I've been lurking on the forum for around a year and finally decided to make a build thread for my truck. At the time I was looking, I was looking for and hoping to get a c1500 stepside, preferably a single cab but an extended cab would be fine. I wanted to get a truck I could lower but couldn't find any that weren't beat, local or in by budget (under 4500$). I got my truck back in October of last year, it's a 98 Chevy K1500 Z71 Silverado. It had 132k (133k now), a new trans with 2k on it and very little rust, mostly on the frame. The truck didn't need anything when I got it, ran and drove perfect, the guy I got it from used it for towing and wanted a 3/4 ton or 1 ton. The truck wasn't very pretty when I got it, it looked like grandpa's truck but for the price and condition I couldn't pass it up. The only downside was that the truck wasn't a stepside. The truck was mostly stock on the inside when I got it, no major modification just a trailer brake.
(Pic from the Craigslist ad)
When I got it home I took the topper, front plate holder and bug deflector off, that weekend I buffed/waxed it and cranked the keys so it sat level.
A month later I got new smoked headlights since the stock ones held water, blacked out the Chevy emblem, got LED headlight bulbs and swapped out the brakes with ACDeclo ceramic pads and new ACDelco shoes because the on the truck were spongy as hell and super dusty.
Before Christmas I pulled the steps/flares off, it made the truck look a lot better.
A few days before Christmas I went to the local U-pull yard looking for mirrors and came across a rust free stepside bed, had some fiberglass damage but otherwise was in good condition so I went back and got it 2 days before Christmas. I got the bed, the tailgate and bumper for 200$. All the nice mirrors at the yard were missing glass so I didn't get any but I got a set of 2.5 inch Rough Country drop shackles which were in great shape for 14$.
I went by the body shop the following week and got an estimate and dropped the bed off, it should be done this week or early next week.
That same week I installed the drop shackles, de-cranked the keys and Plastidipped the rims since they're all corroded and dinged up. (didn't do a good job tire shining the front tire heh)
Last week I got a set of NNBS 18's for 150$ they need a set of new tires, and they needed to be refinished since they were corroded on the face rather bad. I sanded the corrosion and dings out of them, then sprayed them gloss black they looks quite nice.
I also installed a set of 2-3 inch drop torsion keys, and here's how the truck sits now at about 2 in the front and 2.5 in the rear.
and a shot of the interior
That's pretty much everything done to it up to this point.
When the body shop calls I'm going knock the rust off the frame, paint it, install my drop hangers so the truck sits 2-3/4.5 and get an alignment.
The main future plans are: Getting new stock mirrors & paint em to match, removing the visor thing, putting some tires on the new rims, getting the front windows tinted, new exhaust since the truck has factory duals and a new torsion bar on the passenger side since that one has seen better days. I do want to go 4/6 but I know going that low in the front might cause cv problems, I'm not set 100% set on that yet.
(Pic from the Craigslist ad)
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When I got it home I took the topper, front plate holder and bug deflector off, that weekend I buffed/waxed it and cranked the keys so it sat level.
You must be registered for see images attach
A month later I got new smoked headlights since the stock ones held water, blacked out the Chevy emblem, got LED headlight bulbs and swapped out the brakes with ACDeclo ceramic pads and new ACDelco shoes because the on the truck were spongy as hell and super dusty.
You must be registered for see images attach
Before Christmas I pulled the steps/flares off, it made the truck look a lot better.
You must be registered for see images attach
A few days before Christmas I went to the local U-pull yard looking for mirrors and came across a rust free stepside bed, had some fiberglass damage but otherwise was in good condition so I went back and got it 2 days before Christmas. I got the bed, the tailgate and bumper for 200$. All the nice mirrors at the yard were missing glass so I didn't get any but I got a set of 2.5 inch Rough Country drop shackles which were in great shape for 14$.
You must be registered for see images attach
I went by the body shop the following week and got an estimate and dropped the bed off, it should be done this week or early next week.
That same week I installed the drop shackles, de-cranked the keys and Plastidipped the rims since they're all corroded and dinged up. (didn't do a good job tire shining the front tire heh)
You must be registered for see images attach
Last week I got a set of NNBS 18's for 150$ they need a set of new tires, and they needed to be refinished since they were corroded on the face rather bad. I sanded the corrosion and dings out of them, then sprayed them gloss black they looks quite nice.
You must be registered for see images attach
I also installed a set of 2-3 inch drop torsion keys, and here's how the truck sits now at about 2 in the front and 2.5 in the rear.
You must be registered for see images attach
and a shot of the interior
You must be registered for see images attach
That's pretty much everything done to it up to this point.
When the body shop calls I'm going knock the rust off the frame, paint it, install my drop hangers so the truck sits 2-3/4.5 and get an alignment.
The main future plans are: Getting new stock mirrors & paint em to match, removing the visor thing, putting some tires on the new rims, getting the front windows tinted, new exhaust since the truck has factory duals and a new torsion bar on the passenger side since that one has seen better days. I do want to go 4/6 but I know going that low in the front might cause cv problems, I'm not set 100% set on that yet.
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