New 03 Tahoe owner!

[BeautifulMonster]

Hey everyone!
I'm Mike
About three weeks ago I got a 2003 Tahoe 5.3 4wd with a tan leather interior.
It has around 281k (odometer is not actual) but it doesn't really matter lol
She's my daily too.

-1st thing first I need to replace the transmission. She shifts hard from 1st to 2nd and slips from 2nd to 3rd under hard acceleration.
I thought about swapping a built 60e in her but I really like the idea of the 80e swap.

-2nd issue would be the interior. Leather driver seat is toast and the other seats aren't great either. Door panels could be replaced too and the dash paint is chipping a little.
I really want to swap the front seats with the heated leather seats that are fully adjustable. I'll need the door panels too. I also would like to replace the rear door panels and bench seat to help freshen it up. Along with carpet lol

-3rd issue is the side view mirrors. I'm pretty sure the motors are shot
My friend's 05 z71 burban has the turn signal built in and when he shifts into reverse the mirrors tilt down a little. I'm pretty sure they're heated too. So I'd love to swap those in place too.

-4th issue is the cluster of course
I want the trans temp sensor and get all the blown out lights fixed. Possibly later I'll get the DIC so I'm just going to swap the cluster out for a 2500hd one


After all of that is fixed then I'll start on building the 5.3 and stuff, tires, lift, paint blahbblahblahblah

I'm also a Virginia native so if anyone is close by with parts let me know!

Any help/tips/suggestions/critisism is appreciated!!!

 

[eagle-co94]

Welcome to the forum! Hopefully you got a screaming deal on the truck. I'd suggest hitting up your local junkyards to see what you can find. A transmission would come with a warranty which is nice.

 

[RaiderRodney]

Welcome, looks like you have a nice starting list

 

[BeautifulMonster]

Well, the trans just failed on me today so now I'm going to have to get a replacement 60e for now. Whoop whomp

 

[Fosscore]

Welcome. Good luck on the trans. The other mods/repairs look like a good start.

 

[BeautifulMonster]

Thanks guys
I'm torn between getting a "slighty built" 60e with no paperwork to prove it that's 4 hours away but only 500 bucks
OR
a local shop that has remanufactured stock ones with a 1 year warranty for 750...

 

[Tonyrodz]

I'd go for the $750 deal. I'm in NJ and that's super cheap. Is that installed, or just for the trans itself and a core? Anyway, you'd have a warranty, with the $500 you'd be up a creek if and when something happens, and you know something will happen! Always does. Welcome

 

[jhouston]

$750 isn't a bad deal, but when my trans went Jan of this year I took it to a performance shop and had it rebuilt with upgraded clutches, shift kit, servo and 2400 stall, should have gone with a bigger stall and it coat me $1500.00

I know these 4l60e are shit stock, I learned that with my caprice...

 

[Tonyrodz]

Damn! When it's time, I hope I can get a deal like that!

 

[quest51210]

$1500 is average for a fully built trans around here

 

[jhouston]

$1500 is average for a fully built trans around here

A stock replacement runs about 7-1000 depending on where you go.

I'll probably end up selling the trans and going with and 80e...

 

[BeautifulMonster]

Well i went with the 750 dollar option with the one year warranty.

Dude was my age and was super chill.
Knew his stuff too

He also added a shift kit amd decreased the clutch pack clearances
Something like going from .35" to .15"

Finished the install tonight. Will post update later tomorrow.

 

[#1taho]

Welcome. $750 is a smoking deal on a rebuild how much warranty did you get ?

 

[Tonyrodz]

Welcome. $750 is a smoking deal on a rebuild how much warranty did you get ?

In an earlier post he mentioned a 1 yr warranty

 

[#1taho]

For $750 he lucked out. Mine here in Canada was $1800 with improvements and a stock converter. I didn't build the shit out of mine but did enough so it doesn't blow up anytime soon.

 

[Tonyrodz]

For $750 he lucked out. Mine here in Canada was $1800 with improvements and a stock converter. I didn't build the shit out of mine but did enough so it doesn't blow up anytime soon.

Is that in Canadian pesos? Lol, j/k buddy.

 

[#1taho]

Is that in Canadian pesos? Lol, j/k buddy.

Yeah bro. Canadian pesos. Lol. I wasn't to happy to pay it but I knew the tranny needed it cause they were on the weak side. And it was going to have a 6.0 in front of it.

 

[Tonyrodz]

Yeah bro. Canadian pesos. Lol. I wasn't to happy to pay it but I knew the tranny needed it cause they were on the weak side. And it was going to have a 6.0 in front of it.

I was only kidding. Sometimes you have to do what you gotta do with the trans. I know I'm going to have to do some trans work too. It's inevitable. I am doing a trans cooler and a shift kit. Trans guy talked me out of vette servo. Told me it didn't really help anything.

 

[#1taho]

Do a bit more research. I think it does help and my research was positive and I did it. No shift kit but a sonax shift improver. Amongst other crap in there

 

[BeautifulMonster]

It's been almost two weeks since I installed the trans with my buddies. Broke the neutral safety switch cause I didn't know the plugs were glued in. After everything was buttoned up she wouldn't shift into park.

My buddy found that it was a broken shifter spring in the column that physically blocked it from going into park lol

She shifts great and feels really good.


Now a cel popped up telling me my drivers side cat is bad. Time for long tubes!
But seriously, long tubes with high flow cats going to true duals... What do y'all think?

And I'm going to send the cluster off soon to get the trans temp gauge installed and the whole cluster fixed and updated. I don't a DIC anymore so I'm cool with sending my unit off.

After that I'm just looking for the driver and passenger front heated door panels and seats.
Since I have an 03 they should just be plug and play right?

And what about the side view mirrors? I have standard ones I'd like to change out to the ones with the turn signals built in. And are they heated? Plug and play?