Looking to rebuild/trick my '99 2-door Tahoe... Suggestions?

[SeanEboy]

Ok, so my lovely sister, while using my beloved Tahoe, managed to drive it straight into the ground. With no low oil light, and her ridiculous amount of driving, the engine now claps at me. I am planning on putting another 5.7 back in there, rebuilt. These are the ideas I have in my mind:
Throw the 5.7 in there, with a few extras, air intake, I toy with the idea of a supercharger.. What are the reliable engine mods that prolong life of the engine? Beefed up water/oil pumps/coolers?
Will the new/rebuild be more efficient? Any other mods that increase efficiency? Transmission cooler necessary?
The U-joints on these things always go, is there such thing as a reinforced u-joint?
How about bagging it, what does that involve? How much$$? Does it require a specialized installer? Or can the gearheads at my cousin's Meineke figure it out?
It already has Flowmaster Stage 2's, full dual exhaust on it (to give you an idea, I have gotten compliments every single time the thing has been jacked up, on the quality, and layout of the exhaust system).
I would love to do the interior, in a one-off show fashion, perhaps a carbon fiber motif, with some sound fixtures, video... My sister also did an excellent job in the interior with her cancer-stick-talents, so most of the interior is shot... You would think she had a party in the damn thing.. She probably did.. Well, she should have, because I know I used to... I've packed 7 people in there, comfortably.
I have always had the idea of a touch screen, in-dash, computer in mind... With a massive hard drive, I can throw tons of music/video on. Anyone ever seen this done? Are there companies out there?
Wheels: Chrome is not necessary, as I will probably keep the black out theme going with the rims as well. American Racing's Trq Thrusts look really nice to me..
I would smooth out the bumper, roll pan as well.. I actually have always wanted to see what building some Hella Rallye 5000's into the bumper would look like...Kind of like what the old Mitsubishi Lancer EVO used to look like..

I would love to hear any ideas, comments, do's, dont's, etc, you may have.

Thanks for reading!

Sean

 

[vaTahoe]

i would post on the 92-99 forum page

 

[SeanEboy]

Hey man, thanks.. Will do...

 

[gmcul8r]

Duramax & Allison!! Nuff said:thumbsup:

 

[Alex33]

Throw the 5.7 in there, with a few extras, air intake, I toy with the idea of a supercharger.. What are the reliable engine mods that prolong life of the engine? Beefed up water/oil pumps/coolers?
Will the new/rebuild be more efficient? Any other mods that increase efficiency? Transmission cooler necessary?

If you are going to go big on the engine, I would def go for higher flow water/oil pumps as well as a tranny and oil cooler. A new/rebuilt engine should be more effecient than a worn out engine if everything is done correctly.

The U-joints on these things always go, is there such thing as a reinforced u-joint?

Not sure about the U-joints either.

How about bagging it, what does that involve? How much$$? Does it require a specialized installer? Or can the gearheads at my cousin's Meineke figure it out?

Bagging it can be done in your driveway as long as you are familiar with the suspension. I wouldn't let the guys at your local muffler shop attempt it though. If you want it to lay frame, it will be more work, which equals more money. I would set aside $5-6k if you plan to just drop your truck off at a reputable suspension shop and pick it up 'bagged a few weeks later. If you do it yourself or with some buddies, it will be cheaper, but can be more fun.

It already has Flowmaster Stage 2's, full dual exhaust on it (to give you an idea, I have gotten compliments every single time the thing has been jacked up, on the quality, and layout of the exhaust system).
I would love to do the interior, in a one-off show fashion, perhaps a carbon fiber motif, with some sound fixtures, video... My sister also did an excellent job in the interior with her cancer-stick-talents, so most of the interior is shot... You would think she had a party in the damn thing.. She probably did.. Well, she should have, because I know I used to... I've packed 7 people in there, comfortably.
I have always had the idea of a touch screen, in-dash, computer in mind... With a massive hard drive, I can throw tons of music/video on. Anyone ever seen this done? Are there companies out there?

This has been done multiple times. My advice is to talk to guys at your local meets/shows and get find out who does the work on the cars and trucks you like, then check out their shops and get to know the owners and staffs.

Wheels: Chrome is not necessary, as I will probably keep the black out theme going with the rims as well. American Racing's Trq Thrusts look really nice to me..
I would smooth out the bumper, roll pan as well.. I actually have always wanted to see what building some Hella Rallye 5000's into the bumper would look like...Kind of like what the old Mitsubishi Lancer EVO used to look like..

I would love to hear any ideas, comments, do's, dont's, etc, you may have.

Thanks for reading!

Sean

If you want some sites to look around or cruise through to look at pics of Sport Trucks for ideas, PM me and I'll get you what I can.

 

[jlcvt]

The money you will put into it, you will never get back. With the amount of work and money you are considering spending, plus all the unexpected problems you will encounter while fixing it up might be more than you are planning on spending. If you can swing a 08’ I would go that route especially if you plan on driving it a lot. The 08’s & 09’s have some cool options plus a warranty. And then install a no smoking sign in it. :nono:

Just my 2cents

I owned my 99' 2-door since 2001 and only placed one u-joint and a lower ball joint in all that time.

 

[greengumby]

Shouldnt this Thread be moved to 99 Section?