92 2500 6 lug 4x4 NV4500 built SBC ext cab short box long term build

[SNCTMPL]

Looking forward to this, it sounds like a cool build.

 

[Sean Buick 76]

So today I got the truck back from the shop. It’s a shop I trust and they evaluated the truck from front to back. They gave me a big list of repairs needed and I allowed them to do just the inner and outer tire rods, ball joints and a few other things. I then went to NAPA and bought both front hubs, 100% full brake replacement front and rear, pitman arm, idler, sway bar links, etc. so I’ll be doing that over the next few weeks.

With the front end built it was finally safe to try it out on the highway. I drove about an hour, and had no issues at all with the engine cooling system, or diffs front or rear.

It needs a lot of work but I’m enjoying driving the manual trans.

This weeks plan is gutting the interior, swapping in the 88-94 buckets and console, then doing the brakes all around. So many little things to tackle but I like a project to tinker on. The drivers door is so bad I may need to replace the whole hinges.

I paid $500 for the truck so $5000 invested is pretty much expected.

 

[FLGS400]

Looking good there Sean. This one is going to be awesome!

 

[Sean Buick 76]

Front end is now done. Sway bar links, hubs, and brakes. The shop had done the tie rods and ball joints all around. Test drive and it’s good!

 

[Sean Buick 76]

Note to self… don’t fight with a box end wrench on the hub bolts… there are 3 magical holes in the wheel mounting surface for a socket to fit into…

I think I found a birds nest between the cab and the box, this really is a farm truck!

 

[Sean Buick 76]

So excited about the new engine! It’s a 70s 4 bolt main, hot tanked, magnifluxed, and bored 60 over. Align honed, balanced with forged rods and pistons, deck surfaces machined perpendicular to the crank. Ported vortec heads, lunati cam good for 2500-6000 picked to work with or without turbo boost. Holley front outlet headers, should be fun.

 

[Sean Buick 76]

A small win but a win none the less! The drivers door needed a door pin rebuild kit about 20 years ago and instead the farmer hacked up the pin and added a nut and bolt in the upper hinge. It took a bit of welding and then drilling to save the hinges as well as a pin rebuild kit once the damage was un-done.

The boys loved helping! After my little guy was done “cleaning” my 92 truck with a water bottle and a sponge he moved onto my 12 2500 that I dont mind if it gets scratched. It’s still -5 so it’s not time to bring out the foam cannon and my 220V pressure washer.

The door now shuts flush as it was at least 1” out!

 

[GrimsterGMC]

A small win but a win none the less! The drivers door needed a door pin rebuild kit about 20 years ago and instead the farmer hacked up the pin and added a nut and bolt in the upper hinge. It took a bit of welding and then drilling to save the hinges as well as a pin rebuild kit once the damage was un-done.

The boys loved helping!

The door now shuts flush as it was at least 1” out!

Always good to get the kids involved, makes them feel important and plants the seeds for when they're grown up.

 

[Sean Buick 76]

Always good to get the kids involved, makes them feel important and plants the seeds for when they're grown up.

Absolutely, my boys are learning sweat equity! Another small win. The truck must have been parked under a walnut tree or something similar because the hood and roof were covered in little sap like clusters. A lot of simple green and elbow grease took them off while preserving what’s left of the original paint.

 

[Sean Buick 76]

Big truck little truck!