Do you think I should have gotten 4WD?

[Sydwayz]

I picked up a 2 Door 2WD Tahoe a couple weekends back. This will be my daily driver as soon as I raise the front end back up a bit and change out from the old school steelies to some bigger black wheels. I did some background and of 121,000 Tahoes built in 1997, this is one of 138 that are:
2 Door
2 WD
LT
5.7L Gas Engine
Barn Doors
Black

It's got 63000 original miles on it, bone stock pristine interior and several exterior mods including shaved front turn signals and GMC front end, shaved bumper, 'glass hood, shaved roof rack, rear roll pan with hidden hitch & airbags, and a few bolt-ons. The original owner even finish sanded and painted the fuel tank since it's visible from the rear.

I had my 1996 2 Door 4x4 Tahoe years ago, and have missed the truck ever since upgrading to a bigger tow vehicle. This 1997 has the 350 Vortec and 3.42 LSD rear end. It hauls ass and still pulled down almost 20mpg on the highway which is where I spend most of my time.

This was ordered and built by an older gentleman to tow his show cars to car shows. Another guy down the street from him bought it earlier this year. He was a mechanic at the GM plant in Ohio where the HBO special "The Last Truck" was filmed. He literally teared up as I left with it. He was the last mechanic to leave the line from the Trailblazer plant in Ohio, and can be seen in the show loading up his tools. He has first right of refusal should I ever decide to sell. The guy was pretty tore up when I bought it, but he has a mortgage and kids to feed. We're the same age (and both named Brian), and I really feel for the guy.

Special thanks to member "sun28int1995" who laid eyes on the truck and test drove it for me.

 

[MattBMiller]

Good looking Tahoe!

 

[inbetween]

That's a good looking truck!

 

[Wardey]

Look's good.....but I would have bought a 4WD.:biggrinjesterave

 

[Trim'd Up]

I tried to go back to a 2 wheel drive just for a daily driver a few years ago. S10 4-banger. I must have gotten that damn little truck stuck 10 times in 2 years. You get used to having 4x4, it gets hard to live without. Nice tahoe though!

 

[Ted]

Up until this year I have owned Suburbans for the last 25 years. Every one had been a 4WD. I swear I have probably used the 4WD less than 150 miles in all that time. They are great in the snow in 2WD and a Tahoe should not be much worse. And you live south of me, so no sweat, cool truck.

 

[Sydwayz]

The 4WD comment was tongue-in-cheek. I've got the 4x4 dually for when the snow flies.

Thanks for the compliments guys!

 

[Seltzer]

forget the stupid truck. thats a cool boat pushing it.

 

[StraightJacket]

DON'T TOUCH IT, its perfect just the way it is.

 

[StraightJacket]

Heres a couple of my old daily driver and yes even in Chicago winters. The 92 was a standard 6 / 8 drop and the 78 had all kinds of trick stuff done 10" in the front and 13 in the rear

 

[Sydwayz]

Thanks SJ. It needs a little tweaking. The front tires are so small they want to slide when you turn the truck at parking lot speeds. The LSD rear just wants to push the truck straight due to the short wheel base. I plan to put some miles on it, so I'm going to add some more suspension travel and some better tires. It will still be wicked cool when finished though!

I can see you like the rally wheels as well. These wheels have actually grown on me since I bought it, but the fronts are both bent, and the rears are probably bent too. With the adjusted front end and 18" wheels and a lot of rubber, it will get rid of the hot-rod rake, even out the whole ride, and ought to ride great. As it is right now, the crossover pipe drags occasionally, so I'll probably adjust that too. I hit a dead wolf, yes a wolf, in the mountains coming home (in the rain, could not avoid it); I was under the truck the other day and was pulling out chunks & white/gray hairs from the frame welds. YUCK!

 

[Offshoredrillin]

wheel vintiques has 17-20 inch chev rally rims if you want them, paint the rims black with the beauty rims and knock off centers..old style cool.

 

[StraightJacket]

Yeah I'm all about the rallies and the rake, the white truck I used to pull my 20' enclosed car trailer with. I never had an issue with the front end pushing on mine. Looks like a simular tire combo. 275/60-15 in the rears and 245/60-15 in the front on the white truck. 285/70-15 , 235/70-15 on the beater.

Not everything had rallies on them. It will look good with some billets on it or a set of black rims . Personally I would go with 18's up front and 20's in the back. Its all about the stance, we were always known for the way our cars sat back in the day when we were big in the car circuit. Now one of those guys claims thats what HE is famous for , coping what WE all did. But he is on TV and I'm not so I guess it worked.

 

[Sydwayz]

I am leaning toward the Boss 338 wheel; 18" in black with polished lip. It's got a modern twist to the old Cragar SS Mags of yesteryear. (I had them on a Monte Carlo, go figure.)

Might even add the old-fashioned knock-offs on them too; depending on the look.

 

[StraightJacket]

I knew I liked you for some reason, good pick, more of a polished American look than a Gragar SS but kick a$$ none the less.

 

[Roger 1]

don't touch it, its perfect just the way it is.

yup!

 

[rainmn]

That truck is going to look bad-azz with those Boss wheels. (Although I do like the rally wheels too.)

 

[Sydwayz]

That truck is going to look bad-azz with those Boss wheels. (Although I do like the rally wheels too.)

And you're from Jersey. I'm surprised you didn't say IROCs!

Thanks! I can't wait.

 

[Knot 4 Me]

Looks great! I had an '20 Tahoe that I ordered that was 2WD with traction control. Never spun a wheel at the ramp and actually did quite well in the snow. Ran like a raped ape compared to other 5.3L GM trucks I have owned. One of my most favorite rides (so of course I had to get rid of it!).

 

[Sydwayz]

RIP Brian Miller