• If you currently own, previously owned or want to own an Avalanche, we welcome you to become a member today. Membership is FREE, register now!

how much did you pay for your Av

What kind of rust remover are you using, I have a little on my frame and I would like to take care of it before it gets any worse.
I have used 'Ospho' brand rust treatment. It a green liquid that contains Phosphoric Acid. Nothing has worked better for me on trucks and boats for decades. Though DO NOT use without goggles and a long sleeve shirt, even if not under your truck. The rust on my undercarriage doesn't bother me nearly as much as the rust that ate up the body under my body cladding behind the rear doors. Never saw it coming because of the cladding.
 
I have a couple of spots on my quarter panel right behind the doors, I can fix it but matching the color is going to be a little strategic, I think someone has had the entire thing painted once before and it's not a perfect match to the factory color. I might have to take it to a friend of mine and have him do the paint work. He has one of those fancy gadgets that can read the color and mix it up with a computer.
I presume you don't have body cladding. I never saw the rust attack my rear quarter panels until both had holes 25-30 Sq. Inches and one side ate up my rocker panel on one side.
You are lucky to have found them early.
 
I have a couple of spots on my quarter panel right behind the doors, I can fix it but matching the color is going to be a little strategic, I think someone has had the entire thing painted once before and it's not a perfect match to the factory color. I might have to take it to a friend of mine and have him do the paint work. He has one of those fancy gadgets that can read the color and mix it up with a computer.
My 03's right front fender paint was a shade off of the rest of the body color (yellow). I thought it was a repaint until I went through it with a fine tooth comb. Every other Avalanche I see with a mismatched right front fender turns out to be a 2003 also.
Very strange mystery indeed.
 
What kind of rust remover are you using, I have a little on my frame and I would like to take care of it before it gets any worse.
I ran 9000's on my 78 Bronco for a decade and loved them. I bit the bullet and got the onboard compressor and in-cab switch. Always glad I did. You'll love them.
What kind of rust remover are you using, I have a little on my frame and I would like to take care of it before it gets any worse.
 
I'll post some soon. It's not yet a beast but like you, I love the 2003-only color also. I have driven it since new, beat it up a bit, over towed with it and it spent the first 12 years of its life living and hunting in Northern Indiana winters with no garage or carport. 220k miles now days but still runs perfect.

I finally decided to put some money into it (actually my wife ok'd it) so its on jack stands as I am typing this. I am currently installing new leveling keys and longer Bilsteins (2-1/2 inch) in the front and stiffer, longer coils and longer shocks in the rear. With camping/tool boxes in the bed it sat level before but lower. lol. So with 4 inch longer and larger diameter coils it should sit 2-1/2 half to 3 inches higher with an increased payload to help with additional racks and equipment.
I am installing new tubular upper control arms, and urethane bushing top and bottom, longer sway bar links, and moog ball joints again.
In my younger years my son and I built many 3/4 and 1 ton Fords with 500 hp big blocks, 8-12 inch lifts, and 40 inch mud tires. Now being older, I just want to add a small lift with slightly bigger tires to overland with so my wife and I can still climb in and out of it. ;)
The only engine mod so far is the air intake and a mild tune. It has great compression still and does not burn oil yet so I may keep it stock for another 100K miles. Then the 383 bore or 6.0 replacement, unless I can find an 03-06 2500 in decent condition that is.

I will post pictures ASAP.

Don
Update on modifications: No luck, if not bad luck.
seems all the bolts that hold the upper control arms desired to self-decapitated, even without a torque wrench.
The new Skyjacker coils came, but even though their representative told me that they would fit, the coils did not have "pigtail" reduced radius ends, and they do make any adapter plates for the increased radius. They went back... ordered from a michigan spring company, will see if they are better.
The large tube upper control arms, even though they were listed for 2003 z-71s were 1/2 too short at the frame mounts with an offset ball joint. Well they went back too.
If I listed all the other bad juju, I'd take up three pages.
 
I'll post some soon. It's not yet a beast but like you, I love the 2003-only color also. I have driven it since new, beat it up a bit, over towed with it and it spent the first 12 years of its life living and hunting in Northern Indiana winters with no garage or carport. 220k miles now days but still runs perfect.

I finally decided to put some money into it (actually my wife ok'd it) so its on jack stands as I am typing this. I am currently installing new leveling keys and longer Bilsteins (2-1/2 inch) in the front and stiffer, longer coils and longer shocks in the rear. With camping/tool boxes in the bed it sat level before but lower. lol. So with 4 inch longer and larger diameter coils it should sit 2-1/2 half to 3 inches higher with an increased payload to help with additional racks and equipment.
I am installing new tubular upper control arms, and urethane bushing top and bottom, longer sway bar links, and moog ball joints again.
In my younger years my son and I built many 3/4 and 1 ton Fords with 500 hp big blocks, 8-12 inch lifts, and 40 inch mud tires. Now being older, I just want to add a small lift with slightly bigger tires to overland with so my wife and I can still climb in and out of it. ;)
The only engine mod so far is the air intake and a mild tune. It has great compression still and does not burn oil yet so I may keep it stock for another 100K miles. Then the 383 bore or 6.0 replacement, unless I can find an 03-06 2500 in decent condition that is.

I will post pictures ASAP.

Don
Update: This os one of the times many of us wish we had opted for a regular pickup or even a suburban. (sacrilege)!!! Bear you castigate me, hear me out please... I have been thwarted by every Ford or Dodge Gremlin on my still-ongoing quest to modify my Av's suspension.
For the sake of brevity, just a few examples:

1. Skyjacker assured me that their extended coils would fit. I wanted to get the 2" increase in height in the rear from springs and not spring spacers. When they showed up I tried to place these heavy beasts on the rear axle but found that the ends of the springs were not the 'pig-tail' design of our factory springs where the top and bottom coils are a smaller radius, tapered, to fit the Av's mounting plates. Skyjacker does not manufacture mounting plates and they still insist these will fit even when provided pictures. Now to try to get a return postage slip and a refund.

2. First set of front upper control arms from KSP were well built, quality-powered coated and lighter than others, but even though they assured me, the minimum 10-1/8 inches to fit stock brackets they came 21/2 short and were offset to boot. But they were real fast sending a refund and telling me to send them back within thirty days. A great company all-in all.

3. Second set of control arms, are the right design but the width of the washers make it 1/8th of an inch too big to fit in my brackets. This time I am going to either grind down the washers, switch them, or do whatever it takes, and still be able to align them.

4. The factory torsion keys have slightly rotated in the hexagon opening in the keys so they are jambe real good. 7 days of penetrating oil and at least 40 whacks with a small sledge failed. Heating them up with a torch didn't help, no room to allow any type of hydraulic press. I don't see how other have cut them off because I don't have the clearance for a sawsall. Next attempt is to disconnect the supporting cross member to hopefully gain a better angle to drive the torsion rod out.
Any suggestions?
Thanks- hope you are all healthy and happy.
 
Update: This os one of the times many of us wish we had opted for a regular pickup or even a suburban. (sacrilege)!!! Bear you castigate me, hear me out please... I have been thwarted by every Ford or Dodge Gremlin on my still-ongoing quest to modify my Av's suspension.
For the sake of brevity, just a few examples:

1. Skyjacker assured me that their extended coils would fit. I wanted to get the 2" increase in height in the rear from springs and not spring spacers. When they showed up I tried to place these heavy beasts on the rear axle but found that the ends of the springs were not the 'pig-tail' design of our factory springs where the top and bottom coils are a smaller radius, tapered, to fit the Av's mounting plates. Skyjacker does not manufacture mounting plates and they still insist these will fit even when provided pictures. Now to try to get a return postage slip and a refund.

2. First set of front upper control arms from KSP were well built, quality-powered coated and lighter than others, but even though they assured me, the minimum 10-1/8 inches to fit stock brackets they came 21/2 short and were offset to boot. But they were real fast sending a refund and telling me to send them back within thirty days. A great company all-in all.

3. Second set of control arms, are the right design but the width of the washers make it 1/8th of an inch too big to fit in my brackets. This time I am going to either grind down the washers, switch them, or do whatever it takes, and still be able to align them.

4. The factory torsion keys have slightly rotated in the hexagon opening in the keys so they are jambe real good. 7 days of penetrating oil and at least 40 whacks with a small sledge failed. Heating them up with a torch didn't help, no room to allow any type of hydraulic press. I don't see how other have cut them off because I don't have the clearance for a sawsall. Next attempt is to disconnect the supporting cross member to hopefully gain a better angle to drive the torsion rod out.
Any suggestions?
Thanks- hope you are all healthy and happy.
If you could post a picture of what you're having problems with I can offer you some advice, I'm a master certified mechanic and I've run into just about anything that would or could be a problem, I'm not sure what bolt you're trying to get out and I've been trying to picture it in my mind. I'm getting a little older now and trying to remember what everything looks like is somewhat of a task, lol, I'll try to help you in any way I can.
 
I bought my 2005 Z66 with 162,000 miles in 2014 for $7,000. Currently has 220,000 miles. I’ve spent maybe $1,000 in repairs, rebuilt the instrument cluster, 2 u joints, rear main seal in 7 years. My wife has a 2013 Lexus es350 she drives to work and back. Anytime we go anywhere together we take the Avalanche...even vacations! (y)
 
Just picked up a Black Diamond LT Z71 with 100k miles for $15k. All seems good except the passenger seat motor seems inoperable (but stuck in a good position at least). Super happy with it. Door handle paint is worn off almost completely. Thinking about Raptor Lining all four as an easy cheap fix. Anyone else try that?
 
Paid 10,000 for my 6.0 08 LTZ with 135,000 miles in 2020.

Only paid that much due to receipts as at 115,000 miles it suffered Lifter Failure on Cylinder 8 which lead to the previous owner spending 6050 on a full engine replacement. At the same time they replaced the AC condenser for 750 and the rear shocks for another 700.

3257DC0E-EBFC-45BE-A5EC-65043D9780F2.jpeg
 
Nice ride Jacob. Really like the tubes.
I paid $8000 Cdn for mine. Had a new trans and front end parts.
I had been looking for a couple weeks at all kinds of used trucks under $15k and there were not many. Anything nice was over budget. I was about to look at an 06 silverado z71 for $10k and was already less impressed just at the pics. My Av popped up on a 'used car lot' and I was like "what kind of ugly thing is this?" I had never seen an Avalanche up close and Knew nothing. All i knew was it was the cheapest truck in town and I was desperate. Not good terms for negotiating lol. It was a sunday night so I researched Avalanches. It was in my driveway before noon the next day. Like all my vehicles prior, I'll be driving this Av till she dies.
 
Back
Top