Well, since I am selling my car I have to keep myself busy somehow. I plan on doing a "build" on my 98 C1500 with a few specific goals in mind. Here are the basics on the truck:

1998 Chevrolet Silverado Ext Cab Short bed
116,000 miles
White Exterior/Blue Interior
Tow Package with 4.10's
2WD
3rd Door

As the truck sits right now, the hood and the door are trashed. The hood has many dents from the truck being totalled out in a hail storm and the door caught the *** end of a deer one trip on my way home. Now the truck isn't in "perfect" shape but, being white, looks great from 20 ft away.

I have 3 main goals for the truck,

1. 20 MPG or better on the Highway and in town I'd like to see 14 or better
2. I want it to sound good and look good without dipping too far into my pocket and without sacrificing driveability (harshness of ride, fuel economy, interior noise)
3. I want the truck to be dependable. My parents live 2 hrs away and my sister 6, I want to be able to jump in the truck without a shadow of a doubt that it will make the trip there and back with no problems.

Now the truck is my DD, so all the modifications will be easy and simple stuff that can be done in a few hours. As the truck sits right now, it has a drop in K&N and Mobil 1 0w30. Those are the ONLY two things I have done to try and get my MPG's up a bit.

Throughout the build I will be doing install how-to's and also compare before and after specs. Whether it be performance mods (STP feel) or gas mileage mods (in town and highway measurements), I will be updating the thread as I do more stuff to it.

Here are the plans for the truck in the order I want to do them:

1. Lowering Shackles (already purchased)
2. !Side Molding, paint frame
3. Lens tint (rear tails)
4. Pinstripe
5. CAI
6. Tune
7. Electric Fans
8. Cowl Hood
9. LT Headers and ORY
10. Custom single 3" exhaust
11. Wheels and tires

I will get some pics up tonight of what I am working with and start going from there!

 

Sounds great, what engine and tranny?
How do you intend on improving the fuel mileage?

 

The motor is a 5.7 Vortec and the trans is a 4L60E.

Basically all the mods I am doing are going to help gas mileage in some way except for the appearance mods.

I plan on doing before and after comparisons after each mod. My parents live about 1.5 hrs away so a short drive there and back for a weekend would be a good way to test MPG's, especially since it is all flat lands.

 

sounds like a good plan. my moms 97 tahoe gets 16 mpg in normal city driving. Sounds like your 20mpg goal should be attainable