4silverado's 2004 Silverado

4silverado

Active Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2014
Messages
43
Reaction score
15
Location
Somerset, KY
I've been meaning to do this for a while and decided to just get it done.
I got this one back in September 2016 after totaling my 03 Silverado ECSB.

This one has the 4.8L, RWD, 3.42, G80, Sport Red Metallic, beige interior, Bose and had 118,000.
Previous owner said it was too tall for him. From what I could tell it was bone stock with the exception of the wood grain dash kit. (I thought about removing it but suspect it'd be a PITA).
....and it was originally from Florida. No rust underneath.

I was able to sell the bed rails. I also salvaged the tri-fold tonneau cover off of my totaled 03.
out 2.jpgin 2.jpg

I'll be adding in the rest as I find it.
 
Last edited:

4silverado

Active Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2014
Messages
43
Reaction score
15
Location
Somerset, KY
I replaced the cigarette lighter with a Powerx red backlit dual USB and wired it to come on with the key switch.
USB2.PNG 20171003_195538.jpg
 

4silverado

Active Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2014
Messages
43
Reaction score
15
Location
Somerset, KY
This one did suffer from the delaminated tail lights. I went with replacements for the 2003 Silverado. I liked the red border against the maroon body.
20161029_162502_resized.jpg 03 tail lights.jpg
 

4silverado

Active Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2014
Messages
43
Reaction score
15
Location
Somerset, KY
late 2019 / early 2020. My truck originally had steel wheels. I'd been on the lookout for a set of 16/17/18 take offs or a good set of aftermarket rims. I ended up finding a set of 04 Sierra wheels and GMC center caps for $40 on Facebook Marketplace. Rims turned out to be in very good shape. Where I had totaled my 03 Silverado, I still had the center caps and lug nuts from that truck. Since the tires on mine were bald and wouldn't have made it through winter, I decided to upsize the tires from 245/70-16 to 255/70-16; originals were 235/75-16. Tire came out to be 1/4 taller than stock and roughly 3/4 inch wider, and corrected the speedometer error. To make the Silverado centers work with the Sierra wheels, I had to shave the tabs on the back of the lug nut caps 1/4 inch and use the Silverado lug nuts. Original is red line; cut line is green. Now center caps sit flush inside the wheel.
20191026_152755.jpg20191228_172408.jpg20200102_165958.jpg
 
Last edited:

Shaggy

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 28, 2014
Messages
223
Reaction score
13
Location
Arizona
Wow nice upgrades. Never seen a wood grain cup holder like that in a gmt800.
 

4silverado

Active Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2014
Messages
43
Reaction score
15
Location
Somerset, KY
I wasn't sure I'd like it but I think it's grown on me over the years.

Ignore the clutter, but everyone seems to have issues with the cup holders. One is an aluminum can coozy and the other was a chrome one off of one of my motorcycles. Holds bottles fine so they don't flop around.
interior 1.jpgCenter console.jpg
 
Last edited:

4silverado

Active Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2014
Messages
43
Reaction score
15
Location
Somerset, KY
When I bought the truck, the previous owner's kept the original window sticker.

It was interesting to see that this truck did not come with towing package, no driving lights. 20170711 Sticker 2.jpg
 
Last edited:

4silverado

Active Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2014
Messages
43
Reaction score
15
Location
Somerset, KY
Previous owner had installed a U-haul trailer hitch and wiring kit. One day after looking over the wiring, noticed the bolts holding the bracket had broken on one side (they had installed it on the right hand side). I had planned on moving it to the bumper since it seemed like it hanged down quite a bit. Got a 2 inch hole saw and then had to massage the hole a little with a burr bit for the plug to fit. Ended up going to Fastenal to get stainless hardware to mount the plug in the bumper. I went the cheaper route and got the standard 4-pin plug (I've got several adapters). It works well and looks clean.

20191011_171202.jpg
 
Last edited:

4silverado

Active Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2014
Messages
43
Reaction score
15
Location
Somerset, KY
A couple of years ago, I decided that I'd like to have driving lights. I could never find any extra wiring like a lot of the forums mentioned might be there. No big deal as I've wired cars before. I cut the lower air dam using a drill bit (in the corners) and a box cutter. Ordered a set of replacement driving lights, a relay, and 2- light connectors. Already had a lighted switch in my stash box. Where my truck is a 2 wheel drive, I used the useless pocket to the left of the steering wheel. I removed the back of the pocket and then added a piece of sheet styrene (used for plastic models). It's held in place with a couple of beads of black silicone. I went this way because, at the time, nothing was out there / cost too much and if it needed to be easily redone, it'd come apart easy. I'm a bit of a tightwad. I haven't taken it apart since I did it.

20170827_103742.jpg20190309_133915.jpg20190309_133931.jpg20190309_133946.jpg
 
Last edited:

4silverado

Active Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2014
Messages
43
Reaction score
15
Location
Somerset, KY
Here is a before and after on the pocket (on 4X4s, this area has the transfer case switches).

20190223_154055.jpg20190308_180038.jpg
 
Last edited:

4silverado

Active Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2014
Messages
43
Reaction score
15
Location
Somerset, KY
I ended up making my own harness from the switch to the battery to the lights. Wired in a 30 amp relay and the lighted switch so that if powers on/off with the key. Nice thing is that the driving lights are on regardless of low or high beam.

20190309_134609.jpg
 

4silverado

Active Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2014
Messages
43
Reaction score
15
Location
Somerset, KY
One of the times that I'd had the grill out (probably to fix the leaking steering cooler), I ended up cracking the chrome on the grill spear; it was becoming an eyesore. I decided to strip the chrome, repair the crack, and then paint the chrome spear to match the truck. Turned out to be a bigger project then originally thought. The chrome is almost like a very thick tin foil. I used a razor blade scraper and a pair of pliers to remove it all. I also removed the spear itself from the grill so that I could peel the chrome to the edge; there are 14 tabs that had to be cut to do it. I'd used a 2 part epoxy to repair the crack, and once painting was done, to bond the spear back into the grille. Once stripped, I cleaned it up with acetone, 2 coats of adhesion promoter aerosol, primed (twice), painted (at least twice) and cleared on a box in the yard. I didn't have access to a paint booth so I used what I had on hand. Turned out good for a literal backyard paint job.
20200517 Grill bar tab location.jpg 20200517_144404.jpg20200524 grill bar first coat.png20200505 tk2.jpg
 
Last edited:

4silverado

Active Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2014
Messages
43
Reaction score
15
Location
Somerset, KY
Since the above pictures were taken, the bowtie was repainted with Duplicolor Metallic Silver Custom Wrap. Custom Wrap is Duplicolor's version of Plastidip.
Lower air dam had been taped off and painted (on the truck) with Duplicolor Midnight Cherry Matte Custom Wrap. I'm thinking that once it warms up, I might try painting the black upper cover to match.

20201031_131946.jpg
 
Last edited:

4silverado

Active Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2014
Messages
43
Reaction score
15
Location
Somerset, KY
Engine mods - very minor. Spectre HPR8755 drop in air filter and late last year, added a stainless Cherry Bomb Salute muffler. I had the shop install it as far back as possible. Does it drone, some but it is not bad. This muffler was 1/3 the price of a Magnaflow.
Cherry Bomb SA1259.png20210807_191912.jpg
 
Last edited:

4silverado

Active Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2014
Messages
43
Reaction score
15
Location
Somerset, KY
Originally, this came with Bose radio. It wouldn't play CDs. First radio was a Kenwood DPX502BT with PAC RP5-GM11 harness from Best Buy. I had them install it since it was Bose and I figured they'd do a good job. This was December 2016.
20161212_radio 2.jpg
 
Last edited:

4silverado

Active Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2014
Messages
43
Reaction score
15
Location
Somerset, KY
July 2018 - decided to start upgrading the Bose speakers. I ended up going with Powerbass L2-522, 5 1/4, 2 ohm, 2 way speakers to replace the 4 inch Bose speakers in the rear extended cab doors. I use foam baffles on any door speaker. I went with the 5 1/4 since not much metal had to be trimmed for it to fit. Used a nibbler to open the hole. Once installed, everything fit under the stock speaker grill.
20180714_084902.jpgnibbler.png20180714_095430.jpg20180714_100437.jpg
 

4silverado

Active Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2014
Messages
43
Reaction score
15
Location
Somerset, KY
September 2019 - updated radio to a Kenwood DDX6706S, added a Kenwood CMOS-230 back up camera, JBL GX602C component speakers (3 ohm). I installed the camera inside the tailgate cap (directly above the tailgate handle on mine); I found the idea on a Duramax forum. This camera was not a flush mount so on the screen, it has a bit of a peep hole affect.
20210109 wallpaper.jpg20190930_082231.jpg20190930_082148.jpg
 

4silverado

Active Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2014
Messages
43
Reaction score
15
Location
Somerset, KY
JBL GX602C installs. Door speakers were easy. Tweeters were a different story. Used original holes for Bose tweeters but opened them up with a sanding drum in a drill. I pulled the dash pad off to gain access to the wiring. Crossovers are under the dash pad. I didn't think the one of the driver's side would fit, but it did (barely). If I could have gotten the dust cover off the JBL tweeters, I would have color matched it to the tan. Decided that would be too much of a PITA. The truck still has the Bose amp and sub in the center console. I have not replaced these yet and I don't want to lose the space under the back seat. Still researching......
20190928_101734.jpg20211225_111252.jpg20211225_111244.jpg
 
Last edited:

Members online

No members online now.
Top