Jimmy GT, '92 GMC forever project

[SonomaZ]

So my intro thread went long. I'm a relatively quiet guy, but I ramble when I type. My apologies.
So, I will attempt to keep things short and hope the pics can tell most of the story. It will still take me a while to get to the present day since this project started over 10 years ago. Bear with me.

The beginning:
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The day I picked it up from a lot in WA state. Spring 2000. Drove it home to MN. 4.3 CPI/700R4

Fixed a few things, did the typical bolt-on stuff, lowered it a little more, wheels, tires, window tint, etc and daily drove it a couple years.


Fast-forward to '04-'05:
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My engine pulling helper is in his second year of college now.
Sold engine and trans. with the intent of doing a simple V8 S-truck. Engine and trans swap, a few relatively minor suspension and brake upgrades and not much else.
Had a low-mileage '97 F-body LT1 and T56 from a previous unfinished project and was headed that direction.

But then plans snowballed.

Fall 2006:
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Off it goes to a shop several states away. The plan is for major frame and suspension modifications, beyond my skill set.

Next chapter tomorrow: 10 years away.

[raustinss]

Love it already

[rentedmule]

Nice, looking forward to seeing the rest of the build!

[SonomaZ]

So I should have stated more clearly in the first post; this is only partially a retroactive build thread, I'm FAR from done.
Once I'm caught up with pics everyone can follow along as I fumble my way through this beast.

I have some fairly big (to me anyway) questions I'll be asking that have no doubt been asked before:
examples: Engine setback, yea or nay? 6" give or take... Does the effort outweigh potential gain?
To full-float or semi-float? 12 bolt Strange with Ford ends. Strictly based on brake caliper selection or other factors involved? I need to narrow the axle so I need to be deciding soon.
Enough babble, on to the pics.

Today's (and likely the next few days) installment:
10 years away.

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[SonomaZ]

Firewall-back frame is 3" x 3" X .120 wall.
4" off the deck at ride height.

[raustinss]

Confused buy the frame ?....!

[SonomaZ]

What has you confused?
What you're looking at are in-process pics, there's more to the frame, you just haven't seen it yet. (Took a dinner break...not done posting pics yet!)

Instead of a full frame replacement, it's a hybrid I guess. Modified stock S-Blazer/Jimmy up front, one-off fabbed from firewall on back.

[SonomaZ]

10 years away: continued, wheels and tires

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Wheels are MK Motorsports by BBS. Early mid 90's vintage high offset BMW tuner wheels. I'm sure the Bay-Em-Vay purists would like to burn me at the stake for putting them on a....dear God...a GM truck! Hehe, scroo-em.
These things were cubic money when they were new, I ebay'ed them for a song, new in the boxes.
Rear tires shown are 335's

Originally 18x8.5 and 18x10. The 10's are now 12's thanks to James at Weldcraft wheels and I'm seriously considering sending the 8.5's off to him to add another 1-1/2" so I can run 285's in front.

[SonomaZ]

They're an acquired taste I suppose. Most people have told me they look much better IRL than in pictures...
I'll be making my own center caps from aluminum since the plastic flat caps that came with them are ugly as sin.
I might play around with some plasti-dip colors on them and ultimately powdercoat them if I hit on something I like.

To answer the inevitable question, yes, they're 5X120 and not 5 X 120.65, but they are hub-centric with proprietary BBS centering rings.
Will need to run a spacer/adapter if I widen the fronts to avoid tie rod clearance issues and tire to frame rub.

[SonomaZ]

10 years away continues; early front suspension mockup

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So yeah.... that's not gonna work.:screwy:
G-body Hotchkis UCA's are for sale, just haven't listed them yet.
Even without the Dr. Gas/Pro Motorsports spindle extenders (no longer available since they've been found to create more problems than they solve) the UCA and LCA balljoint angles were fubar at this ride height.
What replaced the Hotchkis UCA's are coming later.
Spindles are 2" drop Belltech Blazer. (later Blazer with divorced brakes/hubs) If I had to do it over I probably wouldn't use these as the 2" drop creates tie rod clearance issues. Still might change 'em. We'll see.

For reference, those are 245/40/18 in these pics. I have 265's mounted on the 8.5's now and they bulge. Yuck. Should be 10's with 285's

[SonomaZ]

10 yrs away.. more chassis

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Yikes...monster pic fail. Where did I put the resized ones?

No rear kickup or suspension at this point. But you DO get to see the 3rd gen F-body 10-bolt that I put money into and screwed up. WTH was I thinking?
Replaced with the previously mentioned Strange F-body (integral torque arm attachment) 12-bolt to be seen later.

Enough for today. More pics tomorrow.

[raustinss]

Confused as to why it was so short ,assuming you were doing the rear section too so why not continue the frame rails the full length, or ?

[SonomaZ]

Confused as to why it was so short ,assuming you were doing the rear section too so why not continue the frame rails the full length, or ?
Those pictures are coming, patience young grasshopper.

10 bolt being used for mockup and rear kickup section fabrication:
(sorry for the monster pics)

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[SonomaZ]

So the last couple previous pics I started on control arm mounts...more of that and lower coilover mounts

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[SonomaZ]

Continuing on with rear suspension fab: Rear axle link brackets and spinning up the watts bellcrank/propeller mixed in there

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[rentedmule]

I'd never seen those spindle extenders before - interesting! PM me if/when you decide to get rid of either the UCAs or the blazer drop spindles. I run stock height blazer spindles with C5 brakes now and I'd like to substitute some of the drop from my coilovers for spindles.

[SonomaZ]

(PM incoming rentedmule/Tyson)

Moving on: Swaybar fab and mounting F+R

If you look closely at some of the following pics you will catch glimpses of the front spring pocket and UCA/coilover upper mounting modifications and mixed in with the rear swaybar shots are peeks of the chassis mounted watts link. Unfortunately, I do not have specific in-process pics of these things coming together. I'll be sure to get some good shots now that I have everything at home and post later.

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[SonomaZ]

And a peek at the watts (barely), upper coilover mounts and torque arm.
You'll also notice the axle is now the Strange 12 bolt.

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[Dr G]

Interesting build. With 12's in the rear I'd definitely go wider than 8.5's up front. Ideally 11's or 12's to balance out the handling.
Nice to see someone building a frame on a fixture for a change. I like the long drop links on your front sway bar.
Look forward to seeing more.

[SonomaZ]

Thanks Doc G.
Yeah, everyone going to square setups now, I know. Realize this truck was conceived 12-15 years ago and the majority of what you see above took place between '08 and '13.
In my hindsight 20/20, perfect world build of this truck there would be no leftover S-truck frame. It would have a front to rear, full custom frame that would clear 12's in front. (Or Art Morrison or Schwartz or whatever)
As it is, I'll have to make do with a 10" wheel and 285 tire up front. Champagne dreams, beer budget, ya know?

[SonomaZ]

Brought it home just before the 4th of July this year.

Here's a couple shots showing the watts link and chassis mounting for it a little better and also a shot of some clearance issues that I'll need to address.

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The watts pivot is shown in the uppermost hole above. When everything is mocked up at ride height, it actually rides in the center hole.

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Clearance for driveshaft and torque arm droop? Yeah, might be needing some of that.
I can barely slide a quarter between the crossmember and the lower bar of the torque arm.
I have a plan to remedy that.

[raustinss]

Lol yes patience great song lol....sorry yes of course it ends there for the narrowing of the frame at the rear rails , guess in my mind and how I saw it I forgot how short of a wheelbase these things have . Great fab work btw .

I had a 87 Jimmy that I swapped a 92 blazer front end on , new rear hatch hinges to remove the spoiler ...lowered etc . Had lined up a 350 for a swap but once I took mine apart the donor was stolen and well...you get the idea. Always wanted to do blazer ,swap in a awd transfer case and front axles then v8 swap ....so basically a v8 typhoon so to say .

[SonomaZ]

On that subject.... the frame still needs another 36"? (gotta verify that) section from rear axle centerline to bolt up the rear of the cab and hang a gas tank/fuel cell from......

[oldblu68]

Great work, and love the two bikes in the background. Those are two of Honda's best classics. That thing is going to look incredible by the looks of that chassis.



Brian

[2ndroundko]

Man i am loving this build. I have owned 2 89 jimmys, so this gets me in the feels. the last one was a dream in the making with no budget to bring it to reality so i sold it after i swapped in a 350 from a 9c1 caprice. It ran but not really great and i just couldnt afford to finish it. Loving the back half frame, the front suspension is good on these trucks but I can definatley understand your hindsight wishes of a full frame build. good luck with the build. have you started on the body yet?

[SonomaZ]

oldblu68: Thanks, but I can't take credit for much of what you've seen so far other than the initial dream/direction. The only fab work of mine seen so far is the torque arm and mounting bracket to the axle. And just FYI, that "2nd Honda" is actually a Suzuki SV650.

2ndroundko: These trucks are narrow, and the width between the rails doesn't leave much room for things like 1-3/4" long tube headers and the rails themselves are somewhat wide, which leaves you short on tire clearance. So yeah.... kind of a "stuffing 10 pounds of stuff in a 5 pound bag" sort of thing. The body looks mostly like the pictures from 10 years ago. I went to a wingless, borderless hatch glass, shaved the gate and welded in a roll pan. Stock otherwise. The body is still in a roller state on its original, uncut frame. Unfortunately, I currently have it stored about an hour away as I don't have room for it at home.

[LT1C1500]

Sub'd. Awesome project

[silvermonte]

So did you figure out how to get 285's on the front? I got 275s on the front of mine without any rubbing. They are nittos tho which they do run a bit smaller, with the cutting you are doing I figure you could fairly easy make some room for larger tires.

[SonomaZ]

Yes and no. Will I be able to physically bolt them up? Sure.
But unless I can come up with a non-budget-busting method to modify my cast-in-place steering arms and not have to completely re-think my steering linkage to not have bump-steer....I'm stuck with using 1-1/2" hubcentric spacers.
Not really my first choice for a solution.
That's based on the current location of the tierod to wheel right now with an 8-1/2" wheel.
Add 1-1/2" to the inside of the wheel will mean spacing it away from the tierod an equal amount.
"Fit" without rubbing? Remains to be seen, but I have serious doubts. But I also have no qualms about cutting this truck up as needed.

What's the wheel specs on your fronts? width, and backspace?

[SonomaZ]

My gas regulator on my MIG decided it was time to die. Gotta pick up one of those.

Just got a couple new toys (tools) from Horror Fraught that will help with chassis fab considerably. Gotta love those "Super Sale" and 20% off coupons.

[silvermonte]

My rims are 17 x 9.5 with 4.5" of back space. If fairly certain if i had 18s i could run a slightly wider rim with more back space. this is with 2" drop spindles from djm or some company. I bought some afx spindles awhile back from another board member and have yet to mock them up to see what happens with them.

this is in my build thread, post #39 shows what the 275 tire fits like, https://www.pro-touring.com/threads/95821-1990-Road-Race-S10/page2, i should prolly update that thing a bit, havnt done anything to the thread since 2014

[Ben@SpeedTech]

Hey Silvermonte, some info that you may need-

I own a G body which shares suspension parts with S10s. I also bought JDM spindles for "'82+ S10" but found the steering arm was too close to the 17x9.5 w/ 5.5" bs wheels and ended up not using them. Rather I switched to Speedtech's Chicane coilover conversion and got my 2.5" drop with them, still using stock spindles.

On the ATS spindles, the ball joint taper is different between the early muscle cars and the later G Body/ S10, so we have a specific spindle for the G body and a specific one for the AFX cars- A= Chevelle F= Camaro X = Nova. Since you bought them used make sure you have the right one for your application. You'll also need the correct steering arms for a G body, which are also different from the AFX cars. We've never tried them on an S10 but from what other customers have let us know the G body and S10 are interchangeable, so if you have the right spindles and arms for the G body they should fit ok and you'll find they're pretty awesome spindles.

Hopes this info sheds some light for you and anyone following along.

[SonomaZ]

silvermonte: Thanks for the wheel info and your project link, hadn't seen that yet, great stuff. There's hope for getting the 285's up there one way or another!

Ben@ST: I would love to go with the ATS/AFX spindles/steering arms, but the budget won't allow a $1500 hit at the moment.

Should have a small picture update after the weekend.

[SonomaZ]

Made a little progress on the lack of clearance at the rear crossmember issue. Scroll up to the last pic in post #21 to see where I started from.

But first some tools! One of the best parts of a build is that you can easily justify tool purchases.

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New MIG regulator that replaced the original that blew out the diaphragm.

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14" chop saw and variable speed bandsaw. Yep, from Hazard Fraught. They get the job done.

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1/4" shank air powered die-grinder.

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Ugggh, pics got out of order. Anyway, still have to make a closeout piece for the torque arm clearance cut and finish the radius cutout for the driveshaft loop.

Still not sure exactly how I want to integrate the 2" wide loop into the 3" wide crossmember..... suggestions?

[Ben@SpeedTech]

silvermonte: Thanks for the wheel info and your project link, hadn't seen that yet, great stuff. There's hope for getting the 285's up there one way or another!

Ben@ST: I would love to go with the ATS/AFX spindles/steering arms, but the budget won't allow a $1500 hit at the moment.

Should have a small picture update after the weekend.

Lol! That's the only reason they're not on my car yet too, and one of the last suspension parts on my list to still get. The benefits are great for the guys that want that last bit of geometry help to push the car to the next level. In this case I think it's safe to say the wait to save up for them is worth it.

The photos are great, I'm anxious to watch as this all pans out. The right tools are awesome, wuh wuh wuh (Tim Allen grunts). :)

[HectorM52]

Great thread that I wish I had seen sooner. Glad to see you're making progression, Rich.

Rich, you are actually more familiar with Miles's ATS parts than you realize...they're my old parts. And he won't need to worry about any BJ taper issues as they're correct. He just needs to replace the ball joint stud on the driver's side.

Keep up the good work and keep the pics coming!! :D

[SonomaZ]

Good to see you Adam, knew you were around here somewhere.
Not much new to report unfortunately. Should start picking up again soon though.
8" engine setback is next along with motor and trans. mounts.

correction: I did get the d/s and torque arm clearancing in the crossmember done.

[minendrews68]

I'll have to admit, some serious fabrication skills going on. Looking good!

[Hotwire]

Quietly following along.

[beater65]

I see I needed to track it down over hear to keep in the loop... lol

[beater65]

Quietly following along.


Guess im oddball out with different forum name from S-series lol

[Eric Howell]

The old s-series forum is coming out of the woodwork.. lol
Love this build, was hoping for an update.

[snopro]

This thing is looking great. I had a 91 S10 blazer that I should have finished but never did.
Looking forward to seeing progress

[SonomaZ]

Sorry for the lack of updates. There have been a few minor things, but nothing picture worthy.
I'm to the point where the body and new frame are needing to be in the same place and I have zero room to bring the body on the original rolling chassis home.

What I do have is a very talented brother in law in Iowa with a newly completed big shop willing to help.
This coming spring the truck will be relocating and progress will resume.
I will very likely be spending many 3 day weekends in IA.

[SonomaZ]

Fabrication to look forward to in no particular order:

Floor cut out of cab / body drop. Original plan was to have the rocker just above the bottom edge of the frame. Might bring it up a bit. :dunno:
8" of engine setback / firewall rework.
Engine and transmission mounts, transmission cross member, d/s loop and torque arm front pivoting mount.
Full-(ish) cage.
Front wheels widened to 10" (Send out to Weldcraft, they did the rears already.) 275's or 285's on the front.
Body mounts.
Additional frame section behind axle for body mounting and fuel cell.
Seriously considering flaring the fenders front and rear, all steel.
Millerbuilt C7 full floater kit and axles once axle housing width is determined.

[Hotwire]

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[Motoracer838]

I've got a thing for the 1st gen S10 blazers, I like where your taking yours, during the first build of mine, (project Frankenstine) I grafted in an S pick up front frame section to help get the truck where I wanted it to sit. wishing now that I'd bit the bullet at that time to just do the whole thing, that being said, the truck is a riot and any new mods I do are aimed at getting best bang for the buck and keeping down time to a minimum. (ok, I can ramble a bit myself)

I see your Nighthawk S is as skilled a photobomber as mine, I't seems to find it's way into photos without trying...

Joe

[SonomaZ]

Joe/Motoracer,
I can relate to the "thing" with 1st-gen S-trucks, I've had my share.
I'm definitely following along on your build of Frankenstine. It's been a while since I've seen anyone going after the tall frame issue on the Blazers.
I'd always hated looking at these trucks in profile and seeing that massive frame hanging down below the rocker. Mine is using a donor S10 pickup front stub as well.
The bikes...uggh. Those two are my kids bikes, and I currently have two more of my own vying for storage/project space. The Nighthawk is going away in the spring as is one of mine so I'll be down to a manageable 2 bikes in the garage.

[Hotwire]

Hey Rich,

Checking in to see if you've gotten to work on the project?

[SonomaZ]

Hey Jeff and all following along, it's been a while.
This very weekend the truck is headed out again, but it won't be for 10 years this time.

My brother in law is coming up from IA and we're both heading back down to his newly completed shop with the truck.
He is much better suited in both talent and space to finish up the remaining fab work than I could ever hope to be.
Refer back to post #45 for the major highlights.

[Hotwire]

Hey Jeff and all following along, it's been a while.
This very weekend the truck is headed out again, but it won't be for 10 years this time.

My brother in law is coming up from IA and we're both heading back down to his newly completed shop with the truck.
He is much better suited in both talent and space to finish up the remaining fab work than I could ever hope to be.
Refer back to post #45 for the major highlights.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2018/05/giphy-1.gif

[Ben@SpeedTech]

That's a great list, definitely looking forward to seeing the updates!

[SonomaZ]

As of Memorial weekend, the truck now resides at my BIL Dave's place, from here on referred to as Somewhere In Iowa Fabrication.
It was either give the place a name, or refer to it as "Dave's big-ass shed in the middle of nowhere."

We essentially hauled down what amounted to a vehicle and a half in a relatively small trailer.
I can now refer to it as just "the truck" instead of the roller and the new chassis.
The body has been separated from the original rolling frame. The only thing we kept was the Monte SS steering box. Probably replace that with a Turn One box later.
The roller has been sold off to a guy to use as the foundation for his next Hobby Stock build.

I just got back from dropping off a small pile of suspension parts that didn't make the original trip down. While I was down there we busted out the air chisel and sawzall and did some cutting on the rear floor and wheelwells and also did some general brainstorming / decision making.
We might have had a few beers as well.

There has actually been some reverse scope creep going on. I suppose you just call that scaling back to reality due to minimal benefit from maximum effort.
The 8" engine setback was first to go. We've determined 4" is the max we can go without a wholesale revamping of firewall, dash and HVAC. So 4" it is.

The change I'm actually happy about is that we're determined to fit a 10" rim with a 285 tire on the front without flaring the fenders.
Keeping the body looking stock-ish will go a long way to upping the wow factor when people realize just how much rubber is under there.

Picture dump to follow a little later.

[Motoracer838]

I can now refer to it as just "the truck" instead of the roller and the new chassis.
The body has been separated from the original rolling frame. The only thing we kept was the Monte SS steering box. Probably replace that with a Turn One box later.


I just "blew up" a project I started 11 years ago and had been stagnant since. (88 Fiero/Northstar 5 speed, now LS4 5 speed.) Now I want to work on it...

I currently have a Jeep Grand Cherokee box on my Blazer, (I see a Turn one box in my future.) if the SS box is as light as the Jeep box, you probably won't like it, way overboosted...

Joe

[SonomaZ]

I had run the MonteSS box on this truck (with the original V6, pre-teardown) and on a previous S10 pickup.
I found it to be a BIG improvement in feel and quickness than the standard box, but yes, somewhat overboosted.

[SonomaZ]

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Buh-bye original frame.
C-channel, leaf springs, torsional rigidity of an over-cooked noodle, 4x4 driveline angles and clearances in a 2WD truck, you will not be missed.

[SonomaZ]

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MAYBE if it was a 4x4. Otherwise, no way!
Compare to later picture after cutting floor and shifter hole.

[SonomaZ]

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Don't get used to this view, it will change.

[SonomaZ]

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AFCO double adjustables and 200#/in. rear springs.

Background:
Ooohhh...'69 Mach1, 351 Cleveland 4-spd. Seen as many miles at Road America as it has on the street. A little rough but an original survivor.
Might post some more pics of "what's in Dave's garage" later.
Teaser: There's a numbers matching '67 Chevelle big-block convert getting paint in the body shop side.

[SonomaZ]

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Note that the axle ends are bare, no ends.
An expensive order from Millerbuilt is in my near future.

[SonomaZ]

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[SonomaZ]

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The man, the myth, the legend...brother in law Dave wielding the weapon of choice.

[SonomaZ]

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Outta here.

[SonomaZ]

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Rear floor removal and one shifter clearance hole later....
Automotive limbo: How low can you go?

Not quite there but much better. Compare to the before cutting picture.

Trans tunnel will still require some surgery for torque arm clearance. Tunnel is resting on it here.
Also some relatively minor firewall clearancing once engine goes back 4".

[Motoracer838]

That's gonna' set right when done... Maybe I missed it, how much tire in the back, it looks massive...

If you do get 285's up front, that'll help with the feel of the SS box.

Joe

[SonomaZ]

335/30/18 on 12" rim

[Ben@SpeedTech]

Congrats!! Glad to see progress moving along. You've been an inspiration, I've been daily-ing my '77 2500 Suburban for the last year or so and the 9 mpg has gotten old, so I recently picked up this '88 Blazer. It's super clean and cared for but hast a locked up 2.8. That'll be replaced with a torquey small block 406 I've had for many years waiting for the right project, and will receive a pro touring make over. Not as hard core as yours but it'll be a fun daily ride. My son is plugging along with his nasty 355 S10 pick up build as well, so we're both watching your build with pop corn in hand. Keep the mods and pics comin'!

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2018/06/qWp0R5h-1.jpg

[SonomaZ]

Glad I could be an inspiration Ben, that is one clean '88!! Is your son's S10 build on here?

On another note... so my Strange F-body (torque arm) 12 bolt that needs/will be getting the floater ends:
Turns out it need a little more than that. It had been so long since I bought the dang thing I had forgot what I had bought! It's completely bare, other than brackets and a pinion. No diff.
So another $750 or so for a TrueTrac and gears....ugggh. It's only money, right?

This truck will most likely see more street than track time which is why I'm leaning to the TrueTrac versus a locker.
Any dissenting opinions/thoughts there?
Any vendors here running any special pricing that I could take advantage of?

[Ben@SpeedTech]

It is clean Rich, I'm stoked about it. I don't like the early grills as much and I kinda like the GMC grill better so we recently landed a $300 4 door '93 GMC parts Jimmy that my son and I will be robbing parts from, and I'm converting to the '93 GMC grill. I'll have a little more time here in the next few weeks so I'll get a coiple renderings done and a thread started for both trucks. For now you can check out some Vlog videos my son Roman's been doing for his truck. Progress has been a little slow more recently but he's been saving up his $ and things will be picking up here real soon. Click here (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJiXALMZevYYukFdamgKBZg) for his channel.

Sorry to hijack your thread a little, now back to your wicked Blazer...

[pittpens24]

Really impressed with this build. Hats off to you bro. My 1st build(that I just completed) was a '68 Camaro. Yeah I went all out for what my budget would allow, but most of my stuff was figured out for me for the most part as they make anything you want for a Camaro. I did everything myself on my build, but you are fabricating as you go and that my friend is downright impressive to me. I'd love to one day have all the knowledge to tackle a project like this, but until then I will bask in the fruits of my labor a little while first. Following along:cheers:

[SonomaZ]

Thanks for the kind words pittpens24, they're appreciated.

2 things:
1) I can't take credit for the vast majority of the fabrication work, as its been farmed out first to the shop that had the truck for 10 years, and now to my brother-in-law to finish what they started.
I determined early on that if I wanted this truck to be more than the typical V8 s-truck, I would have to enlist the help of those with more talent than me.
Knowing what I know now, I would have been definitely been time ahead by teaching myself and going the DIY route. Would the results have been as good? Maybe, maybe not. It's still been a great learning experience, just a long, drawn out one.

2) There's definitely something to be said for building something that has the level of support of a 1st gen Camaro. You're a smarter man than I.
I had a '69 MANY years ago....man I miss that car.

[SonomaZ]

There has been some relatively minor progress made since my last update and I'll try to pull some pics off my phone and post later.

1st, decisions made:

Since the better part of the back half of the floor is already cut out, and we know the d/s tunnel needs more than a bit of clearancing for the torque arm, AND the consideration of additional engine setback will require firewall rework..... the remaining front half of the floor is also coming out. Easier to start from scratch than to patch a little here and there.

On the subject of engine setback, we've gone from 8" from current position (desired) to approximately 4".
(The current position is roughly 2" rearward from stock. So overall we'll be roughly 6".)
That additional 4" was deemed to be way more trouble/effort than potential gain. Just too many obstacles to overcome.

It's been somewhat of a battle to maintain the balance of street comforts vs race capabilities all the while attempting to keep scope creep in check.
I need to keep reminding myself that this is to be a STREET truck that will see only occasional track duty, or at the very least, have the capability for said duty when the mood strikes. As opposed to the other way around, a RACE truck with license plates. I've had my share of teeth-rattling, rough riding, deafening hot rods, and while they were fun, this will not be one of those.

On to the (small) progress update:

Threw money down on a True Trac, 4.11's and installation kit. I now have more money into my rear axle than the rest of the drivetrain. :screwy: Oh well, it won't be the weak link I guess.
Sheet metal ordered and received for floor and firewall rework.
Millerbuilt floater ends welded to axle tubes. Jay/Jason Miller is a great guy to deal with and the quality of his kit is absolutely top-notch.
Will be ordering the floater axles in the coming weeks.

[SRD art]

In my opinion you made a good decision defining what the truck will be. My Pumkinator wagon is leaning towards borderline race car and that takes away the fun of just hopping in it with the kids and heading out for a burger. As much as I want to go more serious with my Jimmy I decided to (for once) exercise what little self control I could muster and keep the build mild. The goal is to have a street truck with gobs of torque, able to do some "spirited driving in Mexico" and have a stock comfort level interior. So far I'm actually able to stick with that. Your truck has some amazing stuff going on, and should be a real performer. Toning down where the design could have gone is wise in one way at least- it takes a big $ account to seriously enter and continue to do well in the top 10+ at the big races. Most cars built by average folks are mid pack, and the set-ups range a great deal in that pack- from all the best name brand parts to the combo of just a few upgrades, some decent tuning and a good driver. If the mid pack group is where most of us will be at the end of the weekend then why sacrifice street driveability? That's my thinking anyway and that's why I bought the Jimmy to street drive so I can get Pumkinator back on his feet with a little more serious tone.

Good luck and anxious for continued updates!

[pittpens24]

Thanks for the kind words pittpens24, they're appreciated.

2 things:
1) I can't take credit for the vast majority of the fabrication work, as its been farmed out first to the shop that had the truck for 10 years, and now to my brother-in-law to finish what they started.
I determined early on that if I wanted this truck to be more than the typical V8 s-truck, I would have to enlist the help of those with more talent than me.
Knowing what I know now, I would have been definitely been time ahead by teaching myself and going the DIY route. Would the results have been as good? Maybe, maybe not. It's still been a great learning experience, just a long, drawn out one.

2) There's definitely something to be said for building something that has the level of support of a 1st gen Camaro. You're a smarter man than I.
I had a '69 MANY years ago....man I miss that car.

One thing you are not giving yourself credit for is the initiative to take on a project and even though you were not doing the physical aspect, you were still nose down in research to build what you want to build and the way you want to accomplish it. It's hard for a lot of individuals to have the foresight to get a grasp on what will be.
As far as support, we will see as the car will be at it's 1st paid entry car show. My car has nothing stock about it so I am anxious to see how much good vs bad comments I get. I know you meant support as in help because it has been done many times over lol.

[SonomaZ]

So another fairly productive weekend in Iowa in the books.
Since my last visit where we got the axle tubes cut to length, the Millerbuilt ends welded on, and most of the rear floor cut out:

Cut off the tacked-on frame height setting "feet." These were just for construction purposes and kept the bottom of the frame level and 4" off the deck.
The axle is now back under the truck with tires bolted on for the first time and not just sitting in the wheel wells for pictures and measuring.
And it looks like we got the width right!! (Measure twice? I think it was more like 5 or 6 times.)
The sidewalls of the 335's should tuck right in with just a little fender lip roll.
We made some 2x4 "struts" for the front since I don't have springs for the coilovers in front yet. And with that, we at least have a roller which became very necessary later in the day.
I do have a pair of 650# Hyperco springs coming, but they didn't make it in time.

After achieving roller status we picked the engine and trans up off the temporary mounts with the frame rack hoist, cut and re-tacked the mounts back in place exactly 8" rearward, rolled the chassis forward and reset engine and trans in their new position.
For those following along, the previous decision to stick with only 4" of engine setback went straight out the window when it was realized that the true level of firewall chopping wouldn't be that much different to go the full 8, and once it was decided to just pitch the factory HVAC out that same window. I'll put a Vintage Air slimline unit in there later.
In this new position, header modifications will be reduced dramatically. The passenger side is a virtual bolt-in right now. The headers are '96-'97 LT1 F-body 1-3/4" primary longtubes.
The other victim of the engine setback besides the HVAC on the pass. side will be the factory pedal "box" firewall sheetmetal that juts out for your feet on the driver's side. It looks like this will be overcome with a relocated pedal setup from Tilton or Wilwood. Every decision always has consequences, right? Pedals, steering wheel and seat(s) will all get moved back about 4". Dash stays in stock position as there shouldn't be any required cutting up that high.

I'm sorry I didn't get pics up from the last go-round but my phone camera lens is messed up. I might put them up anyway. Thankfully my son came with this time and snapped a few with his. Will get those loaded up here shortly.

[SonomaZ]

I just looked back and saw that I used the phrase "relatively minor firewall clearancing" in a previous post.
I'm not sure what I was smoking when i wrote that....:lmao: :screwy:

[SonomaZ]

Sorry for the lack of detail pics but I'll share what I have.
Dave HAS been busy the last few weekends however.

Front section of floor and necessary portion of firewall out; engine and trans are now 8" further back than where we started.
Should be very close to 10" of total setback from stock engine position. Still on temporary mounts in this picture.
156808

[SonomaZ]

With the lift all the way down and touching the runway of the frame rack.
ALMOST low enough.
156809

[SonomaZ]

Another "close, but not quite" shot: Need about the height of that 2x4 under the cab to get the top of the tire even with the fender lip.
156810

[SonomaZ]

Up and down, up and down...repeat ad nauseum. Don't hit the roof!
This picture is an early shot (axle ends still bare and no engine setback) and out of order but I thought I'd throw it in here.
I don't know how many times the body went up and down, but needless to say, the lift got a workout.

156811

[SonomaZ]

The 4 main cab mounts are made, welded to the frame and body bolted down.
Rearmost cab mounts not attached yet because the frame needs to be extended all the way back to the tailgate. Nothing to attach them to yet.
I'm suspecting the stock front frame at the core support area will need to be "Z'ed" or dropped 1" to 2" yet.

And here's the payoff: First time this truck has seen daylight mated up to it's new frame.
156812

[SonomaZ]

I gotta say I am liking the sleeper aspect of the high offset wheels. In profile it looks really non-threatening.
No way does it look like there could possibly be 335's under there.

[SonomaZ]

Found a couple more pics...
After engine setback, side view.

156833

[SonomaZ]

And the pass. side showing how easy the long tubes fit now....at least on this side. Driver's side is still going to be a pain.
156834

[SonomaZ]

And a parting shot for tonight:

156835

[egoman]

Normally I just fly past the truck builds. In this case that was a huge mistake! Your fabrication and ideas closely follow my current project. I also will post the details of my build in a fashion where the timeline is somewhere in the past.
Really nice work, and several pics from your build have migrated into my ideas file. I keep a large picture file of any ideas that may work for me, or indicate what wont work.

[raustinss]

And a parting shot for tonight:

156835

Nice ass Rich lol

[SonomaZ]

Whatcha building egoman, let's see it! Build thread?

Ryan: yeah, I get that a lot. Or I'm confusing that with fat ass. :hah:

[egoman]

Waiting for the snow to fly with some fervor. Already had a small amount Sunday.

[SonomaZ]

Might post some more pics of "what's in Dave's garage" later.
Teaser: There's a numbers matching '67 Chevelle big-block convert getting paint in the body shop side.

What's been keeping Dave busy....

157771

My SIL's car. (Mrs. Dave.)
Original SS 396 car back to it's original Bolero? red. Was a metallic blue and was a great 10 footer considering how sketchy the bodywork was.
All sins now corrected.

[Hotwire]

Hey Rich, was watching a tv show, they are building Joe Rogan's 69 Nova, wheels reminded me of your build, thought I'd check on ya, see if there was any progress to report?

159147

[SonomaZ]

Heya Jeff, thanks for checking in.

Not much to report at the moment. BIL Dave taking a little holiday break on mine to work on assembly and buff out of the Chevelle.
Things should pick up again after New Year's.

[Jaymzz]

Love your Blazer build! Gives me some great ideas for mine.

[JayinMI]

This truck makes me wish I'd started with a 2 door blazer. Mostly. lol

Jay

[SonomaZ]

Sorry about the lack of updates folks. There has been some progress, but relatively minimal.

As it tends to do, life (and other projects) got in the way for both Dave and I that put a damper on the Jimmy project temporarily.
I did spend a long Memorial weekend in IA helping to get the red '67 Chevelle to nearly driver status. It is now and should be done.
With that out of the way, things should pick up again.

When I was out for the long weekend, we did work on the truck a bit but it was a case of 1 step forward and 2 back. Minor stuff though, relatively easily corrected.
(Broke one of the lower adjusters on the front AFCO AND realized there was only one TEE-bar lower mount.)
So we couldn't get the front coil-overs in place with the new 650# coils. We DID get the back ones on however. Swapped the 12" long 200#'ers for 10" long 225#.
The 12's were too long for the shock body.

There was also progress made with final body positioning and wheel/tire fitment.
Teaser: The next picture update will have some new rollers to look at. Think, bigger and C6 GS.

[Jaymzz]

been looking at those wheels also. Excited to see what they will look like on a Blazer. :thumbsup:

[SonomaZ]

Apologies again for the lack of consistent updates.

Now that it's been determined the 19" and 20" Corvette GS cup wheels (can be made to) fit, I'm working on procuring a complete set.
I initially only bought one front 19x10 and one rear 20x12, both used but great shape, for testing/fitting purposes.
Tires I have. They are 285/30/19 Contis front and 345/30/20 Michelin PSS rear.
I just picked up the other 19x10 front like new, just need to find another rear for cheap.
This will be the street set of rollers. The sticky tires go on the 18's.

Now for the big news. I figure if I post it I can't chicken out and I'm committed to this decision.
I'm going LS. There. I said it.

That, in and of itself probably isn't earth-shattering to most, but it is to me.
I've been resisting the pull to the dark side for years, thinking I could get where I wanted to go with the GenII LT1. I can't and I know it.
This truck has progressed to the point where a full bolt-on heads and cam type engine isn't going to cut it.
Sure, I could take the easy way out and throw a Vortech S-trim or the like on the relatively stock LT1 and net maybe what, 350-375 and hope it holds together if I go for much more. Or spray it. Similar results. Sooner or later it goes boom without a serious upgrade to the rotating assembly.

Or, I could throw a couple Chinese hairdryers at a take out (I won't say junkyard) 5.3L or 6.0L GenIII truck motor and make a relatively easy 600 or so?
It's hard to deny the capabilities of the engine platform.

What did I say earlier about keeping scope creep in check? Forget I said that.

So yeah. Twin turbskies, why not?

[SonomaZ]

Small update:

Picked up a relatively complete '07 L33 with 80K miles.

That and a bunch of turbo bits.
Thinking I'm going to run Holley Terminator X Max for engine management.

Need to convert the '97 T56 to '98 and up LS spec.

Dave has the rear frame section finished along with the rear floor and wheel tubs.

Need to get engine and trans situated so he can get front floor and firewall done.

[SonomaZ]

Anybody want a really low mileage original '97 LT1?

[Sbeck09]

Now you're moving in the right direction! Glad to hear the power plant and management system is settled and all you have to do is make it happen. I do have to wonder...why not do an N/A LS? I've been personally involved in a number of budget N/A builds and it's not hard to push 450+ from the truck motors. In the end a turbo setup makes more power, but the cost is similar, you add stress to the rotating assembly, and heat management is more difficult. Plus the engine bay is significantly more crowded. I realize an abundance of power is cool, but you still gotta hook it up if you want to be competitive.

Either way it's gonna be awesome! Even I was tempted early in my build to do an LS swap. Somehow I didn't, but it really is a fantastic power plant.

[SonomaZ]

Sbeck09:
A few thoughts why on: why not N/A? and your other questions.

Never had a turbo anything before. Had a few fast street cars in the 450 to 500 HP range, and played around with nitrous a bit, but not forced induction.
I'm keeping this thing relatively tame by turbo LS standards, realistically 600-650 tops. I have no serious desire for a 1000HP street car at this point in my life.
(I know I say that now......I've seen from other guys just how addictive boost can be.)
Is it possible to beat the cool and wow factor when you pop the hood on a TT setup? It's a factor, I'll admit.

I can deal with heat and air management. Have given that a fair amount of thought.

Being competitive is not a goal for this truck/build. It's first and foremost something to have fun with on the street.
If it was to be a competitive drag truck it would have a 4L80E and not a T56.
A hard core 1/8 or 1/4 machine is too narrowly focused for me. I want to go around corners too and I like to row my own gears.

[Jaymzz]

Excited to see what you come up with! Turbo's are addicting also!

[SonomaZ]

Picked up a "scratch and dent" Sparco QRT-R seat for fitting purposes and to see if it will work for my fat butt and aging back. (I'm 6'1 and 220.)
Other than a small tear in the fabric of the headrest it's mint.

Initial feedback from sitting in it flat on the kitchen floor:

I need to lose about 20 pounds but I still fit. It's snug, but it's supposed to be.
It's padded a fair amount better than I thought it would be for a fixed-back "race" seat. It's pretty comfortable really.
I'm sure my opinion could change after sitting and driving in it for a while.
Not sure if it's going to be "Power Tour comfortable" without some additional padding.

Sorry to bore you guys with the wall of text my last few posts.
I promise there will be more pictures to come shortly.

[SonomaZ]

......
Being competitive is not a goal for this truck/build. It's first and foremost something to have fun with on the street.
If it was to be a competitive drag truck it would have a 4L80E and not a T56.
A hard core 1/8 or 1/4 machine is too narrowly focused for me. I want to go around corners too and I like to row my own gears.

After reading this I wanted to add a little bit.
Being competitive may not be a goal, but being ABLE to make some safe 1/4 mile passes and possible track days are in the cards.

I'm willing to save money in some areas knowing the limitations, (Chinese turbos and turbo bits for an example) but not on safety.
Safety is an issue even with a "fun" truck/build.
This truck will have a full 10 point cage, (most likely with "street" low side bars or swing-outs..undecided) FIA approved seats and harnesses.