Che-Zoom!

SinCityLocal · #1 (**permalink**) 10-28-2009, 10:42 PM

Well, I'm fairly new to this forum and have made a few comments regarding my TPI 5.7 liter Mazda, so I figured It's time to share.

Before swapping the motor, I lengthened the wheelbase, because I never liked the rear wheel well location on the Cab Plus truck beds. It always looked funny to me.
So I actually used the complete back two thirds of a second truck frame to accommodate the standard bed.

At some point, I'll lower it an inch or two, but it'll never be slammed. This one is getting set up to do some road racing!

Then, I narrowed the frame section at the rear wheels, so I could stuff some fatties in there... someday. I'll need to fabricate a ladder bar suspension and do some wheel well work to make it happen.

So, on to the engine...

In preparation, I had to notch the crossmember to set the engine in a bit lower. I did this so I wouldn't have to modify the firewall or the transmission tunnel.

The black intake tube is hand made from fiberglass and is wide in the center because it gets pretty thin going over the alternator.

Building the motor mounts was a piece of cake.
In the first pic, you can see the 1-5/16 inch(36mm) sway bar that I modified from a Formula Firebird(which donated all the GM parts I used).
...and this is a 50 state emissions legal install. All GM smog equipment was transferred over too.

I had to toss the Mazda Transmission crossmember and make my own mount that is through bolted to the torsion crossmember. By the way it's a 700R4 transmission.

For those of you who noticed an AC compressor in the first engine pic...
Yes it is equipped with a fully functioning system(I live in Las Vegas). I just had to move the condenser under the bed!

I mounted some Prelude seats in the cab, but nobody sees them with the hand made fiberglass console(not finished yet).

Future plans are to change the rear to a disc brake equipped LSD rear from an S-10 with a 3:23 ratio(these 4:10's are killing me on the freeway. Even with the overdrive tranny!!!).
I already have the S-10 rear, just no time or money to do the rear suspension yet. I also plan to add a second fuel tank, but that isn't a necessity right now. Paint is!

Surprisingly, I'm getting about 25 mpg When I keep my foot out of the throttle.
In a couple of years, I plan to redo the gauge pod with Auto Meter gauges and a little more fiberglass work. I never really liked the squared off gauge cluster either.

It won't get a stereo system until I'm finished with everything else. It might make me forget that it's not finished yet!

Mazdaug · #2 (**permalink**) 10-29-2009, 07:57 PM

Could I ship my daug to Vegas and get this swap done...jajajaj great hell of job...

EmJay · #3 (**permalink**) 10-29-2009, 11:11 PM

I just have to say kudos to a job very well done. You obviously had another vehicle as a daily and took your time on this build.

dealwithit · #4 (**permalink**) 10-29-2009, 11:57 PM

thats sick! not many people take the time to do a proper EFI v8 swap! and that you used an overdrive tranny too! only thing i could think of would be if you had a camaro t5 trans in there would be just more icing on the cake

nice looking ride bro!

SinCityLocal · #5 (**permalink**) 10-30-2009, 12:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EmJay

I just have to say kudos to a job very well done. You obviously had another vehicle as a daily and took your time on this build.

Thanks! It took five months of nights and weekends. Most of the weekends had 20 hour days.
My 87 b2000 was my daily, but after more than 350,000 miles, it was dying and I didn't have any love left for it.
But the 2600i that came out of this one will go into my 87.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dealwithit

thats sick! not many people take the time to do a proper EFI v8 swap! and that you used an overdrive tranny too! only thing i could think of would be if you had a camaro t5 trans in there would be just more icing on the cake

nice looking ride bro!

Traffic sucks in Vegas! I was tired of the clutch. You're right, a T5 would be alot more fun, but this is my daily now.
I still have the 3'rd pedal in the truck... if that makes you feel any better.

RG2200 · #6 (**permalink**) 10-30-2009, 01:22 AM

Very cool - thanks for posting - a very nice job!

Some of this will help me with my 5.0 swap that I'm part way through - see my 5.0 build thread. I finally got a T5, and my brother (who's a heavy-duty marine mechanic) has offered to rebuild it for me/with me - he also has a good (cheap) source for the parts. Once I've rebuilt the T5 and the short water pump arrives, I can start figuring out how it's all going to fit into the engine bay etc.

briankmizell · #7 (**permalink**) 10-30-2009, 04:00 AM

It appears that you modified the rad support to get more clearance for a water pump etc, what radiator did you end up using?

SinCityLocal · #8 (**permalink**) 10-30-2009, 09:49 AM

I had to ditch the bumper mounts to fit a brand new 91 Firebird radiator.
Now the bumper just hangs on a few body mounted tabs. It's only cosmetic now.
I'm leaving town for the weekend. When I get back, I'll get a couple better shots of the front.

briankmizell · #9 (**permalink**) 12-02-2009, 07:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SinCityLocal

I had to ditch the bumper mounts to fit a brand new 91 Firebird radiator.
Now the bumper just hangs on a few body mounted tabs. It's only cosmetic now.
I'm leaving town for the weekend. When I get back, I'll get a couple better shots of the front.

Any new pictures of this nice ride?

SinCityLocal · #10 (**permalink**) 12-02-2009, 11:24 AM

Uh... Yeah...

This guy in an Isuzu delivery truck decided to make a right turn from the left lane.

Guess where I was sitting.

He pushed me into the curb, and onto the sidewalk.
That f***ing tire was brand new!

briankmizell · #11 (**permalink**) 12-02-2009, 11:37 AM

Man my feeling go out for you, I am sorry to hear about this. Did the guy have insurance....hope so.

On the up side, from the picture of your truck it doesn't look real bad. Its bad enough, but fixable from what I can tell.

You seem to be great at fabrication, so I assume you can fix a wrecked truck, if the guy has insurance you may get lucky enough to make some money off of the deal and buy some toys or pay bills or something.

Once again I am sorry to hear about it.

SinCityLocal · #12 (**permalink**) 12-02-2009, 05:08 PM

I already called the company's insurance.
I'm waiting to see how they want to handle it.

The damage doesn't look like more than a mirror, fender, hood and hinge, but the hood won't open right now, so I don't know how extensive it is.

I have an excuse to put my Protege mirrors on now.

Bustedback · #13 (**permalink**) 12-02-2009, 08:04 PM

Good news and bad news. The insurance company will most likely total the truck, but they will have to pay you what the truck is worth according to sources like Kelly Blue Book. My 86 LX was a total loss when some dope ran a stop sign, but did stop in front of me. I got $1900.00 for the truck. I only paid $700.00 for it. I bought it back from the insurance company for $83.00 and picked it clean of all of the better LX goodies, then put all of that bootie in another truck I picked up for $600.00. I made money on that deal...well my wife did ok with the left over cash.
Your truck does not look real bad, you can fix that with no problems and have a bunch of cash left over. You can put that buldgey hood on you've been wanting for awhile, some 4x4 fenders, chrome grill and Toyota bumper, the list goes on. You may have lucked out, but you just have to wait. The insurance company may fix it, who knows. Either way it's kind of a win win.

dealwithit · #14 (**permalink**) 12-02-2009, 10:08 PM

meh, an accident is never usually a win win situation, especially with a custom truck. but it does give the chance to put on the mirrors like you said and perhaps a mean looking bubble hood?

Ohm · #15 (**permalink**) 12-02-2009, 10:13 PM

As Dan Atkins well tell you, always have your truck revalued when you do something major to it that is not stock, otherwise you won't get anything back, that's what happened to his supercharged rotary truck. You well also want to check over your whole front end as it was bashed around, I would be surprised if something is bent or damaged.