Budget Build 1985 K20

[rodstored-72]

JJH, your work on the blue truck has paid off! it is terrific looking. I am wondering what plans are for the brown one. you mentioned that it still has the emissions stuff? if it is still hooked up would you be willing to snap a pic of the charcoal canister and hoses? I am trying to redo mine & could use a pic to see how things went. I MIGHT even be interested in some things if you think you might not need/use ??

[JJH Jimmy]

Originally Posted by rodstored-72

JJH, your work on the blue truck has paid off! it is terrific looking. I am wondering what plans are for the brown one. you mentioned that it still has the emissions stuff? if it is still hooked up would you be willing to snap a pic of the charcoal canister and hoses? I am trying to redo mine & could use a pic to see how things went. I MIGHT even be interested in some things if you think you might not need/use ??

Thank you! I had a blast with the blue one this summer. I currently am fixing a few minor issues over the winter months.

The brown truck ended up being a quick flip and I sold it already. I did really take any pictures of the engine compartment. Sorry, I am not much help!

[JJH Jimmy]

Been knocking out a few projects on the K20 this winter. So far I fixed the bright light indicator bulb. The socket wasn’t contacting the printed circuit correctly so I had a few extra sockets and swapped it out.

I also ran a power and ground directly from the battery to power the constant hot on the retro sound radio and used the factory yellow key on power and black ground to trigger a relay for the key on power for the radio. I hope that takes care of the interference issues I was having. If it doesn’t work the retro sound is going in the trash and the dash is getting hacked up!

I also added a winch to the behind bumper mount I fabricated when I built the truck!

I am still hoping to put in my USA1 door panels and visors that were ordered 14 months ago but they still don’t have an eta! This is getting ridiculous! I am so tempted to cancel them and dye a couple nice factory ones I pulled from the pick and pull.

I also got a new toy. I’m ready for spring!

[youngrodder]

You can't sit still can you?? I have a check list of several winter fixes myself. Slick winch cover. Out of site out of mind. I like the dirt bike. You probably have a decent amount of land to rip around on.

Marc

[JJH Jimmy]

Originally Posted by youngrodder

You can't sit still can you?? I have a check list of several winter fixes myself. Slick winch cover. Out of site out of mind. I like the dirt bike. You probably have a decent amount of land to rip around on.

Marc

No! I get a little stir crazy in the winter. Let me know if you need any help on any of your projects! I putt around a little bit on my property to get the bike dialed in but I mainly ride single track up north.

I made a magazine too. CK magazine covered the Midwest Truck Nationals in Richmond Indiana that I went to back in August.

[Willowrun]

Nice Husky and congrats on the magazine pic! I ride singletrack up north also but not near as often as I wish I could. Because of that I'm still riding the 20 year-old XR400. Maybe this will be the year I get out more than once or twice...

[youngrodder]

Originally Posted by JJH Jimmy

No! I get a little stir crazy in the winter. Let me know if you need any help on any of your projects! I putt around a little bit on my property to get the bike dialed in but I mainly ride single track up north.

I made a magazine too. CK magazine covered the Midwest Truck Nationals in Richmond Indiana that I went to back in August.

I need to fix/redue my exhaust hangers. I bought some 1/2" solid SS rod that needs to be bent and tig welded on. I might have Johnsons welding on Sprinkle help me out.

Crap...I total missed it in CK. I remembered that you were at the show to. I will give you my copy so you can have more than one. Congrats!!..

Marc

[JJH Jimmy]

Originally Posted by Willowrun

Nice Husky and congrats on the magazine pic! I ride singletrack up north also but not near as often as I wish I could. Because of that I'm still riding the 20 year-old XR400. Maybe this will be the year I get out more than once or twice...

Thanks! I was on a 05 CRF450 that I used to race motocross and GNCC with. I put it on facebook to sell and sold it in about an hour! I have never been without a dirt bike since i was like 7 so i was itching to find one quick. The Husky is a 2022 350 that i bought used with 4 hours on it. I was thinking it would be a little tamer on the single track but this thing feels like it has the same amount of power and about 50 lbs lighter. If you are ever looking for someone to ride with let me know.

[JJH Jimmy]

Originally Posted by youngrodder

I need to fix/redue my exhaust hangers. I bought some 1" solid SS rod that needs to be bent and tig welded on. I might have Johnsons welding on Sprinkle help me out.

Crap...I total missed it in CK. I remembered that you were at the show to. I will give you my copy so you can have more than one. Congrats!!..

Marc

Let me know what you need and i will fab up those hangers for you.

How about I trade you for the magazine that your truck is in?

[youngrodder]

Originally Posted by JJH Jimmy

Let me know what you need and i will fab up those hangers for you.

How about I trade you for the magazine that your truck is in?

Sounds good. I will get a hold of ya. I have the ss round stock just no good way to bend it and I don't tig. I will shoot you a text.

Thank you
Marc

[youngrodder]

Oh, BTW you might want to change the name of this build thread. After looking it over closer this past weekend, there is NOTHING budget about it. Maybe change it to High budget build. This thing has so many great details everywhere you look.

Marc

[JJH Jimmy]

A little update. The short version…… USA1 sucks. I waited 16 months for door panels and visors that I was told were 12 - 16 weeks out when I ordered them in 2021 and when I questioned them on when I would see them and reminded them that every eta date they had given me was not met they cancelled my order! Oh well they can suck it. Last fall I found a nice blue set in a local junk yard and gave $18.00 for them. So I dyed them and got them installed. The original panels that were in the truck that I dyed looked good from a distance but they were cracked in multiple spots that I epoxied back together and didn’t have any texture where your arm rest.

Also, the weather was nice so I drove the K20 to work last week and got 8 miles in and the radio started acting up again. Ugh! So I definitely think now that there is something wrong with it and it is not the install. I have a couple original radios I may send one of those in for a Bluetooth conversion.

[youngrodder]

Looks great per usual Josh. Yeah you were spotted (by Nick) out and about.
I have been using mine quite at bit for errands and parts runs....so much fun.

We need to hook up soon and hit up a CnC or cruise night. The first part of May they really kick off.

Marc

[JJH Jimmy]

Thanks Marc! Gotta get these things out when the sun is shining because you don’t know when it is going to snow again!

Let me know on the cruise nights. I am down. Was thinking of going to the Denooyer show next week end.

[LT7A]

Such a nice job on this rig and it's cool to see that you're enjoying it. I forgot about that slick winch mount, looks cool.

Got me all excited about that brown truck. It was so easy for someone to clean it up and take care of it.

Cleaned up OEM door panels look great!

[JJH Jimmy]

Originally Posted by LT7A

Such a nice job on this rig and it's cool to see that you're enjoying it. I forgot about that slick winch mount, looks cool.

Got me all excited about that brown truck. It was so easy for someone to clean it up and take care of it.

Cleaned up OEM door panels look great!

Thank you!

[JJH Jimmy]

So after driving this thing for a couple summers now I love everything but the transmission. The turbo 400 with 4:10 gears leaves a lot to be desired when trying to keep up with traffic on the highway. It may have been fine in 1985 but in 2023 with 75 mph speed limits I am afraid I will get run over out there. It sucks because I sunk a bunch of money in it to get it built.

The plan this winter is to swap in a 4l80e. I picked up this beauty on market place for $200 and dropped it off to my trans guy for full rebuild and picked it back up this morning. I plan on getting a Hughes 2500 stall lock up converter and the Edelbrock proflo trans controller.

[JJH Jimmy]

I also picked this up a couple weeks ago because it was a deal to good to pass up. I have always liked the 2 door GMT blazer/Yukons. I actually bought it off a car lot near me. It spent its entire life in Southern California and was bought by the dealership off of eBay. It is cleaner than my 2021 duramax and not even a hint of rust. The owner of the lot sold it to me so cheap because they said the rear main was leaking bad. But I had a feeling it was the oil filter adapter gasket failure and it was. The only problem with it is the clear coat is starting to peel. I’m not sure what is am going to do with it yet. But I have been driving it every day!

[Willowrun]

Are you planning on using the same T-case with your 4L80? '85 so is that a 208?

Nice two door GMT Blazer. Rare in these parts as you know so keep it clean and it will only appreciate!

[JJH Jimmy]

Originally Posted by Willowrun

Are you planning on using the same T-case with your 4L80? '85 so is that a 208?

Nice two door GMT Blazer. Rare in these parts as you know so keep it clean and it will only appreciate!

Yea, going to use the 208. I had my trans guy put a 2wd tone wheel on the 4x4 output shaft. I think the proflo trans controller has tuning so it will know when it is in 4lo? there is not much info on it. I have asked questions on the Edelbrock forum and called the tech support line neither provided me with any answers. Back up plan is to use a Speedo cable inline sing al generator.

Yea, you don’t see nice ones in these parts anymore.

[OutlawDrifter]

Having an overdrive will be a game changer for sure.

2-doors are getting harder to come by. I've got an eye out for a Yukon to add to my fleet.

[TKCR]

Originally Posted by JJH Jimmy

I also picked this up a couple weeks ago because it was a deal to good to pass up. I have always liked the 2 door GMT blazer/Yukons. I actually bought it off a car lot near me. It spent its entire life in Southern California and was bought by the dealership off of eBay. It is cleaner than my 2021 duramax and not even a hint of rust. The owner of the lot sold it to me so cheap because they said the rear main was leaking bad. But I had a feeling it was the oil filter adapter gasket failure and it was. The only problem with it is the clear coat is starting to peel. I’m not sure what is am going to do with it yet. But I have been driving it every day!

Love it! Reminds me of the one I had bought new, 1999. It was a Blue Sport. Sold it to a friend of mine, which he still has it. Just lives down the road from me. He still drives it, but has some rust. It’s not as nice as the one you just picked up! Great find.

[JJH Jimmy]

Originally Posted by OutlawDrifter

Having an overdrive will be a game changer for sure.

2-doors are getting harder to come by. I've got an eye out for a Yukon to add to my fleet.

It will be nice to cruise down the highway at a decent rpm.

Yea, you don’t see many in good shape in this area. I have actually been looking for one for a while.

[JJH Jimmy]

Originally Posted by TKCR

Love it! Reminds me of the one I had bought new, 1999. It was a Blue Sport. Sold it to a friend of mine, which he still has it. Just lives down the road from me. He still drives it, but has some rust. It’s not as nice as the one you just picked up! Great find.

I like the blue! I have had a bunch of 4x4 GMT400’s growing up and love the style. They are still relatively easy to work on with all of the comforts of a newer vehicle.

[JJH Jimmy]

Had some time today so I got the 400 out and the 4l80e in. Of course that was the easy part. Still need to get rear drive shaft shortened, front drive shaft lengthened, wiring installed, modify shift linkage, modify transfer case linkage and modify the exhaust.