How fast (slow lol) is the 5.3L 2WD

SierraHD17 · March 22, 2019

6 minutes ago, HeySkippyDog said:

To be fair, Ford and Dodge didn't have engine options back then that were much different from what GM offered in half ton trucks. The 350's lifespan was downright impressive. The early 90s SVT Lightning 351 didn't really put up numbers too far from a 350!

The TBI 350 was 210 HP/ 300 Ft-Lb (increased in '96 when they brought out the Vortec) and the 351 Ford was 240 HP/ 340 Ft-Lb, but that was their *performance* engine with upgraded heads. It really wasn't that special! The lowly GM 350 could be had in just about anything. 30 HP isn't going to be that noticeable in a truck.

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And where did say the competition did lol. This is a GM forum... I'm not going to use Magnum 360s or the LA variants or Fords Windsors as examples. TBI... yuck lol. Those things were useless even when they were new lol. It took until the LS release in 99 teucks before anything in GMs world became worth talking about.... or 97 in the Vette or 98 in the F body.

Edited March 22, 2019 by SierraHD17

HeySkippyDog · March 22, 2019

And where did say the competition did lol. This is a GM forum... I'm not going to use Magnum 360s or the LA variants or Fords Windsors as examples. TBI... yuck lol. Those things were useless even when they were new lol. It took until the LS release in 99 before anything in GMs world became worth talking about.

Hey now, I have fond memories of my TBI 350! [emoji41]

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KARNUT · March 22, 2019

Hey now, I have fond memories of my TBI 350! [emoji41]

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92 TPI with one rebuild. Anything can be made to run good.

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SierraHD17 · March 22, 2019

9 minutes ago, HeySkippyDog said:

Hey now, I have fond memories of my TBI 350!

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I have memories of more than one of them cratering on me... When the 350 in my low mile 90 K5 I bought 3 years ago smoked so bad it would fill a room in blue in a few seconds it hurt no feelings to toss it in the metal bin in favor of an LS3 haha.

Edited March 22, 2019 by SierraHD17

HeySkippyDog · March 22, 2019

They're not up to today's task of highway driving. They're not quick enough, and the brakes were awful. Against everyone else with 4 way disc, you'd run the risk of a crash and you'd have no airbags if you had 94 or older.

But you are right. Things can be upgraded. The GM crate 350 is what I have planned for my 93, and I'll be ditching the TBI for a carburetor.

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HeySkippyDog · March 22, 2019

I have memories of more than one of them cratering on me... When the 350 in my low mile 90 K5 I bought 3 years ago smoked so bad it would fill a room in blue in a few seconds it hurt no feelings to toss it in the metal bin in favor of an LS3 haha.

It's 30 years old, man, cut it some slack! [emoji1787]

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KARNUT · March 22, 2019

That’s funny I’ve been driving my 92 two-three times a week for 8 years. The ac blowing, in the busiest stretch of roads in the county. There’s not too many trucks that stay with it to the speed limit.

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SierraHD17 · March 22, 2019

7 minutes ago, HeySkippyDog said:

It's 30 years old, man, cut it some slack!

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I killed my first one when it was only a few years old. Puny 2 barrel tbi, GM's swirl port crap heads and a cam that was basically a round rod from factory made for no love here lol.

HeySkippyDog · March 22, 2019

That’s funny I’ve been driving my 92 two-three times a week for 8 years. The ac blowing, in the busiest stretch of roads in the county. There’s not too many trucks that stay with it to the speed limit.

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You're supercharged though. I'm talking bone stock TBI.

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KARNUT · March 23, 2019

You're supercharged though. I'm talking bone stock TBI.

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I install a TPI in a 65 GMC pickup. Transplanted the engine and transmission out a suburban along with the computer. Drove that around ten years. TPIs weren’t that bad. I was happy when they came out with the Vortec though.

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HeySkippyDog · March 23, 2019

I killed my first one when it was only a few years old. Puny 2 barrel tbi, GM's swirl port crap heads and a cam that was basically a round rod from factory made for no love here lol.

What did you do? Run it with the oil plug out?

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SierraHD17 · March 23, 2019

21 minutes ago, HeySkippyDog said:

What did you do? Run it with the oil plug out?

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Drove it hard and used it... typical crappy old small block. Those heaps were and still are an engine rebuilders best friend. I just laugh at the money guys dump into them to make a whopping 450 hp... lol.

Edited March 23, 2019 by SierraHD17

HeySkippyDog · March 23, 2019

I've had several cash offers appear anytime I roll the shell out of the garage.

Not for sale!

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wforrest08 · March 23, 2019

3 hours ago, HeySkippyDog said:

The early 90s SVT Lightning 351 didn't really put up numbers too far from a 350

You mean the same truck that put like 2 car links on the ss454 in the quarter?

And let’s not get started on the Syclone that was over 2 seconds quicker than either of these two with 2 less cylinders...

Which was faster than the base Vette which was a big no-no at GM and probably why it went away as fast as it did...

Also is quicker than any combo GM offered in the SSR if anyone wants to count that as a truck...

So what’s the point?

GM HAS NO INTEREST IN THE PERFORMANCE TRUCK MARKET ANYMORE AND HASN’T SINCE THE LAST CENTURY...

HeySkippyDog · March 23, 2019

You mean the same truck that put like 2 car links on the ss454 in the quarter?

And let’s not get started on the Syclone that was over 2 seconds quicker than either of these two with 2 less cylinders...
Which was faster than the base Vette which was a big no-no at GM and probably why it went away as fast as it did...
Also is quicker than any combo GM offered in the SSR if anyone wants to count that as a truck...

So what’s the point?
GM HAS NO INTEREST IN THE PERFORMANCE TRUCK MARKET ANYMORE AND HASN’T SINCE THE LAST CENTURY...

The 454 TBI was choked down big time from the factory for emissions. Had they let that thing loose, it would've spanked that Lightning mercilessly. It was a marketing thing. They used their big block past to sell a C1500 for 7k more than what it would with a 350 for marginally more power.

My point is that the Lightning was no real prize even over a Silverado trim C1500 with a 350.

Chevy does not care about the factory hot rod truck market, you are right. It's why they never answered to Ford's Raptor.

Why?

Simple. GM trucks are primarily workhorses and that's what their customer base expects. Look around at all the big time commercial construction fleets. What are they driving?

Around here, they're in Chevys. It's a better truck. Haven't you wondered why Rams sell so cheaply compared to GM?

GM is testing the customer base with this new 4 cylinder turbo 1500. I expect that to be a flop. We want workhorses.

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