Builds Wife's 80 a build thread. (1 Viewer)

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NCFJ

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It was suggested by a couple folks that I post this thread over here that I started on the ONSC page, so here ya go.

The title is Rice's idea ;)

It all started about 18 months ago when I bought a 1995 80 series with a "blown motor". $750.00 for a future swap. I drove it on the trailer with the radiator leaking badly. I sold the ugly TJM bumper for $250.00 so I had a 95, locked 80 for $500.00 and a round trip too Asheville, cool!

Heather checked it out and asked about the radiator, I told her it was supposed to be new but was leaking, no big deal I would be pulling it when I got around to putting a Vortec in this truck. I parked it in line and thought nothing of it. Heather had other plans. She found the little oil service sticker in the upper left corner of the wind shield and gave the guy in Charleston a call.

He had indeed replaced the radiator a month or so prior and faxed Heather the receipt. Heather contacted the local NAPA and they agreed to replace the defective radiator for free. I swapped the radiator and started "Dexter" up. The motor actually ran well and has, what all those who have listened to it, consider to be a wrist pin knock. Heather tells those who ask that it is a diesel :)

So Heather put a 45 day tag on it and started to drive it, feeling it out. Well, she fell in love with it and put a regular tag on it and claimed it as her "foul weather backup". She then informed me that I would onlly get it back to do a swap when I gave her another running 80 as a replacement. I threw on a set of BFG ATs that came on another 80 I bought and she has been driving it since then.

I had been itching to see what a cowl inducted hood scoop looked like on an 80 and Dexter's hood was dented here and there like someone had walked on it so it was a likely candidate. Some careful cutting left me with a gaping hole in the hood and a whole lot of Bondo dust in the shop. There wee more dents than I knew about. So I ground out the Bondo and straightened out the dents so I could weld in the scoop.

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Heather has driven it around for about 18 months without a front bumper so it was time to get one on there. I looked around at bumpers and found that it would be about $1K plus shipping, I decided to make one myself. Criteria was simple, plate style, use materials on hand and modular in design. I had no 3/16" plate so 1/8" it was. This is what I came up with.

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Yesterday I ordered one of these

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I also ordered a lift kit with Marshal of Troll Hole and went down to Griffin Radiator with a stock radiator and ordered a custom radiator ( direct fit) to keep this puppy cool.

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When all said and done, it will all look like this

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I am thinking about a 4X4 labs rear bumper, I'll build the sliders here in the shop. More to come...................
 
CB antenna mount, it;ll get better paint in the spring when the weather is warmer

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cowl hood looks terrible, but I'm looking forward to the build. I always like your stuff :)
 
Cool!
 
Your wife sounds awesome. My girlfriend encourages me to work on my 80 as much as possible to get it running so she can drive it again... When the opportunity comes, I might get her her own...

Why don't the pictures in your thread work?
 
Is it a BAD ASS WIFE's 80 or is it a wife's BAD ASS 80? :flipoff2:

I realize BAW80 looks better than WBA80......

I have been looking for a deal like that....with lockers.....My current UNLOCKED 80 was a little better deal than that, but I had to throw $5K at it to make it reasonably reliable (but still not pretty....)

Congrat's on another 80! I've been wondering what a cowl induction hood would look like on these! I like the CI, but I would prefer one that is a little more sloped along the sides. But, when I go looking for what I like, there are not many that I do like...I'm conflicted. I used to have a 67 Camaro with a "mailbox" hoodscoop. Huge and heavy and would always keep cracking around the base.

I guess when I finally get to that stage, I'll choose what I want and let everyone else tear me apart for it........But if you're doing the swap, THAT's the important part!
 
I am not an English major, but I believe all three, B A & W are describing the 80. I could be wrong but I am going with it :)

I like the scoop as well and would also have preferred some slope on the sides but I could not find one in metal. I am thinking that the one you had on your Camaro was probably glass. The main reason I went with metal is just that issue, adding glass to a metal hood more often than not results on the glass cracking where it joins the metal.

I do not care if anyone else likes it or not, my wife likes it and it is her truck. There are also those that don't like the swap, so what's a guy to do. I won't be putting together a "swap kit" either :)
 
I would LOVE to do a swap, but the finances definitely limit that possibility. I've been drooling over the 6.0+L GM swaps. I used to have a 69 Chev 4x4 w/ 350 bored +0.060", ported, polished, balanced and it was about 375 HP on a 6400 LB truck. I love my LC, but it's horribly gutless for how I want to drive. I got 14 MPG on the highway and no less than 12 MPG pulling a trailer or around town. I get that with about half the HP. Disappointing. No rocks around me (and no mud anymore either..too much concrete), but I would prefer to be able to cruise easily at 75+MPH and still have enough balls left to stand on it and pass 4 cars at once.

You're absolutely right on the scoop I had...'glass. Was heavy, and it bounced in the middle of the hood, so it cracked.

Hey, it looks great! Enjoy it!
 
Pls share the details on the GM motor and tranny. I'm about to do a similar swap and I'm curious what you're using. Correction, I'm not doing the swap but I'm assembling the pieces for the puzzle so just trying to make sure I've thought of everything !

Thanks !!!!!!
 
The motor is a 5.3L Vortec found in GM trucks and SUVs. The trans is a stage 2 4L65E from monster transmission
 
Thanks !!
 
I dont like bright orange/yellow springs. Self etching primer and gloss black. I can live with white shocks for now.

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A little wire brush love then some primer and paint

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2 1/4 in back, 4" in front, stock tires

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Nice front bumper! I like how the winch doesn't stick out much. The cowl looks goofy though. The only cool looking cowl hoods I have seen use the factory slightly raised center section of the hood and just raise it a couple inches more. That looks like it belongs on a 69 Camaro or something. Looking forward to updates on the swap.
 
Needs some sliders and a rear bumper now. Eric, you are gonna be looking for another cruiser soon huh :)

The right shoes make all the difference. These are 33" KM2s on FJC steelies with rock rings. Plan to go with 35s not sure what flavor yet.

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