Longtime S-10 owner, firsttime CC owner...

stepasyd · Post by **stepasyd** » Mon Apr 23, 2012 4:15 am

Picked up this truck Saturday morning. One owner truck, and he took damn good care of it. It's the cleanest 9 year old truck i've ever seen, got the price of it talked down to $11k, (they were asking $12k.) From talking to a couple of guys on s10forum, the price is highway robbery, but with the condition it was in, I figured I would kick myself if I passed it up. And that price is average for ZR5's around here, I saw one in Myrtle Beach that was listed for $14k, They don't seem to depreciate much down south.

My 98 is getting up there in mileage, and just isn't as dependable as I'd like for it to be, don't mind driving it around town and all, but wouldn't want it to get me stranded 2 hours away. I've had it for 10 years this upcoming week, so as a gesture of appreciation, i'm letting it take a nice rest. So this has become my daily.

Completed mods (A.K.A. what i worked on all day sunday...) include running boards removed, dealer sticker removed off of the tailgate, dealer tag removed from front valance, DRL and AHL's disabled, LED license tag lights, LED dome lighting, an LED bulb in the ashtray, and while i was doing the AHL disable, I ditched the stock tweeters in the dash for a pair of power acoustik's I have never opened.

Plans are for a slight t-bar crank for now, clear corners with JamStraight orange LED's, 5000K HID's, colormatched grille and bowtie, cheap ebay cold air intake, thrush muffler (...maybe) tint the front windows, LED tails, LED 3rd Brake light (if i can find one that fits a crewcab, just like the one on my 98), along with speaker upgrades at all 4 doors. I also plan to debadge it, as soon as this week. Also need to get my hands on a pair of GM Excellence emblems, spray them flat black, to match the bedrails, and put them down below the bodyline on the doors, just like the ones i've done on my 98. Also would love to get my hands on some of the weathertech mats. my dad has a set, and they seem really nice, despite the price.

Here is the pic that started it all last week, a buddy of mine sent me this pic, he works at the bodyshop at the dealership where it was at, he sent the pic with a message saying "clean truck...you should come get it.." lol.

It was really ugly out yesterday, and i didn't really get any pics, except interior shots, so here are some pics from the saturday morning, before the mods started yesterday.

and then the interior shots, which is really, really clean, aside from the driver side floormat, along with the pedals...gonna work on those this afternoon after work probably, along with starting to debadge.

and then i tried no flash, my camera phone didn't really do the LED's justice though..

Post by **HenryJ** » Mon Apr 23, 2012 4:56 am

Wow, it does look good. How many miles on it?

Welcome aboard!

Glad you found us !

Serge PETIT · Post by **Serge PETIT** » Mon Apr 23, 2012 6:22 am

Be welcome and have a nice , long and safe road with your new truck !

Jongo88 · Post by **Jongo88** » Mon Apr 23, 2012 11:17 am

Welcome to the site... And that is a very clean truck!!! I seen it on the other site too..lol

stepasyd · Post by **stepasyd** » Mon Apr 23, 2012 3:06 pm

it has 92k...

which is a little on the high side i guess, but i feel confident that they were easily treaded, well maintained miles..so that made me confident going ahead and buying it. bought an adapter today, that converts RCA to AUX, thinking this factory stereo had RCA hookups behind it, only to take the bezel off, and find out that wasn't the case...any ideas as to what i can do to be able to have an auxiliary connection, so i can connect my phone for pandora? i just find it kinda weird, considering the stock HU has an aux button..couldn't tell you the last time i burned or bought a CD..

also, does anyone have any input on the weathertech mats? i haven't seen any of them installed, just curious how well they match up to the factory floor lines...

and another thing..I'm not sure how many of you are familiar with the door sill protector plates, or at least thats what i call them, they are typically made by ventshield/ventvisor/avs/egr, or whoever else, are plastic, and they mount with double sided tape on the bottom of the door jams, to protect from scratches getting in and out of the truck...I have a set on my 98, and looked them up at work (Advance Auto) for the 03, and they only list them for the front doors, I'm curious to know if i could order 2 sets, and if they would work for the back doorjams...I even looked up under a Blazer, only the front doors for it also...i'm just too lazy to go outside and measure my old ones on the 98, and then measure the back doors on the 03...I'll do it eventually tonight..or tomorrow...

thanks for the warm welcome guys..was a little dissapointed that after i took the time to make my thread over on s10forum, that nobody bothered posting...that place has turned to crap in recent years...

Jongo88 · Post by **Jongo88** » Mon Apr 23, 2012 3:48 pm

You will like this site. There is a ton of info here and everyone is willing to help you in a nice grown up way...

14x4 · Post by **14x4** » Mon Apr 23, 2012 4:20 pm

What can I say? It's a beautiful truck.

stepasyd wrote:cheap ebay cold air intake,

Save your money and just cut the air box.

http://www.s-10crewcab.net/HenryJ/box1.html

Post by **HenryJ** » Mon Apr 23, 2012 4:37 pm

Don't trash another forum too much. Their members frequent here too. I have gleaned lots of great stuff from other forums. S-10Forum is one of the good ones.

The cheap Ebay intake will work, but the cut airbox is just as good and cheaper.

A quick search and you will find plenty about the Aux input I wired in audio and video inputs to my truck. (link is still good. It runs $68)

I have been pleased with and use Husky Liners.

There is one member who installed the sill protectors. It might have been Digger24 on his yellow crew cab? I don't recall what he used. A search should find it , although it was a very long time ago. Maybe 8-10 years ago now? You might consider using the 3M rock protective shield. It is an adhesive film. Cut to fit what you need.

stepasyd · Post by **stepasyd** » Mon Apr 23, 2012 4:38 pm

and another pic...from earlier today at work.

and yea, i am a mod over at s10f, and have been a member there for 9+ years...I just really don't care for alot of the things that go on over there.

i might as well go ahead and do the airbox mod, did it on my 2.2, although they are so restrictive, i didn't really feel any of the advantages of it with it, and i bought an intake for it, which i did more for the fact of how well it cleans up the engine bay, plus who am i kidding, i wasn't going to get any kind of gains worth a crap with an intake on a 2.2 anyways. as unrestricted as the 4.3 is, i'll probably go the route of the modded airbox...money better spent elsewhere.

stepasyd · Post by **stepasyd** » Mon Apr 23, 2012 5:08 pm

with the adapter, it looks like it just converts over to RCA inputs...so i would still need to adapt to 3.5mm?

this is what i picked up at work today...

and here goes my radio...not that it helps any..

Post by **HenryJ** » Mon Apr 23, 2012 5:20 pm

stepasyd wrote:with the adapter, it looks like it just converts over to RCA inputs...so i would still need to adapt to 3.5mm?

Yes. You will need a cord to route it to a convenient location. A quick stop at Radioshack should do it. I mounted my inputs in the center console.
BTW. on the Avalanche I did the $3 input mod. It uses the XM radio interface. Works GREAT!

stepasyd · Post by **stepasyd** » Mon Apr 23, 2012 7:26 pm

i'd really rather do something DIY like that, instead of what i picked up from work i think..something a little sleeker..

killian96ss · Post by **killian96ss** » Mon Apr 23, 2012 10:15 pm

Since you've been around S10's for a while, you probably already know what to do, but I'll throw a few things out there anyway. A couple of good mods to do first are Bilstein shocks (expensive, but well worth it), Energy Suspension sway bar & end link bushings (much better handling), shaved throttle blade (better throttle response, slight hp increase, free), modified factory air box with drop in K&N or similar high flow filter (for about $100 more than the drop in air filter I recommend the Spectre air intake system), any high flow muffler of your choice (2-1/2" to 3" in/out works best). The transfercase switch & fuel filter are good items to replace right away, and it wouldn't hurt to do a full tune up, replace the O2 sensors & replace all the fluids unless you have records showing that has already been done. Relocate the rear diff vent line to prevent water from getting into the oil.

Steve

stepasyd · Post by **stepasyd** » Tue Apr 24, 2012 4:07 am

i'm definately thinking it could use a trans flush and filter replace, along with the usual..plugs, wires and fuel filter...filled it up on the way home saturday, and then poured a bottle of seafoam into the gas right away...the throttle blade mod i'll have to look into, i've never really dealt with 4.3's...so some of the mods you mentioned are new to me..up until now, i've always been a 2WD, 2.2 guy...

lol. thanks for all the suggestions though.

stepasyd · Post by **stepasyd** » Tue Apr 24, 2012 4:13 am

silly question, but while it's fresh on my mind...when i pulled the bezel off last night, there was a harness plugged into the back of the airbag cutoff delete panel, what would that wire be for? it was such a pain to unhook, that i didn't want to plug it back in, but i did anyway. GM never thought to give us any slack in the wires when they built these trucks. just curious if the next time i get that bezel off, hopefully to install that GM aux adapter, that i can leave it unplugged..any thoughts on that? i'm guessing it's wiring for the airbag cut off, but i never remembered it being that hard to unplug in my 98, although i shaved and filled that panel smooth some 6 or 7 years ago, and i'm sure you guys know how hard it can be to remember crap after you hit 25..

Post by **HenryJ** » Tue Apr 24, 2012 4:51 am

stepasyd wrote:silly question, but while it's fresh on my mind...when i pulled the bezel off last night, there was a harness plugged into the back of the airbag cutoff delete panel, what would that wire be for?

The crewcab is a utility so it shares the same forward harness as the Blazer. Those plugs are for the rear wiper and hatch release.
I modded one of those switches to operate my auxiliary fuel tanks and offroad lights.

stepasyd · Post by **stepasyd** » Wed Apr 25, 2012 3:56 am

gotcha...i should have known that...thanks.

_STUCKY · Post by **_STUCKY** » Wed Apr 25, 2012 9:26 am

LED license tag lights, LED dome lighting, an LED bulb in the ashtray

Do you have a part # for the bulbs?

As for the radio, I replaced mine with a nice alpine head unit, added the iPod cable to hook up my phone, realized iTunes is horrendous, bought a 32 gb usb memory stick to plug into the iPod cable, loaded it with music. There is like 14 gigs of music on it at the moment. When I want something else, I take the memory stick inside and plug it into my ps3. It takes like 3 seconds to copy a full album. It's also been nice having the memory stick with me when I'm out and about, since I can just plug it in to anyone's computer or ps3 or Xbox or whatever and copy music. I have a 500 gb hard drive at home loaded with all kinds of music, also. I've always been into stereos, but I had never realized how much simpler this is compared to CDs. The alpine has the "rds" or whatever so it displays song info from radio stations. There is an aux input, also, but I've never messed with it.

I did not enjoy the factory stereo or speakers. I suggest replacing all speakers with a quality name brand speaker, even if you are keeping the stereo. Go for a high SPL rating (91dB is better than 87dB) in the correct power handling range. I always liked Cerwin vega speakers simply for the SPL rating. Higher SPL means it will be louder with the same amount of input.

I wouldn't buy anything car related from Sony, though. Bad experience on 2 items in a short period of time. I'll never own another Sony amp or head unit. Long story...

stepasyd · Post by **stepasyd** » Wed Apr 25, 2012 3:35 pm

i can't think of the bulb size for the dome light in the overhead console...its a 211-2 maybe? the other bulbs are just little 194's...i'll try to get some better pics tonight, once it gets dark out, and funny you should mention something about the stereo...I've been thinking all day long about just getting a decent aftermarket headunit, it would be simpler than trying to do all this work, and i could connect an aux cable directly in. I've kinda strayed away from alpine lately, gave my alpine cda-9885 to my brother in law, back in the fall, after i opted to get a kenwood excelon....ughh..the model # escapes me right now, but i really like the sound it produces, despite the $320 pricetag i paid for it...I may end up taking it out of the 98, and putting it in the 03..either way, if i do go with an aftermarket HU, it'll probably be a kenwood, or maybe an alpine again. I'm not much for sony audio products myself...I've always been a polk speaker guy, and kenwood/alpine/clarion, when it comes to headunits..gee thanks...off to crutchfield i go, now that i have stereo upgrades on the brain..haha.

stepasyd · Post by **stepasyd** » Wed Apr 25, 2012 5:07 pm

anybody have any input on the individual dome light bulbs? i popped one of the lense covers off and it looks like a little glass bulb, i had no clue how to get it out, so i stopped myself, before i broke something, has anyone replaced those?

killian96ss · Post by **killian96ss** » Wed Apr 25, 2012 6:23 pm

As far as stereo go, I use Kenwood Excelon head units, Infinity Kappa speakers (their home speakers are awesome), JL Audio subs, and Rockford Fosgate amps. I have also had good luck with Clarion head units, Kenwood Excelon speakers, higher end Rockford Fosgate speakers & subs, and Kenwood amps. Sony has always struggled in car stereo business. I've had a few over the years and every one.developed problems at some point. Their amps and speakers are also low quality. It's odd that they can't make something better since they do make very nice tvs, home stereos, game systems, cameras, etc.

A 4x6 "plate" speaker will fit in the dash with minimal trimming needed. A regular 4x6 won't work unless you cut through the vent ducts. There are a few door options if you use the Crutchfield adapters. They've had my business for at least 20 years now. Great company!

Steve

stepasyd · Post by **stepasyd** » Wed Apr 25, 2012 7:10 pm

this 03 was actually the first i've seen, that had a tweeter in the dash, it had the 4x6 bracket, and the tweeter was aimed at the windshield, fabbed up some brackets to mount a pair of power acoustik's I had laying around in their place, and that was a nice improvement. I've been looking at maybe going with some pioneer gear this go around...I can get a decent headunit and 6.5's with my 20% discount at work...oh well, i've got plenty of time to figure something out, i keep wanting to get stuff, but i gotta realize that i've got to make a first payment on this thing soon...lol..got shipping notifications first thing this morning that my clear corners and HID's had shipped, billet grille will be another purchase pretty soon.

killian96ss · Post by **killian96ss** » Wed Apr 25, 2012 9:18 pm

As you already know, once the mods start, they never seem to end!

AVS does make sill plates for the late model 4 door Blazer. IIRC, I bought the front and rear sill plates separately, but you might be able to buy 4 piece set. The rear Blazer sill plates fit the CC pretty good since both have the same size rear doors.
How do you like your 2.2 S10? I almost bought a black 98 S10 short bed with the 2.2 and a manual, but couldn't come up with enough $ so I had to pass on it.

I've heard people claim 30 mpg with the 2.2 and manual trans. Is it really possible?

Steve

stepasyd · Post by **stepasyd** » Thu Apr 26, 2012 3:24 pm

the modding, that's what scares me...I am hardheaded when it comes to leaving anything alone, especially with vehicles..

I've never seen 30 mpg with mine...most i ever noticed was around 24-25...then again, now i'm running 18's with a 9.5"ers out back and 295/35's...wrapped around them, so gas mileage is gone with that added weight. Went back and looked in our accessory catalog at work, and only saw 2 piece door sill trim listed...think i can get all 4 for around 32-34 bucks through work, or i may go with that 3M stuff, my dad has something like that, that was precut for his Tundra, which has the tundra logo embossed in it, and it seems to work well, while being a little sleeker, not having such an edge..we'll have to see. been thinking about headunits all day today..whether to go with a cd player, or just one that is strictly digital..paycheck goes into direct deposit tonight, so I might order billet inserts online tonight also..I'm also trying to figure out what to do with my bowtie, i've always been fond of painted ones, but I'm thinking of overlaying this one...I have some carbon fiber vinyl i've played around with, but i don't know how cheesy it'll look, my old boss had a latest generation silverado, and he wrapped the bowties in the same stuff, and it looked pretty good, nothing too loud, just kinda subtle..i bought a small roll on ebay for shiz and giggles..and wrapped the lid on my ps3, but haven't done much else with it. opinions?

killian96ss · Post by **killian96ss** » Thu Apr 26, 2012 7:45 pm

That carbon fiber vinyl looks good on the PS3! I think it would look good on some various trim pieces as long as you don't go overboard like some of the Fast & Furious cars out there.

The only problem with that vinyl stuff is that is does not like to be mounted to rounded edges or curves.
Have you looked through the LMC Truck catalog for S10's? I bought some really nice stainless sill plates for my 88 S10 Blazer through them for cheaper than I bought the plastic AVS sill plates! They sell lots if stuff for the CC!

Steve

stepasyd · Post by **stepasyd** » Fri Apr 27, 2012 2:24 pm

yea, i used to work at a sign shop, and have a few car wraps under my belt...so i'm hoping with a little luck, i can do a decent job on that bowtie, if i do infact decide to go that route...not sure, had a little downtime today at work, i tried to find a color that matched the charcoal metallic, the color of the zr5 bumper..i may just spray it like that, to offset the anthracite color of the grille...broke down and ordered ventvisors for it also, after the warm day we had today, felt like jumping in an oven leaving work. sorry i've turned this into such a drug out thread with my random thoughts and ideas..lol

in other news, I've found the headunit i want...i'm in love...lol. and it's only $460ish bucks...the Pioneer AppRadio 2, for it's compatibility with android phones..may have to really save up a few months to get it, but i think it'd be worth it, Give me to the end of the weekend though, and i'll have probably talked myself out of it..haha.

I have an issue with this truck I have never encountered before, wondering if it's not too much of a problem to fix...My seatbelt light on the gauge cluster likes to flash sometimes, when I'm wearing it. it'll come on, and then go out within a second or so, almost like it's a ground issue with the switch or something, I haven't dug around under the seat to check it, will look into it sometime over the weekend...just curious if anyone else has seen or heard of it in the meantime.

stepasyd · Post by **stepasyd** » Sat Apr 28, 2012 6:05 pm

was out doing odds and ends in the yard today, and pulled the ol 98 outta the shop to rinse it off, and snapped a couple of pics..looking all dirty and sad, ever since i lifted it up to stock height..almost sold it a couple of months ago, had it back up to stock height after I had a bite on selling it, put it back close to stock, and then the guy wanted to lowball blue book price me on it..which was almost half of what we had previously agreed on, i pretty much told him to eff off, i wasn't that hard up to sell it, to let it go for that low of a price, and i haven't bothered to put the lowering kit back on it since...(only a 3/3 drop..)

so it looks a little goofy with the wheels on, sitting at stock height...

stepasyd · Post by **stepasyd** » Sat Apr 28, 2012 6:19 pm

and in breaking news...broke down and ordered some of this, to solve my door sill protecting issues...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003EP ... 00_s00_i00

ordered 2 rolls...one roll split in half would cover the front doors, and i would have enough from the 2nd roll to experiment with the back doors, trying to cover up and hide the cab seams, in the door jam, which i'm assuming is normal...can get pics if you guys don't know what i'm talking about.

killian96ss · Post by **killian96ss** » Sun Apr 29, 2012 10:33 am

stepasyd wrote:it looks a little goofy with the wheels on, sitting at stock height...

Nice little truck! Looks exactly like the one I almost bought!

I'm sure it looks even better lowered. How much did you almost sell it for?

Steve

stepasyd · Post by **stepasyd** » Sun Apr 29, 2012 12:15 pm

originally the guy said he'd give me 5k for it...(with 116,XXX miles) which sounded good to me, with factory wheels on it with decent tires...then he shows up one day with 2800 and said that's as much as he could do, and I told him good day...For all the upkeep I've done on it, and mods, I'd have serious regret letting it go for that price. so she'll stick around, i'll get around to lowering it again one of these days..more concerned with working on the crewcab, and getting satisfied with it, before i go back to working on the 98..

although i'm gonna have to drive it to work tomorrow...decided to put the 5000K HID's in, along with the LED's up front...and i'm gonna either spray or wrap the bowtie tonight..and leave the grille off overnight, so i can put the clear corners in tomorrow, and then put the grille back in once, so i don't have to pull it out multiple times, although i broke down and ordered the billet inserts last night also, so I'll probably be pulling the grille right back off again next weekend for that...oh well..

and on with some more pics of today's progress...pics of the lights and all to be posted after dark...here was my other project of the day.

waiting on the g/f to come over now, she wants me to ride into town with her, gonna go pick up the ventvisors that I have been too lazy to go get thus far this weekend, and while i'm at work, gonna order a new air filter, the one in there looked to have some mileage on it, after the salesman at the car lot told me that all used vehicles are "completely combed through, and all filters, air, oil, and fuel..are replaced upon trade in.." yea right...oh well. that's a snakey car salesman for ya...

stepasyd · Post by **stepasyd** » Sun Apr 29, 2012 3:21 pm

not a good pic...but it turned out ok...might run with it for this week, and possibly pull it off when i have the grille back off for the billet inserts next week...

stepasyd · Post by **stepasyd** » Sun Apr 29, 2012 4:11 pm

and then bolted in...

and the headlights...just waiting for the clear corners..

stepasyd · Post by **stepasyd** » Mon Apr 30, 2012 5:38 pm

got the truck back together today, after a minor issue last night.

http://forums.s-10crewcab.net/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=8686

got it figured out...also pulled the clear corners and billet inserts off of the 98, and put them on the 03, the new clear corners were here, when i got home from work, but I'm gonna take the time to silicone them, to prevent them from get water inside, and then just put them on the 98, once they dry, along with the new billet insert, got the shipping notification on them today... that way i have the crewcab back on the road now...pics coming later on tonight..no daytime pics of the whole package, but i'll get some shots of the lights to hold you guys over..haha.

stepasyd · Post by **stepasyd** » Tue May 08, 2012 3:01 pm

got the XPEL door sill trim on after work just now. this s### is awesome...really satisfied with it, although it was a little bit of a pain to install, but i got the hang of it once i got to the back doors, I'm pretty happy with this $30 mod.

Jongo88 · Post by **Jongo88** » Tue May 08, 2012 5:04 pm

Now that looks good!!!!!

Post by **HenryJ** » Tue May 08, 2012 5:07 pm

Really good! Do you have a link to the product? Where did you get it?
I might have to add some of that to a few things too

rlrnr53 · Post by **rlrnr53** » Tue May 08, 2012 5:11 pm

I like!

stepasyd · Post by **stepasyd** » Wed May 09, 2012 4:04 am

Got it off of amazon, way cheaper than I saw anywhere else. MSRP is $25-26 bucks..got both rolls shipped here for just under $31...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003EP ... 00_s00_i00

Post by **HenryJ** » Wed May 09, 2012 4:42 am

Nice. That is a good price. I will keep it on my radar.

_STUCKY · Post by **_STUCKY** » Wed May 09, 2012 9:00 am

That looks just like the stuff I put on the rear bumper of my 91 k5, like, I don't know, 5 years ago. It's still holding strong. I had bought several rolls of it and slapped it everywhere. It's on the brush guard on my dads cummins dodge, it's on the steps for a ladder on a seed trailer, there is a bunch all over my grampa's tile digger, can't remember where else. But it's all still there and it all sees weather. What you have there I bet will outlast the truck. Me likey

stepasyd · Post by **stepasyd** » Wed May 09, 2012 2:14 pm

I'll probably play around with it elsewhere, will be getting a cd player in the next couple of weeks i'm sure..thinking for the dash kit, maybe trying to cover it in that, might look a little tacky...maybe not such a good idea after all.

a buddy of mine across a couple of other forums did a quick little photoshop for me, of how i hope for the truck to look in coming weeks or so. debadged, and also added the 4x4 silverado emblem some of you may have seen in the other thread i made...

Jongo88 · Post by **Jongo88** » Wed May 09, 2012 2:45 pm

What??? No ZR5 wheels???

stepasyd · Post by **stepasyd** » Wed May 09, 2012 3:57 pm

sorry to all the zr5 purists..but no..I can't leave good enough alone.

_STUCKY · Post by **_STUCKY** » Wed May 09, 2012 6:56 pm

4 wheel drive vehicles deserve bigger tires than that.

That is DeiselRed's truck with 31s.

stepasyd · Post by **stepasyd** » Thu May 10, 2012 4:06 am

that's a no brainer...plan for either 30x9.5's or 31's...don't see the need now when the michelin's that came on it are at like 95% tread..it will happen in due time. in the meantime if you feel compelled to help change this sooner, I'm always open to donations.

_STUCKY · Post by **_STUCKY** » Thu May 10, 2012 8:25 am

Ok. I have a set of 30x9.5s that came on my Comanche. Drive to Illinois and I'll make you a hell of a deal.

urimashe · Post by **urimashe** » Fri May 11, 2012 11:07 pm

this thread is awsome, i look forward to reading more about your CC. btw, how do you afford this stuff? must have a good paying job.

stepasyd · Post by **stepasyd** » Sat May 12, 2012 7:33 am

lol, i haven't really even done any major threads..sadly, i'm going a little too crazy with mods, before the first payment is even due on this truck..

I'm a delivery driver for Advance Auto..good paying job...BAHAHA. I have a job with good hours, that's about it. 40 hours a week, 8-5...

g/f sold off textbooks to amazon at the end of this semester, got $165, and she offered to let me get my headunit with that credit, so i ordered one this week, and i actually went with a sony...dun dun dunnnn..Sony DSX-S300BTX to be exact. my buddy has one, and he loves it, has had it for a year, i sat in his car and played with it, and fell in love, despite my earlier comments in this thread in regards to sony, this is the exception, i think..love the bluetooth streaming audio, and the integrated pandora support for android. Ended up only having to actually pay about $20 out of pocket for it, to make up the difference in price..don't think i went wrong. now i just have to do the speaker upgrade in the next month or 2, and the audio upgrades will be done.

and in other news, this morning I ordered my soft 8's. $251 shipped to my door, with centercaps. Have a guy seriously interested in the ZR5's finally, and is in NC for work for the next few weeks, from Pennsylvania, wanted to get them the first of next week, but the soft 8's won't be here until wednesday or thursday. so that money from them will be going right back in the bank, from ordering the new wheels.

I think that's about all the updates I have for now. pics to come later this week when the wheels get here..

stepasyd · Post by **stepasyd** » Sat May 12, 2012 7:34 am

oh..and got to decide whether to go with black lugs or chrome ones...eh. thinking chrome..the black ones on my black wheels on the 98 are notorious for the paint coming off of them. have had to touch them up twice in the past 2 years.

stepasyd · Post by **stepasyd** » Sun May 13, 2012 1:18 pm

and more pics..got some debadging, and de-stickering done...

urimashe · Post by **urimashe** » Sun May 13, 2012 6:54 pm

its looking nice.

stepasyd · Post by **stepasyd** » Wed May 16, 2012 7:14 pm

thanks!

a minor update, these showed up today..

they'll be mounted tomorrow. i'm thinking blackwalls out.

I forgot how ugly 98+ swirls are...they look horrible with the 235/60's on here, with the 2wd offset..bleh. haha.

stepasyd · Post by **stepasyd** » Thu May 17, 2012 12:18 pm

productive day..got the wheels mounted and balanced, to the tune of 20 bucks, and got the 98 inspected...

got them home and put the wheels back on...quite an improvement, i'm thinking..

killian96ss · Post by **killian96ss** » Thu May 17, 2012 7:09 pm

Looks good!

I have the same rims on my SS only they are 17x9 with 285/40 tires. I also have the chrome Cragar center caps and lug nuts.

Steve

stepasyd · Post by **stepasyd** » Fri May 18, 2012 4:26 am

285/40's all the way around? damn.

i love the look of the bigger holes in the 17's...i may eventually go with a slightly bigger wheel..looks good on there.

ApproachMedium · Post by **ApproachMedium** » Sun May 20, 2012 9:05 am

That SS is sick. When I read this thread a few days ago I went right to Amazon.com and bought the Xpel stuff, I have yet to install it though. Want to wash the old girl first and make sure everything is clean before I put them down.

stepasyd · Post by **stepasyd** » Fri May 25, 2012 2:53 pm

nice, it's probably one of my favorite, most effective mods..(the Xpel..)

just a little update..off work today, after a week of having it, finally got the new headunit installed, and also an blinking LED mounted for the alarm...

stepasyd · Post by **stepasyd** » Wed May 30, 2012 7:18 pm

well i got my hookup from BlazerZR5 from s10f, in the mail yesterday, the 1.25" spacers to bump the back wheels out to roughly be as wide as the front ones, he only charged me the cost of shipping, although i rounded it up, and sent him a good bit extra for helping me out so much, haven't had time to put them on, I am absolutely drained when i get home from work in the afternoons, with all the heat, and stress tossed on me. I also got my 6.5"s in, although i did take about 45 minutes to get them in, once the sun tucked in last night, before Tropical Storm Beryl, or Depression, or whatever it is came through and rained late last night, into midday today...left a nice puddle for me to run through after work today. anyone who knows me knows i'm pretty #### when it comes to my truck being clean...i'll get it cleaned up this weekend, for now, i'm gonna enjoy getting it a little dirty, since i'd never do that to the black truck...

and then my mail from yesterday..

waiting to go in the back doors...I've already gotten a rediculous improvement in sound with the front doors replaced, so i'm looking forward to doing the back doors by the end of the weekend..

now i'm currently waiting on some maglight snap-in mounts, believe i'll be mounting them on the seat track covers on the side of the drivers seat.

_STUCKY · Post by **_STUCKY** » Thu May 31, 2012 8:50 am

Is there something mounted in the little tray on the center console?

Edit: I don't mean the little red light.

ApproachMedium · Post by **ApproachMedium** » Thu May 31, 2012 9:50 am

I keep my mag lights in the sunglasses holder. I found it s a great place. Did the same in my GTI. I cant wear sunglasses so might as well make use of it!

stepasyd · Post by **stepasyd** » Thu May 31, 2012 5:13 pm

I must wear sunglasses...or near instant migraine...I have got a spare pair in the tray, aside from the ones i wear daily.

as for the console, I don't have anything extra mounted there, just have a phone charger in the 12v outlet to the right of the console, in that picture, i did happen to have my charger for my work truck, i take it out on weekends, so none of the idiots that work during the weekend can get into the delivery truck and get it. so that may be what you're seeing.

I also have my matte blacked GM excellence badge just sitting in there, i haven't found a place inside to put it, so it's just chilling in the console, may try to fix that this weekend. along with the back door speakers.

stepasyd · Post by **stepasyd** » Thu May 31, 2012 5:14 pm

oh, and almost forgot to post today's progress after work...

Jongo88 · Post by **Jongo88** » Thu May 31, 2012 5:30 pm

Much better!!!!

stepasyd · Post by **stepasyd** » Thu May 31, 2012 7:39 pm

that pic makes it look so bad, but what do you guys typically run in the stock tires on these trucks..the sidewall says 41 l lbs, the door jam says 31-32'ish...and that's with 35 lbs, and it still looks too slack to me..should i be running higher pressures?

Post by **HenryJ** » Thu May 31, 2012 8:02 pm

Setting proper tire pressure

stepasyd · Post by **stepasyd** » Sat Jun 02, 2012 11:07 am

yea, tried that already, and it wore evenly..so i guess i won't change anything

got the maglight mounts on, not 100% sure if i like this or not, since that panel is so lightweight, but there aren't many other locations in this cab for it..also worked on fine tuning the new speakers, now that they are all installed..gonna rest the rest of the day..next job, washing it tomorrow, and maybe putting on the 4x4 stickers..

Post by **HenryJ** » Sat Jun 02, 2012 11:33 am

I had my rechargeable maglite mounted there. Worked great. I think you'll be fine.

stepasyd · Post by **stepasyd** » Sun Jun 03, 2012 12:35 pm

yea, i feel better about that location now, than i did yesterday...just can't be snatching it out of the mount. managed to get it washed up today, and installed the flat black GM excellence badges i've been meaning to put on for a few weeks now, along with the new body style Silverado 4x4 stickers, where the ZR5 stickers were...not the greatest pics...but here goes nothing.

ApproachMedium · Post by **ApproachMedium** » Sun Jun 03, 2012 7:43 pm

LOL the "Mark of Excellence" badges are great. When you look them up in CCC, the software we used by an auto body shop for estimates, thats exactly what that part is called.

stepasyd · Post by **stepasyd** » Fri Jun 08, 2012 3:35 pm

question. would it be cheesy to put a VortecMAX emblem on the tailgate?

i know these are the emblems for the 6.0L fullsize trucks, but i do like them..

Post by **HenryJ** » Fri Jun 08, 2012 3:52 pm

The red works on your truck. Do what makes you happy. I had a custom decal on my tailgate. "Thunder II , Tach's Cab"

stepasyd · Post by **stepasyd** » Fri Jun 08, 2012 4:44 pm

that's more of a answer i was looking for...i posted this on another forum, and the first reply i got was "put a 6.0 in, and then you should have no problem with the emblem being on there.." haha.

killian96ss · Post by **killian96ss** » Sat Jun 09, 2012 7:51 am

HenryJ wrote:The red works on your truck. Do what makes you happy. I had a custom decal on my tailgate. "Thunder II , Tach's Cab"

I agree, the red letters would look good on your truck, and who really cares if you have a 6.0l or not, all that matters is if you like it or not. If you want to have some fun with people, paint something on the engine red, like the intake manifold, and tell people that you have a very rare S10 Crew Cab with the 300 hp high performance Vortec 4.3 Max.

Steve

Post by **HenryJ** » Sat Jun 09, 2012 8:31 am

killian96ss wrote:... If you want to have some fun with people, paint something on the engine red, like the intake manifold, and tell people that you have a very rare S10 Crew Cab with the 300 hp high performance Vortec 4.3 Max.

Perfect! Who would know different? There were so few of these trucks produced and they are out of production. If they search for an answer is not likely to be answered definitively. Our forum is THE best stockpile of information available and we will be behind you

Go for it.

_STUCKY · Post by **_STUCKY** » Sat Jun 09, 2012 9:50 am

Better yet, make it a 300 horsepower high performance Vortec 4.3 Max. Who cares about fuel mileage? Just drive the black truck 5 days a week.

A 6.0 would be pretty slick though...