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I planned to install the transmission and transfer case to see where the floor was going to end up. Step one was to bolt on the flex plate. I had the wrong bolts. Flywheel bolts are longer than the flex plate bolts I needed so they were hitting the block. Nobody in town had good bolts. The auto...

I got two x-members in and have a rough layout of the center section in tape. I ordered a 4 foot wide sheetmetal brake. Time to brush up on those panel fab skills I had 25 years ago. I'll clamp the blazer steering column to the trooper pedestal and see where it lands.

Today's discovery, the TC shifter is hitting the seat mount. I'm going to cut more of the floor out (most of what's left). I'll remove the seat pedestals from the old floor and mount them to new sheetmetal. I can move them back a couple inches. It will give more leg room. I won't be running the...

Put the motor in to check clearances. I still need some room on the firewall. Width is fine. ;) Need some more clearance around the distributer. Good thing I am running a hat and snorkel to the carb. A decent sized air filter on top of the carb won't fit. I might be able to run the entire...

During my daily visit to FB marketplace, I saw this toyota camper on a jeep cherokee chassis. The struggle is real when you put a Japanese truck on a V8, full size chassis. :oops:

So proud of myself. A few scratches but still have all my fingers, no slices and no puncture wounds. I also got rid of the rust, sound deadening, bumps, bulges and the swiss cheese firewall. Plenty of room for activities now. I took a lot out, but now I can put it back simple and strong. It...

The trooper chassis has left the chat! I used the good old camper jacks to lift the body up. I set it down on some steel saw horses I fabricated, then rolled the old chassis out and the blazer chassis in. The camper jacks were too narrow to clear the tires. That's why I needed the saw horses...

Like I said, the front end is all together. I picked up the steering linkage at the fab shop. They still need to build the pitman arm. They are building some amazing vehicles there, so my stuff is just fill in work. I was going to paint the linkage with STEEL-IT, but it looks so cool, maybe I'll...

Say goodbye little friend. My little friend is the firewall. I got the front axle all together and dropped it on the tires. It allowed me to take some measurements. Looks like the engine is going to get into the firewall a few inches. That's not a big deal except the width of the motor. I may...

Back on the front axle today. Pulled the carrier out after having to consult YouTube university. At first it wouldn't budge. Then I watched a video showing how to put a prybar in the carrier housing and turn to driveshaft. Came right out. Just make sure you leave the bearing caps bolted loosely...

I started looking at the firewall. I'm trying to focus on simplicity on this build. The Trooper is helping me because it's a pretty simple truck. I'm running the same size caliper on every corner. Therefore, I'm running the old school "corvette" master cylinder with no booster and a loooong...

I'm learning a lot watching this scratch build from Mike Essa. Such a cool truck. I just wish I had a tenth of the skill Essa has. If you watch the other videos you will also see Brandon who I used to work with along with his brother Justin. Good people. Check it out. I'm going to be stealing...

More grinding and cleaning today. I got a lot done, but I still need to pull the door panels and side panels then scrub the interior. The good news is I can just spray everything down with the hose. All the electronics have been removed. I'm going to have to take a couple days off. The slice I...

The cargo area in the back of the truck had more widespread rust, but it was less severe. It was hot inside doing all that grinding. Here is my weapon of choice. If you are going to use a wire wheel, be sure to get the ones that are twisted or braided. The wheels with straight wires coming...

I love those trucks. Unfortunately, none of your photos are loading for me. :(

Some people may think I'm ruining a good Trooper, but that's not the case. This truck has had a hard life apparently. I pulled up more of the floor covering and sound deadening. WOW! In a few years this truck would have rusted from the inside out. The underside of the truck is spotless. The...

I ordered a TORQ locker for the front. I did research on all the "lunchbox" lockers. The TORQ wasn't the cheapest, but I think it's the best design. It doesn't use pins. Instead the two halves of the center section lock together. I thought it was also pretty cool that one of the owners of the...

Solved my axle u-joint issue today. Chromoly axles from East Coast Gear Supply Very nice quality! They weren't cheap, but I figure it's a good investment for a Dana 44 with 37's. Now I'm looking at a TORQ Locker by Torq-Masters. I have a posi in the rear 14 bolt, but the front is open. In...

Unfortunately the screws were imbedded in the dash and right next to the windshield gasket and the glass. I had to be careful with the vise grips even so I didn't hit the glass and crack it. *Update* I just found the same rust on the passenger side floor. I hate rust repair even though I've...

I got curious today and couldn't stop. I tore the entire dash and harness out today. I was talking the other day about not having rust issues here in AZ, but we have pack rats and heat. I discovered another regional issue that turns up around here. PO's (previous owners). There is a special...