The Wanderers build

[superbuickguy]

it's amazing to me how easy it is to fill such a large space - and then have very little space for the exhaust

thankfully, oval pipe to the rescue

still waiting for Chad's article* about oval pipe...thankfully, since it hasn't been written, this should work just fine.

but even the magical oval pipe can't solve this one

these should keep the sway bar links out of the springs

*highlight of this backstory - on a forum which shall remain unnamed, I got into an argument where Chad told me he would write a HRM article proving my assertion that oval pipe would make a negative difference to flow..... been nearly 10 years and still waiting for that article... and I probably would let it go but this is the same person who proclaimed it was okay to run over bicyclists....

 

[superbuickguy]

turn table
time to weld piece one

and pretty

oval to round is nearly $60 each... uh, no

oval maker

frankenpipe

it fits..

next step is this... but that won't happen until after Optima this weekend

yes - sidepipe... I can roll coal into open windows 😁

 

[superbuickguy]

In other news, beside Corvette stuff, I worked on the Blazer
first tape on the clamp to see if it will fit through the hole..

nope.. round 20

more pictures tonight, but I'm going to notch the box... didn't want to but beside getting this through, I need to wrap this... anyway, more, tonight

 

[superbuickguy]

when I was building v8 Blazers, this was a common tactic to make things fit

believe it or not, the underside was the hardest part

but I got it

time for childlike drawings

hopefully that makes sense now

also started on the wiring... this case, fuel pump

and I have 'helpers'

more tonight

 

[superbuickguy]

piece epoxied in place

I can't believe it, but I have to since I can see it... all my slathering actually sealed the hole

time to finish the welds

ready for wrap

then put the studs in place on the offset

turbo back in place

close but it is going to require a bit of hammer work

key here is I can finally bleed the injectors then make some noise.... there were open oil lines to the turbo....

 

[superbuickguy]

not much to show tonight... this now fits

battery safely balanced on top of the core support

after a fill of the coolant system

I'm bleeding the back first - still not getting fuel out of the back but it'll work... thankfully there are no electronics to defeat

tomorrow, crossing fingers, there should be glorious detroit diesel noise

 

[superbuickguy]

got the injectors bled
then fought a bit with the glow plug controller... it was missing a ground (which is really a paradox on this thing)
of course, then I learned something... you remember how they used to embed a nut in the battery terminal... apparently some bean counter thought that was dumb

used the other battery and carried on (but tomorrow, I'm going to Costco with both and replacing them)
Then I got it fired and this happened

fast oil change
literally blew the line off... thankfully I noticed very quickly

fairly quick fix, I did what I did with the other line and adapted up

 

[superbuickguy]

moved outside under its own power

no leaks, even

started to put a seat in so I could bleed the clutch and brakes.... wrong brackets....

so a church chair became the new seat

helper got caught on film

the exhaust pipe wasn't right so I lengthened it

[VIDEO]

 

[NevadaLover]

Stance looks great, wheel and tire combo look good too, great job and can't wait to see the finished product.

 

[Kingsize24]

Looking good! Getting very close now. Nice to see you threw your "Steel-Man" seat in there to move it out. 😉😂

 

[superbuickguy]

Looking good! Getting very close now. Nice to see you threw your "Steel-Man" seat in there to move it out. 😉😂

I should have gone with 5 gallon bucket - those seats do not make it easy to use a clutch...

 

[superbuickguy]

welded and now wrapped

more heat shield

and finished

exhaust, test fit

ignore the slip joint is backwards... I'm welding then I'll switch at the next connection point

now weld the clamp

outside

time to start installing inner fenders

reattach a tab

 

[superbuickguy]

Would it be easier to leave the fenders off for a bit more time.... probably but more likely probably not
for example, routing lines is paramount now

Inner fender the outer fender....

maybe more importantly is finding that I need to do a bit of Neanderthal on the core support the bottom is about 1/2" off - and nothing is lining up

however, and maybe more importantly, the batteries now have boxes to ride in

and I can start considering airboxes

 

[superbuickguy]

time to start putting gauges in.... of course, the downside is I need to figure out my color scheme on the inside. Right now the pillars are white (which matches nothing else on the truck)....

something to keep the crap out... annoying that I don't have enough 2 1/2 silicone tube for this now

anyway, weekend is here, time to relax

 

[superbuickguy]

seats...
not level

as I worked on other stuff today,
I've had these half doors primered since I got this thing on the road 6 years ago.... today they got painted

Thanks Don!, you rock

didn't do a lot here but I need to either find seat brackets or commit to buying something else..