GA 1998 5.7L Sierra SLE, 91k miles, TONS of xtras, loaded w/leather

[shifty]

SOLD!!

Thanks for looking. Truck sold locally today. I'll have a bunch of spare parts to list at a deep discount soon - brand new bumpers, fuel spider, gaskets, turn signal lever, etc.

Usual story here, "got more invested here than I'll get out of it". But hey, I had fun doing the work, I guess my loss is your gain? Would made a solid platform to build a show truck or a good daily driver for a teen who wants a project to work on. Good for up north, y'all have abundant access to good interiors and uncracked dashes, cheap!!

Gist: Pics attached (below).

• Super low-mile 1998 Sierra SLE extended cab
• Fully-loaded, power-everything
• Mechanically excellent, 5.7L Vortec, 4l60e, RWD, runs like a dream
• Never wrecked, all owners non-smokers, clean CarFax (can email)
• Emissions ready, good thru 7/2020 if you're in GA
• A/C just overhauled, new compressor, ice cold A/C!
• Immediately starts strong and steady, every time
• Tons of cleanup done, nagging little fixes after 21 yrs of use!

Truck is ready to drive cross-country! I'm 10-15mins from ATL airport and less than 5mins from the I-75/I-85/I-20 cross, easy access to drive anywhere. Happy to help out if you're flying in to purchase and drive home.

History: Truck is local to GA, bought just outside Atlanta, still has the sticker from original dealership in Conyers, GA on the tailgate, truck lived within 50 miles of the dealership its whole life. 3 owners to date. 1st owner used it primarily to pull his boat out of nearby lake. 2nd owner used it as a work truck for a small pond/water feature business. As 3rd owner, I occasionally drive it to work, primarily used it for landscape/hardware store runs the past 18 months while fixing things here and there. Truck is bone-stock minus the trailer hitch and stereo upgrades, no custom aftermarket mods or jury-rigged shade-tree mechanic nonsense here. It's a solid base!

Recent work done:

• Scored and installed NOS stock 15" wheels
• New tires (Kinergy PT) + balance & align
• New A/C compressor + full vacuum & recharge service
• New AC Delco Serpentine belt installed during AC overhaul
• New Battery, w/5yr warranty (installed this month)
• New ACDelco fuel pump w/tank pressure sensor (3-4mos old)
• New Dorman intermediate shaft incl new rag joint
• New ACDelco oil pressure sending unit
• New windshield with factory tinted top strip
• Professionally re-upholstered headliner/visors/overhead console
• Kenwood bluetooth + hands-free stereo (I was an installer by trade for years)
• New Speakers: Rockford Fosgate mids/tweeters in front, Alpine rear
• New Rain-X wipers
• New OEM-looking headlights and bulbs
• Seafoam top-end clean
• Transmission flush
• Emissions Vapor Canister vent valve replaced
• Re-sealed 3rd brake light housing
• Re-sealed cracked seam sealer on cowl ends, cracked seam sealer above driver door corner
• 2x New tailgate cables, also replaced hood/tailgate rubbers
• 4x McGard wheel locks
• New all-steel driver side exterior door handle
• New driver side interior door handle
• All interior lights converted to LED except gauge cluster

PO receipts show done in last 5yrs:

• Water pump
• Thermostat
• NAPA radiator and hoses
• Ignition: New spark plug wires, plugs, rotor & distributor cap (5k miles back)

Upsides: Very low mileage workhorse. NO RUST-THROUGH on frame or exterior! Truck rarely (if ever) saw salt roads or snow. No major body damage, hail damage or other crap you don't want to deal with, only stuff a home body guy could sand/bondo. Frame and undercarriage is gorgeous, bed came off easily when I replaced the fuel pump, bolts backed right out with no effort. Tons of work invested already at this point, just needs minor nagging stuff, some of which I've got parts for. Engine ran great when I bought, runs like a dream with the new fuel pump! Tracks well on road after intermediate shaft replaced, full alignment, new tires and stock wheels. You'll be hard pressed to find a more sound frame and drivetrain anywhere with this low mileage. No broken/missing plastics (minus the dash and jack box nut), sound-deadened the roof when I had the headliner and visors done, headliner, center console and visors were professionally reupholstered recently to OEM color. Only ACDelco parts were used on service - fuel pump, sensors, A/C compressor, the only aftermarket part I used so far was the new battery, which came with a 5 year warranty.

Downsides: Was a southern work truck, the interior & exterior shows it. Paint scratches, clearcoat peeling, a few dings here and there, small dent in front bumper. Interior would be awesome if leather wasn't split, belts were actually pristine, and dash wasn't cracked up (typical southeastern GMT400 issues). Truck has a matching-color dash mat to cover cracks and holes. PO allowed floor carpet underlay get wet from the (usual) 3rd brake light leak and (usual) cowl intake leak, but first thing I did was patch up the leaks, pull and clean the carpet extensively. Carpet is currently uninstalled to treat some surface rust spots on passenger floor where the carpet massback stayed moist longer than I'd have preferred. I've seen this leak issue on almost every GMT400 I've found at local junkyards and I have two dozen links to threads where others found similar leak but no joy. I planned to seal it up in the coming weeks, then reassemble the interior.

[shifty]

Labor Day price drop! Looking to move this!

I'm working to repair the last cowl leak this weekend, reinstalling interior during the next week.

[pitterpat]

Originally Posted by shifty

Labor Day price drop! Looking to move this!

I'm working to repair the last cowl leak this weekend, reinstalling interior during the next week.

Any pics of cowl and leaking area?

[shifty]

Originally Posted by pitterpat

Any pics of cowl and leaking area?

No pics b/c I don't know where it is. But here's what I can tell you:

This past weekend when I replaced the driver's exterior door handle, I did a crapload of testing. with the cowl plastics off.

I setup a waterhose full blast physically inside the cowl so the water was rushing over every seam of the air intake box. Ran it for 5 minutes. No leaks.

Then I took the water hose out. I ran it across the flat area around the hood hinge. Nothing after 5 minutes.

Pulled the coolant overflow (replaced with NOS one) and hit the entire area behind it, nothing.

I ran it on the firewall, found a leak where the A/C and blower motor wiring bulkhead hits the firewall - but that's a spot water isn't even supposed to really be. Still, I added a new foam gasket seal similar to OEM.

Then I took and ran water below the windshield seal around the two cowl screws everyone complains about leaking down into the box. Sure enough, within 2-3 minutes I started seeing a slow drip, about 1 drop every 45 seconds or so. But I checked, it wasn't leaking from the screw holes and down into the air intake box like everyone else explains. So there's something going on above/around the cowl that's letting water drip down onto the interior firewall. I'm almost positive it's more cracked seam sealer. Really, the entire cowl needs to be re-seam-sealed. The seam sealer GM used cracks to hell pretty quick.

I reckon the only way anyone would ever find the leak is if they removed the dash - which needs replacement anyway - and tested with the dash off, traced the water back.

EDIT: And I'm sorry for the late reply, life's been a little nuts this week getting the truck ready to list. Did a lot of work on it, including replacing the oil pressure sending unit, replacing the coolant overflow jug, new exterior door handle, new driver side interior door handle and reinstalling the interior.

Planning on washing it up, taking pics and listing on eBay at a 3400 start price, $5700 BIN. Still willing to sell here though if anyone is interested. I'll post back here if it sells over there.

[pitterpat]

Originally Posted by shifty

Final bump. Just put this up for auction and on a couple of other outlets with a lot more pics. Still prefer selling it over here to one of my 67-72 Chevy Trucks cohorts so I can keep tabs on its progress, but also running out of time to score on my next project! Thanks for looking and all the positive feedback received, everyone!

Anymore pics? Driver's seat pics for condition?

[pitterpat]

Is that a 6 ft bed?

[shifty]

Originally Posted by pitterpat

Anymore pics? Driver's seat pics for condition?

Tons of pics here or scroll down below. I have more I can post if you need to see something else specific.

Standard bed, ~6.6'

[Ironworking]

I had a step side not too many years ago. Sold it too a friend of 30 years. He begged me to sell him that truck! No sooner than i did, the fat bath turd turned on me.

[shifty]

More recent pics 1

[shifty]

More pics 2

[shifty]

More pics 3

[shifty]

More pics 4

[pitterpat]

Would have loved to buy this but lost my job just before I was ready to reach out to you. I had another 98 like this but with cloth interior and lots of rust. If I get a job soon I'll reach out.

[shifty]

Originally Posted by pitterpat

Would have loved to buy this but lost my job just before I was ready to reach out to you. I had another 98 like this but with cloth interior and lots of rust. If I get a job soon I'll reach out.

Sorry to hear about the job front. It's a really great truck, I'll be said to see it go, but I've already scrounged the funds to buy the Impala I've been wanting w/o selling the truck and I can't justify having 4 cars at the house with my "better 3/4" hollering at me constantly about having 3 vehicles. I'm not willing to give up my DD, so the truck's gotta go.

I suspect I'd probably have a lot more luck (i.e. truck sold) if I listed locally on OfferUp or Craigslist but I'm just not willing to deal with the drama of tire kickers. I've got about 15 days left on this auction cycle. I'm hoping it's out the door before then, but also honestly prefer it goes to a forum member!

[shifty]

More pics. Interior is far from perfect, but is just a couple of skins away from looking nice. Dash and seats are the biggest flaw of the truck - and the easiest to fix.

[shifty]

New fuel pump, correctly wired. Less than 500 miles on it. Entire bed gap cleaned after install. Plus pics of the frame - straight as an arrow and any orange you see is on the surface. Back of bad and cab were polished and waxed while I had the bed off to replace the fuel pump.

[shifty]

Last but not least, I mentioned the PO ignored water leaks from the cowl area, 3rd brake light seal, cracked roofline seam sealer at driver side B-pillar, and windshield which let to the carpet underlay stay soaked for an unusual period of time. I fixed all but one leak in the cowl, which only leaks when I park on the street with the passenger side lower than driver's side. I've driven through torrential downpour in the truck for 20 minutes on end and observe no leak, so I can't figure out the source or why it only happens when truck is sitting with passenger side angled downward.

I pulled the entire carpet, cleaned the topside, treated the massback and noise dampener, let it dry out in the sun for several weeks during our drought, sound-deadened the driveline (which was free of paint bubbling) and the back wall of the cab. As you can see there's non-perforating rust on the passenger floorboard, but it's nothing a wirewheel won't take care of rapidly, a little self-etch primer or converter, and I'll give the buyer a free rattle-can of OEM-matching paint to get the floorboard back to OEM appearance again. I've kept that corner of the carpet folded back after so the water won't re-drench everything.

[shifty]

Sold! Who knew a good 'ol FOR SALE sign in the back window would be so effective? Sold less than 36 hours after installing it. That said ... I'll have a crapload of brand new parts listing on the parts forum for any of you other GMT 400 lovers out there. Stay tuned