If you need a watershed moment when trucks started to me like cars... it was this generation that did it. Even the advertisements. I’m pretty sure one of GMCs taglines was “remember when ‘this thing rides like a truck’ was a bad thing?”
Adjusted for inflation, the truck in the video would cost about $30k today. A similarly equipped 2019 base Siverado (V6, 2WD vinyl seat, AC, step bumper) costs just under $30k. Apples to apples, they are effectively the same price. There are many more luxury trucks now that do cost way more now, but you can still get a no-frills work truck if you want one.
No kidding. I would think a manufacturer would corner the market with a good, but rather bare bones work truck. I don't need my ass massaged to go pick up a couch!
@@TurboMan942 These days GM gets slammed by reviewers for building trucks that are too truck truck-like. Today the 2019 Ram 1500 gets praised for pretty interiors and the most car-like ride even though they have terrible payload ratings and plastic suspension components.
When they first came out we thought they were ugly compared to the 73-87 trucks. I bought an 87 V-20 Custom Deluxe with the trailer towing package. Still running great after 33 years. Could use a new paint job, and some door window weatherstripping but other than that it's good.
@Take the red pill Yeah dude, Starbucks baristas are even covered in tatts head to tow. Used to mean you were a badass now it means your parents make good money
Rockwood Joe yeah they were awsome back then. I mean the new ones are ok, their still tough, and you can get the Z71 package on the Silverado and Tahoe still, but the old bodies were awsome.
I was at Home Depot a few weeks ago and there was a guy getting some plywood loaded in the back of his $75,000 GMC 2500 Denali with the Duramax Diesel. As I listened to the conversation between the truck owner and the HD employee I had to chuckle when he said he purchased that 2500 HD Diesel pickup to tow a Jet Ski trailer with 2 Jet ski's then I busted out laughing when A) he about cried when they put a slight mark in the factory bed liner then B) when he realized that the 4x8 plywood was longer than his 6.5 foot bed. Yep, that's who they market trucks too today.
Well, I have one of these trucks and it has 430 horsepower... So I have the best of both worlds. I drove a new 4-door ecoboost, and that truck felt like a heaping pile of soft riding junk.
303 Nitzubishi, not only that, but (between a C1500 and a G2 Colorado) their dimensions, except for the 8+ foot long bed, are pretty close. So the G2 Colorado is basically an updated (as in modern I4 and V6 gasoline and I4 TD engines) C / K 1500.
True, my 06’ Dodge Dakota “midsize truck” is about the same size as an old std. bed D150, and has a 7,000 lbs towing capacity and 1,749 payload capacity with the 4.7 V8. Kind of the last of that old basic work truck setup when you think about it.
Highly doubtful that anyone would even notice, but yes, these days respectful adults watch what they say if their words might be offensive to other people. The only people who find this trend annoying are the folks who are ticked off that they can no longer act like assholes with impunity. We know the writers for MW meant nothing by it, but today they wouldn't do it because they know Native Americans deserve respect.
Best generation GM truck ever. My favorite modern truck too. I've had an 89 C1500, 2000 C3500, 99 Yukon, and currently 99 K3500. Dependable, easy and cheap to work on, great trucks
I've had a bunch of these bodystyle Chevrolets over the years and I love them! I currently have a 99 tahoe it 4x4 with vortec 350 and it has 199,600 miles on it and runs and drives like new. I also have a 2018 silverado I bought new in June but, I'd rather have a new 1998 silverado in my opinion!
I don't know about best generation. 73-87/91 is superior. I own several of the 88-98/00 trucks, Common failures are... Door handles breaking, under dash wiring melting, 4wd actuator going bad, shift forks in transfer case failing and sticking between gears, tbi issues, Frame rust is extremely bad on these trucks. The best thing some of these trucks have is a 4l80e.
They still have W/T trim as the base but evwn the base now still has more options and saftey features than a fully loaded truck had 30yrs ago. Some saftey features mandated and some standard equipment demanded, its not your typical spray out truck anymore.
The 88-98s were more refined than there predecessors. I bought new 88 & 97 K2500’s and still have them both. Better aerodynamics, more comfy interiors, more room & overdrive transmission’s. I’ve had and have several 73-87 trucks, 1/2 ton through 1 ton and they are simpler, more reliable trucks hands down. The parts are laughably inexpensive. I have a parts box that I keep in each truck that has a water pump, fuel pump, belts, hoses and alternator. All of that stuff I can replace on the side of the road in no time with just a few hand tools. The 88-98 drivetrain components are more lightly constructed and don’t hold up as well as the 73-87. That being said you DO still see a ton of 88-98s still out there putting in the work. Not being a hater at all, but how many 70s-90s Ford and Dodge trucks do see out there everyday still putting in a days work? 30 & 40 years later.
I have mine, a red and silver 2 tone extended cab from 1994 that has the factory 5.7L 350 and it has the stock output of 220hp. Good ole truck. Really really beneficial on the trails when I kick it into 4 wheel drive....oh did I forget to mention it was a Z71 too! I actually use mine for what it was built for. Not this pansy pants leather clad $90k sissy trucks of today’s generation! I only have a working A/C and heater, a working radio and cassette player and some gauges to give me info and that’s it!
I borrowed one of these from a friend of a friend a few months ago to move a washer and dryer, it was a 95. I was surprised by how well it drove, even the ride was really good. Back when trucks were trucks. Too bad nobody offers a stripped down basic work truck for 25K. Now a full size is a mortgage payment and even a Colorado is 40K, dream on.
False false and false again you can buy stripped down work trucks bet you haven’t looked because you aren’t in the market if you’re borrowing from others
Riggs from the Lethal Weapon movies had one of those. Although it was a dually with 4 doors I think. His damn partner was getting too old for this shit too.
Lethal weapon 2 featured this body style in the 1ton dually just before it was released, and lethal weapon 4 featured the new Grand Ams and the new one ton dually as well. Product placement in film one of the oldest marketing tricks in the book!
1st movies was gmc square body crew dually 4x4 an 86. second movie was 88 ext cab dually 4x4. 3rd was 91 same config as the 88 but was a newer truck. headlights are the give away its newer. 4th had a 99 sierra 1500 ext cab z71.
I've had many of the 88-98 c-k series pickups 1500, 2500 and 3500 they've all been great reliable trucks. I still own the first one I bought 12 years ago from the original owner, a 1990 c1500 Silverado trim package had 600,000 miles on it when I bought it, still running but very tired it's been in the great plains all its life, so rust is thankfully not a problem here. We put a rebuilt engine and trans into it a month after I got it and it's been my favorite truck so far. With 710,000 now it's still solid and rust free, hopefully I'll be the one driving when it rolls over 1,000,000 .
Man it's crazy to hear my meth dealers truck be called "The most technologically advanced pickup on the road" (Jokes aside I do love these last generation C/K trucks, it's a shame that they've become so expensive in the used market now when they used to be a dime a dozen in good condition)
in '88 they were. Remember, this replaced the square bodies. Before these, you had TBI if you had fuel injection at all (tbi was dependable, but vortek was a game changer, power wise). The suspension on the 4x4's on the square bodies still was leaf spring with a straight axle. On the 4x4, these had IFS so the ride was just tons better. I have a 1991 full size Jimmy square body(last year, they didn't get the refresh until '92)... it will literally rattle your teeth out even driving on regular roads.
It was better than the plastics they used in the early 2000's that would crack within 20k. Fit and finish between 98 and 08 was terrible for many of their cars and trucks.
These generation Silverados were just like the Energizer battery keep going and going still see some that look in good shape think these are my favorites Silverado trucks last 300-500k miles think the old ones as these are better along 99-02 generations.
Still see plenty of them in southwestern Ontario. Same with Ford/Dodge trucks of similar age. Lot of em are starting to succumb to rust but they run well enough. I will say though I see more 20 year old trucks in 2018 than I did in 1998
One hell of a reliable truck (in my case) as I haven't had to do a whole lot to it besides replace bad/worn parts that have been on since factory or have just worn out after years of use. I'm such a fan of the GMT400 that I refuse to buy any trucks that are newer than that are newer than 98' due to how reliable my 1988' Chevrolet has been over the years. I honestly wish Chevrolet would bring something like this back as I want something simple with all of the basic functions and not over the top as well as being easy to work on and fix yourself. Newer trucks are nice and all but I prefer something that I know has been proven to be reliable.
I was attending University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, ND...and the local paper had an article about GM doing pre-production cold weather testing of these new "88 trucks in the area...mostly validating the HVAC systems.....and they had a picture of two of the trucks idling in a parking lot in town...this was in January, 1987. I believe they were on dealer lots later that spring. Compared to the square box previous generation, these trucks were really a step forward...also compared to the Dodge and Ford (which had a refresh for '87). And the Blazer/Tahoe/Suburban variants of these trucks were not introduced until 1992.
yup, I have a 1991 Jimmy and it's a square body. The Suburban, Jimmy, blazer, dualy and crew cabs didn't get the refresh until '92. The c-bodies drove nicer but the old square bodies are beasts. Especially the 4x4's. Those are real trucks, they drove like trucks, they consumed fuel like trucks and they just kept going and going. The 4x4's were all straight axles on negative arced leaf springs. They didn't ride real nice, but it took a lot to break them.
I have a 98’ k1500. I’ve had it for 7 years science I was 15. Great truck, wouldn’t trade it for anything. Never left me stranded and very easy to work on when it seldom needs to be fixed. LIKE A ROCK.
I still drive my late pops 94 Chevy K1500 4x4 5.7 lt. 350 auto-tranny daily wherever I go and it just tripped over 138,000 original miles and when something breaks on it I go get it fixed for I can't afford a new one these days at rape me prices !!
I've seen a boatload of 1988-98 Chevrolet trucks 🚚 on the road in my home state of South Carolina. Those owners who cared for Chevrolet trucks very carefully love them 💘 and those who don't would allow them to rust 😯. I prefer mostly Chevrolet & Ford trucks better over Dodge/Ram.
"Maintenance is easy. The spacious engine bay provides plenty of workroom and all fluid reservoirs are clearly marked." Yeah, back in the days when people could work on their own cars instead of the computerized, engine-cover infested, technologically over-engineered gadgetry we have now. You have no choice but to take it to the dealer and get ripped off from having to buy straight from the dealer parts just so dealers can generate tons of money.
mine hase 450k miles (1995 4.3 4x4 4door Blazer midsize) and 2000 Blazer, and i havent replaced ANY single electronic element/ ECM/ module except all the speakers. Even all the LEDs in dash board (PRNDM321) still lit. Front door hinges are not ok after 200k miles pins needs to be replaced. Dont know what to buy nowadays...
Just because you don't know how to work on them doesn't mean you can't work on them at home. People have been saying this same thing for decades as automotive technology progresses. I agree that older cars are easier to work on, but that's because you and I understand mechanical aspects well. Today, cars are much more electronics focused, and as future generations learn how to troubleshoot electronics, it will be no problem.
@@halfchocolatecow3501 Electronics are not the issue for a lot of people, it is the fact that you have to take 9 things off just to fix the part that is not working anymore. Whether it is a sideways 4cy where you cannot take the inside fenderwell out (due to genius engineering), or it is a new diesel with the engine packed up to within an inch of the hood, Space is much more limited, there are more parts, and several items must be removed for the simplest task increasing time wasted and money spent on repairs at Garages, not to mention each time you take something off and put it back on the risk of damage increases. Lastly I would have to say the fact that Cabs need to be taken off of several of the Current Truck Generations to work on the engine is not a feat of Engineering, it is Blasphemy. JMO
@Richard Skipper Yeah, the mechanical part is as easy as ever, it's just the electronics that have become more complicated. Most of the time you can still repair or replace them yourself though.
Back when GM was competent and actually good. They went from being the best to the absolute worst (other than Fiat Chrysler) in like 15 years. That’s what happens when you make women CEOs
I bought my full size Chevy in 1990 brand new, it was the Cheyenne trim level. The same truck with the Silverado trim level was easily twice the price. After a few years of service my truck still looked great while the Silverado trim pieces were falling apart and looked like crap
@IsThisTheKrustyKrab? more like 20k. the model shown in this video would've been 28k today so take in account all the features etc, the new 2020 Silverado WT for around 28-30k is very modest.
Had a ‘97 Tahoe and ‘97 Silverado. Sold them both at around 165k miles. Paint held up pretty well out here in the west. Very little rust, no rot. Aside from wear items like thermostats, water pump, fuel pump, intake gaskets, they were mechanically rock solid.
My father had a 1988 C1500 Silverado as a work truck. It lasted until 2005 and had well over 300,000 miles on the odometer when it finally died. I dearly miss that truck.
I own a 86’ Ram and 03’ Silverado. The trucks are fleet models and simple. Not possible to buy a truck at a dealership today without bells and whistles.
Yes, the V8's are great for serious work, but if all you haul are occasional light loads, the 4.3-liter V6. as in this Cheyenne, is one of the best truck engines EVER!!!! DON'T knock it until you've tried it!!!!!
-TheManInDboX - i own one and is very common but cheap and easy to fix. But other than that keep it doing regular maintenance no issues and my truck has been past down to me my dad bought new Is 1993 half cab stepside Silverado with body kit that came with as option back in the day by choo choo customs
He said 120ft on the braking test? Wow, is that from 55 or 60? I'm pretty sure by this point they're doing 60mph tests, and if that's the case, that's impressive.
Eightosaurus Spelunk probably ran them over 200,000 miles. I’m on my second. 2016 LT bought brand new. Now has 40,000 miles. My first one was a 2003 WT. Sold it with 263,000 miles. The ‘03 didn’t have a back seat and I needed a backseat for the kids. Believe me, it was bitter sweet to sell the old truck.
I have a 92 I brought new. Has only 9k miles on it. I knew these were going to be classic someday so from day 1 I treated like a show car. It's a beautiful truck.
The truck is amazing, just be aware there are common problems with the fuel injector and idle air control valves. If either one goes bad, you'll have stalling issues but overall it's a very reliable truck if you can take care of it.
I have a ,in perfect shape 98 /5.7 /4l60e/ foot bed/reg. cab/electronic 4x4/ posi/,,,never been in mud or off-roaded/ and still all complete original suspension parts. as you can tell I luv my truck! I got lucky finding it! just sayin
these old girls are capable of way more than you would expect, from the factory prewired trailerbrakes mine with the 5.7 and a installed 5thwheel hitch and a 7k lb towing capacity pulled my 9k lb camper 1k miles through some of the steepest mountain highways wv and virginia has to offer. mutch respect 250k on factory everything, went to replace the ball joints ( choice not necessity) and they had to cut the factory seals. 250k miles on the original parts
These were the best and most simple Chevy trucks ever to date. Basic, simple to repair, this is the generation most used truck buyers go for. All engines very very good, but the gas TBI injected mills were the best, and the auto OD trans was the best GM ever made. If 1 lived in rust free climates, that was 1 of those truck that lasted 1 a lifetime. I'm a Dodge guy at heart, but these Chevys were IMO the best trucks on the road. It's not so now, with trucks costing a house payment and frequent ridiculous electronic repairs and updates. GM, and everybody else, will make big bucks when they bring out such a basic truck as this!
Wish I kept my 1989 Scottsdale step side 4x4 350ci TBI. Was a great truck. I was the second owner and had it for 11 years. Had over 300K miles on it. I sold it in 2015 for a newer 06 5.3 Vortec which was also a great truck. Now I have an 08 LMM Duramax fully deleted and EFI Live tuned. Once you go turbo diesel, you don't go back. Lol so addictive.
