'74 K5 build: Smurf

[imiceman44]

Well it wasn't abandoned.
Here it is on it's way home and yes it was a s15 Jimmy pulling it.
It did pretty good for the 180 miles.
And Aaron, don't tell anyone that I didn't have a break controller
It was definitely interesting down the grade...

View attachment 274210

I was supposed to come with the suburban but oil pressure is dropping too low after 20 minutes drive, I figured the Jimmy will be a safer option

 

[Bent77]

So you almost smurfed yourself?

 

[imiceman44]

LOL, came here to update the thread and it's been done for me. Yep, the Blazer is off to its new home with Iceman. It has been replaced with another GM vehicle of equal silliness:

5k miles verified by Carfax, immaculate interior, total garage find. I am channeling my inner Top Gun; I mean, you can just feel the 80's oozing out of every pore of this vehicle.

-- A

By the way I need to redesign the tire carrier setup.
The driver side came off twice.
At first I thought we didn't lock it properly but it still did it again.

 

[imiceman44]

So you almost smurfed yourself?

Well it wasn't the first time I do crazy stuff like this but I used to be young.
I had waited too long and I just wanted it here.
I was supposed to swing by with semi, but then plans changed overnight and it didn't happen.

 

[78K30]

Glad you got it home safely! Sucks when plans like picking it up with the semi don’t work out though

 

[beags86]

I still like them. I'd like to have another but with the 5-speed and the better front suspension geometry. Then stuff a series 2 or 3 3.8L supercharged engine in place of the 2.8. Talk about fun then!

The big deal is the 32v Northstar. My buddy had one for a long time and was working on that V8 conversion when he unexpectedly passed on. I think his parents still have it sitting, they were fun for sure, lots of good times.

I seen a Fiero club pass by once. Weird seeing them turn and accelerate and hear a V8 sound.

 

[imiceman44]

Glad you got it home safely! Sucks when plans like picking it up with the semi don’t work out though

I was working for 4 months in the area and I was planning on grabbing it with this on my way back the last day but the last day happened without warning and at night.

 

[imiceman44]

I was working for 4 months in the area and I was planning on grabbing it with this on my way back the last day but the last day happened without warning and at night.

View attachment 274228

So now it's a better setup.
It has 30 miles to the temporary storage.

 

[imiceman44]

So I went to bb2018, had a few issues like air hose blowing off the fittings and did the trail without the front arb which resulted in a front driveshaft blowing when it bounced off double whammy.
Also in the early stages of the trail I laid it on it's driver's side got a couple of dents and bent the soft top frame.
Also ripped off the cab off the frame on the front mount.
The bolts didn't have the big washer and the bolt just pulled through the core support.
While inspecting the truck on the way home found some loose bolts and some missing.
Driving the blazer on the highway it was doing 70-75mph just fine and very stable too but 3200rpm is a little too much for me and the fan shroud being cut because of the 1" body lift the temperature would rise more than I am comfortable with, so the plan is to replace the th350 with a 700r4 and fix the shroud somehow.

 

[imiceman44]

In the meantime I decided I wanted a bigger truck for my growing family and will be building a suburban and I made a deal with @ChrisAwesome and he bought it but I have to finish what I planned on doing as part of the deal.

 

[imiceman44]

So last week I thought I did enough research and bought the parts needed for the transmission change, I was thinking I already have a rebuilt 700r4 in the suburban that will be pulled out for a 4l80e so I got a spacer and built a front driveshaft that can go for the th350 and enough slip (18" slip) to work with a longer setup.
I also got zero rates to move the rear axle 1.5" back and I started with the tear down.
I forgot how tight things were with the doubler and didn't want to pull the whole thing out in one piece without a proper heavy duty transmission jack so I spent 3 days with the weather being rainy on and off and finally got it off.

 

[imiceman44]

Now after going through all this and seeing where the triple stick shifter is and having to relocate 3 crossmembers I think I am better off getting the short shaft and rebuilding a 700r4 that I have in the storage that is condition unknown.
I need to double check tomorrow make sure I don't need to relocate anything and then proceed.

 

[imiceman44]

By the way as I am taking things apart, I encountered a lot of finger tight bolts and some really loose.
Most don't have a locking nut or locking washer so I will remedy that.

 

[imiceman44]

Also after we get it running and he takes possession he wants to change the front clip to a cleaner setup and the newer style hood and core support appeals to him so that will be next but not immediately, I need to start on my suburban.

 

[MetalMulishaMarcus]

Didnt realize you bought the smurf. That's pretty cool

 

[imiceman44]

Didnt realize you bought the smurf. That's pretty cool

I bought, went to moab, drove it for few months and no sold it.

 

[ChrisAwesome]

@imiceman44 my first and foremost priority is reliability of the car, so I want to make sure everything works and I can take that car for longer trip. I'm planning on daily driving the vehicle. Everything else is less important. Currently fenders on smurf are bent, if I had easy access to cheap/free fenders I would consider changing them, but otherwise it's not priority. It just happened that somebody in Morgan Hill, California has free blazer body, so if all that works out then let's change the front clip.

I really appreciate all the work you are doing, thanks for posting pictures.

 

[imiceman44]

Ok so after spending an hour talking to the manager at shift Management Inc and getting some measurements on th350 case,700r4 case,rear driveshaft and front driveshaft and looking at the crossmembers and the triple stick shifter, I think I will no do a short shaft conversion because the 700r4 case is 1.5" longer, the spacer adds another 1.75", so the combination will get 3.25" longer with the spacer and 1.5" longer with the shaft change and both require a move of everything.
A 3.25" move makes the front and rear shaft same length.
I think it's easier to just do that.
Anyone see any reason to do the shaft change?
The transmission I will put has 15k miles on a rebuild and is at this point running in my suburban and will be pulled for putting the 454/4l80e

 

[imiceman44]

So this project hit a few snags, some personal, some weather related but unexpected and some expected issues.
First, the 700r4 is 1.5" longer, and the spacer I got to mate it to the 203 is 1.75" long, and it put the 205 too far back, and while it did make both front and rear driveshafts equal length, they are not same mounting so at this point was no advantage.
Having any changes in length would require a relocation of all crossmembers, but the exhaust could be untouched by removing the spacer and reliability being the most important thing, I got the short shaft and had the trans rebuilt.

 

[imiceman44]

Then I cleaned up and installed the adapter and both transfer cases.