I don't belong here, 91 S10

[brwnelky]

I have a first gen S10 I'm putting a L33/T56 in, it wont be crazy low and I wont be stretching any tires. It really doesn't fit in here but I lurk around enough getting ideas in other peoples threads and figured some people might be interested. Also I know a lot of you guys are big into photography, I have a shitty digital camera and my iphone so sorry about the pictures.

Here it is when I bought it in 2005, it was supposed to last me through the end of high school and I treated it like so. It was neglected and beat on every day.


I joined the air force, moved to Arizona, and bought a jeep. Had a lot of fun with it but missed the truck so I made the road trip to Florida to pick it up.



Bought a 3.4L v6 from a camaro to rebuild and swap in. I also bought a parts truck and stole its pieces.


Bought a Bravada to drive around while the truck was down for rebuild. It had endless problems with the 4.3 spider injector and finally died. So I stole all of its goodies and ran a S-series junkyard for a while


Engine was just a pile of parts waiting to go to the machine shop but the truck was running so I decided I wouldnt be happy with the V6 and started looking for a LS motor. I came across a 5.3 from a 2005 silverado with 50k miles on S10forum, it came with some swap parts so I picked it up.


Here's how it looked before I deployed


I bought a lot of parts and I'm slowly doing work. Moving back to Florida in September so I need to get it together, I planned to take everything apart and clean/paint really well. Hopefully that doesn't suffer.

Picked up an Explorer 8.8, rebuilt the trac lok, got a girdle cover, and all new brakes then installed


Installed the Improved Racing baffle in my Holley 302-1 oil pan



Pulled this leaking hunk of crap


Test fit my CPW 1 3/4" ceramic coated long tube headers, with ebay stainless header studs. They need some work



Test fit the motor, and cut the AC box notch, and crossmember notch. Not sure how much I like the red fuel rail.


Test fit the CPW radiator and fan setup, I need to fix the crappy holes from the harbor freight hole saw I used.


Then I laid out all of the interior pieces that need paint (the door panels are hiding in the corner). Need to pick up a SEM color chart


Thanks to a bad heater core I found a pretty nasty chunk of rust


That started my bad luck, the teeth on my harbor freight hole saw spread out and over-sized the holes for my radiator mounts. Welder crapped out, feed issues caused by user error I'm pretty sure. I found the rust on the firewall, my balljoint press bent when I was trying to remove lower control arm bjs and bushings. I realized I got sent the wrong hood latch bracket and when I was finally about to start being productive the power went out. So I quit for now and hopefully when I come back from vacation ill get some more cooperation.

Here it sits for the next 10 days



Plans

Engine: L33, TBSS intake manifold, 1 3/4" long tube headers, holley 302-1 oil pan, Improved Racing pan baffle, truck accessories, Holley AC high mount, CPW mounts. Stage 2 rebuilt T56, new F body bellhousing, Monster stage 2 clutch with lightweight flywheel, MGW shifter still need to figure out hydraulics and order crossmember.
Front suspension: UMI upper control arms with delrin bushings, factory LCA with delrin bushings, Proforged tall upper and lower ball joints, ZQ8 33mm sway bar, UMI 1" drop springs (if they ever make them), Bilstein shocks, and 2" blazer drop spindles.
Rear suspension: Belltech 3" drop springs, JTR pinion alignment
shims, 3/8" set back plate, Cal Tracs, and I need to make some Bilstein shocks work.
Brakes: front dual piston Blazer brakes, rear Explorer discs, still need to get a master cylinder and prop valve.
Exterior: factory flares, Bravada grill, flush rear window, Blazer rear bumper, Blazer gas tank and relocate fuel filler, patch some holes and straighten some dents MAYBE paint if I have time.
Interior: BMW seats (maybe, I bought some but they're huge and heavy), paint all the nasty redness, new carpet, Sonoma GT gauges(same as Syclone/Typhoon but no boost gauge), some kind of center console.

One day I plan on coilovers and a 4 link, narrowing the rear end, nice wheels etc... But my budget and skills as of now allow 3.5"/4.5" drop and Corvette wheels with spacers.

So should I bother updating this? Or just continue to look around and keep my mouth shut.

[rice4life]

Kind of looks like a hardbody.

Why won't you run stretched tires?

[Tanel]

Maybe cause there's no need to stretch?

[244Brick]

Looking good. can't wait to see the next updates

[Azrial89]

Bought a 3.4L v6 from a camaro to rebuild and swap in. I also bought a parts truck and stole its pieces.

HMMMMM those wheels look oddley firmiliar, some might say they look EXACTLY like my "new" wheels. Nice write up. I look forward to hammering on it once you get back.

[brwnelky]

Kind of looks like a hardbody.

Why won't you run stretched tires?

Maybe cause there's no need to stretch?

Exactly.

Looking good. can't wait to see the next updates

Thanks man!

HMMMMM those wheels look oddley firmiliar, some might say they look EXACTLY like my "new" wheels. Nice write up. I look forward to hammering on it once you get back.

You just think we're working on the wagon tomorrow. Its hammer time

[brwnelky]

Gutted the interior, went from this


to this. Once I get it all settled Ill probably lizard skin everything and throw a couple tiles in the doors.


I was going to order the Gforce DIY trans crossmember kit and start searching around to see if anyone has used it. I found one already welded up for sale so I bought it.


Pressed out the balljoints and torched out bushings. Ill have to remember to be more careful for the leaf springs bushings and not get melted rubber on everything. Once I decide whether or not to dehump them they'll get painted and tall lower ball joints along with delrin bushings will go in.


Cut out all the rust


I got the headers to fit how I liked them on the engine so I fit them in the truck. Everything clears but I have to do some work to the floor.

[brwnelky]

I torched out the old bushings, installed the aluminum Cal-trac front bushing and PST poly-graphite bushings in the rear spring eye and frame then finished bolting up the Cal-tracs. Need to work out the shocks and cut off the bumpstops. Once its running I'll decide if I need a rear sway bar and I think it will need more low of course. Don't mind the spare tire carrier, it will be going away for the blazer tank.



Then I installed the T56 and crossmember to see how everything lines up. It fits perfect but putting the engine at the right angle pushes the collectors into the floorboards. I would like to bend them down but I'm not sure how that will work out so Ill probably end up pushing the floor up more.

[brwnelky]

Went to the salt river in phoenix for 4th of July and got pretty sunburnt so I didn’t get much done during the week. I cut the hole for the shifter and ordered a 3.75” extender. I need to get a shift knob and track down a console but with the shifter arm switched forward it’s in a pretty comfortable spot. I can cut down the rod an inch or so later if I want to.


Mocked up the accessories. I need a new water pump, guy I bought it from cut the outlet and just left all the shavings in the pump, he also drilled and tapped a hole for a temp sensor which interferes with the high mount ac bracket. Still need to rent a puller and switch out the power steering pump pulley.


Got my A1 Cardone rebuilt box from oreilly. Its part # from a Monte Carlo and was the cheapest quick ratio box I could find with A1 seeming to have the best reviews for parts store rebuilt boxes. Got a Magnafine filter too.


Mostly put the new pump and sending unit together.


Sunday a couple friends came over and we threw the front suspension together. I needed some motivation and wanted to check the driveline angle. I didn’t get any real good pictures since we were rushed and it wasn’t very fun at 101 with 30% humidity or so. We had to force in the delrin bushings and it went pretty crappy. We started with a little heat to open the arm up but just ended up getting them hot enough to melt/shave off the extra material needed to fit in. They were way oversized and 3 out of 4 are fairly crooked so I think I'm going to pick up some moog problem solver bushings. The thermoplastic seems pretty awesome from what I've read online. And I’ll take them somewhere to be put in. I'm over messing with them and I don’t feel like pissing off my neighbors beating the old sleeves out. Pressing in the ball joints went hassle free and I ended up getting some Landrum 5.5”x12” 900lb springs. Here’s how it sits with the springs, blazer drop spindles and tall ball joints. It definitely needs to be lower, I’m undecided if I want to cut them at all or see if they settle, plus there’s more weight to add to the front.



I went to take a shower and when I got out there was a pretty intense storm happening. I didn’t think much of it until I remembered I left the gas tank out there and my wife was painting the LCA’s, brake/clutch pedal bracket, gas tank shield, gas tank straps that and all the supplies were outside too. The stuff she POR 15’d was fine but the tank landed upside down and our grill got thrown into it. It has some rocks in it, quite a few dents and scratches but should be fine with some touch up. Kinda sucks, it was brand new but no one will ever see it and it just needs to serves its purpose. Thanks monsoon season.

[heeter_33]

Frig I love S10's.

[ChanceTheNapper]

you should stay as long as moar lows are in the future. this thing looks promising though.

[brwnelky]

you should stay as long as moar lows are in the future. this thing looks promising though.

I definitely want it lower, I was about to order some more low parts but decided I have more important things to worry about now. It sits level and I need to get everything sorted then moar low, probably not enough by your guys standards though.

[quote author=RobertR13 link=topic=1140.msg12212#msg12212 date=1405549720]
I did the same thing last year painting my LCAs. Sometimes AZ sucks. Like today with 106° degree heat and 30% humidity.
[/quote]
I can handle the heat no problem but once the humidity comes in its game over. I'm from Florida too! The desert has spoiled me haha

I got my new liner for my welder, that and some gas. Mig is a million times better than flux core. Now I can patch the firewall and get started on the blazer tank.

Welded up new pedals. 1/8” steel cut out in the shape of the rubber cover. I got the idea in another build thread and he covered most of the paint with grip tape but I may try some line-x on them to save my shoes. I was heating up the covers to contour them to the original pedal curve, or so I thought. I just ended up straightening it all out and they're pretty flat. I'm about 50% happy with them, I was going to cut them off and start over but I need to get more important things done. I still have to decide what to do about the gas pedal. The DBW pedal came with my harness and had a bracket welded up, I'm not happy with the way it fits. And of course I completely forgot about the parking brake pad until I looked at the picture.


Threw the steering box in and mostly pressed the new pulley on. I picked up a harbor freight pulley puller thinking I would use it a couple times and it would be a hassle to rent it. Old pulley came off no problem, new pulley did not want to go on.


Got my NRG short hub, now I just need to pick a steering wheel it’s between Momo Retro, and Nardi Classic.



They’re both pretty similar but I think I’m leaning to the Momo. I can paint the center black if it looks out of place. I’m a little worried about to much black in the interior anyways. Anyone have any suggestions?

[brwnelky]

Broke down and bought the drivers side Holley bracket. Power steering pump was too close to the steering box with the factory truck bracket. Also got a f-body water pump and some .75" spacers. I had to get a vette steering pump for the Holley bracket and I still need a ac compressor.


Built a steering shaft, its too close to the header so I'm going to order new ujoints to put the 3/4" DD at the top and the 1" at the bottom.



I've been working on the blazer tank install. Got the hitch bolted up and the bumper is almost done (its just sitting on the brackets in the pic). The blazer bumper looks 100x better than the truck step bumper. Once I get the bumper finalized I can take the bed back off and finish the mounts for the gas tank.


Ordered a custom delrin shift knob of ebay. I need a center console so I can cut the shifter down where I want it. I decided to use a cheap steering wheel I had laying around for now. And I got the paint so I need to get the stuff to prep the interior parts, set up a little booth and let my buddy paint everything.

[CraigSnedeker]

Frig I love S10's.

Here here!

Nice build man, look forward to seeing more

[drifte]

I like it. I have an 87 s10 thats still completely original that I want to take in any direction at this point but stock.