GMT400 Tahoe Z71

[John Moore]

Inspired by Cadillac Bob's thread, and ever-so jealous of his Escalade.... I decided to make this thread for myself and others alike of the slightly less luxurious though just as uncommon Tahoe Z71. This thread will (hopefully) be filled with Z71 appreciation and knowledge and serve as a Z71 Database to answer any and all questions pertaining to the unusual and often confused model. I personally believe that this model, like the Escalade, Limited, etc...will become rather collectible in the future. If not, It will at least be collectible to me!

The Z71 Tahoe was offered only in 2000 along with the other Crossover models; Yukon Denali, Escalade, and Tahoe Limited. The Z71 Tahoe was Chevrolet's Flagship model and came standard fully loaded with the only option being the ZM9 Comfort and Security Package that is shown in the Brochure/Order Guide below.

The Z71 came in only 4 colors. Indigo Blue Metallic, Victory Red, Emerald Green Metallic, and Light Pewter Metallic. Of these colors, it seems that the most common tend to be the Green and Pewter. I've seen several of those, and own one of each. The next most common color, which is fairly uncommon at least in my neck of the woods...is the Indigo Blue Metallic. Lastly, the most rare in my opinion, is the Victory Red. I've personally never seen one this color in person, but they sure do look great in brochure pictures. Very bold!

The Z71 package includes but not limited to;
3:73 Rear axle ratio
G80 Locking Differential
Heavy Duty Transmission Cooling System
Skid Plate Package
46mm Bilstein Shocks
265/75r16 Firestone All-Terrain Tires
Color-Matched grill, bumpers, and extended fender flares
Fog Lights
Front Brush Guard
Tubular Assist Step
Taillamp Guards
Unique 16x7 Alcoa wheels
Sporty two-tone leather interior

I bought my Z71 in 2016 after making the mistake of lifting my Jeep 4.5" and I no longer wanted to daily drive it. I went to craigslist in search of a 2000-2006 Suburban or Yukon XL but I stumbled across this Z71 instead and it instantly caught my attention, specifically the Grill Guard and Fog Lights. It looked very sporty yet classy, I was sold! I met with the man and bought it on the spot for $3000 with 148K miles. Since then, it has been a full-time job maintaining it/VERY SLOWLY restoring it. I still drive it daily but I take care of it and try my best to give it anything it needs. It now has close to 240k miles and needs some major suspension work again, which it will be receiving soon. The steering box is worn out, and it needs another set of ball joints, etc. The body is straight for the most part, the previous owner smoked a mailbox with the rear quarter panel during a snow storm and it has a very slight dent there, hardly noticeable. Absolutely no rust, and the frame still has black paint. The hood and roof started to fade so I had them repainted by a high end body shop and they did an amazing job. It looks sharp!

One of the first things I did when i got it was putting the KC lights on the Grill Guard. It's the factory GM guard and did not have the tabs to mount the lights, so I drove it to local welding shop that welded on some tabs for my KCs...Probably the best upgrade i've ever done to it. They are 130w KC driving lights, with the HD harness for the headlights from one of our members (his name slips my mind at the moment), and I modified the Fog lights to remain on with the High Beams. It is a luxury to drive at night, it lights up the road better than my Jeep.

A few other notable mods include:
Dual batteries
Hydroboost with Power steering Cooler
Auxiliary Electric Cooling Fan
Severe duty fan clutch
New AC compressor, condenser, drier, etc.
Police Tahoe 130 MPH cluster with Aux light, DRL Off switches
Factory VHS Entertainment System
Rebuilt Factory radio with 3.5 input, JBL/Hertz Speakers and Powered Sub.
Big 3 Charging upgrade
+ Many more and even more to still do!

 

[John Moore]

Here is a section of my Chevy Truck Order Guide dedicated to the Z71 Tahoe and shows the standard/optional equipment and colors.

 

[John Moore]

Forgot to post the options page of the Brochure. Here it is!

 

[John Moore]

Here is an Advertisement for the Z71, If you look closely you can see it has different Hubcaps and the center bars on the grill guard seems to be pointed differently. Strange....

 

[John Moore]

This is a 2000 Chevy Sales book that lists the base price and options pricing. It shows the Z71 being $39,544.000 as the base price. I believe the optional ZM9 package was ~$1500.

 

[John Moore]

Here it is in all it's Glory. It has been in some extreme environments and never missed a beat. There's days where it starts up at 5-6am, and doesn't turn off until 10-11pm at night. It has conquered the beaches of Eastern NC on the hottest days of the year lugging through deep sand. It has forded water on flooded roads and trails, plowed through snow, and has pulled 6,500 lbs all throughout the eastern mountain ranges.

 

[John Moore]

I encourage all Z71 Tahoe owners to post their trucks. Let these rare models be admired!

 

[Dariusz Salomon]

I got one-99 model-and made a similar thread some time ago. Here is some pics of mine. Now the wheels are black-same rims.

 

[Dariusz Salomon]

At KFC in Cornwall-what are the chances of 2 Chevy trucks in pretty much the same color at one car park in the UK lol

 

[John Moore]

I got one-99 model-and made a similar thread some time ago. Here is some pics of mine. Now the wheels are black-same rims.

Nice! The paint looks to be in excellent condition. I've never been to the UK, but I certainly would not expect to find a Z71 tahoe there. Surely those are uncommon there too?