Vortec/grill/interior Switchover year in Chevy 3500's?

Ricky B

Ricky B

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Joined
Mar 20, 2005
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LKN - Tha Dirty Mo (Mooresville, NC)
on the 1500's in 95 they switched over to the newer style grill and interior but it wasnt till 96 that they started using the vortec motors so since my 1500 is a 95 i have the newer grill/ interior but still have the tbi 350

on the 3500's is there a similar year that the grill/interior style switched over but they were still using the tbi 454? I'd just rather have the tbi 454 cause one its alot easier to work with and two superchargers for it are ALOT less expensive than the ones for the vortec 454's, but at the same time I want to have the newer style grill/interior so i'd like to find one thats setup exactly like my Z71 if possible.
 
grilles changed in '94....

and there isn't a difference between the grilles of 1500's and the 3500's... the only difference that was noticable was in the bumper(the 6.5TD's had the two large openings)

i can't remember when the 454's went to a vortec set-up, but 96-97 seems to ring a bell.

this board should give you some more answers:::http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/

as for interiors... they made ALOT of changes throughout the 90's... dashes inparticular (gauges in 91, square to rounded dash in 95, rounded dash to passenger side airbag in 97) the seats, door panels etc. changed as well.
 
so the 3500 grills changed in 94? yea I didn't mean that there is a dff between 15/3500's i was just trying to use the 1500 as a guideline, and when i said changed the interior i basically meant when the dash changes over from square to rounded.

So to clarify what I'm shooting for Is a 3500 that has the newer style grill, the rounded dash, and a 454 tbi so maybe 95 is still the year i need to look for?
 
As you have posted 95 is the magical year for the newer interiors, grill and still having the TBI (the faster PCM TBIs I might add) My 95 truck has all that and the 454/4l80 and is exactly why I bought it..

Why exactly do you want a supercharger on a 454 ? The 454 really doesn't need to spin up that fast to do its job.. And unless you retune the PCM or do some valve body work the tranny will shift before you see the full advantages of a supercharger.. Not saying the 454 cant do it.. but there's more to think about...

One option is to find an older OBS style truck (88+) chassis you like and swap your 95 cab onto it and just chip it for the engine/tranny combo you have in there.. Its a lot of work but would allow you to reuse some of what you have..

or do like i did and look for a 95 that you like...
 
Superchargers are pretty easy to make useful on the bottom end. Turbos need to get spun up more.
 
Sweet man, then 95 it is, i think i'll just go for a whole nother truck rather than trying to swap my body onto a chassis cause that wold absolutly suck, unless I find a ridiculously good deal on another chassis . . .

As far as supercharging the 454 thats just speculation, but I do want to up the anty of it eventually so that it can pull like a desiel would is the main reason. Honestly I was thinking doing twin turbo's on the 454 would be waaay better for efficiency and towing type power but i'd end up paying a crapload to have it tuned is the main problem with that.
 
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