I'm Cheating On You...

[ZEUS]

Looks like it would be too easy to crease bending by hand.

Yeah, I noticed that in the image with the dime as well. Found it concerning myself but also realized I would not need to make such a tight radius. Hmm...

Ya know Zeus I hate to admit it but I actually tryed to wipe that little knat off my screen a while back...

HAHA! Awesome! If I "bug" one person, it was worth it!

Thats either one of the best innovations for brakeline ever or one of those things that's just too good to be true. Is there anywhere they have more info like what this miracle metal is that let's you bend it by hand yet still contains thousands of psi of brake line pressure?

All I could find out about the miracle metal is it is derived from "unobtainium" which is found on some strange moon called Pandora. It says it meets DOT requirements and I don't think a company would carry it nor the DOT approve it if it hadn't proven safe. $4 a foot seems reasonable as well... I'm very curious yet slightly hesitant. I have time to think more about it....

Thanks guys!

[ZEUS]

Well I have made more progress on the dash! I went to the yard for another S-10 dash bezel to cut up and use for a gauge mounting solution. I also wanted to pic up these door panels with leather inserts I found previously in favor of the typical cloth ones I had. I was fortunate enough to stumble upon a totalled Yukon Denali while I was there. Much of it was stripped already but I found the dash bezel sitting in the snow which is slightly different than the Sierra bezel... perfectly different!





So since I seemingly found a nice theme coming along in the interior I took an edumacated risk and stepped things up a bit by purchasing a Silverado column off eBay. Luckily, I was able to mount it up to the existing upper column mounts in my dash by adding some fender washers to use as spacers! The lower mount has not been fabbed up yet but here it is half-mounted in place:


In order to get the appropriate depth needed to mount the Sierra gauges in a stock S-10 bezel shroud I had to hack out the bracing of the dash within that space and then apply some heat to the defroster duct so that I could malform it and gain some room. It may look like there are holes in it but there are not:


I will be changing out the wiring from this column to use the wiring from the Sierra which came with radio and computer controls in the wheel!

Since I swapped out the steering box for an Astro version I had already installed the needed XJ Cherokee steering shaft. Happily, I was able to take the lower part of that shaft, drill a hole in it, and mate it to the Sierra upper shaft:


(In the above pic you may notice the hydroboost unit in place as well as the '98-'99 F-body steel exhaust manifold... more on this coming...)

SO THEN! Things were still coming along nicely after I cut up the Denali dash bezel so I ordered a custom Denali blackwood style steering wheel!


Here is how things are coming together:

As you can see, the bezel needs some more trimming before I epoxy it to the bezel shroud and create a mounting setup... You can see the left over vacuum actuated heater control tubes on the floorboard - stupid things!

[RamAirZ]

Looking awesome man! that denali bezel looks great. Were there any other good parts from That denali? I could use some for my sierra

[ZEUS]

After rearranging the garage to create work zones for this project I dug out the wiring harnesses I pulled from the Sierra and connected them all together again. I went back to the yard to pick up some needed bits to solve some mysteries and those are all shown connected here:


Since I knew I needed to solve my exhaust manifold problem I ordered (again, from eBay) this driver-side '98-'99 F-Body LS1 manifold and this mystery pair of manifolds. These are steel tube so they can be welded on pretty easily for modification. They did not fit in stock form (which was expected) so I cut off the lower flanges of the 2 driver-side manifolds so that I could combine the smaller of the two pieces.


I still need to weld closed the O2 bung and install one on the other side of the tube due to a frame clearance problem. The passenger manifold doesn't quite clear the passenger frame rail with the engine located where it sits now - it will need to be raised at least one inch. This is why I have waited so long to pick out a motor mount solution... still contemplating a few options...

RamairZ - do you recognize that driver manifold with the exit tube in the center? Can't figure out what it came from...

[ZEUS]

Looking awesome man! that denali bezel looks great. Were there any other good parts from That denali? I could use some for my sierra

Thanks man! The Denali was pretty well picked thru but I am heading back tomorrow... what would you like me to look out for?

[RamAirZ]

That's a C5 Corvette manifold. I wish you would have hit me up before you got that F-Body manifold, I have the ones from my 99' sitting on a piece of wood blocking the dog from getting under the fence lol. Speaking of I need to fill that hole soon lol. As far as the Denali, badges, grille, anything that looks cool and in good shape just let me know what they have lol.

[ZEUS]

That's a C5 Corvette manifold. I wish you would have hit me up before you got that F-Body manifold...

HAHA! I did, jackhole! http://www.vehicross.info/forums/sho...7&postcount=23

http://www.vehicross.info/forums/sho...2&postcount=25

[RamAirZ]

hahaha I didn't have them when you asked lol. I took them off a few weeks ago. Should have asked again Shoot, I'll have some truck manifolds sans egr/air (since my 04' didnt use that from the factory) very soon. Got rid of the Camaro and got an 04' Sierra last week lol. Looking at buying another Zu' now too.

[Marlin]

Thats either one of the best innovations for brakeline ever or one of those things that's just too good to be true. Is there anywhere they have more info like what this miracle metal is that let's you bend it by hand yet still contains thousands of psi of brake line pressure?

Hydraulic lines for heavy equipment comes to mind, completely flexible, handle tons of pressure? Of course, those are some type of rubber/tygon tubes wrapped in SS and more rubber...Another thought is that it could be derived from the hopes and dreams of the middle class american

[ZEUS]

hahaha I didn't have them when you asked lol. I took them off a few weeks ago. Should have asked again Shoot, I'll have some truck manifolds sans egr/air (since my 04' didnt use that from the factory) very soon. Got rid of the Camaro and got an 04' Sierra last week lol. Looking at buying another Zu' now too.

HAHA! Yeah, I guess I should have. I have the 2006 truck mans if you are interested... AND WTF! You have to spend $1000 in registration every year - Pics of the Sierra you crazy mofo!

[RamAirZ]

registration only cost me $75!!! These are the only pics I have right now, it's been rainging here everyday:





Got it from the original owner (still had window sticker in it lol), all dealer receipts for maintenance etc etc. He traded me for my Camaro, he wanted something for him and his son to work on. I've been wanting another fullsize truck (wife has been bugging me too) but I told myself I wouldn't do it unless I got something worth it that I liked. Then this came along, books for 6K more than my Camaro so I can't complain lol. It's gonna get some mods soon (intake/headers/exhaust/nitrous hehe)

[vt_maverick]

Damn RamAir, what would you say the average ownership expectancy of your cars is? 6 months before you sell/trade them?

[RamAirZ]

In the past 3 years that sounds about right lol. In California I kinda had a business going without even thinking about it, I kept buying/selling/trading for profit. Picked up a bike for 1K, put about $400 into it and sold for $2800, bought a 67' Biscayne, had about $2200 into it and traded it for a Camaro that I ended up parting out due to some horrible hidden body damage and made over 6K off that, etc etc etc. Before we moved to Cali I had my 1st Camaro for almost 5 years before someone hit me in it and my Z71 I had for almost 4 years before the wife convinced me to get rid of it when we moved, that's when it all started haha. I'm gonna get anotehr Camaro but I'm gonna wait until I can build the 1st gem I've always wanted. I think alot of my toys have just been a "wow, I could do this, that and this" and have a neat project but it's not what I "really" want/need, just something fun. I've always wanted a Silverado SS, told myself after I got rid of my Z71 that my next pickup would be one, and this is basically one minus the AWD (05 and later SS's were 2wd anyways, just used the 9.5 14-bolt rear axle), even has the SS gauge cluster in it, plus I like the GMC grilles better.

[ZEUS]

Yeah I totally dig the GMC's over the Chevy's - I even have a GMC grill waiting to be installed. BTW, that Denali has left the building.

I removed the VIN plate from the donor truck today and I think I'll put in on my firewall.

[RamAirZ]

Ya the GMC grille's look more "finished", I always felt the Chevy grille's were lacking in the style department. Except for my 68' K10, I LOVED that grille:



That sucks that the Denali is gone, oh well. You gonna put the VIN on there for nostalgic reasons lol