84 cucv: Nom nom

[MrSchaeferPants]

I'm on my 3rd/4th K5. Had an 85 Blazer, 86 Jimmy, and simultaneously I bought my buddy's 84 CUCV project he gave up on $800(that I did most of the work on anyway) and a 86 Blazer parts truck for $600. So for 1400 I have everything I need to get one up and running and complete.

Interesting info on the 86 parts rig. The PO was a Bikini Barista at a local coffee place

So all the CUCV NEEDS is radiator mounts, exhaust, and a driver's window. But I'ma get all I can out of the 86 and scrap the rest, I don't have the room to part it out, but I may try to get rid of a few things. I'll post it all in the parts section in another week or two.

I figure I'll have it running in a week or two, and everything else I want off it in a week or two after that, then I plan on driving it for a week or two, until I know everything's good, then the parts rig goes to a hulk hauler or buyer, whoever comes first.

Diesel was bad when my buddy got it, put a 350 in it from his old 77 Jimmy. TH400, hydroboost, no idea what gears are in it. 31"s. Good start for a rig.

 

[MrSchaeferPants]

The 86 has a 5.7, 700r4, 3.08 gears, 33"s

I know we're all picture whores here.

 

[Cucv_M1008]

cucv M1009 axles had 3:08's in them from the factory.

 

[Mr. Sharky]

My CUCV Blazer has 4.10 gears in it.

 

[MrSchaeferPants]

cucv M1009 axles has 3:08's in them

That's no bueno I never checked, wonder if it has a rpo list in the glove box. If not, I'll find out when I jack up the rear and switch the tires.

 

[crazedyak]

The PO was a Bikini Barista at a local coffee place

I think we need a picture of that

 

[Cucv_M1008]

My CUCV Blazer has 4.10 gears in it.

is yours stock?

 

[MrSchaeferPants]

I think we need a picture of that

The wife was there when I picked up the truck But the interior smells like girly stuff... and musky truck. Not sure what to make of that. Had a pretty cool tattoo of a garter on her thigh.

 

[MrSchaeferPants]

Haven't gotten too much done, a alot of small stuff and removing parts from the parts truck, and cleaning just the inside was nearly a whole day affair. Got the radiator, shroud, fan, radiator mounts, upper and lower hose installed. Moved the hose for the heater core that was once on the water pump, to the new radiator. Removed both battery trays from the 6.2, and took the one for the parts rig, sanded and painted it, installed now.

Kinda bumed about the exhaust, was gunna take it all, to include the long tube headers from the parts truck, but upon further inspection, the long tube headers where ridiculously close to the front drive shaft, like I couldnt even slide a screw driver between the two, and on the other side, the same with the oil filter, so that's a bust. I may fab my own, might take it to a shop. The problem is the headers on the CUCV now, I can't hook up a straight pipe because the trans linkage, it has to be bent around it.

The transmission cooler lines were a bust too. was going to swap the lines from the parts rig, since the CUCV 6.2 radiator, trans lines are on the driver's side, the radiator I put in from the parts rig's on the passenger's side like normal. But once I got the lines out of the parts rig, I didn't like em, too many rubber hose connections, and they were leaking anyway. I'm either going to bend my own, or maybe get flex. The steel braided are expensive, but I was told it's way cheaper to goto a hydraulic line place and have them make you some. I'll check it out.

Tires are swapped of course, the boy helped with that, loved the impact gun, he picked up the star pattern pretty quick.

As it sits on new shoes. The tires alone almost paid for the parts rig

He learned what a busted knuckle was, we told him each time he busts a knuckle, he gets stronger 'man hands'.

About three bucket changes of water and simple green, kept plugging up my shop vac, and a few hours later. It's pretty clean, at least my initial.

Mostly done in there.

And a snag from my wife's FB page. Got my dog and my truck, I'm good

 

[K85 Octane]

nice work and nice acquired rigs

that '86 has a crazy paint job

 

[andyblack]

Nice work and nice dog. Is that a blue heeler? Those are some smart dogs. Some of them bark too much though from my experience. Way to go on getting your son under the hood at such an early age too.

 

[MrSchaeferPants]

Nice work and nice dog. Is that a blue heeler? Those are some smart dogs. Some of them bark too much though from my experience. Way to go on getting your son under the hood at such an early age too.

Thanks! Ya she's a form of Texas Heeler. Blue Heeler/Australian Shepherd, but as it turns out, we think she's a mini auastralian shepherd. She's the best dog I've ever had, quiet, never barks unless there's something strange. LOVES frisbies and swimming, 10 months or so right now.

Got exhaust done on Nom Nom, duals back down to behind the rear tires, tucked in, with an off brand of flowmaster. Sounds great, isn't loud idling, or cruising, but you know it's a 350 when I lay into it

Trans cooler lines in and good, been driving it the last few days, oil change done, adjusted the driver's bank of valves cause I had a tick, I'll probably redo all of them later. Radio slot is cut out, gunna install all that stuff in the next few days, gotta build or buy a box for the speakers in the back, but no biggie, it was all free out of the parts truck. Didn't notice before, but the cucvs don't have an accessory position, so when I wire it up, I'll run 12v ign, and constant for the red/yellow on the radio, and just not be able to use it when the truck is off, I was reading to put in a toggle switch, but I'm too forgetful. I already forget to kill the lights.

Center Console mounted, wish they had the holes predrilled, but it's a cucv.

Also got the ram air hose from the parts truck, and the circle connector thing for the core support.

Put my cammo grill in. Woulda put the bezels in too, but the parts rig was a quad headlight setup, and the cucv has the dual highbeams, and lower blinkers.

Next thing will probably be rebuilding the Q-jet the begenning of next week, taking it out camping later tonight, gotta see if I can find help taking the top off.

 

[MrSchaeferPants]

Nom Nom's first outing went great, hella way to test it out with a 2 hour drive up to the mountains, but it worked. Transfercase linkage needs some adjustment, likes to pop back into 2H. Transmission linkage needs some major work, it's seemingly getting harder to put into gear, gotta find out if it's binding because rust, grit/grime, adjustment or what.

Took it down a trail to go get some firewood, went over a gnarly berm (burm?) and it was fine going over it, scrapped a bit but no biggie, but the way back, I got high centered some kinda fierce. The angle was different on the backside, so comming back, I got major stuck . Dirt and rocks just hung up trans xmember like nothing else. Little digging, borrowed a highlift jack from some campers nearby who had a wrangler, and my buddy and I got her off. So I think I'll be getting a jack in the very near future

Didn't get to do any wheelin otherwise, we went out, but every trail just had an opening to more campers, so after driving around for 20 minutes we gave up, after a couple days the wife and kids were ready to go home anyway. Did romp through two mud holes, had to put some mud on it.

And the wife's 93 2500. Yeah... she has the biggest rig out of all of us.

Woulda taken more pics, but once I got there, found out my camera's memory card was still at home, and my cell phone died. So those are from the wife's phone.

 

[andyblack]

Looks like a good time was had by all. I'm still not sure about that weird camo grille though.

 

[MrSchaeferPants]

Looks like a good time was had by all. I'm still not sure about that weird camo grille though.

Its out of place at the moment, but I'll be shooting the truck flat black. Then the grill, badging, tailgate trim,and windshield washers will be the camo. And if I get off my lazy ass and pull the bumpers and mirrors, those'll be chrome. I think it'll look pretty sharp.

Nom Nom's not supposed to be a looker.

Oh and after going through some of those tight trails, I told my buddy when I paint it black and go through those trails again, I'll have black/green tiger stripping down the sides of the truck, and look like a can of Monster.

 

[andyblack]

Sweet. My truck started out as a white truck but then I painted it flat black. Any time it gets scratched, you see the white underneath it. No big deal though. I kept the stainless mirrors and chrome rain gutter, grille trim and rear bumper though, and I don't like the way it looks. I painted the grill and front tube bumper gloss black and the wheels are gloss black. If I ever paint it again, I'll go with the same colors but I'll sand and paint the chrome pieces gloss black. I think it will look much better. Plus the chrome rear bumper is about to go away pretty soon I think...

MWUAH HAHA.

 

[MrSchaeferPants]

Was going pretty good. Some hickups. It's a marine application I guess, so some differences, trying to figure out float settings, some pieces are slightly different. Short fuel filter, that no one carries. I think NAPA has one at their warehouse, I'll find out tomorrow. It'll be done tomorrow.

Driver's window and used weather stripping is in, that's awesome lol, also stole the locks off the parts truck, so I have locks and keys now. Stereo is in, just put two 6x9's out of the parts trucks in the back, mounted them under the bed rail at the front of the rear bench, got a pair of speaker boxes for $30, sound pretty good for used ?? quality speakers. But free deck and speakers, had the wire, so mostly free is good.

It's late, tired. I'd of snapped more pics, but oh well. Imagine a driver's window, deck, and speakers. It's the little things that make me happy.

 

[2INSANE]

Cool build! And those seats are clean! Nice! So ya gonna do the quad headlight conv? That would be cool! Lots of pics when you do it! What plans u have for suspension and axles? Did yours come with a cig lighter? Mine didn't... I'll be watching this build!

 

[Deuling]

Good stuff dude. Subd!

 

[MrSchaeferPants]

Cool build! And those seats are clean! Nice! So ya gonna do the quad headlight conv? That would be cool! Lots of pics when you do it! What plans u have for suspension and axles? Did yours come with a cig lighter? Mine didn't... I'll be watching this build!

Nah no mods as of right now. Just want everything to work and be mechanically sound. I do like the late model grill/headlight setup though, perhaps one day.

Sometime down the road I'll be throwing on 3/4 ton running gear. I don't have the room right now, cause I'll probably find a fully loaded Suburban, and until I have room for another parts rig (once this one goes) and the garage space to store stuff, I won't be doing anything. Cause I'd like to switch to power doors one day too. Perhaps 4" of lift, 35s, and some fender trimming, but down the road.

I have a cig lighter, it's physically in the hole, not connected, and with a wire dangling from it. I haven't done anything yet to it, but will get it working soon, so I can charge my phone.