I own a 1996 chevy k1500 z71. its in damn good condition and i plan on dropping a load of cash on it to get the parts and accessories i want but id like to cut down the price a bit by getting a y pipe installed instead of true duals. im no mechanic so i dont know exactly what im looking for. what do i need to buy to convert my bone stock truck to dual exaust? id like to do it without any welding or cutting if possible.  

I believe the '96 is the first year of port fuel injection on the 350s. I believe they have two cats, which greatly facilitates a true-dual setup if you want to go that direction. Most out-of-the box cat-back exhausts don't require welding. I think for yours, you can probably get true-duals or 1 to 2 exhausts. If you're in an area that gets a lot of snow, I'd recommend stainless steel, but if you're in a temperate area (like California or Arizona) you'll probably be fine with aluminized. Hope this helps.