ok, i got to missing a truck in my stable, so i had to get one. the last one i had was a 98 dakota extended cab with a warmed over 5.2, 5 speed, 3.91 posi, and full hotchkis suspension and poly bushings. great truck, until it was hit head on by a truckload of illegals. (http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/dakota/HPIM0078.jpg)(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/dakota/MVC-004S.jpg) so after a year of not having one, i decided it was time especially now that i bought a house. i did some swapping, doing a rehash on a 92 pontiac grand am. my labor in exchange for a 95 chrysler cirrus with a supposedly bad tranny. fixed a leak, and daily drove it for a few weeks. then, i found a guy that was willing to trade the chrysler for a GMC S15. (http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture165.jpg)(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture166.jpg)(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture168.jpg)(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture170.jpg)(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture174.jpg) so far total investment is 20 hours labor, and 15 bucks. not bad for a running driving truck with a clean title. oh, and the pictures are AFTER i cleaned it up. a lot. when i got it, the guy said it wouldnt crank for him, so he parked it. started right up for me after i reconnected the coil wire. he also said the tranny might be going south. after readjusting the TV cable, i found no problem with the tranny. in the process of this, i found that they had pulled the terminals from the ends of a couple of plug wires when they put brand new plugs in it. but they left the wire dangling in there hoping it hit a plug. so add a new set of plug wires, cap, rotor, PCV, Fuel filter, and can of seafoam. total parts now invested: 68 dollars. i also put on some wiper blades to get it to pass inspection: 20 bucks. lastly, i found why it quit running on me last weekend. the ignition module went bad. so add another 26 bucks in there. grand total to this point: 114. i am now in the process of finishing the interior swap, blacking out the trim, and getting the suspension not so scary. as far as the interior, replace the trashed door panels. put in carpet.install stereo.Install buckets.Overhead and between seats consoles. the goals of this tuck are to have a decent looking beater that i can dive anywhere, through anything, and park anywhere. it also has to handle and stop exceptionally well, and be cheap to build and operate as well as cofortable to drive. to that end, the overall plans are to rebuild the front suspension, using 2 inch drop springs, tall upper and lower ball joints, poly bushings, bilstein shocks, and a 33 MM sway bar. the rear is still up in the air. id love to 3 link it, but dont want to cut the bed and still need to be able to carry loads. Truck arms are out due to wanting to retain the stock gas tank. so i dunno. Brakes will eventually be C5 corvette pieces at all 4 corners under 17X9 black wheels wrapped in 275/40/17 or 315/35/17. depends wht will clear. body will recieve a 300 dollar paint job, cowl hood, fender flares, 92 grille, 92 tail lights, sport mirrors, roll pan, and filled tailgate. maybe a tanneau cover if the budget allows. anyway, im keeping this thread to show others what can be done on an extremely small budget, as well as a running tally of expenses. i'll post updates next week when i take some more pictures of the current progress on the interior and body. Michael
well, i figure its time for an update. not too much has been going on lately, as i have been busy with the house, the lawn, and building a shed. im also putting in a lot of hours at work. ok, enough with the excuses.got the AC fixed. it cost me 35 for the conversion to 134A kit. doesnt blow that cold, but its better than nothing. Got the overhead console wired in, as well as the autodim mirror. they work great. And the big thing: thursday, on my way to work, the truck died on me. just cut out in the middle of the street. i figured the fuel pump went out, as it has been surging and starting hard for the last few weeks. so my buddy and i towed it home with his four wheeler (wasnt too far from the house) and pulled it in. After looking at it, we figured it would be easier to do if we pulled the bed. so we did. we wound up replacing the fuel pump, a lot of the wiring to the fuel pump, readjusting the rear drums, fixing the taillight harness, installing the drop leaves, and doing some cleaning and painting. i also put the liscence plate on the bumper finally. grand total for parts: 69 for the fuel pump and sock filter, 6 in spray paint, 100 in the lowering kit. i have also taken HILRODs suggestion and tried the fender flares. they dolt line up perfect, but theyll work until i can scrounde some truck ones. and a heat gun made that much easier. Before(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture201.jpg)(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture203.jpg)(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture205.jpg)(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture206.jpg)(http://afterhttp://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture208.jpg)(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture212.jpg)(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture214.jpg)(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture215.jpg)(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture216.jpg) total to this point: $585sorry for doing the tread this way, but it was the easiest way to bring you guys up to speed on the project. Michael
wow. thats one helluva writeup.nice!!!
yeah, the door clips suck. and thanks on the compliments on the writeup. i try to do it in such a way that I would be interested in reading it, not just looking at the pictures. as far as the panhard rod, i havent a clue which one im going to use yet. probably the cheapest one i can get from bradley auto parts or summit. reason im using it is that the truck has a LOT of lateral movement in the rear, even with the new bushings and springs. and its not all in the tires. so im going to locate it better. as far as the 2.8, it runs good so far. ill switch it out to a 305/350 TBI/TPI motor when it finally hangs a rod out the side of the block. until then, ill keep driving it. couple of questions:1. what gauge cluster did a first gen Sonoma GT use? i saw pictues of one, and loved the, i know GM is cheap enough to use the cluster from something more pedestrian for their specials like that, but what?2. will the truck fit a 275/40/17 on all 4 corners? im looking at the cragar soft 8's, with unknown backspacing.3. anyone know where i can find the blueprints for the headlight relocators to put a 92 grille in it? the ready made ones i have heard are junk, and i dont want to pay for them anyway. the other questions ill post over in suspension, as it fits better there. thanks for the encouragement, guys. Michael
depending on how low you want, and if you want to retain the full steering angle, i dont see 275s up front working too welli think soft 8s only come in one offset per size/pattern...
time for an update. after lowering the back and painting the rear wheels, i decided to tackle the front end. sort of. i replaced the steering linkage that was kind of scary (83.20), put in the lowering springs, and replaced all 4 shocks with bilsteins off a 2 door 98 blazer. the shocks were 40 for the set. and turned out to be the same compressed and extended heights as the stockers. while doing all this, i also replaced the rag joint with a shaft from a cherokee to get the universals. the shaft was purchased with a blazer rear bumper, brevada grille, trailer hitch, and sunvisors at pull a part for a grand total of 78.00. i dont feel like breaking it down right now, so well add that whole total in it. heres that work, as well as the brevada grille installed. (http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture226.jpg)(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture227.jpg)(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture225.jpg)(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture229.jpg)(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture219.jpg) i also had the fan clutch crap out on me, locking the fan into a fixed position. so i used an electric fan i had left over from another project. after i cut the shroud on it down a little bit, it fit right into the factory shrooud. i also got a 20.00 thermostatic switch for it from advance. (http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture231.jpg)(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture230.jpg) lastly, i started to finish the interior. i repositioned and reglued the windlace in, cut the headliner backer board and installed it, installed the sunvisors and under dash insulation. (http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture224.jpg)(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture223.jpg) grand total to this point: 806.20 up next is to decide wether or not the brevada grille is staying, and if it is i need to relocate the headlights and create a better fastening system for it. also need to install the trailer hitch and blazer bumper on the back, put the weatherstripping in the doors, and install the ZQ8 rear sway bar. all this may take a little while, though, as i just found out yesterday that im going to be a father! michael
congrats on being a dad!idk about the grill...i'm kinda...undecided on if i like it or not. blazer bumper will clean up the look nicely.
well, to be honest, i havent made a whole lot of progress. we've figured out that the vibrations are coming frm a pinion thats WAY off, and ive figured out that my drivers side door is junk. between bondo, stripped off regulator teeth, a window that is constantly falling out of track, and a broken latch, it needs replaced. anyone know how glossy Krylon is? and will it hold up at all decent as a paint subsitute? as far as progress towards the goals, my goals have realigned since i started the truck. a baby on the way will do that to ya in a skinny minute. so most of my time has been spent getting the attic refloored for storage, getting the yard cleaned up, beginning to do some remodeling, etc. also been working my butt off on corvettes. im definately proud of the bathroom remodel i just finished up today. it came out really nice. replaced 90% of the plumbing, redid the subfloor, new vanity, tile, fixtures, molding, paint, etc. first big remodeling project. and go figure, its for the babys bathroom....before(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture242.jpg)during(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture243.jpg)after(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture247.jpg)i have also managed to get the old hot rod up and running again, but still need to tear back into the rear axle. shouldve redone it when i restored the car...(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture261.jpg)last, but not least, i managed to get my ZQ8 rear sway bar in the truck. after i orderd the brackets through my local chevy dealer ($14 for the pair), i thought i had everything i needed. let me tell you, drilling the holes SUCKED! there is no way that i could find to get any bit bigger than a 1/8 in there to drill the holes, so i wound up finishing them with a dremet tool and a carbide bit. that took forever. then, i went to install the bar, and realized that i had no endlinks or axle mounting hardware. by the way, the bar is off a 4 door blazer, and fit perfect. to mount it to the axle, i pulled some 2 1/2 muffler clamps off a C3 corvette exhaust in the scrap metal pile. on the end links, i had some heim joint end links for a C5 T1 car that had become too noisy, so were replaced. they were in my oh shit bin. unfortunately, they require a 1/2 inch bolt, and the sway bar and brackets are drilled for something a lot smaller. so out came the 1/2 drill thats older than me and my wife combined, and i opened them up. then, i reused the hardware from the old T1 car as well. grand total for the rear sway bar: 24 bucks, , 3 band aids, and 1 carbide bit. was it worth it? not yet. it induced a new level of underteer to the truck that i really dont like. but ill see where it falls after the front end rebuild, and i get somewhere in the negative camber instead of the positive. heres pictures: (http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture258.jpg)(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture257.jpg)grand total: 830.20 i ordered my lower control arm bushings today, and at 53 total, thionk im getting a good deal. going to try the problem solver moogs.and maybe while im at the autofair this weekend, ill find a deal on either soft 8's or a set of nascae wheels. michael
first gen blazer rear bumper is installed. and whoever told me that it was a direct bolt on after drilling a couple of holes LIED!!also included are pictures of the brackets i threw together. would they work in an accident? no. but then, would the flimsy rear bumper? i can twist it with my hands ever so slightly. so im not thinking the brackets will be a weak point....i just cut and cut until it fit right, used 1/4 X 2 plate, and 4 dodge diplomat lug nuts as spacers. reused all the bolts from the step bumper that was on it.up next: finish the brevada grille install, and possibly shave that side molding. grand total remains the same. (http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture268.jpg)(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture269.jpg)(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture271.jpg)(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture272.jpg)Michael
haha well just think of the whole bed as a BIG long bumper
so its been a while since i updated. again. my time has slackud up a little, so i had a chance to work on the truck some. i tried converting it to round headlights. that was a waste of a saturday. if anyone cares, headlight buckets and trim rings form a 1970-1976 duster/demon/dart sport fit right on the old adjusters and center the round headlights. it just looks like crap. it actually looked so bad i didnt even take a picture. i didnt want actual proof that i tried it. so in the process of making the square headlight relocators, i broke a couple of the origonal adjusters. like 3 out of 4. so when i went to the parts store and they had to order the right parts, i changed my design. they sold some "universals" that were supposed to fot in a 3/8 square hole. i will tell you that they'll fit a round one too. so that, and some 1/4 X 1inch aluminup scrap, 8 sheet metal screws, and my adjusters/relocators were done. are they perfect? nope. am i worried too much? nope. i also finished installing, painting and securing the brevada grille. total for paint, tape, and adjusters was 10 bucks. Krylon has gone up lately. i then installed the 6 degree pinion shims. 45 from bradley auto parts. i was able to reuse the factory u-bolts, but the locating pin on the leaf spring is too short. i didnt bother to extend it, and the axle hasnt moved or loosed in 400 miles, so i feel pretty safe. lined it up square with a tape measure and a 2X4. after that, i had decided that it would be cool to mount the old set of recaros that i have sitting in the shed. that didnt work too well. it would have been functional, but by the time i was done cutting and drilling to mount them to the old seat tracks, i wasnt feeiling cofortable of their structural integrity. so for future reference, the 88 BMW 3 series recaro sport seats will mount to the factory tracks with some modification. just get more creative than me, and reinforce them somehow. for now, im sticking with the blazer buckets. while i was at it, i yanked out the sub and amp. it was taking up too much room, and i figured the 50 LB wight savings was worth it. so we can subtract the 37 from the total. lastly, i scored a craigslist deal while i was in richmond, va this weekend. full set of 80's IROC wheels, 170 total, with lugs, and decent tires. they need refinished, but ive got to figure out how first. im debating all black, or doing cast iron colo where the black is currently and brushed spokes. so the current total is....... 1028.20 as it sits. heres pictures. yu guys let me know what you think on the wheel options, or suggest others. and i stil have 1000 to play with for the challenge limit. should be able to paint it, redo the front suspension, and small block it for that. (http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture276.jpg)(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture277.jpg)(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture278.jpg)(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture279.jpg)(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture280.jpg)
6 deg of sims seems like a lot to me. hell, i'm running my reg cab with 3" blocks + 3/8" set back plates with no shims.i spaced the trans mount up 1/2"- 3/4" and it was pretty close with an angle finder.i almost got me a set of those Irocs before i found these ZQ8's. they look really good on 1st gens, idk about 2nd gens.
so when we last had an update, the grand total was 1028.20. a lot has changed in the last month. damn old trucks....first, i had a slight engine fire right after the last update. apparently when teh valve cover leaks onto an exhaust manifold, it'll burn your plug wires, heater hoses, smog pump, etc. so i had to fix it. let me tell you, that was not fun. but it gave me the opportunity to clean up the engine bay a bit, reduce the weight, etc. while i was in there, i reset the timing, ran the valves, fixed the vacuum leaks, changed the intake and valve cover gaskets, removed the bad EGR and smog pump, replaced the serpentine belt, and put new plugs, wires, cap, and rotor in. i also cleaned all the electrical connections and grounds, as well as fixed some hacked up wiring i found underhood. the parts for this were quite reasonable, and purchased from my local Autozone. 16.99 for the manifold gasket, 9.99 for the valve cover gaskets, and 15.99 for the belt. the plug wires, etc, were covered by lifetime warrenty. the rest was just aggrevating and time consuming, but the truck has never run better. i also wound up disconnecting the EGR as it was bad. just havent put one on it yet. i was told while doing all this that you couldnt remove the smog pump without reworking all the belts and brackets. that is not true at all. just use an 860K6 serpentine belt, and route like normal. after around 1000 miles, i havent had a problem. so heres what it looks like now. i figured i shaved around 20 lbs off the nose between all the grease, dirt, smog equipment, and spare brackets. (http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture286.jpg)(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture285-1.jpg)while i was underhood, i installed my ZQ8 steering box. found a totalled s10 Extreme with 50K on it at pull a part of all places. so my box only set me back 32 dollars. bolted right on with my old hoses, belts, etc. i used the pitman that came for the extreme. and i must say, i LOVE that box. best steering i have had in a factory box. only better box equipped car ive ever driven is the FFI stage 3 in the duster. (http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture284.jpg)after all this got done, i was daily driving it, and the rusty exhaust finally went away. fell off coming down 24/27 with a load of roofing tin. so back to Autozone i go. after spending a grand total of 71.96, its off to the shop i go. while removing my old exhaust, i found little pellets coming from my cat. so i gutted it, and proceeded to hang the new exhaust. let me say, that was by far the easiest to install exhaust ive ever done. just fell into place, and doesnt sound bad either. while i was under the truck, i also completed my battery relocation. i have 32 in battery terminals and cable form Advance, and 10 in steel from AL lowders. its made from 3X3X1/4 angle iron, with some 1/4 channel steel holing it in place. and youll have to excuse my welds, they suck. i routed the cable down the passengers side framerail, through the boxed in section in the front, and was done with it. heres some pictures from out in my driveway. couldnt get the truck back on the lift, as theres currently a totalled corvette on it.(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture288.jpg)(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture289.jpg)(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture290.jpg)lastly, i finally started to glue my weatherstripping in the truck, and work on the interior. got my verhead console plugged back in, and the weatherstripping glued on. (http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture287.jpg)after all this, the truck is a blast to drive. the rear mounted batter and 30 some odd pound monster of a tray helped balance the truck a bit, and made it ride better. unfoutunately, the front is no longer level with the rear. i guess ill just have to solve that with my tall lower ball joints here soon. (http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture291.jpg)(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture293.jpg)total as i drove it to work today: 1217.16michael
nice man, yeah i noticed that taking all that junk and tuning up my oid 2.8 helped it a good bit.
so i went to my first autocross today. had a blast with the truck. throughout the course of the day, i managed to shave 10 seconds off my time, which i dont think is too bad. i got classed in STS, with some other really neat stuff that really kicked my ass. namely WRX STI's. best time of the day for me was an 87.4, best in class was a 75 something. not too bad for my dirst time i think. and to make it even better, there was a guy there with a brand new skyline GTR. his best was an 88 something. so we know hes having a bad day getting beat by a novice in a truck. anyway, theres a new truck punch list being developed now. 1. fix leaking brake line.2. get electric fan working again. 3. swap to seats with more bolstering. i was flopping around more than flipper. 4. different tires. the ones on my truck now have absolutely no stick in them. 5. rebuild front suspension. already have lower moog problem solver bushings, will be calling Marcus at SC&C this week to order my howe lower ball joints, and UB machine is shipping my UCA's with teh truck ball joints this week. 6. rear shackle bushings are toast. they need to be changed. 7. flush the brake fluid. its really old, and has air in it nbow due to the leak. 8. install window weatherstripping (already purchased for $1 each). my DS window fell out during on of the turns. it was embarrising. its still rattling around in the door right now, and its cold. 9. strap battery in. i almost failed tech. 10. increase rear spring rate (using some parts store "coil over"s that i had left over from my dakota. they bolt to the shocks with muffler clamps, but they should work. 11. weld in the rear sway bar brackets. lot of flex with just bolts. thats the short list. most of the stuff i either already have, or will be on its way shortly. now i just need the time. and pictures of the autocross will be up as soon as theyre posted on the message board at the SCCA. Michael
Awesome! Sounds an awful lot like my autoX outing as far the improvement over the day and where you ended up in relation to the other times. Can't wait to see the pics!
my new 200 dollar parts truck. been driving it around all morning. (http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture294.jpg)(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture295.jpg)(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture296.jpg)(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture297.jpg)(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture298.jpg)(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture299.jpg)(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture300.jpg)it had a K&N air filter (already in my black truck), brand new radiator, brand new AC lines and condensor, and a brand new clutch. guy parked it because it quit running on him. after adding gas, replacing the fuel pump fuse that FELL OUT, and charging the batter, it runs like a champ. gonna drive it some more and see if the trans is really good, and ten swap the trans to my truck. or i might sell the whole truck and find another trans. think i could get 900 buckes out of it after i clean it up some?Michael
drive it to pa and ill give to 900 bucks
when last we left off, the grand total was 1217.16. since then, i sold the stock wheels and tires for 125. that brings total down to 1092.16. i also had a blown out transmission, and a 200 dollar parts truck. so with two truck, neither of which are road worthy, i have 1292.16 wrapped up in it. i did drive the parts truck around a good bit, until the electrical system released a lot of magic smoke on me. apparently when they installed the aftermarket security system, they didnt use any fuses, and it shorted. not worth fixing. so...this morning i started stripping it for all its worth. so far for me i nabbed the 92 core support and brand new radiator hoses, aluminum radiator, new AC system parts, 92 air dam. tomorrow im pulling the axle and swapping it in the black truck (the new one has 3.42 gears, no pinion slop or wheel bearing play, unlike mine), yanking the tranny and all related stuff. we'll see if its really a fresh clutch like i was told. i also yanked all the accesory brackets and intake for the eventual 3.4 motor. ill grab the oil pan when i get the motor out. supposedly a guy is coming tomorrow to buy the doors and fenders for 90 bucks. and another guy saturday for the motor and interior for 150. which means that ill have actually gotten paid for a tranny, etc. which is just cool. anyway, i figured id share pictures of todays parts truck carnage. started this morning with a complete truck, minus the hood my buddy haelped pull last night. too bulky for one guy.(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture304.jpg)brand new radiator (wanted to show proof)(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture301.jpg)interior after i nabbed all the nifty pewter trim(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture305.jpg)truck at the end of today(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture306.jpg)and heres the last picture i got before my camera died. i took the white doors (which were reall quite straight) and put them on the drivabeater. im thinking cop truck, complete with spotlights on the a-pillars and push bars on the front. paint the wheels black to go with the theme, and put something not police looking on the doors. dont feel like getting arrested for impersonating an officer. just the general theme of a black and white squad is what im after. so please, give me feedback on what i can do.(http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture307.jpg)thanks for looking, and have a happy new year. Michael
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Topic: Project Drivabeater (Read 32271 times)
