rust free bed to 85%, I highly doubt it came from Texas as well, just had extensive repair done to it! I also posted photos of the lack of spot welds on the front section on passenger side compared to the driver side! I will have to remove the front section as I have stated before and replace with one on my current bed.

 

I had to order a sander as the one I was going to use is a bit dated and was going to cause me headaches, I had to edge it for it to do any sanding, and I didn't like the way it did its job!(see photos)

 

Also shown is the driver side cab corner and rocker panel comparing the rocker indents that do not match at all! I also removed the bottom panel supports because​ a couple of them were bent in "transit." So I'll have to save those off my current bed as well. I also had time to get the bed rail Mostly straightened out, still needs some more hammering, but I won't be mad if I just leave it like it is either.

 

Im going to brush on por15 to the underside of the bed, or as much as I can get too. I also ordered some raptor spray on bed coating that will cover the inside and top of the bed rails. I was going to order it on Amazon, but my local parts store can get me more than the standard 4 liters they sell it in at a cheaper price, Im guessing I'll need 6 or 7 liters to cover the area I want.

 

Probably won't have any new updates for awhile as I'm need to order parts and pick up my Eastwood welder from someone who is borrowing it.eea92e9956211560f70139990f74bd6e.jpg07ea84f479acc30700f89889b6f6f68e.jpg5b26a22a0d235b6895983badff52ce0f.jpgc4489fef0ed38038c49c8e3f52555647.jpgaf32718e744085ddc26c5176b6745d07.jpg482b3551fd84f90856a43bc039ceb84a.jpg971059609e6b206fcedf94360d1b2632.jpg1f1fb5590cbc205cfdb56c9f6f0c7b5b.jpg4fe7d461a53867607135846a56254731.jpgfc77e4f10c44519d3bc20fe6825c718f.jpg3a1b2acc0e590d51743a8a82d0acb9d3.jpg77fb8886a828b289e1d15e73c35f1a63.jpg0090b77c6b51cc29a7c3d2ce96350ca0.jpg

 

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

Posted

I should also note that I am not an auto body tech or mechanic for that matter, I did an internship at a body shop that also does classic car restorations and was in auto shop in highschool, I am self taught for the most part besides my knowledge from the internship at the body shop. Most of my knowledge for cars ranges from old carburetor classic cars to modern GM vehicles, I can also rebuild and tune modern/carburetor engines, but again, I mostly only know about GM based vehicles because that is what I have owned​ and research and work on. Just a regular Joe smo with access to tools and equipment that most Joe smos won't have in their 2 car garage.

 

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

Posted

If that bed came from Texas then it was from the coast, I live in west Texas and my truck is 11 years old and barely has surface rust on the frame.

 

I'm in the same boat as you , self taught with auto shop class in high school but i dont have as many cool tools as you do lol. Hell i dont even have a garage :(

 

Good luck with the truck, i enjoy watching the progress on peoples projects :)

Posted

Welp, I ordered a new wheel well and went ahead and got a inner cab corner from browns of two Rivers. No Amazon this time! They literally came the next day (forgot to get photos of them).

 

Photo 1: ground down wheel arch to see how bad it really is!

 

Photo 2: cut out rusty wheel arch, will replace with 18 or 16 guage steel, depends on what u can get my hands on!

 

Photo 3: shows 2 layers of paint, I.E. paint on left is new, paint on right is factory paint that was painted over. If you look closely, you can see the filler primer(light grey), the finishing primer(dark gray), then the new red base coat and then the clear which is the scratched up red color.

 

Photo 4: new hook and loop vacuum sander off of Amazon, literally didn't plan on doing any sanding today, but this came in mail and next thing you know it's 6 hours later and bed time

 

Photo 5: the arch is rusted through just above the angle for the bottom of wheel well, going to metal prep the inside of arch, then cover with 2000°F engine primer, then tach weld in some thin 22 guage steel on inside so I can still fit in the inner wheel arch followed by por15. Then I will duraglass the outside followed by "Bondo"

 

Photo 6: only have 120 grit sandpaper, actually need 80 grit, but this is 6 hours worth of sanding, mind you I am also sanding 2 paint coverings, originally I was just going to take it down to primer, but the bed sides I'm going to take down to metal since it is unknown what all is there, the inside I'm just gunna rough up with 120 and spray in the bed liner. I did find filler in a few places to cover a low spot, but nothing major.

 

This post will actually be the last update for probably a week or so. c5555de4e05add05b33204d697760d0b.jpg119abb3d666deaf69e30611373381541.jpg4159f2ba2b7dcfba494555e5eae38f11.jpgda4df2abe97b65ed18c28e513c3942e7.jpg8884fa7cfa193a4a0c7ba33f24b4421c.jpg7d833fc2a942cd5c5104cc6c09301845.jpg

 

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

Finally able to work on this again, removed the exhaust heat shield and sidewall supports that I couldn't get off before because of well, Rusty bolts! No photos of heat shield removal(my bad). I broke all but 3 of 8 bolts that hold on the heat shield! Guhh, I'll worry about it later!

 

I tried heating bolts with cutting torch, no good! Had to cut off bolts for the sidewall supports, one pictured is gunna get replaced with one off of my current bed.

 

I drilled 43 spot welds to remove front portion of bed! The factory spot welds I used a 1/4" drill bit. The passenger side had been redone since a new bedside was put on, I had to use a 3/8" drill bit paired with a air hammer chisel and lots of hope and luck was involved to not tear up the panels. That being said I've dealt with much worse, so it went pretty smoothly.

 

I also got some 16 guage steel to replace driver side wheel arch, shaped and cut it then called it quits for the night!

 

Next step is to scrape, wire brush, and clean underneath the bed with por15 degreaser and then metal prep, it will be dirty wet and time consuming. So I've been putting it off needless to say. I should have done it before I brought the bed inside, but there is a center drain and por15 product is environmentally friendly water based.

 

Hopefully by the end of this weekend the bottom will be painted and then I can install the new wheel arch panel, weld the makeshift wheel arch, and take bed off my current truck and take off the front portion and install on this bed.

 

We'll see if I can get it all done by Sunday evening! I'm really not looking forward to not driving my truck for a few weeks or months depending on how much hidden rust I find and have to repair, it's seems to keep popping up on this "new" bed.

 

My temp car is a 1974 Pontiac LeMans that has no AC or radio, but it'll be fun to drive for all of 2 minutes! It runs and drives but needs to be restored! I hope it holds together as it's all original with 70,000 miles and sat for 20 years in a barn before I got a hold of it, when I say original, I mean it has all original rubber hoses and vacuum lines. The tires might be original but show no signs of dry rot so who knows, it'll get me to work and back, but I won't go cross country driving in it lol. If it doesn't last I have another car, but it's a show car and not technically mine yet! (1966 Chevy Impala convertible that me and my dad restored a few years ago) I guess technically the LeMans isn't mine either but I'm the one who takes care of it! It's only been driven by me in last few years, kinda took it without asking and nothing was ever said about it. My parents are awesome!

 

Enough rambles! Last pic is current status of build.f198ece1ee9c3f51aa65564a9f00f17f.jpg458da55f02c417367b23045344f7b02c.jpg4b0a43eb4512cc095c407e1caa570a76.jpgd3e35c661ea555611d51b0c59ef22151.jpg96999bba3a10baed621a82ebc3ceb384.jpg0fec0955ed741bbfb620d03e0927186d.jpg80bbc6cb98450db1c29f0a75eefa0dea.jpg9e84d12f8c054428616af5187881d350.jpgef048ed5922a785203e5701f9b9e65ae.jpg

 

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

Posted

Pressure washed last night, also used degreaser, then sprayed metal prep on whole bottom of bed! Rinsed after an hour, then came back this morning to find were the metal prep showed hidden rust under paint and caused it to Bubble. Needless to say I've done nothing but wire Wheeling and scraping the bottom of the bed all day today!

 

I had to set the bed up, kind of a pain but my arms are tired from laying on a crawler. I included a pic of the passenger side wheel well all cleaned up, or as best I could. I'm to the point now with this bed that I'm deciding another bed will be in the future, I'm going to get what I can cleaned and then slap on por15 paint tonight, I'm not spending more money on new bed support beams for this rusty bed that is only slightly better than my current one on my truck! I'll drive to Florida for a good rust free bed if I have too, I just need this one to last for about 5 or so years.

 

I keep telling myself this is a work/toy truck, not a show vehicle, but it still just bothers me not fixing things 100% more pics to come tonight!270f189cbfc75341d7c18d4888087c4c.jpg1f13b223554a01e709db88380f9b9951.jpg7e66f4a1d6676111800a0cce6c5acc9b.jpg

 

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

Posted

Was an all day process, but it's finally painted with por15! Passenger side has black primer from replacement panel, so that's why you can see where I stopped with paint, I only went to just above wheel well bottom. This is one coat with about 5 45¢ foam brushes. I'm only doing one coat!

 

The lighting and camera make it seem darker than it really is, you can still see some red factory paint in areas! But it's the bottom, who's gunna check it lol

 

To prep I used a wire wheel, red Scotch Brite, and sanded a few spots with 320 grit, then wiped down with Omni ms251 multi-purpose solvent. Probably a bit strong of product to wipe down, but meh! (No I didn't tack it, it's por15 and rust). Oh I also used an air nozel about 1600 times to blow crap out of the bed support rails.

 

I honestly think if I wanted to take the time to drill the spot welds, all the bed support rails could be saved and reused, I cleaned the outside of them good, but they will eventually rust from the inside out. Ain't nobody got time for that!

 

Time is starting to become an issue as I need this truck to be done and ready by the end of July, and I haven't even gotten to the actual truck yet!

 

As always I'm rambling!

 

Included is pics of me still trying to get settings on welder set, (pretty poor job so far lol, I don't claim to be a professional and 16 guage sucks! Can't wait for 18 guage body panels!), and my new driver wheel well and inner cab corner I forgot to show before!4d81e9e89bd9719496b3a60f583c6878.jpgcf94a9ea58576e3120014881ac203c80.jpg31c36ff9cd001bfa0fc0838cdbbb5b01.jpgc4e067ab64b46d90900213b183f3e786.jpgc0b439040bfb9bb0cedc2737d964fe31.jpgc0908b889a4a88f786ae3bf54775d11e.jpgeabd4a29f2013ca8b49575ca373cba50.jpg129519848ceef12eb295e08c002415ca.jpg

 

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

Posted

Weld through primer I got is red. Then I covered it with por15. I also painted the wheel well with por15. After paint dries I'm going to weld in one side of wheel well, and then set bed back on the stands.

 

I also got engine paint in a spray can to top coat the bottom of the bed, it is flat black. I poured to much POR15 out to paint wheel well, so I went ahead and painted my new rear bumper brackets that were all scratched up from shipping.

 

Paint is not dry in pics!b1c94d529d8ad9d6c45f8f6dd2d89e49.jpga66b3be4e452168d8e9b955dad2f75c5.jpgc464e9c21dadd3a1bd2c6ee716a68a11.jpg98185d2308fdfcdea39d38f0e68ea98d.jpg8b300ebf682df65fb22d3ce27dbb1d48.jpg91217b2583d30118d5015bc4781513c9.jpg

 

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

  • Latest Articles

  • Posts

    • First off, I'm not trying to just get easy advice/fixes for the issues I've noticed so far.  I'll be combing through the site via searches and such, and if past experiences are any indication, should find what I need.  For the sake of conversation, though, I figured I'd post the handful of things I've noticed in the 12 hours since buying my 2010 SLE CCSB.     Indicator lights: Airbag and TPMS.  The tire pressures aren't reading for any of the wheels, so I'm pretty certain the sensors were either removed, are damaged, or are otherwise inoperable.  I used to mount and balance tires 25 years ago but am pretty much ignorant when it comes to TPMS.  My 2006 didn't have the sensors and this might be the fourth vehicle I've owned that does.     Radio: Rear speakers aren't working.  I removed the driver's side rear door panel and checked the speaker and wiring.  I also removed the sill and b-pillar covers to check the wiring.  A few minutes of Google Fu showed that this is potentially a head unit issue.    Switches: Power mirrors don't turn left/right.  I ordered replacement driver's door switches that should arrive tomorrow.  The windows and locks work but it was only about $20 for all of them.  The driver's side rear window switch lets the window down but won't put it back up.  I think the passenger rear doesn't work at all.  In the coming days/weeks, I'll break out my multimeter to check all of that.   Unknown wiring harness: There's a box attached to the front driver's side of the engine compartment, right where the second battery shelf is located.  There are three plugs, one of which looks like it fits a standard headlight-style bulb (9007 or similar).  It doesn't look like it's plugged into anything.  I'll do some digging and if I don't see anything elsewhere on the site, post some pictures here.   Unknown plugs on brake booster: There are at least two female plugs on the brake booster that aren't being used.  I think it might be a replacement/aftermarket, so maybe those are used for a different application, as there don't seem to be any unplugged harnesses and no indicator lights are on.   Little squeaks when turning: Sounds almost like a bushing around the bed of the truck.  I'll have to pay close attention as I get more familiar with the truck.   Clunk on acceleration: possibly the infamous drivetrain clunk.  My 2006 had it and I'm just not familiar enough with this truck yet to fully grasp what it is.   Anyway, my apologies for the vague and all over the place post.  This truck is new to me, and it's been four years since I drove my 2006.  With 200k miles, I know I'll need to learn this truck quickly to avoid having any major issues, despite being confident it's got much more life to it.  My 2006 had nearly 320k on it when I parked it (nearly 300k of which I put on the truck), and it was still drivable then, though I suspected the head gasket might have blown.  I'd hoped to have that truck back by now, but it's gone forever, as I detailed in my reintroduction thread.  
    • I always drive in Sport mode. With more driving, I am finding the initial response when accelerating is much quicker now🖕 Lou
    • Is it an optical illusion in the pic or is the truck really squatting that much horribly?
    • My initial introduction was here.  It's hard to believe that I last posted in February 2013, having just deployed to Kyrgyzstan.  Since then, I've retired from the military and the 2006 Sierra SLT Z71 that first brought me to these pages was lost.  I went forward to Afghanistan in March 2013 and did a lot of sitting behind a computer on brigade staff.  Within 18 months of getting back to the States, I was selected for Drill Sergeant duty, after which I moved back to Virginia (my home state and where I served from 2004-2008).  That '06 Sierra did a lot of driving between Louisiana, Georgia, and Virginia, and ended up with nearly 320k miles by 2022.  By then, the registration had been expired for a couple of years, but the pandemic had all but eliminated tickets for such transgressions.  Admittedly too, I usually drove my wife's SUV or son's car the 2-3 times a week I had to report to work.  Teleworking sure was fun while it lasted.   I started my retirement leave four years ago and stored the Sierra at my sister's house.  A big mess was made when her fiancé passed while she was taking care of business out-of-state in late-2024, and his son pretty much mismanaged everything to do with the estate.  Even so, I was assured that my truck was safe... until it wasn't.  I found out that my truck had been scrapped about four months after the son took over everything.  There's nothing I could do; I'm 1000 miles away and it was technically abandoned property since he'd even trespassed my sister from her own house (she had no claim to it as she wasn't married, and the fiancé was the sole owner).     Anyway, today I got my second Sierra.  This is a 2010 SLE 2WB CCSB with a little over 200k miles on it.  It's got the 5.3L I'm familiar with and should handle what I need it for.  Hauling stuff that won't fit in the Transit Connect (yep, I sold out, but that's the wife's vehicle) and towing a few times a year tops.  The price seemed decent, considering how much people sell their trucks for in the Deep South: $4500.  I've seen similar trucks listed for more than double that.  I got it from a coworker who left his tag on until we transfer the title next week (Louisiana requires a notary for transfers), so I've been driving it all day.  The rear speakers don't work, which is one of the things that brought me back to these forums earlier.  I can't say how active I'll be as a poster, but I'll be scouring the archives while I find out every little thing I can about the 2010s and particular nuances/problems with my truck.   It's definitely not a GMC, but I got another Willys Jeep a few months back as well, so I'm almost at the same place I was when I first joined gm-trucks.com.  My old 1960 DJ3A was sold back around 2010 or 2011; my current Jeep is a 1946 CJ2A.  So, I've got a slightly newer GMC and a much older Jeep.  I kind of wish I still had that F-250 I had way back when too.  The Dakota is long gone and was technically my brother's truck, though I had it registered and insured.  The F-250 had to go when my grandmother's house was foreclosed on due to mismanagement around 2012 or so.     Hopefully anyone that made it this far isn't too annoyed.  I tend to be long-winded, but I'll be doing more reading than posting in the coming months.
    • There was a recall on the tailgate in general for opening on its own. Mine has a cap on it and it won’t let the tailgate open.   My tailgate has two holes in the top of the tailgate. I filled them in with silicone sealant. 
  • GM-Trucks.com Clubs

  • Popular Contributors

×
×
  • Create New...