Silverado97

Just got my first truck two days ago... 1997 5.7L Silverado.

Had a cap on it... but I wasn't really a big fan of a large cap. I'd rather have a tonneau cover.

Anyways, I am wanting to do some minor upgrades, preferably inexpensive.

I have been considering different types of exhausts... im not sure which to go with. I've been told flomaster is the way to go, but there are so many types out there.

I'm open to suggestions for other upgrades/customizations as well!

I'm a newbie in the truck world!

Theophylaktos

Im in the same boat as you my friend. I just got a '98 5.7 K Silverado and have been looking at different sites for exhaust, cold air intake and headers. I have heard that flomaster is a good one to go with but Ive also been checking out Gibson, seems like another affordable dependable brand for exhaust. I have no idea where to start in terms of headers and air intake though hopefully someone will have some ideas beyond the research ive done.

JK23112

Flowmaster "50" Series is the way to go. They look and sound just beautiful on my 2004 Silverado 1500 4x2 with the 5.3L V8 engine. Best money I ever spent!

Silverado97

Theophylaktos - how do you like your truck? I told my friend that this is the first vehicle that I actually am proud of owning!!!!

JK23112
I went to my buddies house.. he has 4 silverados... each with a different type of exhaust... and he happened to have the 50 series on HIS favorite.. and the sound that it put out was distinct compared to the others... the others all sounded similar.. but this one was so distinct and ... in a loss for words perfect!!

i appreciate the advice!

therewolf

Hi Silverado97,

Welcome to the Chevy Forums.

Upgrades, you say? Hunh, hunh,hunh, (drool,drool) what kinds are you talking about?

I've been modding my silvie since I got her. The 2000Watt 110V power inverter's a nice touch, if you can use house current much.

I switched to more highway compatible 342 gears, down from 410s. Saves a lot of gas, and cruises the highway at a lot lower RPMS.

How about a combo crane-winch? Lifts 500 lbs, folds up over the rear wheel-well.

Tire of the third seat in the front wasting all your console space? I replaced that "20" seat with an amp-under- console(with 2 cooling fans) and a large console over the amp with herds of storage between the front seats.

Upgraded the stereo. Rewired and replaced all the speakers, and the head unit.

When the key-remotes went bad, I decided to upgrade to an aftermarket alarm system which gave me two remotes free, rather than giving the stealership 380$ for JUST the remotes.

Very respectable foglites are only about 40$, DIY out the door with wiring and
a respectable switch.

The upgrade 140AMP alternator is @ 110$ at pep-boys, but the belt's going to cost a fortune(@50) if it's serpentine. Yeah, sorry there is @ a 2" difference in the standard belt.

The gel-cel battery was pricey, but it helps to keep up with all the new toys. While I was at it, I switched to top-mount battery cables.

Just for starters...

Theophylaktos

Silverado97 - I absolutely love this truck. Its got a few issues but nothing i cant overlook or take care of. Definitely the best vehicle/truck Ive ever owned. And cant wait to start customizing and upgrading it.

CoffeyLover

Where did you get that amp-under console? Custom made? Can you post some pix?

Silverado97

the third seat... id love to get rid of it and create some more space. Here's my issue. The driver seat and the center seat are combined into 1 large seat with the folding console. Do I just go to a junkyard and get a single seat? I am clueless where to start there, but it sounds like something I would do in the very near future!

zm1040

Cold air intake, breather, shift kit, programmer/tune, flowmaster cat-back exhaust kit w/dumps (imo best look)

therewolf

Yeah , the amp-under is a custom job. The NBS generally comes with a 40/20/40 front seat system, which eats up space if you don't seat three in the front regularly, and a miniature fold-up seat-back console.

You need to eliminate the "20" (You can probably Ebay it.) seat, which means removing the passenger and driver seat, then pulling the center seat with the PITA,wimp-o factory seat-back console. You need to borrow a reverse torx socket to remove the seat bolts.
I'd recommend replacing them with standard six-point bolts from a good hardware store, but be sure to match the threads, for some reason which defies explanation, GM loves metric these days. Some grinding will be needed to get the new bolt heads to fit under the rear-outboard seat rails.

Then(sorry guys, I just got it together I'm not ripping it apart just for pics again
right now) I shock-mounted a 1/4" plexiglass platform to the floor using bolts, rubber and metal fender washers. For heat dissipation purposes, I used the washers to elevate the plexi plate @ 1" over the floor. Be very careful you don't drill any wires, carefully cut and check the carpeting or vinyl, and the insulation at the locations you want to drill. Be sure to also verify the area under the truck where you want to drill is also clear of gear and wiring.

Amp size dictates what size you want for the plexiglass, I used a Rockford Fosgate Punch 400-4, and left @ 1" extra front and back, and 3/4" on the sides. Measure to be sure the amp you want fits, before you order. I used plastic washers made by cutting a piece of plexi with a 1" cup drill to mount the amp on the platform. The crossovers went under the seats, and the door speakers were wired along the channels under the side trim runners under the door panels. A 3/8 right angle drill was needed to drill the holes through the door posts and into the doors near the standard wiring harnesses.Wire casings carefully taped to keep the system watertight should be run between the doors.

You need median carpentry skills for the over-console. I mounted 6" 12V desktop tower computer fans front and rear to cool the amp down low. Be sure to cut away the sides of your new console(which is basically a rectangular plywood box with feet) down low to create additional cooling and makeup air between the fans.The false floor of the console is @ 4" higher than the amp. If you just lay it in over two lateral wood strips,on the inside side walls, it makes for easy access for the amp. I even routered in grooves for wiring for the switches to control the fans and an interior console light on the driver's side. I hinged the console forwards instead of that flacacta GM rear hinge design, and even threw on some cupholders on the front. This is still in the prototype stages, so when you see pics eventually, you'll probably notice some rough edges.

However, Minwax "Ebony" stain matches the Charcoal Interior of most truck interiors surprisingly well, and even a rough cut design doesn't look too hideous. I went with an overall height of @18",(you can always cut it lower) but found that it supports my right arm and elbow very comfortably, to the point where I decided to go without padding the top. And console space? The interior is @18" long, 12" wide and 10" deep. I'm loving it. Now there's space for the GPS, paperwork, and all the crap that used to get thrown on the floor of the back seat.