Okay, get ready, here's the scenario. I have spent the past four summers learning how, (mostly on my own, and thanks to message boards like this one) and then doing a complete teardown and custom rebuild of my truck. I have learned a lot from the project, including welding, cursing, swearing, throwing things, and this weekend, painting.
The stats are:
74 k20, boyce d60, stock 14bff, 52" frt springs, ord shackle flip and 4inch springs rear, well built (pro) 383, nv4500, doubler, blazer fuel tank, the list goeas on and on.
35"pro comp mt's for now. 4.56 in the new axle, 4.10 in the rear w/ gov lock until i get it re-geared and detroited. I don't have the front prop-shaft yet, so temptation is not an issue.
No part on this truck was left untouched. I troe it down to the frame and have updated, freshened, or modified almost every system, from little stuff like re-routing e-brake cables, to full on trickery like the twin stick shifter or clutch linkage I built.
So tonight, well actually yesterday by a few minutes, I finally drove it for the first time. Around the block, twice. No doors, windshield, hood, bed, anything. It went surprisingly well, save for a sqeaky power steering pump.
Here is the madness:
I will have it painted and assembled by this thursday, the glass goes in Wed, but I will only have one day to work out the kinks before I have to leave for college in San Luis Obispo friday morning. Mind you I am in Portland, so a little math, carry the two and we arrive at around 20 hours driving.
SHOULD I DO IT????
I feel confident in my work, but I am sure that numerous things will pop up along the way. I am sure that my steering, suspension and brakes will b fine, and I think I can get her running well befoe then, but I am still unsure of the level of insanity involved here. Just a side note, my dad will be following in his small car, so no towing, but a saftey wise decision.
Lets hear some horror stories/encouragemnet, as I am about to make the decision on whether or not to try and take it with, or find a friends garage, admit partail defeat, and leave it behind to be brought back at christmas.
Thanks for reading and talking some sense into me.
Paul
The stats are:
74 k20, boyce d60, stock 14bff, 52" frt springs, ord shackle flip and 4inch springs rear, well built (pro) 383, nv4500, doubler, blazer fuel tank, the list goeas on and on.
35"pro comp mt's for now. 4.56 in the new axle, 4.10 in the rear w/ gov lock until i get it re-geared and detroited. I don't have the front prop-shaft yet, so temptation is not an issue.
No part on this truck was left untouched. I troe it down to the frame and have updated, freshened, or modified almost every system, from little stuff like re-routing e-brake cables, to full on trickery like the twin stick shifter or clutch linkage I built.
So tonight, well actually yesterday by a few minutes, I finally drove it for the first time. Around the block, twice. No doors, windshield, hood, bed, anything. It went surprisingly well, save for a sqeaky power steering pump.
Here is the madness:
I will have it painted and assembled by this thursday, the glass goes in Wed, but I will only have one day to work out the kinks before I have to leave for college in San Luis Obispo friday morning. Mind you I am in Portland, so a little math, carry the two and we arrive at around 20 hours driving.
SHOULD I DO IT????
I feel confident in my work, but I am sure that numerous things will pop up along the way. I am sure that my steering, suspension and brakes will b fine, and I think I can get her running well befoe then, but I am still unsure of the level of insanity involved here. Just a side note, my dad will be following in his small car, so no towing, but a saftey wise decision.
Lets hear some horror stories/encouragemnet, as I am about to make the decision on whether or not to try and take it with, or find a friends garage, admit partail defeat, and leave it behind to be brought back at christmas.
Thanks for reading and talking some sense into me.
Paul