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Griff's thread about nothing in particular.

The Griff

The Griff

High drag, low speed
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Ok, after several months, I've made like a phoenix and stumbled back into this place.

Been working with the IDNR for not quite a year now, loving it, Started out at Pere Marquette, then moved to the MRA.


Anyway, onto the fun stuff, lately I've been finding myself questioning if I want to throw much money or effort into the 86 Custom Deluxe K5 I've got now. All luxury and comfort of a CUCV, but without all the traction and diesel power. The 2-bbl 305 just isnt cutting it. And, I'm not really wanting to build an all out off road machine, just more of a good all around do-everything truck.

As in, Silverado trim K5, ultimately a healthy 350 or maybe big block power, 700R4, NP241, and eventually a Full float 14 in the back, with maybe a 3-4 inch lift and 33's or 35's.

I found an 89 Silverado trim Blazer on CL thats got a TBI 350, 700R4, and a 241. still with factory paint. Heres where it gets good, it belonged to his mother since 1991, and was only driven in winter, an only accumulated a total of 60,000 miles, with paperwork showing every oil change since 1992, validating the mileage.

Bad side, rockers are totally gone, Cab corners(?) both have about a nickel sized hole in the very corners, bottom of the fenders are gone, bottom of the doors are crunchy, floor is soft right in front of the tailgate, and the power rear window wont go all the way on its own.

But everything works, factory radio, factory R12 AC, but its ice cold. And, a buddy of mine's dad is in the refrigeration business, and has stockpiled R12. And this one has a receiver!

He's selling it because his mother is getting too old to drive, so I'm thinking I'll offer him my Blazer, Yeah his is a Silverado, but mine is 98% rust free, so I'm kind of figuring that'd it even out, I can toss some cash on too if I need too.

http://stlouis.craigslist.org/cto/5511730581.html

And here's mine as of January.
hW7sCte.jpg
 
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Usually I wouldn't either, but I've thought about everything I'd want to do to the white Blazer, And I figure it'd be easier to replace the rockers and rear bed floor on the blue/black 89, as opposed to redoing absolutely every aspect of the interior, repainting it, tinting the windows, then finding/building a decent 350 and 700R4. And finding a hood ornament.
 
Low miles does not garuntee reliability.

I would change all that stuff on yours then fix a rusty blazer that may or may not be mechanically reliable.

Especially given the opportunity to modernize the drivetrain with an LS swap. I'd keep yours and when it came time to upgrade I would look into aftermarket or adaptable modern alternatives
 
My only question is why would he trade one Blazer for another when he is trying to get rid of the one his mother can't drive anymore? Maybe I'm missing the logic. :what:
 
I genuinely don't know, I was half joking when I mentioned trading, but he seemed to like the idea.


And I feel if I was going to build the 86, I'd probably go more towards a route that involved 37's and no doors. A route that wouldn't bother me not to have any factory gauges, or intermittent wipers, or a dome light.

Seriously, the only option it had was the heavy suspension. (as in 3 inch wide springs and an extra leaf all around)


Also, heres a few more pictures of mine.
(dash pad and bezel are from a stottsdale K10)

ghFANMK.jpg

y6geUf0.jpg

Xe7uH6o.jpg
 
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Keep yours no doubt I would rather do all your work vs installing a rear tub and rockers cause it could get way more involved then you might be able to do there.
 
I think I'm going to keep mine, backed up by the fact that the guy with the 89 has stopped answering his phone.

Realistically, the to do list on mine would go something like this.
Ditch the vinyl seats for some cloth ones, find a matching blue console. Get some carpet, atleast for the cab area. Get the full Silverado door panels, find a pair of blue or black inner bedside pieces. Find a guage cluster with a factory oil pressure gauge, temp guage, and voltmeter. I'd love to get a factory 88-91 Radio, then at least the two speakers in the dash, and with any luck, a factory antenna.

I'd like to find a nicer grill for it, some K5 Fender emblems, and a set of normal chrome mirrors. I do have a set of factory chrome tri-pod mirrors, but It would bother me to have them without a hitch.
I tried to put a hitch from a pickup on it, but It wouldn't fit, not with that bumper on it anyway.

Take the 305 out, toss it, and find preferably a 96-up 454, or more likely, a 4-bbl 350.
Then behind that, preferably, would be a hydraulic clutch-ed SM465.
Although, the TH400 and 208 seem to be doing fine.
Sending power to a full float 14 in the rear, and an 8 lug 10 in the front.
And a 3-4 inch lift.
(I know its overkill, I just hate the idea of semi-float axles)


Then the hard part, paint, I'd like to have the Dark blue it was originally, with a white top and cab.
I've though about trying it myself, but I'm fairly certain it would come out looking like ass, and if I had someone else do it, it would write the truck off on cost.
I've even considered what it would be like if I tried to strip the white and tan paint off, and then wet sand whats left, but I'm not sure that would turn out very good either.
 
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As a word of encouragement, I painted mine myself. Outside, with Summit single stage paint and a Harbor Freight paint gun. No paint booths or anything.

Up close, yeah, there are a coupe runs, and a couple boo boos, but for the most part it looks great, and I can easily fix any scratches or dings, which I actually need to do now, since I banged it up last weekend.

It might not be as bad as you think.
 
I appreciate the optimism, but I wouldn't get too excited, I can't really afford to jump right into this, at least not all at once.

I'd also like to get a headliner, just to hide the CB wiring, any idea how I'd go about putting one in it when the truck never had one?

I figure I can get most everything from junkyards. There is a 90 V10 Suburban, with a grey cloth interior and the faux wood grain dash pieces I love, only problem is its been sitting there with no front doors for as long as I can remember.


One issue I'd have would be finding a 96-up 454 (Factory roller cam and better heads) I know of 2 of them in the same junkyard, but they want $1000 for one and $1200 for the other.
 
Trading a rust free (or nearly so) truck for one that isn't is a giant step backwards ,IMO...
I hate "body work" ,not very good at making things look good--
I'd rather have to replace every un-boltable part on a rot free truck,than try and restore a rotbox...
I hate rust repair,and the results are usually never as good as it was originally,and the rust returns rapidly at the welded seams again...

I do not blame you for wanting more power,but is the 305 really that bad?...maybe swapping axles with lower gearing will make it feel more powerful,as well as adding strength and reliability..if your 1/2 ton 10 bolts have 3:08's or higher ratios it will feel gutless..changing it to 4:10's or lower depending on tire size will make a big difference in acceleration and overall power..
 
I assume it has 3:08's, Thats what it feels like (No RPO codes to go off of), And I know that has alot to do with it, But It can't even spin one 31/10.50 Swamper in gravel.
It for the most part runs fairly good, just a little puff of blue on start up. Just has the combined power of 12 furious mice.

I almost traded a 94 F250 I have for an 86 C10 with a junkyard fresh ruined-rings smoking 350 and 2:73 rear gears, and it could light up the rear 29's at 20 MPH, on pavement.
In all honesty, Having driven trucks with 3:08 gears and 2:73's and one with 2:64's, I really feel like there is maybe 75 or 80 HP getting to the wheels.



Basically, what I want to have is what a factory 3/4 ton Silverado trim Blazer would have been.

All the nice options, besides power windows. Factory two-tone paint. 8 lug nuts, with full floating goodness between them, (In a 3.73 or 4.10 flavor) Big block power Or, assuming I can make it work, my dream would be 472 or 500 Cad, but I don't see that working out affordably.




Then, there is always the possibility of me running across a half decent crew cab 4x4, then I'd be hard pressed not to jump on it.

Now that I think about it, I'd also like to take a 4wd Cab & Chassis, and put a pickup bed on it, narrow rear dually.
 
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And now I found this. Don't know much about it yet, But I see that atleast the driver side is pretty good shape, (rust wise) It looks like a Scottsdale to me, So It probably has a factory dash gauges, And maybe even a radio. Rest of the interior doesnt matter, It's so easy to change on a pickup.

And, its a 3/4 ton with a 4 speed.


And with any luck, this guy would be interested in the old 7.3 4x4 F250 I'm trying to sell.

http://columbiamo.craigslist.org/cto/5513494876.html

00t0t_fvKQ2wIYNny_600x450.jpg
 
I'd really like if the guy would answer his phone.

I really, really don't like short beds, I dont like the way they look, I don't like having to keep the tailgate down just to move a couch, I don't like the fact that if you put a toolbox in one, you have all of 4 ft of usable bed space.
 
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