No Name

Hey everybody my name is Matt, I live in Tucson Az and have a 91 reg cab I've owned since summer of 2005. I've been lurking s10forum since then and here since the website started. I bought it with 202k expecting it to last my senior year of high school and I've been attached to it ever since. Its a 2.8/5 speed and a belltech 2" spindle and block drop. I don't have very much progress yet so this is mostly history. http://s97.photobucket.com/user/brwnelky/library/S10

When I bought it


I pulled all the trim off and got some "sport" mirrors. I ran it through a car wash and it stripped away most of the clearcoat. Then one day the steering column fell apart in my lap so I parked it until I could find a new one. If I wasn't a dumb high school kid I would have taken it apart and tightened the tilt screws. While it was parked my radio got stolen. In an effort to make something on the truck nice I pulled the bed and POR15'd the frame. I think I was jealous of s10cyncrvr's thread.

Finally got a base model column and put it in along with a new radio. Drove it for a while and first gear synchro went out causing it to kick out of gear any time 1st was engaged. After driving it around starting in 2nd, years of abusive burnouts and teaching almost all of my friends to drive stick the clutch started slipping really bad.


New clutch, resurfaced the flywheel put it all back together and no clutch movement. Got a new duralast slave cylinder and tried to bleed it. I had the bleeder open and put my thumb over the hole, had my gf push in the clutch and blew the piston out the end of the slave. Brought it back, got a new one same thing happened. And one more time before I gave up. Again if I wasn't a dumb kid I would have got a better slave and been on my way. Instead I kicked in the door and gave up. My dad had his mechanic friend fix it and it was good to go. But after all the stress, another radio being stolen, crappy paint, 230k, and my decision to join the military I figured I was done with the truck for good. I got the great idea to massacre a toilet and leave the truck for my step dad to use until it died. Here is how I left it

I got stationed in Tucson bought a jeep and had a lot of fun with it. At some point the truck died on my dad and he parked it in the driveway. I decided I missed it and drug it back to Arizona.


Changed the ignition control module and it started right it up. I pulled a T5 from a Camaro without doing any research not knowing the shifter location was different. Maybe I still am a dumb kid... I pulled the two apart and tried to make one good one that would work but I didn't have a manual and didn't line the shifter forks up properly. So I got it rebuilt by a guy I found on craigslist on phoenix and it works great.




Bought some tires for the edelbrock 454ss wheels my dad gave me off his el camino. I still need to grind the hub/rotor up front to clear the center cap. Also 3" belltech leafs, u-joints, jtr pinion alignment kit and setback plates.








I bought a parts truck to use the body off of. It ended up being in worse shape than I thought and it just kind of sat around. I wrecked my buddies Vue when a woman stopped short and offered him the parts truck (among other things) since I felt bad. He kept it for a while and told me he was going to scrap it because he couldn't get a title so I stole some parts off of it. Took some pictures before I changed everything.






And this is how it sits now.

I bought 3.4 wanting to do the swap real quick. I changed my mind and did a full tear down, bought a bunch of parts right before I brought it to the machine shop I bought a L33. I have some nos factory flares, zq8 front sway bar, and a 4.10 ls 31 spline disc brake 8.8 rear waiting to be installed. I bought a bravada for my wife to drive around till we got her a new car. We bought a cruze just in time, bravada died and after taking what I wanted parted it out. f

Front suspension plans:
Option 1: UB machine upper arms, tall upper and lower bj's, factory lca's with delrin bushinGs, belltech 2" spindles, 1" spring drop (might get afco spring adjusters) and undecided shocks.

Rear suspension plans:
Current set up with 1" block probably, some sort or traction device, some sway bar I can make work with the 8.8 and undecided on shocks. Ive read cal-trac style bars are terrible for handling. I don't have the knowledge or skills to do a link setup but maybe in the future. I really don't want to cut up the bed floor so maybe a truck arm set up if I can fit it all under there.

Steering plans:
New pro-forged steering components, flaming river u-joint or jeep shaft, and zq8 or comparable box.

Brakes:
C5 front with stainless lines. Factory explorer rear discs. There is a thread on syty about ctsv front brake setup I might look into adapting that to a 2wd spindle but I haven't done any research yet and I'm not sure if its even close to being possible.

Frame:
Cut off bump stop brackets, zq8 frame brace, additional crossmember in the rear and the gas tank from the bravada.

Engine:
I bought a L33 with 50k miles that's coming with LH8 pan, current performance harness, corvette regulator, core support, radiator and efans. Ill run it as is for now and if I get bored with it in the future Ill do fast 90/90, get some headwork done and a cam.

Trans:
I need to purchase a T56 still, leaning towards a magnum so Ill have a brand new trans that will hold up to anything I plan on doing in the future. Undecided on flywheel and clutch setup.

Exhaust:
New stainless works headers whenever they are done with them. Hopefully they fit in a first gen pretty easily. Cats, x-pipe, probably spintech muffles and maybe some cutouts.

Interior:
Bravada digital dash (Ill probably hide a real tach somewhere), bucket seats, console, custom door panels with 6.5 components, custom box with two 8" subs, either paint or wrap the dash, solid rear window, and I need to find a headliner.

Exterior:
Front clip from the bravada, fix up the bed, bravada/blazer rear bumper, and I'm undecided on paint color. I really want some ccw classics but I really really really don't want to pay for them so I'm undecided on wheels.

This is going to be a really slow project that's going to be done in stages. It will be especially slow since I am deploying in June. I will be using it to learn body work, maybe paint, interior work, and get better with wiring. This is really long, hopefully its interesting to someone. I'm sure Ill be needing some (lots) help, hopefully I can remember 1/2 of the threads I've read over the past couple years. Ill get some pictures up of the motor whenever its delivered and I manage to squeeze it in my garage.

Sounds like a great plan.  I'm loving those wheels

Thanks, I like them a lot too. I haven't decided if I want to keep them and get the rears widened or get something different. Without the center caps in the front they look grey most of the time and kind of look like old gasser wheels. Which doesn't match anything about the truck at all but looks kinda cool.

Picked the motor up. Pallet was way wider than I expected and it was pretty sketchy getting it home. Luckily I didn't have to go far. Its a L33 with 52k, came with current performance harness, core support radiator and e-fans. It just sitting on the wood it came on I need to get rid of my 3.4 so I can throw it up on my stand.



Had a small s-series party in my garage.



Bravada cladding looks badass on a truck without the bumper cover, the front blends together really well. I would like to adapt the cladding over but it would be way too much work.



I think the right frame horn might be tweaked. My wife started it one night about a month ago. I was getting ready, she can't drive a manual and I left it in gear for the first time in years. I only told her to push in the clutch, not take it out of gear and it shot forward smashed my tool box and pushed the bumper up. I put the bravada one on and it did the same thing so that sucks. I haven't messed with it too much just threw it all together real quick.

This week I'm ordering a valence with fogs, new inner door handles, and switches so I can put the bravada doors on.

That does look good.  How does it look with just the very front cladding?

Not sure. I couldn't get it behind the bumper without scratching the crap out of the flare. I'm thinking about going to some junkyards tomorrow to look for a headliner, valance clips and maye some front flares to try and cut up to work with the forward trim piece. I think it will look weird though with the ridges in the cladding.

I've been thinking that it wouldn't be too hard to adapt all of the bravda cladding with a plastic welder some practice and a few extra pieces. I know of a couple in some yards here. I might try it some day but for now I have more pressing things to take care of.

Valance should be here soon and I'm almost done pulling everything I want off the bravada. I'll put it on craigslist for a few weeks and get rid of it. Then I'll put the doors on and swap the interior over. After that I probably wont have much if any progress till the end of the year.

From your one picture I'm curious enough to grab some of those front trims myself and see what I can come up with.

If you want pictures of anything specific let me know. And I know where some are if you want me to grab them next time I go to the yard I can.

I pulled the gas tank out of the bravada, now I just need to sell what I can and scrap it. I was planning on taking out the factory crossmembers for the tank for whenever I do the swap. After I got the tank out I realized the forward one is huge and the shock mounts are built into it. I figured using all the factory stuff would be easiest since I had it but I guess I'll grab the straps and leave the frame together. I'm really trying to talk myself out of seeing if the junkyard will trade me a 4x4 rcsb frame for the bravada and putting all the awd stuff in it. The ls swap will already be enough of a pain, but awd would be awesome.

Anybody a member on syty? Registration is closed I was wondering if someone could pm captain morgan so I can register, get rid of some of the awd stuff and get the idea out of my head.

This is probably the most boring project thread ever haha. I have way more stuff to do than time and getting my garage in order before I leave is the first priority. Hopefully that will be a lot of progress in November and lots of parts pictures until then.

I bought a power performance steering kit and tall upper/lower ball joints


Some manual e46 seats


and drove it around a little bit for the last time before I leave for 6 months on monday


While I'm gone hopefully UMI has the same thanksgiving sale they had last year and I can get some upper and lower control arms 15% off with free shipping. I also plan on getting a T56 decent welder and air compressor. Besides that Ill be scouring forums for used parts and info. Hopefully I'll have some sweet updates around december.

Well planes have changed, I'll be jobless in September and moving back to Florida so I need to get this done. Hopefully I can be as detailed as I want. I collected a lot of parts on my deployment, Blazer sealed hub drop spindles with dual piston brakes, UMI UCA with delrin bushings, delrin bushings for factory LCA, Bilstein front shocks, low profile cal-tracs, PST graphite rear bushings, c6 wheels, CPW 1 3/4" ceramic coated long tube headers with poly mounts, 2.5" magnaflow high flow cats, Holley muscle car pan, improved racing baffle, LS6 valley cover/PCV, MGW shifter, stage 2 rebuilt T56 with new bellhousing, monster stage 2 clutch, tick speed bleeder, racetronix fuel pump harness and 255 pump, new brakes for the 8.8, A/C parts, power steering cooler, fuel fittings, TBSS intake, CPW radiator set up and fans, HPTuners and a basic tuning book. Since I've been back I rebuilt the trac-lok in the 8.8 with carbon fiber clutches, POR15'd the axle, new wheel bearings and a LPW diff cover. Its installed with the new Ujoint and brakes. 1" wheel adapter and the corvette wheels should fit perfectly. I bought the fox body rear beilsteins and Im working on bolting them up, hopefully they work out.

Some boring parts pictures, everything else is buried. I'm running out of space.

Pulled the leaky hunk of slow


Installed baffle



Waiting to borrow a pressure washer to start cleaning up the frame to start fitting the engine and blazer tank.

Been busy with wife's graduation, family in town, and going on vacation along with work and the usual stuff.

Test fit headers, they're going to need some work.


Test fit the motor, cut the crossmember notch and ac box. I also painted the fuel rail, not sure if I like the red yet.


Test fit the radiator, crappy harbor freight hole saw butchered the holes, Ill have to figure something out for that.


Laid out the interior pieces that need paint, need to get a SEM color chart.


How it sits until I come back, ordering a sending unit, trans crossmember, and some other little crap while I'm gone.

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.

what is this. progress?
you don't belong on this forum anymore!

what is this. progress?
you don't belong on this forum anymore!

Ouch, I resemble that remark, but I do at least have a good excuse.

Haha! I still feel like its moving pretty slow, but its coming along.

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.

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.

I did the same thing last year painting my LCAs. Sometimes AZ sucks. Like today with 106° degree heat and 30% humidity.

I did the same thing last year painting my LCAs. Sometimes AZ sucks. Like today with 106° degree heat and 30% humidity.

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 and close in price unfortunately. 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?

Really like the work you're doing to the truck, it's coming along great!   For the steering wheel, I say Nardi, has a really cool look to it.    Maybe I missed it, but with your pedals, what was the purpose?  To get rid of the rubber covers and still have a decent sized pedal pad?