Emmettology 101
3/4 ton status
I've decided to title this "PROJECT 90 - Phase I - Back to basics budget build"
Ok, so I've been really itching to wheel lately... My Toyota is still a long way away from being close to done... Emmett's tub is in really bad shape... So it left me with only one choice.. I bought another K5!!! It is going to be a budget build for now.
This one is a 1990 K5 Silverado. Power everything and A/C!! It has a TBI350, 700r4, 241. Originally it came with 10bolts that had 3.42's and some 31's.
Friday night I borrowed my Fathers trailer and headed out to pick it up.. It has sat in a field for the last 3-4 years. A few weeks ago I stopped and looked it over. The back window was busted out a long time ago so I figured the back floor was gone. This thing had the normal rot in the passenger rear footwell corners. But it was worse than I had seen before. The drivers side rock is gone, but the passenger side is still decent. The quarter lips are rusted as well as the drivers side fender, but the passenger side fender doesn't have a mark on it.
This Blazer was bought new by a friend of mine's father back in 90. Had loved the rig since it first arrived at their house. And it finally came up for sale a few months ago. I had pondered for a while about buying it. Was possibly thinking of buying it just for the drivetrain.. But once I got it home, I decided to just throw the lift i had under Emmett under this rig and wheel it.
So friday night, after I got it home and put the trailer away, I started tearing into it. The rear carpet had moss growing on it and was soaked from the tailgate up to the rear seat. Figured the floor was gone and I'd be in the same boat as Emmett. But As I started the peel back the carpet and insulation, I was astonished to find a close to mint rear floor!! Yep you read it correctly, the rear floor is almost mint!!!! This is almost unheard of in this neck of the woods, especially after sitting in a field with the back window out of it!!!!!! Looked underneath and the body mounts were solid as was the underside of the flooring! Only had a few small bubbles in the piant here and there. I couldn't believe it!!!
Early saturday morning I started onthe suspension teardown. Got the old axles out and ready for the new ones. Had to pull the axles out of Emmet while it sat in the weeds. Let me tell you how much fun that was!
Actually the front came out with ease, it was the back that I had fun with! Emmett was surrounded by pine bushes that are about 8ft tall. I only had about 2 ft of room all aroudn the blazer so it was tight quarters.
Sunday I woke up early and pulled the rear axle out of Emmet the rest of the way. Took me about 2 hours with the working in tight quarters and only having one floor jack... By the end of the day Sunday I had the front axle bolted up with the 6" Superlift springs... The back axle was in place, but I need to get new u-bolts.
Monday I worked on it a little. Found that the line for the charcoal canister was rusted out and the rear brake line was also. Then came across the front brake lines and they were toast too. Also need to replace the lower line for the tranny fluid since it sprung a leak getting on the trailer. So I took all my measurements and a list of what i need to pick up tonight after work since it was Labor Day and all the parts stores were closed. Once I get the brakelines routed and the new tranny line in place, I'll be close to ready!
For now this rig will have a D44 front with 4.09's and a welded diff. The rear is a 12 bolt with 4.10's and is welded also. The tires will be 35x12.50x15 BFG A/T's on stock 15x8 rallies. This time around it is a total budget build with only the nessecities being bought. Not sure what I'll hve in all the replacement lines, but I'll also buy some plugs, cap and rotor.... But I bet I will have under $100 in all of that stuff.
Once i get it together and driveable, I will post a list of what I had to buy to get it going as well as the purchase price to see what the grand total is for this budget build-up.
I took some pics along the way, but forgot my camera today. Will post them asap!!!
Looking for suggestions on how to preserve the rear floor. Was thinking of sanding down the bubbled spots and spraying them with some rust stop paint and then use some truck bedliner spray or rubberized under coating and covering the top. Underneath, once i am done with the lift and working on it, I may spray it down with some used oil. I hear that works best around here.....

First pic is the Blazer as I got, just up on jack stands.
Second pic is the rear floor. The stuff you see on it is just insulation debris. No marks on the floor itself at all. The tailpan is going a little at the tailgate hinges and where it attaches to the quarters, but I'll try and curb that...
Third pic is the corner where the tailpan attaches to the quarter... Thats the worst spot in the back. Trying to think how I'll fix that...
Fourth pic is the Blazer on Sunday with the 4.10 axles under it and the 6" lift! Weird thing is that the rear just has the stock springs and 3" blocks right now. ANd it's sitting pretty level. I know the front springs are broke in a worn some, but I may just leave it like that for now. Took some measurements and the rear is only sitting 1/2" lower than the front.




Ok, so I've been really itching to wheel lately... My Toyota is still a long way away from being close to done... Emmett's tub is in really bad shape... So it left me with only one choice.. I bought another K5!!! It is going to be a budget build for now.
This one is a 1990 K5 Silverado. Power everything and A/C!! It has a TBI350, 700r4, 241. Originally it came with 10bolts that had 3.42's and some 31's.
Friday night I borrowed my Fathers trailer and headed out to pick it up.. It has sat in a field for the last 3-4 years. A few weeks ago I stopped and looked it over. The back window was busted out a long time ago so I figured the back floor was gone. This thing had the normal rot in the passenger rear footwell corners. But it was worse than I had seen before. The drivers side rock is gone, but the passenger side is still decent. The quarter lips are rusted as well as the drivers side fender, but the passenger side fender doesn't have a mark on it.
This Blazer was bought new by a friend of mine's father back in 90. Had loved the rig since it first arrived at their house. And it finally came up for sale a few months ago. I had pondered for a while about buying it. Was possibly thinking of buying it just for the drivetrain.. But once I got it home, I decided to just throw the lift i had under Emmett under this rig and wheel it.
So friday night, after I got it home and put the trailer away, I started tearing into it. The rear carpet had moss growing on it and was soaked from the tailgate up to the rear seat. Figured the floor was gone and I'd be in the same boat as Emmett. But As I started the peel back the carpet and insulation, I was astonished to find a close to mint rear floor!! Yep you read it correctly, the rear floor is almost mint!!!! This is almost unheard of in this neck of the woods, especially after sitting in a field with the back window out of it!!!!!! Looked underneath and the body mounts were solid as was the underside of the flooring! Only had a few small bubbles in the piant here and there. I couldn't believe it!!!
Early saturday morning I started onthe suspension teardown. Got the old axles out and ready for the new ones. Had to pull the axles out of Emmet while it sat in the weeds. Let me tell you how much fun that was!
Actually the front came out with ease, it was the back that I had fun with! Emmett was surrounded by pine bushes that are about 8ft tall. I only had about 2 ft of room all aroudn the blazer so it was tight quarters. Sunday I woke up early and pulled the rear axle out of Emmet the rest of the way. Took me about 2 hours with the working in tight quarters and only having one floor jack... By the end of the day Sunday I had the front axle bolted up with the 6" Superlift springs... The back axle was in place, but I need to get new u-bolts.
Monday I worked on it a little. Found that the line for the charcoal canister was rusted out and the rear brake line was also. Then came across the front brake lines and they were toast too. Also need to replace the lower line for the tranny fluid since it sprung a leak getting on the trailer. So I took all my measurements and a list of what i need to pick up tonight after work since it was Labor Day and all the parts stores were closed. Once I get the brakelines routed and the new tranny line in place, I'll be close to ready!
For now this rig will have a D44 front with 4.09's and a welded diff. The rear is a 12 bolt with 4.10's and is welded also. The tires will be 35x12.50x15 BFG A/T's on stock 15x8 rallies. This time around it is a total budget build with only the nessecities being bought. Not sure what I'll hve in all the replacement lines, but I'll also buy some plugs, cap and rotor.... But I bet I will have under $100 in all of that stuff.
Once i get it together and driveable, I will post a list of what I had to buy to get it going as well as the purchase price to see what the grand total is for this budget build-up.

I took some pics along the way, but forgot my camera today. Will post them asap!!!
Looking for suggestions on how to preserve the rear floor. Was thinking of sanding down the bubbled spots and spraying them with some rust stop paint and then use some truck bedliner spray or rubberized under coating and covering the top. Underneath, once i am done with the lift and working on it, I may spray it down with some used oil. I hear that works best around here.....
First pic is the Blazer as I got, just up on jack stands.
Second pic is the rear floor. The stuff you see on it is just insulation debris. No marks on the floor itself at all. The tailpan is going a little at the tailgate hinges and where it attaches to the quarters, but I'll try and curb that...

Third pic is the corner where the tailpan attaches to the quarter... Thats the worst spot in the back. Trying to think how I'll fix that...
Fourth pic is the Blazer on Sunday with the 4.10 axles under it and the 6" lift! Weird thing is that the rear just has the stock springs and 3" blocks right now. ANd it's sitting pretty level. I know the front springs are broke in a worn some, but I may just leave it like that for now. Took some measurements and the rear is only sitting 1/2" lower than the front.
Last edited:
