'72 Frame Up Rebuild

[scoyote]

Actually I replaced the fuel tank with a Northwest Products 37 gallon tank so the neck was relocated and I fabbed in a new one with a flexible fuel hose.

There is a thread here about some guys that moved it to the rear light just like a 56 chevy.

One guy here makes a kit that has the hinges and everything, it looks pretty cool.

I saw it after mine was done or I would have opted for that instead.

If you are interested in that you can probably find him on the For Sale board.

[ANTHONY67]

Looking good keep up the good work.

[Shock_Me]

Fantastic progress!! Hope mine turns out like that!
I may have missed it somewhere in the thread, but where did you get the replacement floor in the rear from?

Pete

[Yukon Jack]

Very nice - can't wait to see it on the road! I dig your tall garage door, that's the way to make them!

[scoyote]

We got the replacement floor from LMC, it's from a '72 shortbed and had to be cut to fit.

Blazer is shorter than a shortbed, so we cut the middle out and then welded it back together right over the seat brace.

[scoyote]

More progress to share.
We are installing a Painless Wiring Harness and it's really not to bad.
We are looking for options on where to install the ECM, any ideas?

I was thinking behind the gauge cluster under the dash maybe?

There isn't enough wire to get to the glove compartment. I was wanting to mount it behind the glove compartment.

Has anyone done this yet?

Installed the tilt column I got from a member here.

If all goes well and the paint shop gets my front clip done, this should be running next week.

Not driving yet....but running.....and that will be a HUGE milestone.

Still misc parts and pieces ....lots of parts and pieces to install but every piece gets it closer.

One piece at a time

[vtblazer]

Great progress, cool to see it coming together.

To bad you don't have enough length on the harness for the ECM, they fit well behind the box.

[scoyote]

Yea, that is where I wanted to put it but of all the wire to cut short...those are to short.

I've got enough wire in other places to wire things twice.....

So far that is the only complaint that I have about the Painless Harness.

[70 Suburban]

i used the stock harness with my tpi. when i did it i put it all under the seat bottom on the passanger side. I f i needed to get to it i jsut lift the seat up

[scoyote]

More progress.....not much....but progress is progress.
Front fenders installed and by now I'm sure the front clip is complete with the hood on it, but I stopped by early this morning to check progress and this is where they were at the time.

It's all exciting to me....If I see progress....I LOVE IT!

Getting closer....should be back at MTO Fabrication and Suspension here in Fort Collins either tomorrow or the next day so they can get the wiring done, mufflers.....and all the stuff it takes to get that 383 stroker cranked up and running....and that will be a HUGE milestone!!

[72truckman]

DAMMM THAT LOOKS AWESOME!

[Yukon Jack]

Wow, I bet you are excited!

[scoyote]

Thought I would dust off this thread with an update.

We have made progress but still lots to do.

Wiring is tedious work....glad I'm not doing it ;-)

Engine compartment is pretty much done except for small stuff like mounting the horn, radiator overflow.....stuff like that.

I'm going to go ahead and install electric fans at this stage of the build and a dual battery setup......just to have that stuff done.

I won't be hard wheeling this thing until the "new" wears off of it but I will be in the hills on trails.....but nothing hard and no scratches.....not yet.

Here is a photo of it coming back from some touch up paint/body work and another one of the engine compartment.

I've installed the weather stripping, all the exterior lights (except front) so it's starting to get that finished look.

Still waiting on the tailgate but hopefully we will have this thing ready to start this week so we can get exhaust installed and take it to the dyno to get it tuned and a chip burnt for it.

I'm thinking FlowMaster 40 series for mufflers.

I don't want it "loud".....but I do like a healthy rumble.....is this the right muffler?

Still have steering wheel to pick out and after we get the exterior and drive train.....it's interior time......

[Chevyman63]

Cool...progress! Looking great!

[MontanaPete1]

WOW! That is NICE!

[Tom Vogel]

Hey that IS nice!
What camera are you using for your pictures? what megapixalss and/or resizing aplication. Id sure like to post some pictures but cant see to resize them...my camera is a 7.5 megapixal. Anyway... looking good,... mine is about at the same stage as yours.

[scoyote]

Let's see some photos of your build!

These photos are taken with a combination of camera phones, Nikon megapixel digital and unknown cameras.

I use Photoshop to resize so I can upload.

[scoyote]

Well......now it can stand on it's own for the first time!
Cranked it over.......didn't start it yet.

Took it to the dyno guy (he's a hot rodder that builds his own stuff) and he's gonna hook it up to the computer and start it for the first time in the next day or two.

So....not really visible progress but we have all the electrical done, gauge cluster installed with the oil sending unit hooked up.

Need to change the kick down linkage is what the dyno guy told me today (he also owns a tranny shop and rebuilt my Jeep tranny a long time ago).

But....should be able to get the ECM tweaked and a new program installed for that 383 and get some miles on it before we try to dyno it.

But, as you can see we still have quite a few parts and pieces to get on it....but once it's running....I'll put the drivers seat in it.....and I'm driving it!

[Tom Vogel]

Man. you passed me up like I was standing still! How many people you got working on that?
As for pictures, I checked, and all I have is Photoshop Elements... I guess its what came bundled on the computer. I suppose Ill have to run out and purchase a full zoot version.

[scoyote]

I've got the truck down at MTO Suspension and Fabrication here in Fort Collins, CO. They do everything.....from tear down to restoration so I've got a guy working on that thing 2 or 3 times a week.

Of course I have to pay for it....but I can't take off work so it's how I gotta do it. Plus I'm not sure I have the knowledge or patience to do it myself.

I do all the minor stuff like weatherstripping, painting all the frame, brackets...parts and pieces.....so I am involved but when it comes to the "real" work.....I leave that to people that do it for a living while I stay at my "day job" and do what I know how to do ;-)

We started this in January so it's been going on for 8 months now and it's still got a ways to go.

Probably a two year project from start to finish, and that's with professionals working on it a couple times a week.

[rburke65]

I used the FlowMaster 40s on my '65 Impala with a built 406 ci Chevy.....sounds pretty bad a$$.....it is pretty bad a$$. But you should like them. Nice build!

[ChadGiles70]

Looking real nice!

[scoyote]

The Flowmaster 40's are a little louder than I wanted. I'm having a crossover pipe installed to see if it takes the edge off of them.

Can someone give me the measurement from floor pan to the seat on the stock seats?

I'm trying to figure out how much higher these seats are from the stock ones.

[Tom Vogel]

Exactly 12" from the floor to the center front of the seat.

[scoyote]

You da man Charger Orange ;-)

Now...is that 12" from the floor pan or the little hump where the seats bolt down? And is that to the top of the seat in the center (top of the horizontal seat).