Before swapping the motor, I lengthened the wheelbase, because I never liked the rear wheel well location on the Cab Plus truck beds. It always looked funny to me.
So I actually used the complete back two thirds of a second truck frame to accommodate the standard bed.
At some point, I'll lower it an inch or two, but it'll never be slammed. This one is getting set up to do some road racing!
Then, I narrowed the frame section at the rear wheels, so I could stuff some fatties in there... someday. I'll need to fabricate a ladder bar suspension and do some wheel well work to make it happen.
So, on to the engine... TPI 5.7 liter w/700R4 Transmission
In preparation, I had to notch the crossmember to set the engine in a bit lower. I did this so I wouldn't have to modify the firewall or the transmission tunnel.
The black intake tube is hand made from fiberglass and is wide in the center because it gets pretty thin going over the alternator.
Building the motor mounts was a piece of cake.
In the first pic, you can see the 1-1/8 inch sway bar that I modified from a Formula Firebird(which donated all the GM parts I used).
...and this is a 50 state emissions legal install. All GM smog equipment was transferred over too.
I had to toss the Mazda Transmission crossmember and make my own mount that is through bolted to the torsion crossmember.
For those of you who noticed an AC compressor in the first engine pic...
Yes it is equipped with a fully functioning system(I live in Las Vegas). I just had to move the condenser under the bed!
I mounted some Prelude seats in the cab, but nobody sees them with the hand made fiberglass console(not finished yet).
Future plans are to change the rear to a disc brake equipped LSD rear from an S-10 with a 3:23 ratio(these 4:10's are killing me on the freeway. Even with the overdrive tranny!!!).
I already have the S-10 rear, just no time or money to do the rear suspension yet. I also plan to add a second fuel tank, but that isn't a necessity right now. Paint is!
Surprisingly, I'm getting about 25 mpg When I keep my foot out of the throttle.
In a couple of years, I plan to redo the gauge pod with Auto Meter gauges and a little more fiberglass work. I never really liked the squared off gauge cluster either.
It won't get a stereo system until I'm finished with everything else. It might make me forget that it's not finished yet!
Let me know what you think...
what speed bumps
and another thing POST MORE PICTURES!!!
