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I've got a 2003 GMC Sierra 1500 4.8L 2WD SCSB. It's about as small a full size truck as there was for 2003. Way small compared to the monster trucks they're putting on the roads today.
I also have a 2000 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins 4x4 QCLB 6-speed. The Dodge has been mine since October 1999.
The GMC has been mine since my dad passed away on 2021. I don't necessarily need the GMC, but I just can't sell it, for nostalgic reasons.
The GMC has needed quite a few minor repairs to put it back to 100%. Last year I pulled the bed off and replaced all the full lines and solenoid valve thing, whatever it's called. At that time, I went ahead and put drop shackles on the rear, and it now sits level front to back. It looks real nice. At this time, the truck is 100%. It rolls real nice. Still a 100% functioning PICKUP TRUCK.
The point of this thread is, I sort kinda like the idea of making the truck look a little bit like a period NASTRUCK. I was thinking of doing a few additional things, besides just the drop shackles. The things I was thinking of:
Cutting the exhaust off just past the (Borla) muffler and just putting a ground dump on it. The tailpipe is hanging low in the right rear area anyway, something my Paw did, got it hung up on something and bent it down.
Or maybe redoing the exhaust a bit to get a bit more sound out of it and seeing if I couldn't find some boom tubes and running the exhaust out just in front of the rear tires.
I really like the idea of tapping into the ECU and doing a few things I've learned about on youtube. For example, futzing with the idle to get it to somewhat lope at idle. There's other things I'd like to do inside the ECU but they're not related to NASTRUCK kind of stuff.
Its running the stock 16" wheels (and they do look nice in my opinion), but I was considering getting some wheels that closely resemble NASTRUCK wheels and running some raised letter Goodyear Eagles on them.
Other ideas that seem a bit far-fetched, because they start detracting from the useability of the truck as a real PICKUP TRUCK, is, maybe a tonneau cover, fake in some rollbars, and a tailgate spoiler like used on NASTRUCKs.
Just shooting some ideas off you guys. I don't know, maybe this whole thing is stupid and I should just leave it alone. What do you guys think? Have any ideas?
My only suggestion is to keep the exhaust exiting as far back as possible. I didn't want to see the tailpipe so I dumped it behind the bumper. Any dump before the rear axle will likely drone.
Pay someone to tune the ecu, and yes, they can get it to have a little lope sound at idle.
Don't put the Crager steel wheels on the truck. No need for heavy steel wheels in 2024.
I always have a tonneau cover, Keeps unwanted hands (and garbage) from going where they shouldn't. Plus they fold or roll up easy when you need to do truck stuff again.
Picture with the bed off when I did the fuel lines and added the drop shackles.
All the moldy stuff you see that is not reachable with the bed on, got cleaned up real nice before the bed went back on.
The below is what it looked like before the drop shackles.
And this is what it currently looks like after the 2" drop. I haven't removed the side garnishes yet. This is a stock photo modified, but it is pretty much exactly like this. Could use some NASTRUCK tweaks. It's clean, it's straight, no rust, never crashed, everything works, good cold air, and just turned 100k some time last week.
I would definitely recommend keeping the exhaust exiting out the rear of the truck. Every truck I’ve been around that had an axle dump under the truck droned like crazy. I have my exhaust come out the bedside on my Silverado and it’s totally livable for a daily driver.
also for tuning wise yeah you can kinda make it sound like it had a ghost cam by messing with the idle under/over speed corrections with ignition timing but it will never sound as good as a real cam and a real cam will give you a butload more power for super cheap. 212/218 .550” lift 112lsa cam works awesome in these trucks (btr stage 2 low lift truck cam or Texas speed stage 2 low lift truck cam.
It might not drone but I’m sure it would be quieter if it exited at the rear bumper. When you dump the exhaust under the bed or cab it can turn either of them into a gigantic drum lol. I’ve seen it allot with the **** box Hondas I tune. Put a 3” down pipe out the side of the front bumper and you can drive the car around like it’s got full exhaust. Dump it under the subframe or anywhere in the exhaust tunnel and the car is undriveable lol.
01-31-2024, 03:28 PM
New Dinosaur Member...
It's clean, it's straight, no rust, never crashed, everything works, good cold air, and just turned 100k some time last week.
