Specifications for the 2003 Chevy Silverado Z71 LS
by James Rutter
Chevrolet first manufactured the Chevy Silverado line of trucks in 1999 as a replacement for its C/K Series. In 2003, Chevy redesigned the Silverado’s front end, body moldings and rear lights. Prospective buyers could choose from two trim levels, LS or LT. According to the Cars website, Chevrolet offered the Silverado 1500 half-ton truck with a “Z71 Off-Road” performance package.
LS Trim Level
In 2003, Chevy offered the Silverado 1500 in rear- or four-wheel drive, with a regular or extended cab and with a choice of two bed lengths: 78.7 inches or 97.6 inches. Buyers could upgrade any of these configurations to the “LS” trim level. According to the Cars website, the LS package outfitted the Silverado’s exterior with 16-inch chrome-plated steel wheels, body moldings that matched the paint color, a grill trim and heated power mirrors.
The LS package added interior features that included a split-bench, three-passenger seat, color-matching mats and carpeting, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and a fold-down armrest. This package also equipped the Silverado with cruise control, remote-access power locks, windows and mirrors, a six-speaker stereo and a rear defogger.
Z71 Package
The Z71 Off-Road package replaced the standard shocks with suspension-tuned gas shocks. It also added stabilizer bars and a jounce bumper that minimized the truck’s bounce after driving over a bump. Chevy also highlighted these trucks with Z71 decals; buyers could further customize the Z71 with a molded cargo bed.
Engine
Chevy equipped the base model, rear-wheel drive Silverado LS with its 4.3-liter V6 engine. This engine consisted of an iron block and heads and had a bore that measured 4.0 inches and a stroke of 3.48 inches. It used multi-port fuel injection in an overhead valve configuration with two valves per cylinder, for a total of 12 valves. According to MSN Autos, this engine produced 200 horsepower at 4,600 rpm and 260 foot-pounds of torque at 2,800 rpm, and achieved a compression ratio of 9.2-to-1. A base model Silverado using this engine achieved 15 mpg during city driving and 20 to 21 mpg on the highway.
Prospective buyers could also upgrade to one of two V8 engines. Chevy’s 4.8-liter V8 produced 270 horsepower at 5,200 rpm and 285 foot-pounds of torque at 4,000 rpm. An optional 5.3-liter V8 generated 285 horses at 5,200 rpm and 325 foot-pounds of torque at 4,000 rpm. All three engines ran on gasoline.
Dimensions
The dimensions of a 1500 Silverado LS Z71 depended on the cab and truck bed length chosen. A base model regular cab with a short bed had a length of 203.2 inches with a wheelbase of 119 inches. These vehicles stood 71.2 inches in height and had an overall width of 78.5 inches.
An extended cab 1500 Silverado LS Z71 with the long bed stretched 246.6 inches in length with a wheelbase of 157.5 inches. These trucks stood 73.7 inches in height and had a width of 78.5 inches.
References
Writer Bio
Since 2005, James Rutter has worked as a freelance journalist for print and Internet publications, including the “News of Delaware County,” “Main Line Times” and Broad Street Review. As a former chemist, college professor and competitive weightlifter, he writes about science, education and exercise. Rutter earned a B.A. in philosophy and biology from Albright College and studied philosophy and cognitive science at Temple University.
