I've owned this truck for over 8 years now and I'm trying to move on. I wanted to get it back in proper working order but just can't come up with the motivation to do so with the other project I'm working on.
I'll start with the bads:
Engine will not start, I narrowed it down to a wiring issue, I was able to put a jumper wire in the fuse box to get it to start long enough to dump Sea Foam into the throttle body before I parked it before last winter, it hasn't been started since then. It's a 2.5 4-cylinder "Iron Duke" with probably over 200,000 miles on it, it had a very slight tapping to it when I parked it but these motors are pretty indesctructible. OR, just pull it out and put your 350 in it!
The windshield leaks during heavy rains, and so did the car cover I had on it this winter, so the custom all steel interior has some surface rust that needs sandblasting and sanding, which is why it's not in the truck at the moment.
Tires are getting pretty bald in the rear.
About the truck:
All the work done on the truck has been performed by me, I could tell you about every inch of this truck and what it took to do anything on it.
Suspension:
The front has Airbagit 2500 series bellows bags on Suicidedoors bolt-in cups in factory control arms. I dearched the lower arms for more travel and piecut the uppers to relieve the balljoints. The shocks are relocated with Suicidedoors weld on brackets and are Belltech Nitro drop shocks.
The rear is a handbuilt triangulated 4-link utilizing suicidedoors link bar ends and brackets. Rear bags are Firestone F9000 sleeve bags. Rear shocks are Nissan Hardbody and are installed so they limit the travel of the F9000s so they don't tear apart as warned by the manufacturer.
Air is supplied from 2 Viair 450 compressors filling one 5 gallon and one 3 gallon tank so the compressors only run for a couple minutes once the pressure sensor kicks them on. Valves are all 3/8", one is an SMC and the rest are GC Extreme 450 valves and they are mounted on a custom air manifold instead of at each airbag, for safety. All dump valves have 1/8" fittings to slow them down so the truck can be dropped evenly and with one push on the switch instead of annoyingly tapping the switch fifty times like most setups. The switches are built into the center console and are window switches from a Lincoln, just four switches but all corners are individually adjustable. All air line is shop type air hose that I have been running since the truck was bagged over 6 years ago without any problems. This truck is not a floater, the frame lays flat on the ground the full way, or, on the military grade titanium skid plates that I installed to save the frame when dragging.
The truck is bodydropped around 3 3/4". I spaced the frame off the ground the thickness of the pinchmold and then cut the floor out, dropped the cab to the ground, and welded it back together. Pinchmolds still need to be dragged off completely. Front frame horns were Z'd to drop the radiator support to the correct location. Most of the bed floor has been cut out for the suspension and new hand fabricated bed mounts were welded in to suit the body drop. The exhaust has been rerouted behind the driver's side lower control arm and down the outside of the frame rail with an import type muffler turned up inside the bed. The firewall was completely shaved and tubbed, since it's a manual truck the clutch slave cylinder rod had to be shortened and the slave cylinder has been "frenched" into the firewall to clear the upper control arm.
The interior was handbuilt from steel sheet and left raw. I intended to paint it at some point but actually got quite a lot of comments about it that I left it so people knew it was all hand built steel and not fiberglass. The seats started out as Subaru Impreza 2.5RS seat bottoms and I built the backs and mounting brackets to match the bottoms. They honestly are much more comfortable than most people seem to think by looking at them. I would've added a kick in the back for lumbar support if I were to redo them as you're back gets a little sore if you sit in them for more than a couple hours. Gauges consist of a water temp, fuel, volts, and an oil pressure gauge (oil pressure not hooked up).
Exterior:
I modified the headlight buckets so that I could run the later model Oldsmobile Bravada grille and installed the Bravada taillights with the Olds symbol in them. Front bumper had tilted license plate box, so I cut that out and made it look more fitting for the rest of the truck. Wheels are 15x7 fronts and 15x8 rears built for the truck by Pete Paulsen's House of Wheels, the chrome has started to blemish on most of them. Antenna, cab seams, gas door, tailgate handle, fender badges, and wiper cowl vents have all been shaved. Bumper lights and taillights have been modified with LED trailer lights for extra safety. Paint is spraycan paint that is a couple years old so it is actually getting more trendy because it's starting to fade and wear away like all the rat rodders are doing on purpose now a days. Rollpan on rear with frenched in license plate box with LED lights. Has class 1 trailer hitch with flat pintle barely noticeable under rollpan, great for small trailers with light loads. Fuel tank is factory 10 gallon tank with leather belts strapping it to custom rack for an old school look.
I have probably missed something but any other questions can be directed to my email. This truck is a real head turner and if nothing else, people will always want to ask you how your butt feels and then look at you like you're crazy when you tell them the seats are comfortable. The truck has made it into a couple magazines and can be briefly seen dragging in Domination the Video: Shenanigans, or on youtube if you search Village Customs.
Asking $3000 OBO as is (a great price for the suspension and body drop alone), has clean title, but plates have expired. Will consider deals involving air cooled Volkswagen busses or Beetles. I have way more and better quality pictures.
Author
FCKNLOW i love Hurricane
Registered: March 2005 Location: Mechanicsburg, Pa Posts: 10188
Comment Date: Wed August 18, 2010
noooooooooo!!!! if i had loot id pick this beast up....or if it were running id offer a trade for my daily...98 s10
Registered: November 2009 Location: Wichita Falls TX Posts: 2953
Comment Date: Fri August 20, 2010
Ill buy your wheels and tires. =)
------------------------------ CHIP ( I say stupid S**T! )
99 4dr Blazer! Lowered 3.5/5. Stock black steelies, Beauty rings, spider caps, 6K H.I.Ds, CIA, Airlift helper bags, KYB gas shocks all the way around.
In loving memory of Jimmie (BOSS) Holliman and Rose Holliman. RIP!
Bigtruckdrivah Registered User
Registered: March 2010 Posts: 181
Comment Date: Sun August 22, 2010
I like the leather straps holding the tank in. Nice
S-10 Forum
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if i had loot id pick this beast up....or if it were running id offer a trade for my daily...98 s10
