low buck build up
 

retired the Trusty ZJ to field duty, time to move on to bigger and better things.

picked this up for $750 as a starting point.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...r/P2070006.jpg

1989 k5 blazer. 350TBI, sm465, np241. has some clutch issues, but does run and drive. body is rough, but for $750 i didn't expect a show piece.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...r/P2070003.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...r/P2070004.jpg

plan is to shackle flip the rear, lift the front to match (4" lift springs or possiblya 52" spring swap), narrow the front clip, some sliders and bumpers, lock the rear and wheel it till the 10 bolts break, then find a 14b and d44(but hopefully a 60) for it. eventually a cage and a bit more motor. gonna be a long slow build.

picked up some steel wheels from Hodgie now searching for some springs and tires.

rip it apart and tub it...:thumbup:

Is he going to drag race it?

picked up some 36" TSL SX's for it last night. gonna pull the tranny to fix the clutch issue this afternoon. ordered my Shackle flip kit and the clocking ring for the 241 yesterday. just gotta get something in order to lift the front 4" to match the rear now.

sounds like u have a good plan going:thumbup:

Sent from my LS670 using Tapatalk

got the tranny out today. once out, the clutch issue was pretty apparent.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...r/P2260021.jpg

clutch fork was cracked and the throw out bearing was junk. hoping that is all it is, but not sure what caused it to crack in the first place.

tires mounted today, clock ring and shackle flip showed up, and a start on a bumper. might need some tube bent soon, so i will probably be contacting someone on here for that as well for the front bumper.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...r/P2290567.jpg

all i have now is 2 tubes between the frame rails just for something to have, as i plan on taking it out to DTOR next weekend and just wanted something small as a recovery more or less. i plan on welding plate between them for the time being. not sure on how i want the bumper to lay really yet.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...r/P2290572.jpg

Check your body mounts...looks like the bottom bushing and washers are gone on the front two, which is pretty common. Start flexing it out and the front clip will be all over the place.

the front two are pretty well junk for sure. i plan on fixing them when i narrow the front, as they will be off at that point any way.

Sounds good. Just be careful as the shroud and radiator can get into the fan when you get it flexed out.

got her all back together and fired up. shifts great now.

The K-5 is one of my all time favorite vehicles , way back when, I had an 86 with 4" super lift springs and 36" TSL's wheeled it until it fell apart :thumbup:

then the chassis got bastardized under a Cherokee :cool:

drove it for the first time the other night and man do the tires rub. helped with that issue tonight thanks to a grinder, cut off wheel and a mini sledge. welded the rear end as well.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...r/P3070579.jpg

Glad to see someone else wheelin a full size Chev besides me. :thumbup:

wheeled it at DTOR last weekend. broke it too.

axle side u-joint on front drive shaft. started with some bad wheel hop on this hill.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...768302691_.jpg

needs more approach angle.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...768302691_.jpg

took off teh rear hitch, bumper, tail gate and fuel tank today. when i removed the tail gate, the bed sides dropped about 3", so that got added to the list to what needs to be done on it. got a boat fuel tank to use as a fuel cell. gonna try to modify it to i can drop my stock sending unit down in it.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...0_372538-1.jpg

added a lateral brace to help support the bed sides after removing the tail gate and to help when i remove the top as well. made a make shift rear bumper just like the front until i have time and material to build a real bumper.

got the boat tank fuel cell all hooked up and working using the factory tank sending unit. installed an ORD steering brace and a few other small things and it is ready to head back out on the trail.

still awaiting front lift springs so the lift can be installed and then it gets caged and "done" for now. the next big step will be tons, rear anti-wrap bar front locker.

started to pinch the front clip last night. 7 1/2" from each side. one side temp. held in place, gotta finish the other side and cut the hood down, then weld it all back up permanently
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...0518121851.jpg

closer.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...r/P5200600.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...r/P5200599.jpg

clearance is decent, but close.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...r/P5200604.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...r/P5200603.jpg

lookin good! you sure are cheesin in that one pic!

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Wheeled it today. other than a small clutch issue, believed to be a bad master cylinder, and the darn breakover angle killed me all went well. narrowed clip helped a ton when approaching steep hills and large drop offs. just gotta find time to install my clock ring and build a new cross member mount for the tranny.

the transfer case kept me from going up this, really did not want to risk bumping it into the rocks and busting it up.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...r/P5260616.jpg

nice! where is that? ^^^

That is at our parents farm.

Couple short videos just because. Tranny crossmember was hanging the Blazer up.

Edit: couldn't get the vids to embed

http://www.facebook.com/video/video....00100132136700

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=...e=3&permPage=1

well. been a while. the vids posted was its last time out a while ago.

hopefully gonna make a new cross member for it at work this week, slap it on and meet you all at big rock this sunday with it.

but i did pick up a trussed 14 bolt set up for 4 link and a matching 8 lug 10 bolt for it.

Jonesy and I bought Jwends old tubing bender so come spring, i plan on back halfing it and 4 linking the rear. saving up and collecting parts this winter to start the build in the spring. for the time being, just gonna wheel it as it till it breaks for good.

plan is disc brakes on the 14ff, 4 linked with either air shocks or coil overs, tubing out from behind the rear seat back, dove tailing the rear body work and keeping most of all my sheet metal back there. wheel base should stay about the same i hope, maybe only a few inches longer but not much.

started the meat of the work today. Gonna be a Drivers Drop K5 now.

putting a 79 ford HP 60 under the front, using a later model GM drivers drop 241 in place of my current pass. drop 241. From what i have read, there should be no clearance issues from changing to drivers drop, so we are gonna find out.

got the rear 10 bolt out and started putting my 14 bolt together to go under it in place. Bought a bunch of tube to see how bad i am at tube bending as well. as soon as the axles are under it, going to dove tail it and cage it.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...145032_615.jpg