[UKGTI]

wanted to start a thread here I could document my rebuild of my beloved 87 Jimmy. Bought the truck in 1993 and have had it ever since. It stopped being a DD in 1999 and has since been somewhat neglected. I put some money into it about 6 years ago when I did heads, headers and lift but that has pretty much been it. My wife got tired of looking at it and it was less and less dependable and she told me to either fix it or get rid of it.

I chose the latter of course.

So this will document my rebuild, which I plan on being extensive. Below is a short list of what I hope to do.

convert 1/2 tons to 1 ton axles. (bought the other day)
Shackle Flip, inboard shock mount rear and springs
38's (picking up Thursday)
engine rebuild
tranny rebuild
possible NP205 swap
New seats
New carpet
Flat black spray the whole truck
Frame bumper tie in up front
disc converison in the rear
turndowns on exhaust
steering box frame repair and reinforcement

EDIT: I guess I need to update this as the project has grown significantly. At this point, the 383 or rebuild is out as I purchased an LQ9 and 4L65e and standalone. The carpet was out and I swapped in a polyvinyl floor. E46 M3 seats for the front, Tuffy locking center console and Escalade rear bench seat. My wife is getting to choose the color, will no longer be flat black. Kinda bummed as I would have gone camo given the choice, but she wants to be able to drive it and not feel like a hoodlum.

I am also going to POR-15 the entire underside and frame.

Thats all right now, but I keep adding things as I move along.


much more too, just can't think of most right now. I already have a ton of hardware on the way. Stoked.

This is how it looked several years ago.

 

[UKGTI]

TRUCKASAURUS!!! My 87 Jimmy resurrection thread

So picked up my axles. Here are a few shots.

 

[thegoose]

Awesome!

 

[Heffernan]

Love me some 80's Jimmys. Sub'd.

 

[UKGTI]

So not a whole lot to report. I have been busy stripping down the the one tons and removing 30 years of grime and crud. Lots of grinding off old ram assist mounts etc etc. Wire wheeled the entire assembly, drained the diff and brakes and pulled the drums.

Picked up new rotors today. New rotors, calipers, pads and mount come for the rear conversion tomorrow.

Also picking up tires and a winch tomorrow.

All in all fairly productive but at this point haven't even touched the truck yet. Ha ha.

 

[UKGTI]

So today was a good day. A really really good day. But a very expensive day. If it wasn't for craigslist and pirate 4x4 i couldn't have budgeted this build.

38x17x14.50 BFG KM2's mounted. 4,000 miles on them. They look brand new

Used warn powerplant winch. Never Mounted. Essentially brand new. Too good of a deal to not pick up

ORD frame support and weld on repair bracket and shackle flip.

Rear disc conversion along with new front rotors and skyjacker brake lines.

Axles are finished, just need to rebuild them.

 

[Aonarch]

Ohhh yeeeeahhhh!

 

[UKGTI]

Well doesn't look like much progress but the axles are done. Rear disc conversion, new rotors and pads all around. Cleaned up and painted and all bearings repacked.

Waiting on my DIY4X diff covers then these are good to go.

 

[UKGTI]

Finally started work on the truck. Tore all the old carpet and seats out and was pleasantly surprised to see how rust free it was. Some small areas but mostly great condition. A few cracks around the driver seat to fix but no big deal.

 

[sportwgn]

AWESOME rig. Looking forward to the finished product. :thumbup:

 

[Aonarch]

Keep it coming!

 

[BltByKrmn]

In for this one. :thumbup:

 

[UKGTI]

TRUCKASAURUS!!! My 87 Jimmy resurrection thread

Had to throw the tires on for fun. Almost killed myself. I think the axle weighs like 600lbs

 

[Lethe01]

Any plans for gears and lockers?

 

[UKGTI]

It has a Detroit in the rear and limited up front. 4.56

 

[Lethe01]

Just noticed the detroit.

 

[2 doors]

Finally started work on the truck. Tore all the old carpet and seats out and was pleasantly surprised to see how rust free it was. Some small areas but mostly great condition. A few cracks around the driver seat to fix but no big deal.

You are so fortunate to live in an area where these can stay rust-free. My '85 started off life looking almost exactly like yours. Black, fully loaded, but a Blazer. Now, if I took pictures of mine in the exact same spots as your photos, you would either see very extensive patches or the ground below.

Mine is beyond salvage and is headed for the junk yard.

Good luck with your fix up! What springs do you have on there? Are you just gointg to clear those 38's with suspension or plans for fender trimming?

 

[Gitcha Sum]

Nice rust free truck. 14 bolt & flip flops...

Are you gonna link the rear, or you keeping the leaves?
Hydro?

 

[UKGTI]

TRUCKASAURUS!!! My 87 Jimmy resurrection thread

Doing a shackle flip in the rear. 52's up front linked to a DIY4X A-Bomb front frame tie in. Moving the axles out with some zero rates. I would guess it will be about a 6 inch lift. I will be doing quite a lot of trimming.

I am not going full hydro. I intend this vehicle to be a go anywhere vehicle and it will see a lot of street.

I am considering red neck ram for hydraulic assist. I have crossover and would like to do high steer. The crossover requires and 2wd pump so....

 

[therichisgood]

in for more!