First OBS. What should I do to it?!

[Erik the Awful]

Back in the early '90s the 4.3s were known for being faster than the 5.7s, but if you were towing the 5.7 was the only way to go. Once the Vortecs came out the 4.3s virtually died.

 

[Nad_Yvalhosert]

Not like a boosted V8 they don't. More displacement and all the boost is the answer here clearly.

Can you say the same thing when GM went from Vortec 5.7 to 5.3L LS engines in the trucks? Heck, the tiny little 4.8 LS made the same power and torque as the 5.7...
And cost wise, a turbo and a tune on the 4.3 is cheaper than a motor, tranny, wiring harness, turbo, and a tune.


O.P. use what you've got to its fullest extent. There's tons of room in front of the engine for an electric fan and a twin turbo setup. And its lighter than the 8 cyl. Besides, there's a style and coolness in being different than the rest of the stock trucks on the road.

 

[Supercharged111]

I agree, no replacement for displacement. But sometimes you gotta work with whatcha got, tii you can get something better.

Remember we're not spending your money, we're spending someone else's.

 

[Supercharged111]

Can you say the same thing when GM went from Vortec 5.7 to 5.3L LS engines in the trucks? Heck, the 4.8 LS made more power and torque than the 5.7...
And cost wise, a turbo and a tune on the 4.3 is cheaper than a motor, tranny, wiring harness, turbo, and a tune.


O.P. use what you've got to its fullest extent. There's tons of room in front of the engine for an electric fan and a twin turbo setup. And its lighter than the 8 cyl. Besides, there's a style and coolness in being different than the rest of the stock trucks on the road.

I personally consider the 6.0 to be the 5.7 replacement.

 

[fancyTBI]

Unfortunately a 4.3.

LS Swap is definitely not out of the question

4.3 isn’t a bad motor. I liked mine in front of my 5 speed. It was zippy enough for a teenager and I could squeeze 25mpg out of it. I did drop a 5.7 in mine eventually.

The first thing I do when I get a new vehicle is thoroughly detail it. This helps you identify and dings, chips, scratches, etc. that you may want to correct down the road. You’ll also be able to see what it looks like at its finest (especially if you paint correct and seal). For the interior I will remove the seats, vacuum the carpet thoroughly, shampoo the seats and carpet, wipe every surface, blow out the HVAC vents, and odor neutralize it. Then you have a fresh interior to enjoy.

Your truck looks great. I agree with others, I’d do wheels/tires. I like the side trim though.

 

[fancyTBI]

Heck, the tiny little 4.8 LS made the same power and torque as the 5.7...

Gotta like the little 4.8. Parents had one with 300K on it. The original 4L60e gave up the ghost but the 4.8 still starts right up. We loved that truck. Now it sits in the shop waiting for a plow and trans.

 

[Nad_Yvalhosert]

Back in the early '90s the 4.3s were known for being faster than the 5.7s, but if you were towing the 5.7 was the only way to go. Once the Vortecs came out the 4.3s virtually died.

Died? They're still in production.

 

[Nad_Yvalhosert]

I personally consider the 6.0 to be the 5.7 replacement.

And the rest of us, along with GM, consider the 5.3 as the replacement for the 5.7. Hence the lack of 6.0 half tons...

 

[Supercharged111]

Hence the lack of 6.0 half tons...

Which is a sin!

 

[TCBRacer77]

Leave the 4.3. These days with fuel prices the way they are...
Then turbo it, Syclone style!

I have a 4.3 short bed single cab and I rarely get any better than 16mpg… I honestly think an LS would get a little better mileage in stock form lol. Feel free to disagree but even at that, you aren’t sacrificing much efficiency. Just voicing my own experience! But hey, that truck looks SO CLEAN the way it sits. I personally think stock styling looks the best but with upgrades that make the truck “the way it should have came from factory”. Sometimes going down the customizing rabbit hole you can get so far it loses some appeal. But at the same time, people express themselves in their builds and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that! Regardless, I really like this truck! Clean and low mileage…