A friend of mine just picked up a 1998 Chevy stepside regular cab with 136,000 miles for $3000. The main issue I have seen on these trucks is the intakes leaking. So I would ask whoever you end up buying from if they have ever been changed. They seem to be good for around 100K, but once you install the newer style FelPro's you should be good for longer than that. You should be able to tell by looking at the front of the intake to see if the RTV looks original or not. Besides that they have there little stupid things like all trucks, but are great all in all. As far as hopping one up I would get a lower mileage truck and throw a good supercharger and a computer tune on it and call it a day. By the time you go through changing the rest (heads, porting, cam, etc.) you will be out of your pocket the same and have a much more comfortable (probably faster) truck. Just my 2 cents!

Ok thanks for the input, I think thats how I'll end up going but Ok, well dont laugh. But did they only make the stepside trucks for a year or 2? From looking around the made it in 96 so should I look for a late model build date? Im really wanting a shortbed stepside/reg cab. And how can I look at it to verify it has the spider sytem?
thanks again.

I thought ever year up until 07 has had a stepside option. Correct me if I'm wrong...

Yes they were available every year, although their production numbers must have been alot lower than the fleetsides because there seems to be a ton more fleetsides available. Any 96-99 is going to have spider injection. Chevy went to exterior individual cylinder injectors with the newer 4.8, 5.3, 6.0, 8.1 line of trucks. They started late 99 so in 99 you can get both, but you can obviously tell the later 99's by the newer body style. Good luck!

Ok thanks for the help everybody, is there anything in particular I need to look at when buying one of these trucks used (350/454 if im lucky.) other than the usual of buying a used vehicle

The only way you will find a shortbed stepside with a 454 is if someone custom built one. You can still pick up a 454 SS truck fairly reasonable (in the 5000-6000 range) they were only produced from 1990 - 1993 and the later years get pricey because they are alot more rare. They are all fleetside though. A 1990 454SS isn't that hard to come by, but you are limited to a black truck with red interior. They are extremely detuned from the factory, but with a set of good heads and a few odds and ends they runs real decent. You could always put a stepside bed on one if you can find one for sale.

Hey thanks man. There is a guy down the road who was thinking about selling his I think he was said he'd prob ask around 3500-4500. I havnt checked it out any though. But I will be happy with a 350 to, im sure you can get some good power with heads, cam, exhuast, intake, induction.

Ok well, how hard is it to upgrade the "fuel" system in the pre 96 350 motors? Because i honestly think I like the inteior better in the older ones than the others.