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  1. nineno

    Slow Roller

    That's the impression I was gathering. I'll probably have a closer look with the powertrain resting in the truck, but I'll also start considering some other options. The short answer is "because I already have them, and the Vette LT1 manifolds actually flow reasonably well." (I also have a set...
  2. nineno

    Slow Roller

    I've been meaning to drop a reply to a few comments/questions for awhile. Before I forget (or procrastinate) again... Thanks, Sean! Different is absolutely one of the objectives. (Cost-consciousness and drive-able are, too.) The confirmation on the choice of mini-starter is much appreciated...
  3. nineno

    Slow Roller

    I didn’t find any great resources for total stack-up from engine block to transmission face for Chevy small blocks which is what prevented me from going with the OE-style (spring pre-load) clutch actuator (slave cylinder) I noted above. Does anyone have this information? I can’t imagine I’m the...
  4. nineno

    Slow Roller

    With the oil pump (re-)primed, the flywheel and starter saga behind me, and reasonably confident that the engine wasn’t eating itself from the inside out, I installed new spark plugs and cranked the motor again. The comparatively tiny PMGR starter rolled the motor over very nicely. The spark...
  5. nineno

    Slow Roller

    Since I had to hunt around a bit to find the information detailed below, I figured I would dedicate one entry in this build thread to the topic of flywheels, starters, and starter bolts. If that sounds less interesting than watching paint dry, I won’t be offended if you back out of this posting...
  6. nineno

    Slow Roller

    Yes, keeping the stock Opti...for now. I know that it might come back to haunt me, but I factored that into my decision making as best I could. The timing covers are a mess, for sure. The cover that I have (the "big hole" in front of the cam for the Opti drive, but without crank position...
  7. nineno

    Slow Roller

    Well, that's one form of keyless entry, I supposed. :) No shock. We're all guilty of it to some extent. Does anyone drive a rental car the same way they drive their own car? Probably not. I dated a woman that bought a 1 year old ex-rental car. I didn't know that when she bought it, but she...
  8. nineno

    Slow Roller

    Alright friends, time to discuss the real (at least as of today) powertrain. While the truck was in the paint shop last fall, I realized it was time to get serious about a powertrain. Craigslist to the rescue again. It took a couple of months for the stars to align, but in the fall 2023 the...
  9. nineno

    Slow Roller

    Sure thing! The spring install was waaay harder than I thought it would be. Installing the 2" drop springs on the front suspension was less difficult and only seems slightly more dangerous. (Compressing springs of any significance for R&R is one of my least favorite activities...in case that...
  10. nineno

    Slow Roller

    Since I made a point to mention the Majestic brand rear window, here are a few more pictures of it…in the cold spring rain. Some of the first orders of business with the truck back home was to re-install the exterior door handles and weatherstripping. For right or wrong, I bought most of...
  11. nineno

    Slow Roller

    BellTech's idea of a teenie-tiny helper spring? (Kidding, of course.) Thank you, Anchor. Much appreciated. If I can get a few more pictures, I'll round-out my last post or two on paint/body/exterior hardware details, so far. Later in that posting I came to the same conclusion...
  12. nineno

    Slow Roller

    I'll check it out. Based on the pics here in this thread it looks like a cool and capable work truck that was brought back from the brink. Very cool. Rich (@FLGS400) - I liked the McGaughy's notch design a bit more, also, and for all the same reasons you pointed out. (I will say, the DJM...
  13. nineno

    Slow Roller

    Yep, Richard, that cab looks much worse than mine did! Is that the same truck shown in the second picture? I was woozy after brushing the POR15 on some small parts (spindles, battery tray, etc, etc) outside and recall not feeling great for awhile after. I don't go near the stuff without a...
  14. nineno

    Slow Roller

    Here's one last pic of the poor old truck, all torn down in the prep room of the paint shop. The truck was painted a nice shade of root beer brown, with a touch of red added. The inspiration was (embarrassingly) a Toyota Tundra that I see regularly on my way to work. (So much for "some shade...
  15. nineno

    Slow Roller

    Thank you, jaybee; and thanks for the Virginia welcoming. Truth be told, I've been in Richmond longer than I ever anticipated -- 8.5 years and counting.
  16. nineno

    Slow Roller

    Here's the pedal I scored with the Hydroboost unit. Glad I took it because I didn't know that the pedal ratio was different between a vac-assisted system and the HB system. (Note the placement of the pin that pushed the master cylinder linkage.) I may have more to discuss on this as I get...
  17. nineno

    Slow Roller

    Much appreciated. Thank you. Since I'm still in the midst of getting everyone caught up on a 3.5 year build, don't be to upset when my updates become far less frequent because I've caught up with "real time." In fact, we're almost there, now. Probably only 2 or 3 more meaningful updates. I...
  18. nineno

    Slow Roller

    After my last post I thought "I haven't looked around for legit 454 SS mirror recently..." It turns out there is a set on eBay right now. The asking price is $50 less than I bought the truck for. For someone that is restoring a legit 454 SS, or building up a clone/tribute truck, these might...
  19. nineno

    Slow Roller

    Very much appreciated. Thank you. Yeah, sometimes it's shocking. It's really intriguing when there is a vehicle that has relatively new parts on it. I was keeping my eye open for a decent rear bumper for this truck. I didn't have any luck for a few years. Then one day I was in the yard on a...
  20. nineno

    Slow Roller

    Right?! It's a remarkable neat color mid-way through the drying process. There's some weird iridescence to it. Unfortunately, that dissipates as it sets up/dries. I should paint something with it and then clear-coat it, just to see what it looks like. That all lines up with the production run...
  21. nineno

    Slow Roller

    Here's a run down of some other smaller projects... Along the way I’ve scored a manual transmission steering column in the junkyard. I wanted this for a few of reasons: 1 - Whether I ended up with an auto or a manual transmission, I was fairly confident I wanted a floor shift rather than the...
  22. nineno

    Slow Roller

    "Patience young grasshopper." Gotta get some lipstick on the pig before I post the glamour shots. Oh, I see that crooked distributor up front! So, a Jaguick? Buguar? Niiice, whatever you call that sweet XJ8 homebrew racer. Is that the aluminum 215? If so, that's sorta fitting since the Buick...
  23. nineno

    Slow Roller

    Alright forum, it’s a rainy, miserable day here in central Virginia. I’ve got plenty of chores to get to, but first, here is a run-down and pictures of a couple of smaller projects on the truck (so far). The surface rust on the cab floor cleaned up well with a cup brush on my trusty angle...
  24. nineno

    Slow Roller

    Everyone - Thanks for the feedback, compliments, and questions. @Road Trip - I agree, completely: The GMT400 platform is very easy to work on compared to some other stuff (newer and older) that I've busted knuckles on. I've learned a lot from this forum as well - as you suggest, often times it...
  25. nineno

    Slow Roller

    The DJM kit went in smoothly, aside from busting a leaf spring and a bolt in the process. I’m glad the spring broke while I was working on the suspension, rather than driving the truck! To keep moving forward, I ordered a cheap set of replacement leaf springs from Rock Auto. They’re good enough...

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