1947 S10 4x4 Blazer swap

[gregw98]

Did you have the driveshaft custom build or did you find one that fit your needs?

[msaintg]

A little more from week 42. I didn't feel like doing body work on the fender or hood, so I let myself get a little side tracked and worked on little things like.... painted some stripes on the dash plate, made some mounting brackets for the tail lights, and cleaned and painted the old running lights. Oh, here is a shot of my new wheels I finally found on CL.

[msaintg]

Originally Posted by gregw98

Did you have the driveshaft custom build or did you find one that fit your needs?

The guy who rebuilt my tranny (and converted it to a 2x4 tranny) had an extra driveshaft laying around that had the correct spline on it for the 2x4 tranny, so he through it in. It was too short so I didn't even check to see if it would bolt up to my rear diff. I just cut what I needed off of my old drive shaft and lengthened the new one to fit. I will have to get it redone, but it is OK for now.

[87Jimmy4JP]

just saw this one...what an inspiring build!....I think this truck is awesome...watching and wanting more pics.


JP

[zellway]

Originally Posted by 87Jimmy4JP

just saw this one...what an inspiring build!....I think this truck is awesome...watching and wanting more pics.


JP

[msaintg]

thanks guys. Well, just for you... and my brother.... here is a midweek update. I feel like goldy locks... this grill is too light... this grill is too dark... for those of you counting, I have now painted the grill three times, but it is just right now. I painted a few other misc. parts while I was at it.

I found a smok'n deal on NEW tires online (onlinetires.com), so I purchased them.... 225x45 R18... for only $67 each! I am going to try to get them installed this weekend.... should lower the truck another inch. My goal is to get the front fenders and grill all bolted on so I can do more body work on the hood.
Mike

[87Jimmy4JP]

yeah!

its really taking shape now...

JP

[msaintg]

week 43 - Got the new tires mounted and wheels put back on. I have about an inch from tire to fender with the tires fully turned. I got the fenders permanently bolted on and got started on the grill. I need to get all of the wiring modified and installed for the headlights, running lights and turn signal lights before I can button up the grill assembly.

[Daze57]

lookin; good

[msaintg]

thanks,

Week 44 - I finished bolting the grill on and then the front bumper. I installed the headlights, running, and directional lights and then wired them up. Unfortunately, they don’t work right. I ended up disconnecting the front running and directional lights until I figure out what is wrong (acts like a bad ground, but that all checks out). Then I set the hood on it to get an idea how much work it is going to be to get the hood to fit….. a LOT I also temporarily hung a fender on so I could see how much of a wheel spacer I am going to need. Do they make 3” spacers? I don’t like the open space below the grill and I don't like the skirts that go there on the stock trucks. I want something that goes vertical. I don’t know what I am going to do with that area yet. Hmmm. I took some other measurements too.... the front bumper is 5.5" off the ground and the lowest point of the front fender is 4.5" off the ground.

[cleanshaven84]

I bet you are chomping at the bits to be driving this thing, lol. The grill and by per look great on there with the brown color.
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[87Jimmy4JP]

" I don’t like the open space below the grill and I don't like the skirts that go there on the stock trucks. I want something that goes vertical. I don’t know what I am going to do with that area yet. "


What if you made up a filler panel that goes between the fenders behind the bumper and under the grille.? you could cut 2 holes for the bumper brackets.

If you added flanges here and there it could be a bolt on item.

It could be made from steel and maybe even other materials.

although, maybe a "shelf" like the originals made from diamond plate, steel, aluminum, chrome, ect could work too...


JP

[msaintg]

I have seen trucks with that area closed with sheet metal that follows the lines of the grill. I was hoping that was something I could buy, but I guess I will have to make that myself. That is not a priority, so I won't worry about that until later on down the road. Yes, I am really wanting to be driving this thing, but I still have at least 6 months worth of stuff to do to it before It will be drivable. Heck, I don't even have a title for it yet.

[msaintg]

Wow, i have really been pulling my hair out over the last three days trying to figure out my light problems, but I finally figured it out.… the rear lights that I just purchased had 6V bulbs in them which all blew out immediately (so I could not get them to come on) duh! and the front head lights are supposed to be on all the time..… (daytime running lights). I just couldn't wrap my brain around the lights coming on dim when I turned the key to run. duh! I did get some 2” wheel spacers in the mail yesterday, so I got those put on the back wheels. Oh well, I guess that is a little movement forward

[87Jimmy4JP]

Originally Posted by msaintg

Wow, i have really been pulling my hair out over the last three days trying to figure out my light problems, but I finally figured it out.… the rear lights that I just purchased had 6V bulbs in them which all blew out immediately (so I could not get them to come on) duh! and the front head lights are supposed to be on all the time..… (daytime running lights). I just couldn't wrap my brain around the lights coming on dim when I turned the key to run. duh! I did get some 2” wheel spacers in the mail yesterday, so I got those put on the back wheels. Oh well, I guess that is a little movement forward

Ya cant move forward very quickly sometimes when the bugaboos are around!

bet those tires and wheels look great moved outward.....

JP

[Greenlee]

Wow, cool build! Nice work.
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[msaintg]

Thanks guys.

Week 45 - I decided to do a little more body work on the rear fender. It needs more work, but I put it back on temporarily to see how the wheels look with the 2" spacers on them. They look a lot better, but I still wish I could have gotten them pushed out another inch. Oh well. I also started in on the tailgate again. I still need to install some hidden latches and then finish the body work.

[Daze57]

looks really good !

[bjcaldwe]

Nice work.

[87Jimmy4JP]

I think that looks a LOT better....


JP

[gregw98]

I can't get over how nice that bed floor looks. I regret now, throwing my S10 bed to the scrapper. I could have just cut the walls off. Learning as I go.

[msaintg]

thanks for compliments guys. Good to know my mistakes don't show up in the pics.

thanks Greg, ya I am glad I went with the S10 bed. A wood bed would be waaaay prettier, but I just could not afford to go that route... and I could always make a wood floor to set on top of the S10 floor. My philosophy is this... If I have to replace a damaged or worn out part... why replace it with the same stock piece, when a custom part would be cooler or more useful and maybe even cheaper. Wow, "learning as I go", what an understatement. If I had it to do over again, I would have held out of a 2X4 S10 pickup, longbed. Seams the only advantage of the 4x4 is the adjustability of the torsion suspension in the front for ride height. Not much of an advantage compared to all of the disadvantages of the 4X4 drivetrain. I don't regret going with the S10 drivetrain though, with all of the modern comforts, over reworking every part of that worn out '47. Using all pieces from one donor vehicle was a pain up front, but I think it will help me greatly with compatability issues in the home stretch.

[msaintg]

I didn't have working hood hinges (so I did not set the hood on) when I set up the cab and front fenders. Well, now I have a problem.... It appears I set the fenders up a little high in the front, so now the hood sticks out half an inch over the grill. Rather than try to reposition the cab at this point, I trimmed half an inch off of the hood. But it still won't fit unless I move the hinge back another half inch (and the hinges are pushed back as far as they will go allready). So now I am thinking I need to redrill the holes in the hinges where they mount to the hood. AND I have a large gap between the hood and the fenders.

Whats that about "learn as I go?"

[jed971959]

on my truck the hood was sticking out at the grill and fenders by about 1/2" and had a gap at the hood and cowling,fenders.
try jacking the front of the cab up this closed the gap on the sides and moved the hood back to line the fenders and hood up at the front
merry christmas and happy new years
jim

[87Jimmy4JP]

Originally Posted by jed971959

on my truck the hood was sticking out at the grill and fenders by about 1/2" and had a gap at the hood and cowling,fenders.
try jacking the front of the cab up this closed the gap on the sides and moved the hood back to line the fenders and hood up at the front
merry christmas and happy new years
jim

its gonna sound weird...but as a model maker working in 1/16, 1/24, 1/32, ect...I actually come across this all the time...if the cab a little low on the front mounts, it is possible for the alignment issues to be in the "vertical plane"...Is the cab plumb when the frame is level, in other words?

I would be concerned with cutting the hood and having alignment issues along the bottom edge of the hood where the curvature matches the top of the fender.

Maybe a cardboard template first?

Is moving the cab back a little, more work than reshaping that hood?....

If the hood has a slight rake where the nose is a little lower, then I think the mod will look okay...but if the nose is a little high, and the cab is not quite plumb.....I think it may look a little less than ideal.

Are the fenders level?

You're doing an amazing job on this truck!


sorry for my long winded 2 cents!

JP