ba'al

Hey guys I recently got a 99 Chevey Silverado z71, 5.3L v8. It is the extended cab version with heated leather seats and a remote starter. I love this thing to death, it's actually my first vehicle under 170,000 miles on it. It actually has 104k on it now. I was just wondering what some of you guys/ gals who love trucks would do with it to make it better(stylish wise and mechanical wise).

It currently has the stock rims on it, and I do plan on getting new rims eventually but they can be pretty expensive. I'm planning on keeping it truck style, ie no chromed out spinners or anything that some kids love to have on their trucks at my uni.

I'm also thinking about a billet grille(chrome), different tailights maybe, and whatever I can do to make the truck look different. Mechanical wise I do plan on getting it louder(any ideas?), getting a new k&n air filter.

Also a problem I know that it has is that the gas guage likes to not work sometimes. It goes back and forth when it feels like. When I was at CarX a few weeks ago getting it checked out the same thing was happening to someone else's silverado, any idea's what is going on?

Anyways if anyone has any ideas I would love to hear them

Ilow

The chrome grille doesn't sound too bad, and thank the good lord for your taste in not putting spinners on it. You could always throw a large exhaust on it (3"?) with glasspaks or something, but check out the exhaust thread that was running around here before. There are usually tons of engine mods you can do, but who knows how far you want to go...cams, pistons, flywheels...yada, yada. If you plan on any off roading, that opens up a whole new can of worms, suspension, lockers, tires, and so on. I like the truck as it is now, so personally I wouldn't do a heck of a lot to it, unless i had tons of $$$ to play with.

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P-Naughty

Since you have a hard bed cover, a sprayed in liner would be too much. And the duals are very nice, but you may wanna get some tips just a slight bit wider in diameter. Then again, dual is better than single, so it's obviously up to you.

I've found one of the biggest things to help those riding with me are a set of Westin chrome nerf bar step rails. They look nice, aren't that expensive and are a big help to those of shorter stature who ride with you. And they were a tremendous help when I sprained my right ankle late this winter.

As for the rims, keep 'em. Not only do the stock GM rims look good, they're pretty damn tough. Mine are the 18" billet aluminium GMC rims (the ones that have the logo engraved, not painted in red) and have had nothing but good things to say about them. And while we're on the wheels, keep those size and style of tires. They're just right for everyday and off-road use.

The only other thing I could think of would be a chrome grill guard with the headlight covers. Plus, IMO the billet would look better behind it. What style you go with is ultimately up to you, but I would recommend you get one that matches the contour of the headlights. Don't be like one of those people who have a grill guard for an 04 or 05 Silverado with the slanted headlights on a 99 body style. It doesn't look right and no one I have ever spoken with liked them. I'm thinking of getting one for my 04 Sierra, but can't find a grill guard with the headlight covers just right. The newer GMC headlight style is somewhere in between that of the 99-03 Silverado/Sierra and the 04-now Silverado headlights , so finding something perfect has been rather difficult.

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ba'al

Well actually there is already a spray in liner in the back. I like the looks of the hard cover but its not very convinient for me, so right now its off since I have to move stuff back from school here shortly. The thing about the rims is that uh, how shall I Say it, I like shiny things. My old 87 F 150 had some nice American Racing chrome plated wheels that I loved. So Im looking into eventually getting something nicer, but what I do need is something that can get dirty because I will take the truck off road( not hardcore or anything).

As for the exhaust I want it loud. My old truck was loud, but we also blew out the cats and had no muffler, something I cant really do with the new truck with the o2 sensors. Or so my dad says. He says it screws with the engine somehow and since he is in the business I kind of have to believe him. I am thinking about glasspacks which would be nice and bigger tips.

All in all its a beautiful truck, its my baby. But it looks like all the other ones out there and I want something kind of more noticeable.

Ilow

good call on the nerf bars and brush guard P-naughty. A nice set of Hella or PIAA off road lights on a tasteful brush guard would dress it up nice. Again, I like those rims, and wouldn't change them unless you wanted tires that were big enough to warrant a change.

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Halx

My sister had a 98, raised a good foot, on monster tires. Looked cool. Worst fucking vehicle on the planet. Hope your fuel injectors are clean.

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merkerguitars

Get some billet door handles...they look nice and are more durable..... I'll post a pic of my buddys extended cab duramax sometime....I sold him a ton of stuff to pimp it out looks wise....don't do too much, they are way too easy to make gawdy too fast. and about the gas gauge thing...check a chevy forum..there is probably and easy answer... get a cold air intake...on those trucks you can get about 3+mpg and it adds up quickly..they are good trucks..and yes they do take a beating.

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Boo

Its a very nice looking truck. Save your money for in case it breaks down and for your next ride. Skip all the add ons. No reason to turn a good looking truck like that into a money pit.

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FlatLand Flyer

Don't fall for any of the bolt on stuff that is supposed to give you better HP amd/or MPG. The general consensus on that stuff in every truck forum I am a member of is that "bolt ons suck!".

Your exhaust is already dualed out. That is good. You want it loud, then get a Flowmaster 40 series muffler. Maybe have the exhaust exit somewher else like either in front of or behind the tires.

You could always lift it mildly. 3-4 inches wont hurt the truck's geometry and whatnot very much and it makes it stand out from the crowd a little more. My truck is a '94 with a 6'" lift and 35" tires. I like it, but the MPG is obviously not great. I don't drive a lot miles though. I would attach a picture if a I could.

I have always been a fan of grille gaurds, especially ones with lights in the center. Makes the truck meaner.

As for the gas gauge moving wildyl, mine doesn't, but my battery meter does. A mechanic told it is quite common and the easiest fix is to just whack the top of the dash and it will point correctly. I though he was full of shit, but it works. You may try that even though your truck is a lot newer than mine. Another thing is to put a bottle of fuel injector cleaner in the tank either every oil change or every other oil change. The engines are good, but the injectors are a joke.

Nimisys

gas gauge is either the sneder at the fuel pump or the cluster itself. have a fuel injection serivce done every 15k miles ot keep the injectors clean and the throttle body free form carbon buildup (its the source of low idle, low speed stall). your due for the sparkplugs and coolant to be replaced and the tranny to be flushed and the filter replaced. other than that you are good to go. these genIII trucks are a 1000x better than the year before them, and will run solidly past 200k miles.

souzafone

The gas gauge problem is the level sensor which is a separate part of the fuel sending unit. No permanent cure, they just wear out. Get the ventvisors for an extended cab, the rear sections look cool, they're angled to accept the pop out windows. Keep in mind that any change in the wheels that changes the circumference of the tires will require reflashing the computer or you will have problems with diagnostic warnings, such as ABS and vehicle speed. Nice looking ride, good luck.

Scorps

Chrome billet grill, head light copvers and well keep the duel exhaust...maybe stick some 22 or 24 inch rims on it

IanSturgill

good lookin truck, if you ditch the tonnuae (sp) then get a toolbox, i never travel with out my tools and jumper cables ect.