88 4x4 V8 build (Eventually!)
 

Hey everyone,

I've been hanging out here for a while now but I haven't really shared too much about myself yet. I recently acquired a 88 blazer, I picked it up as a winter beater/eventual project truck but I'm already wanting to buy a second blazer so I won't have to tear this one up in the crappy weather. (I have issues :icon_doh:)

I love blazers, I had a 2002 2 door 5 speed for a while which I eventually traded in on my DD, a 07 Pontiac G5. I messed with the idea of supercharging/turbocharging the G5 for a while but it's just too expensive to get any real power out of a new car like that (plus reliability issues and eventual resale value...)
So with winter getting closer I decided to buy a blazer (I didn't want to drive my G5 in the winter weather, I told you I had problems :icon_shrug:) I'd heard of V8 blazers before but never really thought about it too seriously. Since I was already looking for a blazer as a winter car I figured I would swap a V8 into one for kicks (The power of a 2.8 has pretty much guaranteed that this thing will get a V8!)

So I found the 88, it had a clean interior and a pretty straight body plus pretty low mileage so I decided to take it home. After combing over it a little more at home I pretty much found out that someone has not treated this thing too nice in the past. I noticed a few spots in the paint that I thought was just surface rust poking through a "Maaco special" paintjob. I took a wheel to a few spots to try to see what was really going on and it turns out the previous owner had just covered tons and tons of rust with Dow "great stuff" and bondo. :icon_no:

I considered driving the thing for the winter and tossing it in the spring but I found a guy on craigslist with an entire blazer in sheet metal (minus the quarters, I live about 20 minutes from LMC though so I'll just go pick up some new ones) Anyway I ended up driving home with almost every body part I needed (completely rust free parts!) for an amazing steal! So seeing as how fixing the rust will be economical now I decided to just keep the blazer around :)

I've got an entire garage filled with parts!

http://img560.imageshack.us/img560/3...1106144545.jpg

http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/462...1106144410.jpg

http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/4...1106144420.jpg
(you can see a few of my other projects in these pictures:icon_angel:)

I've got...

Both fenders, one is a little worn but the other is brand new.
A pair of brand new rockers, BADLY needed these!
A hood
Both doors, in excellent shape!
Two rear glass gates, one with the defroster and wiper (gonna need that for the winter!)
A posi rear end, not sure if it'll work though. Didn't they swap to a larger rear end in 88? This one might be off of a older blazer. Plus I'm not sure the gearing from the front and back will match... Anyone know how I could figure out if this would work or not?
A clutch pedal set (gotta be a standard truck, I hate automatics!)
Lots of taillights!
and a radiator support modified to hold a corvette radiator.

Can you believe that all fit in the back of the blazer!

So far I've only fixed a manifold leak (what a pain! There is no room at all to work in there!) Added a radio and threw in some old subs I had lying around.

I plan on shoving either a LT1 or LS1 in this thing in the spring (I'll choose the motor after I see how much my raise will be this year :)) Defiantly going to throw either a 5 or 6 speed behind the engine though. I might lift it 2-3 inches or though but that's probably it. I'll be keeping the exterior mostly stock though, sleeper style! The interior will be going all black, not exactly sure how though. I might test some of that plastic paint that LMC sells but I'm highly skeptical of any interior paints. Wish I could find an original black interior blazer...

Progress will be slow, but I'll always be doing something with the thing!

Here's my original blazer, a 2002 2 door 5 speed :icon_wink:. Only a 2wd car though...

http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/6308/dsc00001at.jpg

Good luck with your project.

I found an entire 5.3 and a rust free body! Now to make it all fit...

http://i879.photobucket.com/albums/a...g?t=1297826722

I told you it would take me a while!

It's only been a few months, that's fast for me :)

Nice, you'll love the 5.3. What year truck is it from?

Ahh, it's only been a few months and all I've got is a body and an engine! I'm still lacking a transmission, fuel pump, cooling system, headers (I guess I have to make my own, I can't find any LS 4x4 headers anywhere!) engine mounts...

The list goes on!!

Anyway, it'll be a nice little truck eventually. That is if all goes well...

This 5.3 came from a 2002 1500 so it's still cable throttle body. I think I might switch to an LS6 cam and springs, and possibly a different intake. I don't know if the tall truck thing will clear my hood and I don't want to go with a cowl hood, that just ruins the sleeper-ness!

i'm liking that one sitting there in the corner. :) (always had a luv for them square bodies)


just wait 'til you stuff that 8 in there. (removable body for plug changes anybody? :icon_razz:)


:icon_doh: you soooo don't to do that behind that 8. unless you plan on going with a built aftermarket stick for it.

GM's 4WD sticks are garbage.


did you say you're having trouble finding engine mounts for the swap? there are plenty of companies that sell V8 conversion kits. Summit, Jegs, etc.

Looks like fun, I hope to eventually convert my blazer to a v8 also.

My 5spd was fine... I just wished the throws weren't from here to Mexico though, Racing a Sentra was like throwing a Hail Mary at the Super Bowl.

lucky you Pat.

i broke 3 in my Jimmy. the first replacement to break was a GM reman unit. broke after 19 months (almost to the day, around 90K)

the shifts weren't too bad considering. mind you, i never owned a ricer with a short throw to compare it to. :icon_shrug:

besides, Hurst makes (made?) a pretty nice shifter for those trucks.

even the FS sticks were garbage in the 4WD's. structurally & internally.