2004 Chevrolet Silverado

[Silverado]

Picked it up after my 1995 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 3.1 V6 FF rusted out on me with only 107,000 miles.

Again, 2004 Chevy Silverado, Standard Cab, Short Box, 2wd, 5100 rpm redline.

Handling -5- Compared to most half ton trucks, this is the cream of the crop, but only because it is has the smallest wheel base and lightest weight. At 4200 lbs, by no means is this truck light, but it does weigh the same as the 2009 Challenger. after a pothole you can feel the body panels shifting around you like they are doing the stadium wave. Not fun.

Power -3 for third- 4.3 V6 200crankhp @ 4600rpm, 260 ft/lbs @ 2600rpm. My opinion is that the V6 is appropriate for the trim that I have, but if you have the 4.3 on an extended cab like a poor fellow on craigslist I have watched drop his price from $8500 to $3500. Noone wants that junk. Giving it full throttle and dumping the clutch, you can feel the torque melting you into your seat. It feels nice. the 4.8, or even the 5.3 would be amazing with the 5MT, but sadly, the 5.3 was never paired with a manual, and the 4.8's are incredibly rare.

Comfort/Ride -3- After my Syracuse to Buffalo trip today, my lumbar region was hurting pretty bad on the crappy soft fabric seats. Truck can feel all bumps as well. The cab however is very spacious and there is a ton of head room.

Fuel Economy -5- On that round trip with a couple days of city driving as well, I drove 475 miles on about 18.5 gallons of 87octane. For those with calculators, that comes out to 25.5 beautiful miles per gallon (mpg's). How did I do it, you ask? I just drove 62mph on the highway. No drafting, nothing. excellent. 22.5 mpg is what I usually get however.

Style -4- I think it looks awesome, but my cousin has the same thing, only blue and 1999 and his looks a little tougher, as tough as a v6 mated to 4200lbs of steel can be.

Practicality -4.5- I can tow shit, I can haul shit, but it doesn't get a 5 because I only have the 6' instead of the 8' bed. also no 4wd.

Fun -4- fun for me, I love the sound of winding up 1st and 2nd. My girlfriend doesn't like it.

Feasability of Sexual encounters -0- You know what else my girlfriend doesn't like? My truck. She doesn't understand why I couldn't have gotten a I4.

over all - I love it. 4 for everybody that is a bachelor like me. 0 if you have a family and offroad/haul BIG stuff/plow.

[theholycow]

Didn't you already post a thread? Is this thread because I usurped that thread with pics of my truck?

Comfort/Ride -3- After my Syracuse to Buffalo trip today, my lumbar region was hurting pretty bad on the crappy soft fabric seats. Truck can feel all bumps as well. The cab however is very spacious and there is a ton of head room.

Does your truck not have adjustable lumbar support? The cloth split bench in mine does, and I thought the lower model cloth non-split bench does too but maybe not.

At 4200 pounds, I'm surprised at your description of feeling all bumps. My extended cab 5.3 4x4 weighs in at 4400 (been on a scale), has the heavy-duty trailering suspension package, and rides as smooth as a 7 year old full size pickup can. When it was new its ride could even have been described as "cushy", but I've done some heavy hauling/towing with it over the years and worn it. It's still nice, though.

[Silverado]

That wasn't a real usurping. This thread is for the best archival purposes. The format is priceless.

No lumbar support. Either that or I haven't checked. You gotta remember that I have crank windows and manual locks. For christsakes, I've got a manual transmission . My truck is base model.

Your truck cannot possibly only weigh 4400lbs. You've got 2 more cylanders, an extra front drive train, 2 feet extra cab, an automatic transmission, and I'm assuming more safety equipent and options.

[Silverado]

Whoops, I forgot to add some to the "Fun" section.

Fun -5- when it is raining, snowing, or offroad, I can drift like nobody's business. gassing it in first or even second results in beautifully exciting wheel sping and my back end is all over the place. However, I'm not too worried about safety in the winter because I am almost always a careful driver. I drive the speed limit, accelerate slowly, don't talk on my cell phone etc.

[theholycow]

Has your truck been on a scale? Where did you get the 4200 number?

I'll have to look for my old scale receipts, but I'm pretty sure mine weighs in at 4400 with just me in it.

[Silverado]

http://media.gm.com/division/2004_prodi ... verado.pdf

Try searching 4142



In hindsight, this seems far less likely of an accurate source compared to an actual scale that you were on. The exactness of 4142 seems convincing to me though.

Where can I find one of these scales, or better yet, the one you were on for the best accuracy?

[theholycow]

Gravel yards, landfills, scrap yards, and truck stops all have scales that are required by law to be accurate. The last time I was weighed I brought a refrigerator to a scrap yard (got $25 for it), though I don't think I'll find that receipt.

Years ago I took it on a segmented truck stop scale with my camper, and got axle weights a few ways - unhitched, hitched normally (weight-carrying), hitched weight-distributing with the bars set tight, hitched weight-distributing with the bars set medium...those receipts I can find, and one of them shows the truck's weight with me, some tools, and I think some firewood.

[Silverado]

I will definitely have to do that. What would be the cost? $25? Maybe we (the bachelor mobile and I) only weigh 3500lbs. Nice. More like 4,000 probably.

[theholycow]

It's not $25. At a truck stop it might be $7 (I think that's how much it was when I did it). At any of the other places, it's free, it's part of what they do. Bring some scrap metal to a scrapyard and they pay you.