just always remember.....................
RACECAR !!!!!!!!!
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RACECAR !!!!!!!!!
.
CK5
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'72 K5 - Greg's @MightAsWellK5 Build
- Thread starter Greg72
- Start date
This is the build description. I will improve this later. (GB)
So...."YES" then...???? 
-G
-G
y5mgisi
1 ton status
Do you have the money? Then buy all of the things! One of my bigger early adult regrets is this, I had a truck with a crappy motor in it. At the time I was living at home, had some cash saved up, and had two empty credit cards. I decided I should combine all my resources and buy a ram jet 502! Instead, I chose to be responsible and keep the cash and zero balances. A while later I got a girlfriend who is now my wife. And together we ended up spending all my cash and maxing out both those credit cards with nothing much to show for it. Now, something like a $10k engine is just a wild unachievable dream. The point is, if you have the money and it's something you want, you better get it while you can! At least it's something real and something you can enjoy all the time as opposed to God knows what we spent that money on...
Ah yes....the bold and brave advice of internet "group think"!!!
Sure. The money is in the account now, so I could drop the cash and the brown Santa would take care of the rest..... but I guess what is causing me to hesitate is that (#1) it's several thousand dollars all-at-once so I really want to be SURE about my plan... and (#2) I've still got a lot of other equally expensive parts to still pay for (transmission, 3rd Members w/Lockers, etc) so I'm a bit conflicted about doing "bonus" engine work that is taking money away from other necessary parts of the build.
Generally, I feel more comfortable when I can make a big purchase.....then spend a few months recovering while I work on things that are more labor-intensive rather than cost-intensive. I bought that really expensive TIG machine last December... but then did a bunch of relatively inexpensive work (frame back-half, rear strut mounts, 17" steel wheel / hubcaps) so that I didn't feel like I was constantly dumping $$$ into the build. Only recently did I spend larger amounts of money again (Stainless Headers project)... but even that wasn't TOO bad in the grand scheme of the overall truck budget.
I guess as I talk-through this now, it kind of makes sense that I'm due to spend some big money again..... then I can recover by taking on lower-cost items for a while (homebuilt aluminum fuel tank, SS fuel and brake line routing and flaring...etc).
Then, maybe in the Spring..... buy the 3rds and maybe the custom axle shafts that I still need and drain the account again.
Ultimately, I think it's more of a psychological barrier for me than anything else. I know that the stuff I want to build is going to cost a lot of money, but I always get a little reluctant to spend it when the time actually comes.
.....but then I do.
-G
I was having a lot of trouble with the hovering/sticking tungsten when I started messing around with TIG. Doing tube you have lots of starts and stops so there is a ton of chances for you to stick it. I spent 95% of the time grinding tungsten when I started. Look up "walking the cup" its a process a lot of stainless process piping guys use. Essentially its what you are talking about. You roll your wrist and rest on the cup, but it is not just for striking your arc its for once your going as well. By walking the cup you can keep the heat/arc length and constant and worry more about adding filler.
Make sure you save up for some aluminum 3rd members to match your new heads and suspension links, that unspring weight is important you know. You also want an aluminum master cylinder and water pump, less reduction, but less money too.
Wise guys.... 
I think it was Eric (blazinzuk) who told me the Aluminum 3rds were a good idea already..... I wasn't sure that they were a smart idea in a truck application, but he didn't seem concerned about it.
-G
I think it was Eric (blazinzuk) who told me the Aluminum 3rds were a good idea already..... I wasn't sure that they were a smart idea in a truck application, but he didn't seem concerned about it.
-G
Look at it this way, now you'll have a practice set of header flanges to weld up, because welding 1/16" to 3/8" thick is a lot different than welding the thin tubing together.
bp71k5
3/4 ton status
Getting heads (and headers) makes sense, but isn't there a way to throw a carb on it and get it running without the efi just yet? I guess running fuel lines and wiring early might be a good idea so maybe a carb would be a waste of time.
Brian,
Yeah my stated goal of getting the engine "running".... is a bit misleading.
In reality, I want it to run in its intended final form, which is fuel injected with a full-on return style fuel system. Otherwise, I'm just getting it running with a carb for the "cheap applause" from the crowd.
The objective is to work through all of the setup issues, figure out where I need to hide the ECU and where I can hide the massive wiring harnesses so that my truck will still look "stock" under the hood. OK, not stock but you know... Kinda period-correct BBC-with-a-carb-kinda look. 
I'm sure a lot of people are going to flip out when I paint those aluminum heads Chevy orange...
-G
Yeah my stated goal of getting the engine "running".... is a bit misleading.
In reality, I want it to run in its intended final form, which is fuel injected with a full-on return style fuel system. Otherwise, I'm just getting it running with a carb for the "cheap applause" from the crowd.
The objective is to work through all of the setup issues, figure out where I need to hide the ECU and where I can hide the massive wiring harnesses so that my truck will still look "stock" under the hood.
OK, not stock but you know... Kinda period-correct BBC-with-a-carb-kinda look. I'm sure a lot of people are going to flip out when I paint those aluminum heads Chevy orange...
-G
bp71k5
3/4 ton status
Yea, it started to make more sense after I typed it out.
As long as it's got Ryoken green under the Orange, everyone will understand.
As long as it's got Ryoken green under the Orange, everyone will understand.
Just remember that you still have a ton of electrical and plumbing work to do.... The not-so-glamourous stuff. I do like where this is going though.
It is easy for me to say, but I think this is something you want to do and therefore you should. I think if you don't it will bug you to no end later that you left so much on the table. Keep in mind, when you're talking about the money end, you still needed to buy the FI stuff anyways, and it's gotten better and a little cheaper. The only extra is the cam/valvetrain stuff, intake and heads. If the $$ amount for those upgrades doesn't upset you when amortized a little I say do it. As you said, there is a lot of low dollar "sweat equity" stuff you can be doing for a while while the slush fund/war chest re-fills.
Yeah Rene....that's kind of how I'm justifying it to myself also....
The EFI is a big nut whether I leave the rest of the engine alone or not.... Cam, rockers and pushrods add about $700
The heads, intake and new header flanges are around $2700. So realistically THIS is the expense that I'm really getting all whiny about....
If I could just find a buyer for the current rectangular port heads and intake, that would soften the blow quite a bit.
-G
When is your engine going to be running? I'd love to hear how it idles.....and see how it wheelies too!
-G
I just spent $2200 on a Bridgeport mill that I really don't need, and don't yet know how to use. I think you know my answer... heads, cam, Dominator it is.
I think when this thing is written about in magazines, it would be a disservice when people see with all the custom touches it only has 400hp. I think with the amount of time and effort you've put into this thing, you need to have more than 500hp. That's more than a 25% power increase in the pants. Can't say no to that. Besides the new efi is cheaper so you've already got a surplus of money you need to spend.
I've thought about that too....
- Terminator is the new Dominator
- Oval is the new Rectangle
- 500HP is the new 300HP...
It's crazy that 300HP used to be a solid, respectable number.... But the technology has gotten SO good and the costs have gotten so much cheaper that it seems like 500HP project vehicles are everywhere now!
Some people say they wish they could have been alive during the 60s muscle-car era...I don't think they even realize that we are living I the biggest horsepower-era EVER right now!
-G
I'm sitting at 300 to the wheels, and looking into heads, rockers and intake as well. It won't be for awhile but hey a guy can dream.I've thought about that too....
- Terminator is the new Dominator
- Oval is the new Rectangle
- 500HP is the new 300HP...
It's crazy that 300HP used to be a solid, respectable number.... But the technology has gotten SO good and the costs have gotten so much cheaper that it seems like 500HP project vehicles are everywhere now!
Some people say they wish they could have been alive during the 60s muscle-car era...I don't think they even realize that we are living I the biggest horsepower-era EVER right now!
-G
If you can afford it I say go for it, I waited a long time for parts on my truck and wouldn't have it any other way...
