Like Andrew and Calvin on the X bomb, I'm going to start from the beginning and throw up a little update here and there until we get to present time. I haven't kept exact dates like those two do, and photobucket has ruined several of the early on pictures that I had dumped there before the whole TOS hostage situation where they screwed half the world.
I'm not much for build threads, and I've kept this project under wraps. Those who know about it, you shut your mouths until I get to that part. I however, need some motivation. I am recovering from pneumonia and instead of getting the car put back in the garage and being extremely productive last week I spent 8 days in bed, multiple trips to the doctor, lots of medication, burned through a whole inhaler of albuterol, and am just now feeling around 75%. Still can't go outside in the cold for more than a minute before I have breathing problems. So i'm sitting in my bed staring out the window at the car that's supposed to be inside the garage being worked on for the $2018 Challenge. I hope to get it inside this week and thaw it out so I can start getting things ready to run. Of course, real life has hit and before I can do that, I have to cut the main drain line to the septic tank, install a cleanout because the person who plumbed it initially could not be bothered, and snake it because it's slowed to a crawl.
Build log day 1. February 2 2017
This story starts before Feb 2nd actually. Back in 2016 Stampie acquired a $300 1985 S10 for me, affectionately named MacNasty. I told him I'd pick it up when I could and he, being an enabler to automotive shenanigans, pushed it into his yard. I needed another reason to drag my trailer 900+ miles to Jacksonville. Similar time to MacNasty's purchase, I had bought an International Travelall locally for $900. I wanted an older cruiser to replace the Rambler that was gone. In reality I probably just have a problem and need professional help. I didn't fall in love with it, and decided to post it here for sale on the forum. Jeremy(pimpm3) called me on it, and we came to an agreement on price and I told him I could deliver it since I needed to pick up MacNasty from Stampie. Perfection achieved, no empty trailer. Fast forward to winter and Jeremy has his wrecked C5, a c5 parts car, and I'm thinking mid engine S10.
I called Jeremy at that point and asked about the c5 transmission and differential, to which he replied we should make a deal on the entire rolling leftovers. Excellent, except not excellent. I have a single car trailer. Maths were done on the wheelbases of the S10 and the c5, and part of an old truck flatbed was used to add over 4 feet to my 18' car trailer. the deck is now 22' 6" and all the work was done outside, in northeast Ohio, in January, alone. One may consider me insane at this point. Fast forward to February 1st after the whole disappearing Chevelle goose chase that Dusterbd13 and I went on in North Carolina the week prior. International loaded, I hit the road at 9am and make it to Jacksonville at 10pm.
February 2nd. Met Stampie at Jeremy's buddy's car dealer back lot. Drop international, slide a pair of god awful heavy 14 bolt GM axles from my trailer to Stampie's, and load S10. Meet Jeremy at this bomb seaside fish place for lunch and follow his unmarked cop car to his place. I brought the wheels from my old C4 to roll the c5 on, and I believe we popped the doors and rear hatch off so Jeremy could sell them. I fashioned a steering rack out of a pair of ratchet straps and we got to the trailer. This is where it got fun, maybe one of those guys has pictures of this.
S10 is too low in back, and has a giant I beam bumper. First step remove bumper. 2nd step deflate front tires, strap truck as hard forward as possible, jack up rear end and put ramps under rear tires. Winch c5 up. front frame cross bar is hitting the S10 leaf springs and won't do. Stretch out cords, Jeremy brings out grinder and sawzall and I chop the c5 frame just forward of the subframe mount. pull forward more, but now it's hitting the leaf springs farther down the line. rear tires still on ramps. Last idea, pull front tires off c5 and drop the rotors right onto the trailer deck. Winch forward, and the rotors stop at the ramps holding the S10 rear tires, C5 rear tires completely on trailer. Great Success.
Hit the highway, start wagging at 58mph. Locate nearest Lowes en route, buy 750# of landscape gravel bags and load them at the nose of the trailer under front of MacNasty. Also, strapped one trailer spare and the winch battery directly to the tongue of the trailer to get as much weight forward as possible. Did i mention we also had 30+ gallons of diesel fuel in home depot buckets in the cab of the S10? because we did. With that additional tongue weight, I was able to set the cruise to 70 and feel like I had plenty to go before I would get uncomfortable. Made it to Cornelius, NC by 11pm and stopped for the night. In the morning I took this picture from my hotel room
that's where I'll leave the first post. There will be some missing progress pictures at this point due to photobucket being jerks, including the c5 's removal from the trailer and sitting outside as a roller.
Budget at this point:
Traded $900 international travelall for $550 and the C5.
Thanks to Stampie for photberkit so I can host my pictures.
