GonzoTheGreat

Thanks All! It's been a great trip so far, visiting friends and family, and doing touristy stuff. I haven't always had service or laptop access while camping and vagabonding, but I've got a chance for an update now, so here goes. I was due for an oil change when I got to my buddy's place in Charlotte. So that worked out great. Once I got into warm weather, my coolant temp was climbing a little in traffic. I hadn't tested the electric fan set up in hot weather yet, but I had brought a couple spare sensors at different temps, just in case. I had a 200F sensor in the lower radiator hose, which I changed out for a 190F sensor in Louisiana, and that's working much better. The temp gauge sits at 210 all day now. We're currently as far as San Antonio, so I think that's roughly halfway. I got the final piece of paperwork today for driving across the border, so if I actually have my ducks in a row, we'll be in Mexico this week. Plans include: mountains, oceans, and jungles. Hoping to spend about 10-14 days there before reaching Guatemala. Some pics, because I know that's really what everyone wants: Absolutely! I've got a whole pile of new, and "good used" stuff, and most of the hand tools that I own in the toolbox part of the shell. There's a noticeable lean to the driver's side but I'd rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it. Yeah, that might be why it doesn't work. But I started the install the day I left and, and finished it en route, so I haven't really had time to diagnose. I'm from Oxford, just south of Worcester. I won't be home for a bit, but I'm totally down to say hi when I am. Also, @The86manche I just helped my buddy bring home that blue '89 from your pal in Sterling.

I'm taking a little time off to travel, and the opportunity arose to visit Costa Rica. I know flying is the intelligent man's method for this kind of travel, but since the silver '89 was almost ship shape, I decided to make this much more epic and just drive there. I'm native to MA so from Boston to Guanacaste, with some stops in between, we're looking at approximately 6000mi. I'm not big on social media, or even picture taking, for that matter, but I thought it might be fun to post a few updates on here along the way. Here's a map that very loosely tracks the route. For those that do not know, I've been rebuilding the silver '89 since last October. The build thread is linked in my sig (and needs an update), but some highlights are, a new-to-me 2.5 engine, new floors, new suspension all around. I also added a bunch of options that it did not come with, ie power steering, courtesy lights, cruise control. As well as a few mods like bluetooth stereo, bigger alternator, REM clock, and a bedcap with standalone house battery, roof fan, and lighting. We've made it to Fayetteville, NC, and only had a couple hiccups. I had to install a power steering cooler while here, because the ebay header pipe was cooking the PS pump and it would whine really loud when it got hot. I had to swap the pulley on the alternator because the existing one came loose and chewed itself up a bit. I also got a windshield chip from a rock that kicked up outside of Trenton, but i got that filled in Virginia Beach. Otherwise, no major issues! Today we start heading west, and we'll spend most of the week in TN. If anyone has suggestions on things we should see along the route, or knows of any good (cheap) campgrounds, or even just wants to grab a beer and talk Comanches, shoot me a message! As far as getting my truck back to MA, that's a discussion for next fall/winter.

You need to change the switch in the column. If you have a tilt column you can still get a switch new. If it’s a non-tilt column it’s almost impossible to find. You’ll probably need to buy one used. This is the tilt column switch: https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/c/standard-ignition/standard-ignition-windshield-wiper-switch/std0/ds572

I think we should go back to the fact that it could idle with the MAP unplugged. If someone adjusted the ISA to compensate for that, and with the brake booster grommet leak, and others, the ISA will not be set for a properly functioning vacuum system. when you are 100% sure that all vacuum leaks are gone (if you don’t have a gauge, use starting fluid, propane, etc) then you need to make sure the ISA is adjusted correctly. Before spending more time and money on sensors, I would throughly go over the vac system and ISA.

The fuel gauge hadn't worked since the full cluster was installed, and both the gauge and the sending unit tested good. Turns out the diode that's soldered into the ribbon board on the back of the cluster was blown. I figured it'd be easier to swap the ribbon than modify another gauge cluster for the column shift auto, and change the odometer. Now I know how much fuel I have, which is pretty important to me. For an update on the bedcap, I hacked in an RV fan, mounted a deep cycle battery in the toolbox, and put a Victron DC-DC charger under the hood. It felt a little silly doing this when it was below freezing, but when I get to Central America, and I'm trying to sleep in there, I won't regret it. The battery also powers the LED strips in the cap. I also wanted the bedcap to be keyed to match the ignition. This is just me being anal, but there are few limits to my OCD when I get started on something. New lock tumblers for the cap weren't available to match the old GM keys, but the less old GM keys from 91-(i think)94 were supported, so I ground a notch in an ignition lock cylinder from a 91, so I could use that, and got all new tumblers for the cap that accepted the later key. I probably spent way more time, effort, and money than it was worth, but now I have one less key to worry about. Also, I was down by the ocean this week, so I took a quick glamor shot.

I'm prepping for a road trip to Costa Rica, so there have been a lot of little details that don't really have to be done, but I'm telling myself they're important. I don't need a trailer hitch on a 2.5L truck, but I wanted one, so I burned one together with some plates from @krustyballer16 and pieces of a spare hitch I had laying around. Of course, the fay bumper had been installed low, so it interfered with the hitch plates. And I found out why it had been installed that way. not a lot of options So I fixed the rust, drilled new holes, remounted the bumper, and finished the hitch. Now the bumper sits tighter to the truck, mounts with 4 bolts instead of 2, and I'm happy with fitment. I also spliced up a trailer plug with that Cadillac connector that fits the rear harness.

I’m excited to see how this one plays out. Whether it gets lifted, lowered, or stays stock, I have full confidence in your attention to detail. I know everything will be either done well, or well hidden.

@Wouter Any updates on this one? Even if you didn’t go on the trip, I’d love to see any progress on the box.

It was a degree above freezing this afternoon, so I took advantage of the warmth and swapped coils and isolators, control arms, and those UCA axle-side bushings. The truck finally sits level, side to side, and the new bushings all around got rid of my highway shimmy.

Yeah, I had blast with that thing. The rust problem was getting a little too severe. I had a leaf perch crush up into the frame, and got that fixed. The floors were never there, but the trans tunnel, rockers, and a lot of structural steel were rotted out too. I was still driving it everywhere because I was 20something and dumb I just cut back on the offroading. I went to a few go topless days and GAJRs I never did find out who that yellow one is. I decided the rust was beyond repair, so I picked up a donor chassis to start putting my new axles etc. into: It was a sad sack when I got it. And no it's not blood. It's spray paint.

Thanks! I'm happy with how it turned out I had to narrow the bit between the taillights 3" and I screwed it onto some plastic 2x4s to meet the bed rail width. The cap is just a couple inches too wide to fit directly. Fitment was perfect. I've got about an eighth to a quarter inch clearance against each taillight. I also siliconed the 2x4s before screwing them on, and I ran rubber strips between the bed rails and the cap, so hopefully it's fairly water-tight. I've also had a significant sag to the drivers side since I got the truck. So I swapped in new leaf springs today, and that helped. I've got new coils to put in when tomorrow's snowmaggedon is over. I also put in a pair of shackles that are an inch longer than stock, because I had them lying around. It sits high in the rear, but I figure once I have new coils in, and the bed loaded up with all my tools and crap, it'll probably level out. I was planning on fighting every bushing bolt. I expected them to all be seized to the inner sleeves, but I was shocked to find that only one of them gave me trouble, and with a little heat, it popped right out! I'm not used to working on project vehicles with only 60k miles. This is nice.

Well I may have been a bad influence yesterday, but my buddy just bought this one and dragged it home. The short term plan is to get it up and running as-is, for run-around-town homeowner duties.

That's a real bummer. You're attention to detail, and commitment to perfection have been inspiring. I know I'm not the only one who has followed your builds, drooling at home. I hope this one goes to a good owner, and continues to get the same level of dedication that you've put in.

I had read that, and when I looked last year they were out of stock, but they were back last week, and: Hah! Yeah, no. Maybe you should buy a whole truck load and start a secondary market in Canada! My local Napa was also able to order it within a few days, PN: “EXH 46701“ Maybe that’s an option

I just bought the short bed one, 46701, this week. $35 shipping. It showed up today in good shape. Walker’s not going to last as long as stainless, but it’s a lot cheaper than a custom exhaust. The last one I did in my ‘88 lined up great with the hangers and everything.

Thanks! I owe a lot to the folks on this forum, past and present.

I got a good deal on a wagoneer dana 44 that already had brackets set up for a quadralink suspension. I regeared to 4.56 and added posi. It was my first time setting up gears, so I learned a lot as I went. I figured I'd try it myself on the front end, so if it exploded I could always limp away in RWD. For the rear, I snagged a Toyota 8" out of a junkyard Tacoma. That solved any issues with matching lug patterns, and It was easy enough to send out the third member to have it re-geared. Plus, it has a factory e-locker. Pretty cool. I checked under a Toyota Previa at a junkyard just for giggles, and it turns out the driveshaft uses 1310 u-joints, and the flange bolts up to the 8" axle. So I nabbed the driveshaft flange, and now I have a minivan part for my wheeling rig, of which I am proud. While mucking around with new axles, I was still daily driving and tinkering with the truck. I added a C-rok steering box stiffener, because I plan to size up the tires. Also, I found a pic of the rear bumper after it was painted. Notice the CJ-7 jump seat in the bed that I borrowed from my brother

The 33s on a stock drivetrain were taking their toll. The Peugeot was the first to surrender. It started spitting fluid out of the input seal, so I decided to just jump right in with an external slave ax15 to avoid any further issues. The wheel bearings didn't like the 33s either. I got super lucky when the rear gave out, I was pulling into the driveway as the roller bearings when flying. The dana 30 would have been ok I think, but that one had a dragging caliper To be fair, as a young 20something, I beat the bag out of those axles. To anyone who says you can't run 33s on a dana 35 with 3.07 gears: ...well you're right, but you can have a lot of fun before it goes. It was, however, time to shop for new axles...

I don't have a whole lot of pics from those old days of the flip phone, but I did a bunch of little mods, like moving the alternator to the AC bracket, running the intake up to the wiper cowl, dual electric fans, Brown dog motor mounts, and cutting in a sunroof. Rot was a serious issue with this truck, and the front axle brackets were rough. One of the coil mounts was ready to crumble. I picked up a 95 XJ axle, with no rot, and no CAD as a bonus. At some point, I decided to say goodbye to the stock bumper. It was mostly held together with bondo. My brother and I made a new one out of some spare C channel. It's not fancy, but it's solid, and it's beefy enough to knock down small trees, hypothetically of course I guess I never got a picture after it was painted with both lights in, but you get the idea. Then there was the most significant mod of the whole build: I think the woodgrain bezel added 30hp and at least 2 inches of ground clearance. You can also see the aux cord I spliced into the stock radio inputs. Oscar held my ipod while we were offroading.

Because those of us from the rusty parts know there is no hope for that fitting... But really, a flare nut wrench makes a big difference preventing stripped fittings. You can always resort to vice grips, but that's not a pretty ending.

For the last 14 years, this forum has taught me an incredible amount things, and fueled a financially unhealthy, but otherwise satisfying addiction to these silly trucks. I've read and learned a lot, but I haven't shared much, so this thread will try to document "the one that started it all" back in like 2010. Spoiler alert: Yes I still have it; No it doesn't run; I'm working on it... Here it is back in, I think, the summer of 2011. Specs at the time: '88 Pioneer edition stock 4.0L Peugeot 5 speed NP231 Dana 30/35 It was pretty much all stock, besides some "cosmetic upgrades" from the PO, including a lot of "body work." As @jpnjim put it, it was a "15 footer." Any closer than that, and it looked rough. Think: spray foam, pop rivets, and paint roller. It was enough to get me going. Being a kid at the time, obviously the first thing I did was throw in some 2" coils and shackles, and cram some half bald 33's under the hacked up fenders. Luckily, there was so much rot, the front fenders were almost opened up enough on their own. Then I screwed some TJ mirrors to the fenders so I could take the doors off.

This is the hard data I was hoping for. Thanks @cruiser54!!

Aaaand I’ve officially gone full grampa on this truck. The Chevy on the other side actually is my Grampa’s old truck, so the mismatched bed cap with homemade adaptors is really following the family legacy. I’ll be starting a long road trip in a few weeks, and I wanted something secure that I can camp in, when needed. The cap is ARE brand, originally made for a 20teens Nissan Frontier. Length is perfect, width between taillights and width overall are close, but need some adjustment. It has LED strips inside, so I might find a way to make those work, and I have a couple spare taillight harness connectors, so I should be able make the high mount brake light work without cutting the original harness.

I’m gonna dig up this thread to ask if anyone knows of a modern day source for this “water shield” rubber strip. I’ve dug around the internet a bit, but I’m not having any luck.