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complete 180: THE PLAN.

D

Ddragggon

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Racine, WI
boy, I tell ya, one could confuse me for bi-polar at times...

on my way back from central california tonite, it began raining. a lot. as my rear window rapidly fogged over, I began pondering ponderous thoughts... why is it, every new crapwagon on the market gets a rear windshield wiper, but I don't? if they can cram the guts for one inside the tailgate of a ford, or chrysler minivan, then there ought to be craploads of room for one inside my tailgate. even if there isn't room, I can always hang it from the roof, and hide the guts inside the rear AC shroud... Right?

someone back me up on this, and some one else start getting me some damn dimensions.

next up, my gauge cluster console is small... puny even. so, I plan to expand it, and work some sort of Voodoo magic on the dash to make it look remarkably stock. details, photoshops, and etc when I get some time. the basic idea, is to integrate my damn CB into the dash, along with a few other gauges that I like ( vac, secondary water temp, oil temp, tranny temp) I'd also like to integrate a 24 inch widescreen plasma TV that folds into the ceiling, track lighting, Rosewood & Leather trim, power sliding rear roof hatch that'll allow me to do a 1 button conversion from a suburban to an avalanche, and install an engine that runs on water, yet gives me 500 HP, and 600 Ft/lbs torque, at off idle.

-Rich
 
[ QUOTE ]

-Rich

[/ QUOTE ]

Man, you better be! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif And if you're not, you should be once you work out all the details. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
The wipers would be cool, but . . .


your on your own with the plasma screen and rosewood! /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
The wipers would be cool, but . . .


your on your own with the plasma screen and rosewood! /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif

[/ QUOTE ]so I was slightly tired when I wrote that, and threw in some spare Bling bling crap. the windshield wiper thing would be beyond cool in my estimation, plus everyone on the boards will want one, and I'll suddenly be cool for inventing it. or something.

the real trick would be integrating a washer fluid squirter into the whole mess....

as for the console and stuff, I've mentaly worked out the basics... just need to make sure I don't cut out all the AC vents when I do it... I think re-routing the one that's over the AC controls would be appropriate, since the CB should fit right there without too much problem... then, the rest of the gauges can fit wherever... or something.

Edit: the other half I forgot to mention is the false floor, and new speaker box I plan to install to make this thing many many times more cooler. false floor will be about 8 to 12 inches high over the existing floor, and allow all the tools, parts, and etc to be securely and safely stowed out of the way, while still leaving a flat platform for say a queen sized matress to live. if I recall correcttly, the side pannels in the back of my sub are hollow, with the factory truckbed flooring extending clear out to the outer skin, which would leave me with plenty of depth to partialy hide the subwoffer enclosures into the side of the truck. need to find some of those pictures of chopped subs to see if this theory holds any credence to it.

-Rich
 
I'm assuming you have the tailgate on yours so I'm not sure what app to look for a wiper from. But I am trying to get a set of wipers from a Land Cruiser's rear doors. I think they only did it on Euro models so it may be tuff to find them ever, but it would be nice with the cargo doors I have. As far as a resivior goes that should be easy, just put it in the side panel of the truck and run a hose over into the tailgate with the rest of the wiring.

I'm drawing up plans to do something similar in the rear of the truck too. I don't plan on raising the floor that much, more like 4" for me. But I do believe you are correct about under the side panels, you just have to trim out the sheet metal there and then you can utilize the extra space underneath similar to a Blazer.

Keep us posted on how it all goes, it'll be awhile before I can get to cutting up my floor, but at least I'll have the plans all figured out.
 
I think you'll have more room to play with on your doors than I will. tailgate is indeed the model I have, and with it comes all the guts and mechanicals required to make the window go up and down.
if you can't find the parts from your euro style setup, I'd still imagine you'd be able to fabricate something out of existing parts that'd be capable of clearing the windows.
 
Yeah, I used to have a tailgate, then I totaled out the tub and swaped a new one on. I think you had a good idea on mounting it overhead in the AC unit. As long as you have a place to hold the wiper arm out when the windows down it shouldn't be too big a headache. I don't think I would have tried to put it in the tailgate either.

Just gotta locate a doner vehicle that has an overhead mounted rear wiper. But nothing is coming to mind right now. Maybe I've had enough to drink tonight.
 
I figgure if I use something like they use on ford explders, the wiper will park itself... the exploder blades run about 170 degrees across the window... when you turn them off, the motor pulls the blade down below the window line, onto a plastic nub, where it `Parks' at, allowing one to open and close the rear window. I figgure I can come up with something like that on the suburban, without too much effort. at worst, I'll find a way to fit it in the tailgate, or, as I mentioned fit it in the AC shroud.
 
Look at a Chyrsler mini van. They had a wiper munted dead center of the window frame. It could easily be mounted upside down to work from above.

On the dash:
I had a thought at one time to get two dashes and do some cutting. Take half the section around the Gage cluster and put it to the right of the existing. That would give a center colum to the dash. Then build it down to the floor and wrap into the center consol like a newer vehicle would have. Peak into a new Silverado or Ford POS.

On the center counsol. The door on the consols could easily be attached to a redesigned consol that meets the dash. You could even keep the cup holders on the late 80's consol so it would tie in.

Can you tell I have put a little hought to this? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
My center consol is cracked around the hinge because it's a bad design. My 79 never cracked so why did my 88? So I have been looking at options because I also need to make places for a few other items including a Aux switch pannel for the 6-8 sets of Aux lights I'm installing. Side and rear sets off the 52x76 Kargo Master Serengetti and posibly some forwards. Building a cross country hauler for the camper. Want the side lighting in case we are having to set up in the dark I have plenty of light available.
My Hella Ralley 1000's are on the front at head light level so I can legaly use on the road. I also have a set of Hella 550 driving under the bumper. The head lights on my truck stink! had to do something hhehe. Should have that wired this weekend.
 
the only problem I have with the center console idea is if I decide to do a man-tran swap. I figgured on either welding 2 dashboards together, or doing some wood fabrication to get what I wanted, then top it off with either rugged commercial grade carpet, or do some upholstroy work.

have to look into it a little more after I get this pig registered, and sell the other truck.
 
Quick update: after a lot of debate, deliberation, and pondering, I've decided a new plan of action for burbanzilla. Since I need to sell 1 truck, and my spare 454 is still entombed in my parts truck back in arizona, I've decided to steal the 454 out of the 77 c20, drop it in burbanzilla, throw the tired 350 in the c20, sell it for whatever, and move on.

More details when I'm more soberer.

-rich
 
Always a good idead to make drastic plans when your drunk! /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

Actually I like the idea, big blocks in burbs just do it for me!
(and not in some sick twisted or perverted way either) /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
Always a good idead to make drastic plans when your drunk! /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

Actually I like the idea, big blocks in burbs just do it for me!
(and not in some sick twisted or perverted way either) /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif

[/ QUOTE ]actually, they kinda do indeed, do it for me in the sick, tiwsted and/or perverted way.

the K20's 350 has cranked out about as many miles as it's going to, whereas the C20's 454 only has 30 K on it. kinda one of those `which would be more dumber to let go for almost nothing'

-Rich
 
I so totally understand!

As is, I'm getting drunk right now (early start to the nights festivities!) and making future plans for my truck. Which include taking the 10bolt front and sticking it under the front of my van! /forums/images/graemlins/eek.gif

That's right if I ever get me a D60 I'm going 4wd on the van! I already talked to a buddy of mine that has a shop here in town and he said he would set up my 4l60e to bolt on the 241! And another guy I used to work for said I could use his shop to build it at, and since he runs a towing company I'll have something to move it around with while it's in the process!

I expect to have it done sometime in 2008! /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif

Actually these guys have agreed to help me out with the project, it's just a matter of getting the funds to do this. So it probably will take quite some time, but it is in the works, just the planning and gathering of parts phases right now.

Now off to find some more beer and /forums/images/graemlins/bewarespam.gif!
 
allright, since everything takes 3 times as long as it should, I just replaced the motor mounts on the 350 in burbanzilla. this lifted the damn thing up so the harmonic balancer no longer drags on the front crossmember. (a crappy GM design if ever there were one... my 2wd doesn't have that problem)

she now starts and runs twice as happy as when the crank has the weight of the engine rubbing on the damper.

next phase: find out what size bolt that missing one in my transfer case mount is, and replace it, so that I don't have the new mounts blow out already.
 
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