In reply to HyperspaceTurd :
Thanks man. That means a lot to me.
In reply to HyperspaceTurd :
Thanks man. That means a lot to me.
HyperspaceTurd said:Your threads are really good.
Hear! Hear!
Ho Hum progress today.
I swapped the door handles out for the chrome junkyard units I got yesterday.
Refreshed the license plate lights. Unfortunately the LED bulbs that I ordered do not fit due to the lens being shaped as it is. Minus 1 point for SuperBriteLEDs application chart. The missed on this one.
And screwed the license plate on with a fresh chrome frame and nice hardware.
The UPS man made a hell of a delivery today. I had to make two trips with my dolly from his truck to my shop. Pictures tomorrow when I get it all unboxed.
Back in 1991 when I built my Nissan, I chose 7 inch wide wheels and 205/50 tires. That was the conservative choice.
I was of course super happy with my truck and it got a ton of attention. Still, there were some guys who ran 8.5 inch wide wheels and it just looked less sedate and more radical. In the back of my mind I always wished that I would have bought the wider wheels.
Fast forward to today. I knew that this time I was going to run the wider wheels. And, I knew what style of wheel I wanted. I very nearly bought a brand new set from Jegs or Summit. I had shopping carts with the new wheels at both websites.
But, in the end, this truck needs some patina wheels to match the rest of the truck. So I searched for a used set, and surprisingly found some on eBay for a very reasonable price. So I added them to my watch list and waited with fingers crossed that someone else didn't buy them. Finally, last week eBay ran a 10% off sale so I made the leap.
They were advertised as not including center caps, so imagine my surprise when a full set of brand new caps were included for free. The problem is, they are the modern shape center caps. That won't do, so I'll need to pick up a set of the older style caps.
I had been saving a set of Yokohama 205/50 tires for a long time now. Since I put the Enkeis on my Miata, these just sat around. They have something like 200-300 miles on them since they were new. So, I finally have the wheels and tires I always wanted.
Be careful. I finally got my 17 inch billet centerline scorpions i had wanted since high school. Truck was totalled a month later. Few other friends have had the same thing happen. Something about dream wheels.....
But those will be dead nuts right for that truck. It needs a smooth windowless topper as well.
Those wheels though, 90s-licious. Loving the build. Keep all the little details coming.
Cousin_Eddie said:Minus 1 point for SuperBriteLEDs application chart. The missed on this one.
Yeah I stopped buying from them. They sent me both times wrong order for my MR2. Terrible website size chart
Cousin_Eddie said:(edited) That last picture makes me look like I got some kind of badonkadonk bootie thing going on. It's all just an illusion. I am a normal middle aged fat guy with a proportional sized middle aged guy fat ass.
love the thread and truck. Had to scroll back and zoom for your ass pictures
Those wheels are gonna look bitchin on that truck!
Dusterbd13 said:Be careful. I finally got my 17 inch billet centerline scorpions i had wanted since high school. Truck was totalled a month later. Few other friends have had the same thing happen. Something about dream wheels.....
But those will be dead nuts right for that truck. It needs a smooth windowless topper as well.
What happened to all of the Centerline billets ? I personally owned 5-6 sets of them in different styles in 15 and 17 sizes over the years. We had a chain of speed shops around here called Super Shops that sold Centerlines by the train load. Yet, here we are 25 years later, and I NEVER see a set in the wild or for sale.
FunkyCricket said:Those wheels though, 90s-licious. Loving the build. Keep all the little details coming.
Thanks man. I feel like some of the details are maybe a little too tedious, but that's the kind of thing I dig, so I hope there are at least some others out there who do too. I try to put on a build thread like I would like to read. Lots of pictures, and the backstory behind them.
mr2s2000elise said:Cousin_Eddie said:(edited) That last picture makes me look like I got some kind of badonkadonk bootie thing going on. It's all just an illusion. I am a normal middle aged fat guy with a proportional sized middle aged guy fat ass.
love the thread and truck. Had to scroll back and zoom for your ass pictures
I'm not really a light bulb nerd like so many guys. I always thought SuperBrite was the top shelf place to get my LED bulbs when I do order them. I guess I need to look around a little more in the future.
Ram50Ron said:Those wheels are gonna look bitchin on that truck!
It seems that my wheel choice has met with wide approval. Thank you for the kind words.
In reply to Cousin_Eddie :
First set of headers i ever bought came from super shops.
I search almost weekly on Facebook Craigslist and offer up for Centerline billet wheels. I see about 01 a month in a size and Design that makes me wonder how they stayed in business as long as they did. The Scorpions that were on my El Camino was the only set of those I've ever found. I'm still looking for a right set of billets for my full-size.
Dusterbd13 said:In reply to Cousin_Eddie :
First set of headers i ever bought came from super shops.
I search almost weekly on Facebook Craigslist and offer up for Centerline billet wheels. I see about 01 a month in a size and Design that makes me wonder how they stayed in business as long as they did. The Scorpions that were on my El Camino was the only set of those I've ever found. I'm still looking for a right set of billets for my full-size.
I just reached up on the shelf and took down one of my albums and snapped some pics (of pics) from the pre-digital, pre-internet days.
I'm not sure what Centerline called this wheel. I remember that they were 15x10 all around. This was Texas at it's finest.
These are 17x8 Champ 800s. They looked much better in the magazine ad than they did on the truck. I always felt like these wheels were a swing and a miss and I sold them to my neighbor. This was 1994 and 17 inch wheels on a pickup were a very big deal. Incidentally, the truck was only a week or two old in the picture. I had pre-ordered all of the BellTech suspension and wheels and tires. I cut and notched the frame on it the first week I owned it. All of the guys in the dealership where I worked were shocked to watch me do that. Pimpin ain't easy...Incidentally, this truck shortly after got 12k dollars worth of hail damage on it. It spent nearly two months in the shop getting fixed. The only body panels they didn't replace was the cab back wall. They even put a roof onto the cab. At that time I sprung for a cowl hood, roll pan, and grille from a Mexico spec Chevy truck.
This was 1997 on my next new truck after the 94 above. I don't know what Centerline called these wheels, but I liked them. I always felt like I got the stance and wheel/tire fitment dialed in on this truck.
In other albums there are more pictures of other trucks, I'd need to dig them out.
Incidentally, when Super Shops went out of business they drug a lot of other companies down. I read an article that they stiffed some of the big parts companies for very serious amounts of money when they bankrupted.
Cousin_Eddie said:mr2s2000elise said:Cousin_Eddie said:(edited) That last picture makes me look like I got some kind of badonkadonk bootie thing going on. It's all just an illusion. I am a normal middle aged fat guy with a proportional sized middle aged guy fat ass.
love the thread and truck. Had to scroll back and zoom for your ass pictures
I'm not really a light bulb nerd like so many guys. I always thought SuperBrite was the top shelf place to get my LED bulbs when I do order them. I guess I need to look around a little more in the future.
Similar to you, I never bought led . All my cars are stock. But the dome light in my mr2 died after 23 years. So I decided why not brighten it up.
Alas, I bought oem lights. Let the kids have the led
Your blue truck (in red) is my exact truck. Minus the billet wheels. Those are the wheels im hunting for it.....
Are you my cousin, eddie?
Those Chevys are beautiful
that is what I mentioned in my earliest post on page 1
around here popular was regular cab or 4 door Dually white or teal Chevy like that, slammed, centerline wheels, always body colored small mirrors on the doors, and body colored tonnoeu. Of course the rich people had caddilac tail fin tail lights and frenched plates sideways on the tailgate
Regarding that buggered crank snout, Loctite 660 is your friend. First year Miatas were notorious for this problem. Not enough surface area for the crank cog. The woodruff key is really ony supposed to get the alignment right, NOT hold the cog against rotational shear.
Anyway, patch it good enough, New cog, New bolt, slather male/female mating surfaces, keep cog turned tight to the undamaged keyway shoulder. Tighten it up and don't start it for 24 hours. Loctite 660 is anerobic, it cures in the absence of oxygen. Once it sets, it SETS.
On said Miata, I wanted to get back in there a few years later. Removed cog bolt, cog wouldn't budge. Bent a cheap steering wheel puller, and still cog wouldn't budge. Drove it into the garage with NO BOLT and still the cog wouldn't budge. Then caveman read MSDS words and make fire with MAPP gas and it just slid off like butter. Good stuff
BrianC72gt said:Regarding that buggered crank snout, Loctite 660 is your friend. First year Miatas were notorious for this problem. Not enough surface area for the crank cog. The woodruff key is really ony supposed to get the alignment right, NOT hold the cog against rotational shear.
Anyway, patch it good enough, New cog, New bolt, slather male/female mating surfaces, keep cog turned tight to the undamaged keyway shoulder. Tighten it up and don't start it for 24 hours. Loctite 660 is anerobic, it cures in the absence of oxygen. Once it sets, it SETS.
On said Miata, I wanted to get back in there a few years later. Removed cog bolt, cog wouldn't budge. Bent a cheap steering wheel puller, and still cog wouldn't budge. Drove it into the garage with NO BOLT and still the cog wouldn't budge. Then caveman read MSDS words and make fire with MAPP gas and it just slid off like butter. Good stuff
I have been trying to find a core crank without any luck. All the local machine shops no longer do weld repairs on crankshafts. So it's looking like I might have to do the LocTite repair. I've already got a new cog and key coming from Mazda. The crank also needs front and rear SpeediSleeves on the seal surfaces. It's just overall pretty junky. I will use it if I have to though.
I believe my uncle has a set of centerlines similar to the white truck, on his roller chassis for his '52 chevy pick up. They came on the donor vehicle, a mid 90s s10. He is planning on running steelies when it is done.
I always wanted a mazda truck when I was in college, but I ended up with a ranger. I miss the mini truck days. I like where you are going with this.
Don't stop doing your thing Cousin_Eddie! These threads are really fun to watch come together, and I love your attention to detail.
Kudo's on the 8" wheels. This thing is going to be sweet!
i rolled in an an 85 or 87 nissan 4x4 on 3" body lift. american racing rims and narrow off road tires. I think 185s? or 190s.
That was my mini truck, I went up not down (well my uncle did, I just got it from him). I could drive anywhere in that thing... anywhere.
In reply to Cousin_Eddie :
that blue '97 is tasty!
Word to your mother. Cool to hear you'll be keeping the original paint and stripes - that will contrast well with lowering, chromey homie parts, and shiny Centerlines.
On the crank snout, does anyone ever do a weld repair and re-machine the snout OD and keyway? Seems like that wouldn't be all that difficult if you have access to a TIG and a lathe big enough to hold the crank.
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