88GMCtruck's 98 Silverado Towpig Build: "Black Fox"

88GMCTruck....

Greetings! I am new to this website and I'm glad that I came across it, I have the same dually truck you have, the same color and all and I'm in the process of installing a whipple kit on the 454 with hopes of doing the 0411 PCM upgrade, if your cool with it I'd love to pick your brain someday, I hope you still frequent this website! Your truck is bad A$$!!! So yeah please let me know if I may contact you and how I may go about reaching out to you, I noticed your in Auburn, I'm in Tacoma so we're pretty much neighbors, lol, I'd be glad to meet up some day if your up for it! I'll bring the beer!!
I also have a full whipple kit for my Limited Tahoe and I plan to also install the 0411 PCM upgrade! Well let me know your thoughts bro, Take Care and please keep up the awesome postings!

View attachment 2197 View attachment 2199
Sorry for the slow response, I'm not on here a ton lately. Just shoot me a PM here if you want, can go from there!

--------------------------------


Well it has been more than a minute since I've checked in on here...

A slight style change - installed factory "4x4" stickers on it again. I like the style of them and their OEMness. Just something different.
AB4FD2C0-0A16-4A3B-B629-15EA7FE4C97F.jpg

D9E27C0F-DD91-4CE7-B4EE-665E45ED9B64.jpg


Few misc camping shots. Some of these should totally be in a GM recreation brochure or something LOL.
EADFBFA2-DB58-4E33-924B-39F0D06582A2.jpg

EC35EF98-6058-42E0-BA78-78BCFC6C52FA.jpg

CC131D45-8F50-4C7A-A100-4135DD58B8E0.jpg

5CFC6734-AC17-476F-AED1-524708FB67D0.jpg

CB2D95C3-63E3-4C12-8F52-C51B54E2F7A0.jpg


Been using the suburban a bit more, since it's easy to leave the camper on and it gets WAY better economy, and honestly it's more of a "beater". I did put heated seats in it, and found hood and grille with better paint, upgraded the lighting, installed 4" exhaust....
9C7CEAD4-256F-4469-BEE9-847F176DA379.jpg

14646C34-E74C-4558-9B23-C24058FD01D5.jpg

CB3D49E3-CEEE-4165-B415-C63D6891A2D1.jpg


Took a nice trip on memorial day out in the sand. My happiest place on earth.
CE3D82D5-1641-4175-AA44-6E5921D03A3F.jpg

0CB0911D-36E5-4F60-9EB7-B076B387EC48.jpg


But, on the way home... the way home... the GD MFing thing started making sound... from the trans/transfercase.......... AGAIN.

5th gear backed off on the transmission, which pushes on the input shaft of the transfercase case and destroys it... So this week these got sent out for a nice day at the spa...
81b4d391-1434-4487-ac5d-76b647079b9a.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: dszx13 and Huck
So how many times does this make for trans issues?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
HAHA well i rebuilt the original twice myself, both times it ate the input shaft.

Then i bought new, 5th backed off (last t-case replacement) then just did it again. So technically this once this one is installed this is the 4th trans.
 
HAHA well i rebuilt the original twice myself, both times it ate the input shaft.

Then i bought new, 5th backed off (last t-case replacement) then just did it again. So technically this once this one is installed this is the 4th trans.

Lol damn. Time for a T56


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
Long overdue update. Summer was brutally busty for me.
Got the Trans and T-Case back shortly after the last update, slapped it in and got on with life.
C6FCBE82-3E7A-4995-B556-E35EC832B87D.jpg

6C39C37D-C50C-4228-AAE2-24ABAFE757F0.jpg

5BD4BCF7-4415-45CC-A08C-0A22FF2EB06D.jpg

4517B585-91C7-40A6-A6F8-FC313266E55A.jpg


After it was together, finally got around to adding a video splitter and side view cameras to the truck. I also upgraded the side backup lights with the boost auto modules. WAY brighter.
3E1B31BF-F8B3-493C-BB65-3BE4D663FD56.jpg

5EFE1FD1-AA51-46F4-BE69-582C15E4B09D.jpg

6ABF297E-2726-4283-8992-B6AFBF988BCD.jpg

72D938BC-F4BA-4434-9889-57F871B86761.jpg

49BBCFBF-55D9-4ED5-AEAE-5C785E979600.jpg


And I did my normal camping trips
37F92F95-4A4A-41E5-8571-395BB47CFB6A.jpg

52383FD3-ECF1-4A76-8870-27AF46E9DF88.jpg

F94BE13A-85BF-4CC1-8194-CE2D308D1065.jpg

BF00EB94-B034-4E7F-8BBF-8F8651B0E4BE.jpg

15181287-7370-40D8-8AF3-55338AD3C54F.jpg

1FDC289D-9654-40DF-A9C9-DF65890087C2.jpg


Only to have the last one end with a 197 miles of AAA towing.
B4BCF3FF-8A18-44DD-9E9C-E24A507C8742.jpg

9D7F4C25-DBD4-4986-AE19-71739470BA95.jpg


Truck started running like crap and backfiring on the way home, turns out I blew a lower intake gasket. It's all fixed back up now complete with a tune-up as well.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Connor and dszx13
Yikes. I mean you could go 8.1 :)


Find me a cherry stepside please, I find good ones up in WA/OR on the craigs.
 
Yikes. I mean you could go 8.1 :)


Find me a cherry stepside please, I find good ones up in WA/OR on the craigs.
I see lots of good builders here (rust is rarely a problem) and clean trucks as well. if you see something you want checked out shoot me a message.

I thought about going 8.1L, but then i'd need a different whipple setup.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Smith
I've had... quite a lot happen in the last month, so forgive me for not existing online.
On the way back from my last trip (end of October) the truck started making a ticking sound, like an exhaust leak. But, I was focused on the 88 at the time (frame was pulled apart for coating). I basically parked the truck camper on and went about what I was doing. Then my great uncle passed away, had to take some time to go down there with the family. I took the Black Fox down to the funeral, so before I left I went through some exhaust stuff (new collector gasket, making sure there were no leaks) etc and just couldn't figure out the tick sound... it was faint (most people thought I was nuts) but i'm pretty in tune with this truck.
During this time, my father was telling me about a truck his hunting friend was selling, a 06 GMC K3500 SLT duramax with 46k miles. It's basically the exact truck I would want as a duramax if I were to choose to go the Allison Auto route... Asked me if I was interested, saw some photos, etc. I ended up looking at it while at the funeral on the weekend of Nov 10th. Came home from that and had a really busy work week... But in the little free time I had I dug into it much farther, determined it had to be a lifter making noise. So I decided to go all out, and would pull the lifters and cam over the weekend. Mind you this is while I have the 88 COMPLETELY spread out around the property in pieces... and i'm figuring out the possibility of this new truck... plus remodeling a bedroom in the house..... so, yeah. You can see how much of a cluster-F my garage is right now
IMG_0373.jpeg

IMG_0374.jpeg

So I ended up striking a deal on the 06 that week. Got the financial and paperwork figure out during the week (truck was 3 hours away). So now we are at the next weekend. After work Friday I pull the cam, turns out the exhaust lifter on cylinder 5 had a roller starting to fail which was making the ticking sound.
IMG_0381.jpeg

IMG_0408.jpeg

Saturday I wake up, get a ride to go get the Duramax (was a day long trip)....
IMG-0389.jpg

IMG-0386.jpg

So I get the truck home, now it's Sunday and Monday put the Black Fox back together. Completely flushed the engine, installed a brand new OEM vortec cam, comp cams OE replacement lifters and new gaskets, plus fresh fluids. Put the 19 lb/hr injectors in and de-pinned the 0411 back to the black box PCM.
IMG_0410.jpeg

That was one busy weekend. So keep going.... Thanksgiving is the 22nd and I have family dinner plus my annual quad camping trip.... and now I have a different truck to try and get setup to haul my camper. So now I also have that to prep which included removing running boards, canopy, installing camper tie downs and the superhitch, making sure wiring the trailer brake controller are good, transferring all my stuff to the truck, and prepping for camping.
IMG-0426.jpg

IMG-0427.jpg

IMG-0428.jpg

Not without a few long lights and some extra effort, but I managed to get everything done and ready and make my trip.
IMG-0444.jpg

IMG-0445.jpg

And no, I haven't updated because I came back from that trip late Sunday after thanksgiving, worked 2 days then flew red-eye to Chicago for another trip I had planned, which I just returned from late this past Sunday. The camper is still sitting on my the new truck, in the driveway, with parts scattered everywhere in my garage and yard, and the grille missing off the black fox.... I have a busy few weeks ahead now.
I know most of you are asking me "Why?".
I love the 98. I love the GMT400 bodystyle. There is a TON of things I love about that truck. Where that truck is today hasn't came without a bunch of trials for me, such as many NV4500 issues, supercharger issues, and just general old truck/age maintenance things like gaskets, lights, brakes, etc etc.... It's just an old truck with old technology and I'm pushing its limits to do what i'm doing with it. And with that i'm still getting like... 7MPG doing what i'm doing....
A newer truck with a stronger frame, better brakes, stronger engine and transmission that gets better fuel economy, as clean and as low mile as this one is.... it was just impossible to pass up.
I still have a few things to remove from the Black Fox (train horn, stereo, radios) prior to selling it. I'm still debating on pulling the welds off it as well, and the whipple is already removed and likely going to be installed on the 88 in the future.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Smith
Just me but I’d level the duramax and put the welds/coopers on it. If you want I have 1500 keys from my Burb, they fit in a medium flat rate box so $10 to cover shipping and they are yours.
 
So I have to ask, how did the supercharged 454 hauling and towing compare with the duramax?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
if you werent around 3000 miles away i would entertain the welds, but shipping would be killer lol
Well I'm not looking to sell any of them LOL.
Just me but I’d level the duramax and put the welds/coopers on it. If you want I have 1500 keys from my Burb, they fit in a medium flat rate box so $10 to cover shipping and they are yours.
I don't even need keys to level it out, TBH. They have them cranked almost all the way down, I already did like 4 turns and it's too high with the camper on.
Wait are the welds not going on?
The second set are polished and awaiting tires to go on sale.
So I have to ask, how did the supercharged 454 hauling and towing compare with the duramax?
Honestly, the duramax pulls better. The whippled 454 was really good, but honestly, it's a totally different animal. Also the newer frame/brakes is amazing....

---------------

So since I've been silent for two months.....

Holidays happened. Work. The usual.

I actually had someone pointed my direction and worked with him for about 1.5 months while prepping the truck for sale, and figuring out financials, travel dates, etc. So long story short, I pulled a few items off it, did one large ass hell of a detail job, and sold it on 1/31/2019 at just 181,000 miles. Picked up the new owner at the airport, and the truck headed east.

This truck took me many places, and honestly was a part of me. It gave me many challenges in my ownership, but it also gave me a bunch of happiness too. I wish I could have justified keeping it, but it is just not possible at this point in my life. Here are two of the last photos I took of the truck after driving it to work the day before it's sale.
IMG-1901.jpg

IMG-1886.jpg


Long live the Black Fox.