Well the title kind of says it all. I bought the truck a little over 2.5 yrs ago. She was Stone Stock but super clean and straight especially for a true WI Truck.
Yes that is all GM sheetmetal. I got it with a 2" thick stack of reciepts and various pieces of documentation and I recieved a memo pad that documented every dime the previous owner put into it INCLUDING GAS!!! He is a regular at all the local shows with a small collection of Trans Am's and this was his daily baby. After rocking it stock for awhile I started to get the itch and started collecting parts for a 4/6. Well this summer I put some new 225/70s up front and 255/60s out back.
It took me way longer than it should have but I wanted to do it un assisted.
While I did the front I also did all the standard wearables, Ball joints Tie Rod ends, sleeves, and sway bar end links. I found out the hard way that I have 1.25" brake rotors as well. It could have been easily avoided if I did a little more research but lesson learned. So after I bought the right spindles I put it all back together.
Only one problem...
Enter 454!!!!
After that I flipped her around
The leaf spring bolts were frozen solid in the bushing sleeves. With a little coaxing and some heavy equipment the rear leafs came on out.
I obviously had to do new bushings so a little propane, swazall and ball joint press later.
So I shot the springs with a little satin black krylon
They turned out pretty good. Actually had a tire guy ask me if they were new. So I pulled out a little backwoods engineering and got the new bushings in
After a little assembly some more black Krylon and one "sick" day at work
Like I said it took me way too long, but I could only work on it 2-4 hours at a time. That and I have a dd so it didn't hurt me to have it down for the summer. Either way I learned a few things 1. You can never research enough something will always bite you the first time around. 2. I loath press in ball joints 3. I am never doing spring bushings AGAIN! Either way after all the work, money, and time the first time I drove it made it all worth it!
Well after that I got the rear wheels swapped over too the 454s, then 2 weeks before her first show I got an exhaust leak....
Soooo I said screw it and ordered....
and threw in a new y-pipe. But to add insult to injury the y-pipe didn't seat well so I have a little "Pop" leak when I get into the throttle. Either way I took the hit in stride and showed her anyways. This was my first show as an entrant.
I have absolutely gotten hooked on showing it since I just wish it wasn't so late in the year! I am now "stuck" I feel like I have writers block I can't seem to plan my next move. Suggestions?... Lol
My wife calls her princess....
Linear Mode
