Project Madera: A Jimmy GT

[jbclassix]

MMMMM..... boost

[skorpioskorpio]

If I get power hungry one day maybe, but likely if I do it'll be a centrifugal supercharger, but for now, it's stacks.

[skorpioskorpio]

The obligatory photos of rocker ugliness, just to dispel the notion that Cali trucks are immune, they ain't:

[skorpioskorpio]

Parts for the nose job, 67 donor grill (for the top filler) and the new 67-68 cowl hood:

[CParnell]

This is very interesting. keep up the good work. Subscribed!

[IwantaK5]

That is a pretty cool engine to be putting in there. Never considered that I6. I had a trailblazer with that 6 in it and have been a fan of them.

[skorpioskorpio]

Thanks for the support.

Weekend after next it starts the next phase the disassembly, blasting and such. The truck is chock full of Hickey parts currently, roof rack (on the sagging top), spare and Jerry carrier (actually that's off already), I think the sunroof is a Hickey item, as are the coilover shocks front and rear.

The body guy wants me to have the body blasted before he finishes up the rockers, understandable, it was a mess in there. The trim holes are all filled, I have the 67 grill with the door cap and did some test fitting of the trucks new slanty nose:

[72blazerblue]

Can you put up some pics of these Hickey coil over shocks? Interested in that set up. Did it ride smooth(er) with them?

[skorpioskorpio]

The Hickey shocks are a suppliment to the leafs, not in place of if that is what you are thinking, they simply mount to the stock shock mounts. I'll look to see if i have any pictures of them. The truck had (err has) a bad bearing in the rear diff somewhere, or the posi is locked up, well anyway the truck drove feet not miles when I got it and makes some awful noises doing it, so I have no idea how it drives. I was planning on replacing the diff with a widened Moser anyway, and not really keeping anything from the drivetrain at all for that matter, so the locked up diff and the three grand discount because of it was a bonus for me, about what the new Moser costs, Unfortunatly not for you because it prevents me from really answering your question.

[72blazerblue]

Yeah i see what you mean. I wish i knew someone who uses em, ive seen that "coil over stock-shock" design before and had wondered how they were for ride quality. I dont guess ive seen anyone use them?

Also , what trans are you gonna use?! I would love to use that motor!!
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[skorpioskorpio]

The Atlas 6 is kind of married to a 4l60/65e although there is some adapters to use other things like a 5 speed manual and a Chevy SB pattern but it's kind of odd since the Atlas 6 mounts the starter about mid block on the drivers side, not at under pan level on the passenger side as is more common. This eliminates anything with a tight bell housing like a 700r4 although there are guys running 4l80s.

For now I'm planning on a built up 4l60e but hope once the pricing calms down that I'll move to a 6l80e and a paddle shifter, I'm kind of planning this with that in mind. I'll be moving it to a floor shift (you still need a shifter for P-N-R-D even with a paddle shifter), putting in a shorter tilt column (with a spacer the size of the paddle shifter), and a TCU that can do both (Compu-shift). I won't see more than about mid 400s for hp without boost so a built 4l60e should be fine. 6l80s are in the $4-5000 range because there just aren't many cores out there yet, but then again 4 speed OD transmissions were that way when they were a new thing. My '91 Suburban has a 4l80e in it and the core charge on one of those used to be $1500-2000 now you can buy one and they don't even want your core.

[72blazerblue]

I see! I think its going to be awesome!! Are you gonna stay with the np205 and move the motor forward? And what about motor mounts, will the 6 mount in like a small block chevy?

This truck is gonna be awesome no doubt!
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[skorpioskorpio]

NP205? um, no, Porterbuilt mild drop, trailing arms and coil overs, no transfer case, and no 4wd and not a dragger either. It'll be about 8 inches to the frame midway. The goal is to make it handle like a slot car. pushing the track width out by about 4 inches in the front and 6 inches in the rear then using the really deep back spacing on the wheels to narrow it back up. This puts the steering knuckle into the wheel with the goal of making it have fast steering without being twitchy and also being able to get a 12" wide section width 28" tall tire in the wells by reducing the back and forth of tire movement.

[72blazerblue]

Awesome! Cant wait to see it, im sure you cant either!
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[skorpioskorpio]

It's so much to do, I'm basically keeping the body and the frame rails and not much else. But yes I can't wait.

This is the best shots I have of the Hickey shocks, they aren't great but then again I wasn't really trying to take pics of them....and well truth be told I kind of tasked the girlfriend with photo duty. It's a difficult photo situation at the body shop the truck is pretty surrounded by some more impressive machinery than mine. In this shop at the moment are several hotrods, a Studebaker Avanti, a '37 Cord roadster, a wicked pro street '68 Elco and many others, I think my truck is the newest thing in the shop.

[Wasted Income]

Originally Posted by skorpioskorpio

I'll be moving it to a floor shift (you still need a shifter for P-N-R-D even with a paddle shifter), putting in a shorter tilt column (with a spacer the size of the paddle shifter), and a TCU that can do both (Compu-shift).

I'm running a TCI Outlaw with the 2 buttons. The buttons will control a tap-shift function thru the Megashift module.

Just another option for you.

http://www.jegs.com/i/TCI/890/611641...oductId=757631

[skorpioskorpio]

The compushift/paddle shifter option still retains automatic shifting, actually 2 different selectable profiles for automatic shifting and then electronically allows full manual shifting with the paddle shifter by pulling the right paddle and holding it for a couple seconds. Everyone I talk to seems to put the compushift TCU in a whole other category from all the other TCUs out there. Cheap it ain't though.

Anyway, this all goes along with the dynamically reconfigurable approach I'm trying to get to with this truck, I'm going to be using the electronically selectable Ridetech Select coil overs. I've chosen the ECU because it has the hooks to do launch control, and a lot of spare analog and digital I/O ports, which I can use for, um... stuff. The engine in its native habitat has things like VVT and knock sensors which I may try and make do useful things eventually, although the stock cam grinds really use the VVT to do emission compliance and smooth out the torque curve so that the kids toys don't roll around in the back so much, not my priority.

I am trying to figure out a hackable double din Sat/Nav head unit that maybe I can tap into the touch screen output and video input so I can manipulate an onboard mITX PC to do ECU/TCU monitoring as well as control things like the Vintage Air system. If I can figure that all out I can pretty much eliminate virtually all switches and knobs from my dash. We'll see, that's more down the road.

I see the value in all the modern stuff new cars come with, well a lot of it anyway, but not so interested in the plastic tub it comes in, or the California "don't touch anything" rules, or the fact that I'm lucky if I truly understand 20% of how the controls really work. My goal is to build a technology advanced vehicle with a durable retro racing inspired shell. I know I don't get airbags, crumple zones and anti lock brakes, the last of which I find more of a nuisance than a feature, and the first 2, well I'm going to try not to crash into anything

[Wasted Income]

Originally Posted by skorpioskorpio

The compushift/paddle shifter option still retains automatic shifting, actually 2 different selectable profiles for automatic shifting and then electronically allows full manual shifting with the paddle shifter by pulling the right paddle and holding it for a couple seconds. Everyone I talk to seems to put the compushift TCU in a whole other category from all the other TCUs out there. Cheap it ain't though.

Sounds like a cool unit...but it better be for $1100+ Sounds like your mind is made up, but have a look anyway

http://www.msgpio.com/manuals/mshift/4L60e.html

The code starts in one of the two user-selectable auto-modes (sequential shift or skip-shift). Manual mode can be selected at any time by pressing either shift button. Once in manual mode, auto-mode can be re-engaged by:

• exceeding either of the user-settable over rev or under rev limits (CAN-enabled only)
• pressing and holding both shift buttons simultaneously
• dropping in speed to under 8 mph (from over 20 mph) without selecting first gear in 2WD mode.
• shifting to any of Park, Neutral, or Reverse gears.

[skorpioskorpio]

It's interesting, is it only available as a DIY bare board?

[FRENCHBLUE72]

Sounds like a great build cant wait to see some more..

[Wasted Income]

Originally Posted by skorpioskorpio

It's interesting, is it only available as a DIY bare board?

I believe so.

[skorpioskorpio]

Stuff going on, just not real entertaining stuff. Brackets to complete the accessory drive for the front of the engine finally got here after being involved in a train wreck in New Mexico, literally, ordered from GMPartsDirect and the shipment was on a train that derailed. Also moved the truck to it's disassembly spot, which starts this weekend. Oh and brakes started to grind on my '03 Sonoma so needed to order rotors and pads, and while I was at it ordered the rotors and pads for the Jimmy. These got held up in a flood in Dekalb, IL...What's the deal? They're Z51 Vette rotors, 13 1/2" front, 13" rear, the internal drum for the parking brake on the rear rotors is kind of a cool deal. I took a pic of the front and rears for the Jimmy along side the cute little 11" Sonoma rotors:

[ColoradoK5]

wow you have a lot of great things going into this one sounds like you project is in the right hands!! cant wait to see more

[skorpioskorpio]

Progress, It is 4 by 4 no more, well I guess it still has a transfer case for the moment. Got the rear pulled apart on Saturday (in pic) the front cam off on Sunday after some snotty weld grinding that seemed to serve no purpose other that to make it impossible to remove the front bolt from the drivers side leaf. I guess some time in the last 43 years there was a wave of thefts of drivers side leaf springs, dunno. Didn't get a picture of the naked front end, it got dark. But I did get a picture of the ultra rare aftermarket Turbo Vapor Injection system

[jjzepplin]

I'll bite. What the heck Is a Turbo Vapor kit? Nice build BTW!