10 years of the Silverado HD

[DirtyLarry]

Somehow GM pulled off Motor Trends Truck of the Year with their new Silverado HD. I am personally not fond of the ’07 and later Silverado’s but it got me thinking that the Silverado HD’s are 10 years old now. Wow, time flies. I remember anxiously awaiting for these trucks to hit the market when I was still at GM World Headquarters working on the 1999 Silverado launch. Remember the launch of “The TRUCK”. That was a fun time to be at GM!

Back then (1998/1999 time frame) rumors were flying everywhere that the new 2001 Silverado HD would have a new AAM solid front axle and a NV5600 6 speed manual. In the end, neither happened for the GM twins meanwhile
Chrysler got the new AAM SFA in 2003 in the new Dodge HD's. They also got the NV5600 a few years earlier. At least us GM guys got a new Vortec 8.1L big block and a ZF S6-650 6-speed manual that isn’t too shabby.

When I moved back to CO in May of 2001 for a field rep job, I was pretty anxious to unload the 1998 Z71 that I bought new while living in Detroit to order a new HD truck. Only 3 years old the ’98 was already sprouting rust bubbles under the hood lip and on the rocker panels thanks to the Midwest road salt (no road salt in CO thankfully!) . I contacted my dealer buddy here in town around June of 2001 to place the order for the truck I wanted and he said, you know what?? I have that same truck on stock order that is already late but supposed to be due in August. For whatever reason, the truck still didn’t show up until September, which worked out pretty well as GM started the 0% financing right after September 11th. The odd thing was the truck was built in December 2000! As it turned out, the reason for the delay was GM was building a stock pile of the new HD’s for the launch of the Heavy Duty series and being this truck as a stock order truck it was on the slow boat out of the bailment pool. None the less, it was still frustrating waiting for 4 months for it to arrive.

Here it tis…..10 years and only 52,826 miles later. Certainly looks better than any 2007 or later GM truck IMHO!





6-speed manual with a manual shift transfercase! What trucks should be made of!






The day I brought it home. 9-21-01




What I traded to get the 2001 HD.


Yep, it was a 5 speed with a manual shift transfercase! The last of the Mohicans in the half-tons.