'98 crewcab

[vervepipes]

I've started with a pic in the introductions thread but I figure I'd better start my build thread here before I get carried away and off topic in the other thread.

First thing on the to -do list has been to swap the tires/rims from my '86 to the '98. I didn't realize however that the '98 has 245/75's where the '86 has 235/85's, so they are almost 1.5" taller so I'll have to figure something out about re-calibrating the computer. I want these tires though because they are almost new E load tires, and I don't want that much money's worth of tire going to the scrap heap when the '98 has bald tires. I don't care that the rims are mismatched and rusty, this truck will become a dually in the future so the rims will make nice boat anchors.

Here's what I'm starting with, a'98 2wd crew cab with a strong running 5.7I picked up for $1000.

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[vervepipes]

Just did a complete VIN search on compnine.com, it shows that my truck is one of 12 with the exact same features for '98. Something I found odd when I got it is that the interior is entirely navy blue, I hope it doesn't lead to problems finding broken dash pieces at the pick n pull.

UM7 RADIO,AM/FM STEREO,ETR,INCLUDES CLOCK STEREO W/CLK(UM7)
8,052
UQ5 SPEAKER SYSTEM,4,DUAL FRONT DOOR MOUNTED,DUAL EXTENDED RANGE QUARTER MOUNTED 4 SPKR SYS(UQ5)
16,136
U19 SPEEDOMETER,INSTRUMENT,KILOMETERS PER HOUR KPH SPEEDO(U19)
1,748
VK3 LICENSE PLATE,FRONT MOUNTING PACKAGE FRT LIC PLT MTG PKG(VK3)
30,466
VXS VEHICLE - COMPLETE
28,838
V10 COLD CLIMATE PROVISIONS OPTIONS COLD CLIMATE PROVISIONS(V10)
1,814
V43 BUMPER,REAR STEP(PAINTED) PAINTED STEP BPR(V43)
7,936
V73 VEHICLE STATEMENT - US/CANADA US/CANADA VEHICLE STATEMENT(V73)
32,178
XHH TIRE FRONT LT245/75R16/E BL R/PE ST ALS(9591207) TIRE(XHH)
17,452
YD3 AXLE FRONT (BASE EQUIP) FOR SCHEDULING GVW PLATE FRT AXLE(YD3)
17,452
YD6 SPRING,REAR(BASE EQUIPMENT) RR SPRING(YD6)
32,554
YGK TIRE REAR LT245/75R16/E BL R/PE ST OOR(9591214) TIRE(YGK)
1,314
ZE5 IDENTIFICATION - TRIM LEVEL BASE
2,018
ZGK TIRE SPARE LT245/75R16/E BL R/PE ST OOR(9591214) SPARE TIRE(ZGK)
1,268
ZY1 COLOR COMBINATION SOLID SOLID PAINT COMBO(ZY1)
31,390
Z31 IDENTIFICATION - PRICE SHEET ADVANCE
1,626
Z49 MANDATORY CANADIAN BASE EQUIPMENT MODIFICATIONS(CANADIAN) CANADIAN(Z49)
1,626
Z88 GMC TRUCK G M C(Z88)
5,986
1SA PACKAGE-OPTION 01 (1SA)
10,854
26I INTERIOR TRIM COLOR,NAVY (26I)
7,740
26V TRIM COMBINATION,DARK BLUE (26V)
5,522
50U EXTERIOR COLOR ,PRIMARY,OLYMPIC WHITE (50U)
EXTERIOR COLOR - STONE BEIGE MET (50U)
EXTERIOR COLOR,PRIMARY (50U)
17,146
6XD SPRING COMPTR SELECT FRT LH SUSP(6XD)
16,008
7XD SPRING COMPTR SELECT FRT RH SUSP(7XD)
16,008
AM7 SEAT,REAR FOLDING RR FLDG ST(AM7)
32,554
A52 SEAT,FRONT BENCH,3-PASSENGER FRT BENCH ST(A52)
15,900
B85 ORNAMENTATION,EXTERIOR,BELT REVEAL MOLDING BELT RVL MLDG(B85)
16,714
B96 ORNAMENTATION,EXTERIOR,WHEEL OPENING MOLDING(BRIGHT) WHL OPG MLDG(B96)
16,714
CMD PLANT CODE FLINT, MI, GM T&B FLINT, MI PLANT CODE(CMD)
32,550
C6U GVW RATING(9000 LBS) 9000 LB GVWR(C6U)
16,860
DE2 MIRROR,OUTSIDE,LH & RH,DIRECT CONTROL,FOLDING,PAINTED O/S MIR(DE2)
11,892
E63 BODY EQUIPMENT,FLEETSIDE PICKUP BOX FLEETSIDE PUBX(E63)
28,846
FE9 FEDERAL EMISSION CERTIFICATION FED EMIS(FE9)
28,478
FLT SALES PROCESSING - OPTION
6,038
GT5 AXLE,REAR,4.10 RATIO 4.10R(GT5)
31,820
JB8 BRAKE SYSTEM,HYDRAULIC POWER DISC,DRUM HYD PWR DISC/DRUM BRK(JB8)
32,554
KNP COOLING SYSTEM,TRANSMISSION,HEAVY DUTY HVY DUTY TRANS CLG SYS(KNP)
29,780
K05 HEATER,ENGINE BLOCK ENG BLK HTR(K05)
1,814
K60 GENERATOR,100 AMPERE 100 AMP(K60)
20,358
L31 ENGINE,GAS,8 CYL,5.7L,CPI 5.7R(L31)
15,026
MT1 TRANSMISSION,AUTO,4-SPD,THM-R2(4L80-E) 4-SPD A/TRANS(MT1)
29,916
NA4 EMISSION SYSTEM,ABOVE 8500 LB GVW EMIS SYS(ABOVE 8500 LB GVW)(NA4)
15,026
NF2 EMISSION SYSTEM,FEDERAL,TIER 1 FED EMIS SYS(NF2)
29,420
R04 WHEELS,SINGLE REAR SINGLE RR WHL(R04)
17,452
R7K CONTROL - SALES ITEM NO. 36
2,258
R7M CONTROL - SALES ITEM NO. 38
1,310
R9F CONTROL - SALES ITEM NO. 81
390
Rarity...

There are 12 1998 P/UP C3500 CREW CAB LG WB vehicles (0.037%) matching your exact options list. There are 12 (0.037%) with at least as many options

 

[vervepipes]

I have found a number of goodies at the pick n pull and Buck's Auto this weekend. A bug deflector to hide the rusting stone chips, a switch to replace a broken one, a complete sunroof, a complete overhead console with the blanking plate instead of a/c switches, powered rear view mirror, and a newer style map light assembly. I'm not sure of what I'm going to install, I had a blond moment when I saw the console and got it forgetting that it won't fit with the sunroof. I have no a/c so I'd prefer the sunroof I think. I also had the thought of putting the sunroof in the back, but I also have the truck for sale locally because of a developing family emergency. Love the truck, but need cash now to fly across the country, I'm sure I can find another crew cab one ton in the future...

 

[vervepipes]

Got the grille off now, I'll be bringing it in to work to scub it down with isopropyl alcohol to make sure it's good and clean. I picked up a can of krylon plastic paint, the main body of the grille will be white and the centre will either stay it's dark grey or be painted black in the future, I'm leaning more on grey because of the difficulty in cleaning all those grille fins.

If I have enough white paint left the bug deflector that I just picked up at PNP will be white as well, that way it will blend in better but still hide the marked up hood, keeping in mind this is temporary(read "for a couple of years" lol) until I find a good used fiberglass hood.

 

[vervepipes]

Somebody at the base auto club bought a '95 Tahoe for the engine and tranny, and the rest is destined for the wreckers, so I've been salvaging parts before it gets towed away. So far I've taken all the fuzes and relays, both front power buckets and centre console that are in excellent shape, blower motor, wiper blades. They hacked the front pretty badly to get the engine out easily, so the wiring harness is in peices, I already have a compass mirror minus the temp sensor in my truck, this Tahoe has one as well but I can't find where the sensor got tossed, or maybe they kept it for theirs as a spare...

I'm going to try to salvage as much of the interior as possible since mine is a basic work truck. The Tahoe is 4x4, so it'll have a hole in the carpet for the transfer case lever, so I'll turn the plastic lever surround into a switch bankUnfortunately it appears to be an eastern truck because it's rather rusty, so no body panels or doors are any good to me. I may try to install the cruise control too and upgrade to the leather steering wheel, that or sell the complete steering column with it's intact airbag, I know those can go for a nice sum and it would keep my work going to buy the little inexpensive things it needs like u-joints, support bearing etc.

 

[vervepipes]

A few more pieces salvaged. Took the lamp reel from the passenger fender. My truck has dimples that can be drilled out to install it, but no wiring harness for it and the harness was unaccounted for on the donor, looks like I'll have to hit up the PNP for that. I also picked up some lamp harnesses since one of my signal sockets broke, can't hurt to have a few spares while I'm at it. I thought I'd take the steering wheel too since it's leather, but my GMC pad doesn't match up to it. On the bright side, I have a good airbag now that I can sell to buy a few needed parts.

I may also take the rear seats. They don't match up at all with the bolt holes in the truck, but I can make a bracket to make it fit, then I'd have the fancy flip-flop seats in the back. I'll at least take them out and decide after if I want to install them, because it's quite a drive to the PNP, but I really do want a set of 4 matching leather buckets from an Olds Silhouette.

 

[vervepipes]

Sold some spare wheels and tires I had laying around that weren't the same size as the 4 currently installed for 60 bucks, so I went out to buy a stereo installation kit. The donor Tahoe had it's harness cut already, so I had to shell out an extra 12 bucks for that. Now the sony unit that came (poorly) installed in the truck when I bought it will have my tried and tested Panasonic unit with MTX amp and Sony sub, on a switch so I don't rupture the baby's eardrums since it's going to be between the rear buckets. The Panasonic unit isn't anything super special, your standard CD/MP3 with remote Ipod dock ans satellite ready. The remote control for the head unit has been useful when it was in vehicles where the stereo was out of the passenger's reach. This has been in about 5 vehicles of mine so far in as many years, so although it isn't a touch screen navigation unit, I'm very familiar with it's functions and sound, a little bit of familiarity in a new to me vehicle.

 

[vervepipes]

Head unit is in, and it's night and day difference from the Xplod deck that had been in there as far as sound quality. I also went back to my donor to get the proper connector for the driver's power seat. Although the truck is pre-wired for the seats (the plugs were tucked away under the factory vinyl bench seat), the passenger side was the same between the '95 and '98, but the driver's side in my '98 was different. Maybe tomorrow I'll have some more pics since I found my camera.

 

[vervepipes]

Fixed the horn today. The fuze under the hood was burnt. Still nothing, but the relay was clicking. I took the grille off and removed the replacement horn that a previous owner had installed upside down so water got trapped in it. I Installed a factory horn from the Tahoe and it works fine by grounding the wire on the steering wheel, so now I just need a new steering wheel (this one had the horn par ripped out, damaging the mounting holes).

I also grabbed everything needed for the composite headlight swap, except the hi and low beam wiring connectors and bolts for the headlight housings, gonna have to go back for those tomorrow or wait until saturday when I go to the pick n pull. The tahoe's grille is cracked badly, so I'll look for a nice Sierra grille down there until I can afford a nice custom one from ebay. Even the lioghts are just to get the wiring and brackets set up before I can afford new clears(can't argue with free). Also grabbed a brand new spare tire out of the back of the tahoe(not an E load, so it'll have to be a spare even though it's almost brand new) and the jack/tools.

 

[vervepipes]

Finally took a few pictures. Here's the new to me composite headlights and grille combo. The bumper filler from the W/T grille works just fine. The grille is cracked, but it was free and at least the wiring is done and I have the headlight brackets in place for when I order new lamps. Took about an hour to remove and install everything, everything was from a free parts Tahoe.

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Tahoe power seats are installed, but the power doesn't work. I bet it's the same electrical snag that keeps my overhead lamp from working, the truck was pre-wired for them though so that was a bonus, although the driver's connector was different slightly, so I used the donor plug. The seats are temporary to get rig of the uncomfortable vinyl bench and to grab the seat risers, I want to have 4 Olds Silhouette leather captain's chairs in there.

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Last but not least, my Panasonic head unit. This has been in my '90 Dodge shorty van, '90 F350 crew cab and '93 F350 crew cab, I've gotten quite familiar with this unit and like the remote I-pod dock that I have routed into the airbag delete (my wife's the one with an I-pod). I still need to get the sub hooked up. I think I may ditch the 12" I have now in favor of a couple of 8 or 10" that I'll build into the centre consoles, with a toggle switch up front to turn the amp off when the youngsters are in with me. I already have tinnitus from 11 years in the forces, my kids don't need to be hearing ringing and whistling all day too...

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Don't mind the mess, as my home is for sale the truck acts as a form of storage while we have viewings lol.