Another Canadian

Nova · March 18, 2007

Well, I finally got the 5 necessary posts in order to start my own topic, so I figured I might as well introduce myself.

I'm 21 (22 next month), I work in Alberta but usually spend my days off at home in Saskatchewan (only a short 650 kilometer drive). I am a Wireline Operator for Weatherford Wireline, started in October of 2006 and am really enjoying it so far. I spent my first three and a half years out of high school working in the parts department of a GM dealership that also sold Polaris and Mercury Marine products as well as numerous brands of travel trailers and boats.

I decided it was time for a 4x4 truck after almost every trip I made home this winter was on icy roads or in small blizzards. Add to that the fact that I spend most of my days at work driving 3/4 tons, 1 tons and class 3 wireline trucks. I no longer felt safe in my 94 Saturn SC1. I have been following this forum for about a month, maybe a bit more, while trying to decide exactly what kind of truck I want. It didn't take me too long to decide that an 03+ Silverado extended cab was what I wanted. I kept my eyes open, but mainly watched my previous employer's used stock as I figured that would be my best chance of getting a clean truck and a decent deal. About two weeks ago they had got an 04 Silverado in that looked on paper like it was pretty much everything I wanted. Well, I made the trip home for my days off Tuesday night, looked at the truck Wednesday afternoon and then drove it home just after lunch on Thursday.

Anyway, it is a black 2004 Silverado Extended Cab 4x4. 5.3L, auto tranny, every option except DVD, has step bars, Access roll up tonneau cover and an Avital remote start. I put a billet grill insert on the other day, and have a Keystone ram air hood that will be painted and ready to put on by time I am back for my next set of days off. I am also having the grille emblem painted black and the door moldings removed at the same time. My project for the next couple of weeks will be to paint the lower valance black, and if that doesn't turn out to my liking I will have to buy one for an 06.

Other possible future mods are:

-Completely replace the Bose stereo system with aftermarket. This will hopefully be a summer project, and I may try building another fiberglass sub box depending on what type of setup I decide to use.

-Install an Airaid intake to make my ram air hood functional. Unsure when/if I am going to do this or not, but as long as the truck doesn't give me any issues in the next year I may allocate some funds for this.

-Tires are currently stock size BF Goodrich All Terrains with 6/32 remaining on them. They will probably be due for replacement by next winter and I intend on going to either 285/70's or 305/65's and at the same time either torsion keys or a 4/2 Trailmaster lift.

-Currently not very impressed with the Avital remote start, so I will likely upgrade to a Compustar Alarm/Starter combo before next winter.

-Black Altezzas will likely be one of the next things to be done this spring.

I may at some point look into color matched outside door handles, but I haven't entirely decided yet. All I know at this point is I want to make sure the truck looks as clean as possible. I'm not a fan of chrome accessories and I don't want any one item to pull attention away from the rest of the truck.

I also own a 69 GMC that has been modified quite a bit. I bought it back in high school, mostly as it sits now. I purchased it with the paint and body modifications already done, as well as the mild 350 and TH350 with a stage 3 shift kit. Since I have added racing seats (big mistake, should have found an OEM style bucket, would have been much more comfortable), removed the mudflaps, finished the interior, lowered it 2" in the front and 3" in the rear, installed 4:11 gears with an Eaton posi, and added rims and tires. The truck has been sitting since summer and will probably sit for some time unless my dad decides he wants to insure and drive it. For as often as I am home, I can't justify $600 a year to insure something that might get driven a handful of times.

The best I can do for pictures is post the link to my Yahoo photo album. http://new.photos.yahoo.com/album?c=bman32...695&.src=ph