Project: Modify everything, even the aftermarket parts to fit...

And it just rained/hailed for about 53 hours straight here over the weekend, so no progress on this truck. I did get the etching primer, high build primer, sand, prime, sand, and the first three coats of color on the hood of the white/blue blazer yesterday. Took about a can of the high build primer and two full cans of the Dupli-Color color match paint, which is just rediculous. First coat was a dusting for adhesion, second coat was still quite light, making sure I go the metallic all laying in line, third coat was a normal coat and the can was sputtering towards the end, so it didn't quite get as consistent as I like. Unfortunately, this means that I refuse to use that paint anymore, and will get color matched paint loaded into cans at my paint supply place down in the valley. It would take about 20 cans to do the rest of the car and I may as well pay someone to do it at that point.

Yeah, they're pricey and only good for small projects.  Worked well for my firewall and fender painting, but I also got most of the paint on clearance too.

So the engine is all plumbed and wired up, had to get a new starter, which has taken a LOT of shimming to get right and because it's a gear reduction starter, the only way I could fit it with the engine in already was to clock the solenoid down, which should be good for preventing it getting hot and is good for routing power to it actually, just have to make sure not to kick anything up into it. It is well behind the cross member and quite a bit higher, so it should be pretty safe.

Won't start though. I think I've checked timing 5 times and it should be close enough to get it to do something. Definitely getting fuel. I guess I'm not 100% sure on spark yet as it hasn't burped or backfired or anything, so I'll be out with my test light this afternoon. I'm having trouble getting it to turn over for long as well unfortunately. With the battery at the rear and charged to over 11V it'll spin about two revolutions is all. With my other blazer running and jumped over to it, I can get probably 10 revolutions before I worry about flooding or hurting it and I stop. I think I'm going to have to upgrade to something like a group 75 with 1000CCA in the near future for it to be reliable. The 2Ga lead from the battery to the starter isn't even getting warm in extended cranking. I then have a 2Ga wire from the alternator to the starter for charging, and a 6ga wire from the alternator to my distribution block which feeds power to everything else, except for the main power feed back to the fuse block, which I left stock, feeding off the main battery feed from the starter, up to the block on the firewall and back into the fuse block. I can confirm it's getting power through there as the fuel pump switch is powered off a Bat slot in the fuse block and the fuel pump does run.

On that front though, I had to drop the tank as even after I got the fuel pump to run, it wouldn't push fuel to the engine bay. I back tracked along to the fuel line all the way to the tank, no clogs, but would not push fuel. Dropped the tank and it was the stupid little line from the top of the pump to the hard line coming up out of the tank, it had rotted to the point it was just spraying fuel back into the tank, so I replaced that and it's good on that front. Keep an eye out, hopefully the truck will be firing up in the next week. Then I just have to sort out how I'm going to do the accessories, hook up the trans, get the driveshaft back in and it will move under it's own power, but not stop.

For it it stop, I have to get tires for the 18" wheels I have sitting, as the new front brakes won't fit under anything short of an 18" I believe. Maybe a steel 17" with good clearance, but that is iffy. Then it should run and drive, but for the bad front alignment, I need to get new tie-rods for it, the ones I got were just too long even after trimming down.

This poor baby hasn't had much done in the last year, but I do still have her. I have her in a garage at the place I'm renting, so it's a bit cramped, but I can get shit done again. However, while she was in storage over the winter, their heat went out, and she froze. Which cracked the engine block on both sides, so the shortblock is scrap. Never fired, and about to go to the junkyard. But, I'm picking up a fresh new shortblock tomorrow, 170 miles from home, for only $100. And with the new space, you should see some progress again. But with the rollercoaster of the last decade, as witnessed by you fine folks, the bets are open. LOL.

Ouch to the block. You wouldn't think, but water is a powerful force.

Get some fresh pictures up!

Hoping to get back on it tonight. Didn't feel well last night.

Here's a few pics for everybody. New working space, tearing the old engine back apart, the new on mildly refreshed. Won't get to her tonight, hopefully tomorrow night I'll get the old engine pulled down the rest of the way to get my good cam out, and transfer it over to the new block.

Got the headgaskets in, engine is pretty well together now. making good progress. been sick about a week now, so haven't gotten as much(almost anything) done. I'll get some new pics up when I go work on it tomorrow.

Well, it's been less than a year this time. A lot has changed again. The universe wins. I've been single again since not long after that last post. Was not a particularly pretty one. I'm settled into a new apartment again, but without a garage, again.

I do have both blazers still, and they're actually getting worked on fairly regularly.

The white one is down at my parent's shop in Maricopa with a low mileage engine in it, but not quite back to running. It's a four hour drive, so I get down there about every other month, and didn't get to do much when I was down for christmas.

This one however now has the camaro wheels on the front, with sport comp 2's on all 4 wheels. Need spacers for the rear and they'll be on as well. Front brakes are all assembled with pads installed and the brake system could be filled and bled any time. Engine and transmission are in, likely for the last time, so long as I can get the transmission cooler lines installed and tightened up with them in. It's not ideal, and I won't mind lowering the tail to get to them, but I don't want to pull them again, lol. Replaced handles and locks on the doors and the lock on the tailgate so all are functional again. Fuel pump isn't pushing fuel to the front again, so likely that piece of hose from the pump to the pickup has rotted out again. Just don't understand how it keeps doing that, but I'm nearly to the point of replacing the whole thing with a solid line from the pickup to the top of the tank and going to an external pump so I don't have to keep dropping the infernal tank. Definitely on the home stretch to getting it running, finally. A bit of plumbing, timing, shifter cable, transmission cooler lines, rear wheel spacers, driveshaft and shocks should get it moving under it's own power and able to be driven.

Got the rear spacers in and on, so it's not entirely on it's new wheels and tires. Wind raised holy hell though, so not much else was able to be accomplished. Decided to do an external transmission cooler for ease and packaging. Now I just need one. And to plumb it. Just finished helping out a friend,and did an oil change in my malibu today, but may sneak over and see if I can get the shifter and cable in place this afternoon since we might hit 60 and the wind isn't too bad today. I suppose I should get some pics for you guys and actually put together a punch list on what needs to be done yet. I'm a little afraid that a punch list would just be discouraging though, lol.