Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

Hmmm... What's happening here?

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

I got the gas tank back in last night after fighting it like it was made for a different vehicle. After I finally got it in there, I realized that I didn't hook up the fuel line to the sending unit. :banghead: I tried to get the hose on there but it was way too hard from all the ethanol that the government forces us to use. I ended up replacing that hose with a new piece and with the assistance of my beautiful wife got the damn hose clamp on there without having to drop the tank again. After that was done I ended up replacing the other hoses all the way up to the fuel pump, so that I won't have to worry about those being hard and breaking on me for at least 4 years, which is how long those have been on there.

Today for lunch, I went in the shop and finished up connecting my fuel fill and custom vents for the tank. Hopefully I will be able to fill the tank with the gas nozzle wide open without gas burping back out at me.

After I got off of work, I decided that I should probably make sure it still runs, since it has been sitting for 1 year, 1 month, 2 weeks, and 4 days without running. I put the exhaust back in and the driver's side is REAL close to the edge of the hole through the ECE trailing arm crossmember. I figured that I would try it out and see if it does actually make contact when I had it running... It does, now I get to "modify" my exhaust so it won't hit anymore. You can actually hear it hitting in the video when I kill it. But it does run like a top! Now that I know it will "Go", I can finish the brakes so it can "Stop!"

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

Glad to see her start up again. Getting closer!

You get shop AC functioning again?

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

No, not yet. I think he will be coming next week, but the outside temps have been lower which makes it to where the A/C can sort of keep up, but more importantly it isn't tripping the thermal overload on the compressor. So it has been bearable in there.

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

Woot-woot!

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

I got an email today...

MY GAUGES HAVE SHIPPED! According to the tracking number, they should be delivered Friday! I'll be in Washington, DC, but I know what I'm doing when I get back Saturday night.

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

Super cool :cool: though I thought we were getting a weekend update... :exit:

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

I pulled something in my back this past weekend. Not much got done in there. I did get my exhaust tweaked so that it doesn't hit the ECE trailing arm crossmember anymore.

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

Out with the old....

... and with the new-ish....

... And IN with the new!

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

I have a question for y'all though... I can input any mileage that I want, until I put over 100 miles on the new gauges. Should I put the mileage off of the original cluster of 85,449 (which I believe to be correct)? Or Should I put the mileage that I have on the new engine of 2,114? Or should I leave it to count from 0, which would basically tell me how many miles I have put on the air bags, wheels and tires, and new brakes?

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

I mean, most guys would kill for any of those :lol:

Looks awesome!

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

I hear you.:lol: I looked at gauges for a long time and none of them ever convinced me to go through the hassle and expense of changing the stock gauges out. When I saw the VHX Classic gauges in the second picture, I figured I would finally change the gauges out, then 6 months later they came out with what I really wanted but they didn't exist yet, so I had to get them. They are even better than pictures can show you, I can't wait to get them powered up.

Thanks!

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

OG mileage, I say. Everything can change, but once that’s gone, it’s gone. I have literally no earthly idea how many miles are on my junk, and no way of knowing

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

Honestly, I'm leaning toward the original mileage even though the only original things that have that many miles are the body, frame rails, front crossmember, and trailing arms. I have mileage of every thing else in a spreadsheet... 700-R4 installed, engine installed, air bags, rear end, radiator installed, 700-R4 rebuilt, etc.

Your comment that once the original mileage is gone, it's gone forever, I hadn't thought of it that way before. It's kind of like erasing a little history on it, and that just bugs me...

An added bonus is that I won't have to explain all of this to a potential buyer, because it won't be for sale until after I'm dead. Then it's Brandi's problem, and she'll have spreadsheets. ;)

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

I agree with the OG mileage also. Gauges look good Steven

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

I LOVE THESE GAUGES!

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

They look awesome!

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

Is it possible to black out the info screens?

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

So far I've only figured out about dimming them all the way down. You wouldn't see anything during the day, but at night you might still see it a little.

I've still got a lot of learning to do on them. Right now, I'm just playing!

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

Very nice!

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

I tried to use stock style metal/rubber lines for the hydroboost setup but I just couldn't get them straightened out enough for them to tuck under the inner fender like the original lines did, so I decided to use high pressure PTFE AN lines to make it look better. I made up the pressure hoses from the pump to the HB, and from the HB to the steering gear. I figured I would just use the stock hard line and rubber hose for the gear box return to the pump and a rubber line for the "spit" tube off of the HB Tee'd into the return line. After staring at the return hose and the ugly gigantic loop that it forces me to have on the rubber line, I need to make a decision as to which way I want to go. I also don't like how high my metal bend is for the "spit" line compared to the AN fittings on the pressure ports.

I could make a new hard line coming off of the gear box that would eliminate the huge loop and figure out a way to lower my spit tube bend, or just go AN for the return and Tee fittings... I've ordered the parts to go either way, we'll see how it plays out.

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

The make 135* AN hose end that would really clean up the "split tube" connection to the HB unit.

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

The AN fittings on the high pressure hoses are 150*. I ordered low pressure fittings and hose for the return and the spit tube and got 150* for that so it would match.

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

Sweet!:thumbs:

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

Got my power steering pump modified. It now has 3 -6 AN fittings on it.

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

My old eyes were having trouble seeing down in that dark hole, so my Nephew-In-Law who works for Kimball Midwest loaned me his demo underhood light that he has been trying to get me to buy for a year or so... I guess I'm going to have to cough up the money now. That light is amazing!

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

Thanks in part to the light and being able to see, I have finally finished up my hydroboost hoses. I really could use 2 45* fittings for both of the returns on the pump, but all I had were straights and 90's. I can always change them out later if it bugs me after the 30 day rule sets in. I'm much happier now that the spit tube bend is lower on the hydroboost though.

And, YES, I still need to un-ugly my alternator wiring...

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

Who can guess what is happening here?

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

Looks good Steven

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

Chuggin’ right along. Waxahachie crunch

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

Congrats on the Top 50 nod at C10s in the Park, well deserved. She is a sexy beast (the Blazer, not the weird chick viewable through your window :lol: )

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

:agree:

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

Nice work!! i love it!

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

Congrats!!! Well deserved

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

Thanks guys! I'm still on a high from this weekend and still cant believe I was able to put something together that looks this cool! Tonight, I'll get the story caught up since I haven't been posting because of the Waxahachie crunch.

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

OK, The last thing I showed was finishing up my hydroboost lines and bleeding the brakes. I got my alternator wiring cleaned up since I had 2 different adapters in there to convert from the original to a 12SI, and finally to a CS130 for the serpentine system. I am extremely pleased with how it turned out.

I made an appt. for Thursday of last week to get it aligned, so when I got back from working in TX Wed. night, I went straight into the shop to set the toe close enough to drive it and adjust the rod between the pedal and hydroboost. All of this time, my buddies in the truck club are saying to just get it close and trailer it to C10's In The Park, to which I replied that trailers are for boats, show queens, and broken trucks... Let's just say that karma is a fickle b!tch...

I got all of that done, and I backed out of the shop at 1:30 AM to take it for a test drive down the road since I had to leave in 6 hours to make my appt. I made it about 2 feet off of the concrete and proceeded to immediately get stuck, since it has been raining for almost 4 weeks straight at my house. I tried for 2 hours to get it out and finally collapsed in my recliner knowing that I had to wait for people to wake up to borrow a tractor or something to pull it out. Needless to say, I missed my appt.... Again.

After 3 hours of sleep, I go and get my Brother-In-Law's tractor and pull the Blazer out to the road, and I finally get to see it laid out with the new wheels from more than a couple of feet away... I'm loving it, even with the muddy tires. I also pulled the S-10 Blazer (next project) out of the 1 car garage on the house and into the shop, so that the Blazer can go in the garage and not have to get stuck in the mud again when I get back on Sunday.

Now I washed it to get the mud off of the tires and the year and half's worth of dust off of the body. By this time it is getting dark and the mosquitoes are eating me alive, not to mention that I am getting phone calls left and right, which caused me to forget to dry the wheels off. I got the Blazer loaded onto the trailer, strapped it down, and went to bed to get 5 hours of sleep before driving to Waxahachie the next day.

While getting ready to leave, I open up the Blazer to put some stuff in it before I leave and I notice water spots on all of the wheels. I grab an unused Power-cone that was in the shop and some aluminum polish and tell myself that I will polish them at the hotel that night.

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

When I meet up with my buddies with the Blazer on a trailer, they start calling the Blazer a show queen, trailer queen, prom queen, .... anything with a queen on the end of it. I figure I deserve it for opening my big mouth and suck it up.

Once we get to the hotel I unload it and we rush to get to the cruise-in at the Hobby Lobby, which is the first time I really drive the Blazer. Guess what? The back tires rub on the inside of the wheel tubs pretty badly when the rear axle articulates coming out of the hotel parking lot. Oh well, a little rubbing won't hurt for a weekend. And since I kept adjusting the brake rod longer to get rid of all of the slack in the clevis pin before the hydroboost had completely bled itself, I now have brakes that will put you through the windshield with you only pushing the brake pedal about a half inch.

The employees at Hobby Lobby called the police because customers couldn't park in the parking lot, so we decided to go back to the hotel and have a party of our own there. Needless to say, the libations were flowing too good and I didn't get around to polishing the wheels...

The next morning, we head to the show and I am just tired. I walked around and looked at as many trucks as I could before it got too hot and my feet were hurting. About the time that I finally set up my chair and start relaxing, the American Racing guys show up and start looking at the Blazer. Keep in mind that it has water spots on the wheels, I never did clean the dust off of the engine, and there are still cobwebs in the interior in places... My friends tell me that I'm about to get picked for the Top 50 and I joked that they were just amazed at how bad their wheels can look. He comes over and gives me a badge to get in the VIP parking for the Party on the Square that night. I'm completely shocked, and joke that now I have to polish the wheels to which he replies, "YES!":lol: Apparently, I was the first one that they picked, because I got badge #1!

The power-cone that I brought is completely dry-rotted from being so old that it immediately comes apart, so I start polishing by hand, while my "friends" point and laugh and take pictures of me. Yep, I deserve that one too. :rolleyes:

After sending a buddy to the store to buy another power-cone and some more polish, and getting some help from a few friends and gringo's son, the wheels are looking much better but the water spots aren't completely gone. It really sucks polishing wheels on a vehicle that it is sitting in the dirt.

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

Finally, Chris drives me to the VIP section downtown so that I can really start to relax and enjoy myself. Wynne (HuggerCST) was also picked as a Top 50! It was a huge honor being picked, and being able to park with cover trucks in front of the stage. I still don't think I deserved to be there, but hey, I'll take it!

After a LONG few days, I loaded up Sunday morning and drove home. It is parked in the garage so that I can back out onto concrete without having to worry about getting stuck. But now I need to polish the wheels more to get rid of the water spots and I believe I am going to make some temporary spacers to space the wheel tubs in about a half inch to try and stop the tire rubbing. I'll attack those things this weekend, since I am back in TX working again.

After talking with Ken (N2TRUX) downtown, I ordered some Adam's Metal Polish to try this weekend. He claims that stuff is the best thing on the planet for polishing wheels and getting water spots off. I'll let y'all know how it turns out.

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

That’s awesome. Cool a. R. Picked you out of a bunch of people to represent. Blazers are crowd pleasers. Even if I’m not in a show and just parked somewhere people circle my blazer to check it out. Lol

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

Congrats again Steven.