Well, I’m done with Chevrolet. After 3 Z71s (03, 09, 15), I’ve had enough. With my dad and two brothers, we always enjoyed numerous truck debates over the years. From the Triton V10, to the Honda Ridgeline, and everything in between. We could joke and moan about any truck with any issue. My dad raised us with an ‘83 4x4 Long bed Silverado kept around for use. Sweet truck, amazingly shitty 305.
I always had a special relationship with Chevrolet. The first vehicle I ever had was a ‘87 4-cyclinder, manual Ford Ranger. It was specifically designed for NOT fucking chicks. A couple years later I got a ‘93 S-10 Blazer that had the super torque in the 4.3L V-6 (I eventually got a free Typhoon Engine and loaded this thing in with my dad, but that’s another story). I sold the ‘93 and bought a 2003 Z71 as it was (what I considered...) my first real truck. It was a piece of shit, transmission rebuilt at 85k miles and front end bearing on right wheel changed. I treated it very well but damn I loved the interior. I bought the ‘09 next. It was geared low, pretty sluggish but damn that interior was nice. Once I started making more money, I went right down to Henna and bought a 2015 Midnight Edition Silverado. I loved this truck (loved is past-tense). Front end lift, M-1 front bumper, big KO2s. I always hated the shifting. Lots of guys on Reddit bitched about 2nd gear and using a tuner to get a little more quickness and eliminate the horse kick when it shifts from 1st to 2nd or 2nd to 3rd. I starting getting driver assist error codes after my 36k mile warranty was up. That happened for a couple weeks then my computer fried. All of this while there was a recall on the seat belt attachment.
Out of Warranty. 38k miles. Beautiful truck.
“....that’ll be $3800 for a new computer, wiring harness the length of the vehicle so they know they are getting rid of the short, labor, seat vibration module....and uh we’ll do the recall while you’re here.”
I had been through 2 dealerships in the Austin area, talked to Chevrolet numerous times, and lobbied a handful of people to try and work this out...but hey...it’s out of warranty.
Fuming mad, I went down to Leif Johnson Ford and traded it in for a Raptor (802A). The past few days, it’s been like old times. My dad past away a few years back so my brothers and I haven’t had the greatest truck debates. This brought it all back.
Bro 1: “someday both of you fuckers will pull your head out and realize Toyota is the best. None of my Toyotas have had any of that shit you say about your last 3 trucks”
Bro 2: “you finally got a Ford. Cylinder deactivation has always been a stupid fucking idea. The only downside to your Raptor is a smaller truck bed so you won’t be able to carry as much pussy.”
That was only the tip of the iceberg. I received more activity on our group text than ever before. They tell me GM sucks and how I made the right decision. It was years of banter that was always held back.
When I sold the Ford Triton V-10 after my dad passed, I felt so bad because he loved towing the Airstream in that damn thing. Shortly before he passed, my brother and I were ribbing each other pretty hard about stupid shit when my dad sighed and said, “I’ve owned ‘em all, and top to bottom, I think Ford is the one.” I should’ve listened years ago...