My 2016 4x4 has the 5.3,and it will FLY. 300 + HP and a fat torque curve. They have the electronics worked out now,and the engines are in a perfect state of tune at every RPM range. They also have a 6 speed auto-overdrive that looks suspisciously like the 6 speed Allision in my GMC turbo diesel,and transmissions don't get any tougher than that.
@sneakypete It likely is an Allison - but by far and away, Chevys come with an 4L60, which is a piece of crap, or an 4L80, which is not quite as much a piece of crap.
I get 19.5 MPG in stop and go daily driving short trips,with speeds from 25 to 65 MPH. Have gotten right at 22 MPH on interstate trips at 70-75 MPH,and this is with 3:73 gears.
My last truck was a 78 Chevy 3/4T 4x4, upgraded to a 383 stroker, with a 5spd for OD, and I took out the stock 4:55 gears for - I don't remember whether 3:90 or 3:73... Still carbureted, but an Edelbrock... And I got similar mileage... Though somewhat dependent upon the weight of my right foot... Mostly, if you upgrade to overdrive, put in road gears, and put on a decent carb and tuned headers with fat dual exhaust, you are in the ballpark... with an advantage of stick and hubs, which are rare anymore... To be fair, that was when it was still on the ground... when it was up on '44s and had a 427, it was not nearly as kind with fuel, but it served a different purpose.
Well,you have to admit,that is a GM tradition,along with trim pieces falling off at random,doors sagging,and rusting out.
Nope. The Muncie 465 and NP 205 are a hard combo to beat for sheer durability. That 465 has a bit of a problem bending shifting forks, but is a cheap and easy fix, when it happens.
Less enamored of the Turbo 350 and 400, but they could be kitted to make them far more durable than stock - An aftermarket cooler and inline 1qt filter adds a TON of extended life. Likewise the earlier 700R4. My favorite transmission is probably still a Turbo 350, rigged to motorhome specs, overlaid with a decent B&M kit (to include shift kit). It ain't as good as a stick, but it goes a long, long time.
As to the tin - meh. It takes about a weekend to roll one body off and put on another, and a tight body on a 2wd with no engine or trans, is under 500 bucks. And repair panels are dirt cheap anyway... Where you get caught is in the painting... And being a painter, that ain't a problem.
That's true,but it happens far less often now than it used to,and if your truck is under warranty a dealer will drop off a loaner for you to drive when he comes to pick up your dead one for repairs.
Who cares after a 50 mile walk out? But, as a matter of full disclosure, I have never in my life owned a new truck, and I never will. It is the principle of the thing. As a rule for everything, I find it busted, buy it cheap, and fix it. Redneck 101.
You obviously have no experience with a 3/4 or 1 ton diesel pu.
I have owned exactly TWO half tons in my life. I have been in a 3/4T heavy 4x4 most of my life. Hell, I lived out of em for all intensive porpoises. 1Ts are more rare, but I have had them too.
Diesels rarer still, but I did wedge a Cummins 12 valve into a 83 1T 4x4 cowboy cadillac, for hauling a big horse trailer overland. Diesels are great if you have the money - I tend to avoid them because when they go wrong, they cost a mint... And I can build 3 porkers for the cost of 1 diesel, and fix em way cheaper. yeah, they may suck more gas, but that evens out on repairs. But by and large, a slightly overbuilt flat-top tree-fitty and trailer brakes seems to be the sweet spot.
