Let's build a mini-truck. Set the time machine to "high school parking lot 1989"

Still plugging away.

I've been spending an inordinate amount of time and effort fussing over the details. Most recently, I have been rebuilding all of the engine bay wiring harnesses. Of course, one thing leads to another, and next thing you know I'm waiting 5 days for my preferred wire loom covering to be delivered.  And, McMaster has delivered some pretty hardware to dress the engine up further. And I've been down the rabbit hole of building my own battery cables to get them exactly how I want.

Better beauty shots of the engine bay will be forthcoming later in the week once I get some loose ends tied up. The above shots were taken prior to several recent days of effort.

Your attention to detail is just awesome. Really enjoy the updates on this build. I’m a big fan of clean mini trucks from this era.  

Air conditioning? 

Turning that on must be like tossing out an anchor when you have 90-ish hp on tap.

BeardedOne said:

Your attention to detail is just awesome. Really enjoy the updates on this build. I’m a big fan of clean mini trucks from this era.  

Thank you sir. I promise the next update will be worthy. I'm really getting my freak on with the details lately.

I've said it before but you're an anal retentive mastermind. 

It may not show in all of the things I do but I definitely appreciate fussing over minute details nobody will see. There's something rewarding about it. 

ShawnG said:

Air conditioning? 

Turning that on must be like tossing out an anchor when you have 90-ish hp on tap.

 In Texas, having working AC isn't negotiable. Whatever horsepower is takes, I will gladly pay. I think my Miata has like 100 horsepower or whatever stock 1.8s are rated at. And my Civic is a 1.6 D series, so that's like 100 or whatever. I'm old enough that I don't really notice any of them lacking.

Gunchsta said:

I've said it before but you're an anal retentive mastermind. 

It may not show in all of the things I do but I definitely appreciate fussing over minute details nobody will see. There's something rewarding about it. 

Honestly, it keeps my head level. Fussing over these inconsequential little details is therapeutic.  

Here is a video.

I still need to run it a few cycles to break in the new head and cam and adjust the timing and such. Then I'll do an oil change and readjust the valves. So far it seems like a winner.

I love your ocd.

Cousin_Eddie said:

Gunchsta said:

I've said it before but you're an anal retentive mastermind. 

It may not show in all of the things I do but I definitely appreciate fussing over minute details nobody will see. There's something rewarding about it. 

Honestly, it keeps my head level. Fussing over these inconsequential little details is therapeutic.  

I agree.  I don't fuss even close to this level of magnitude but it's nice to see what you're doing here and pick up tips for things that I might not have considered fussing over.  Or maybe it's just that I haven't known quite how to fuss over it appropriately.  Anyway...it is appreciated.

It bears repeating that I love everything I've seen you do from the long-bed turned short-bed, to the miata to the civic. Sano.

Do you have details on how you handled the crank/harmonic balancer situation? I get the idea, but somehow, believe your solution to be better/cleaner than any I might try.

wheelsmithy said:

It bears repeating that I love everything I've seen you do from the long-bed turned short-bed, to the miata to the civic. Sano.

Do you have details on how you handled the crank/harmonic balancer situation? I get the idea, but somehow, believe your solution to be better/cleaner than any I might try.

Simple answer is that I used the Loctite method that so many Miata folks have done. I did all the research, bought a new factory crank sprocket and key, and did it all textbook. I'm pretty confident. That Loctite 660 is good stuff. Honestly, I did a trial run with the old sprocket and the Loctite and let it sit for two days. Then I disassembled it to get an idea of how tenacious the 660 set up. It took a good bit of heat to get it to loosen. That thing was on there and good. And it was the old wallowed out sprocket. So, with the trial run using sloppy parts under my belt, I felt confident to proceed down the path with my new parts.

Wheels, man!  I want to see it on the ground, with wheels, man!

SkinnyG said:

Wheels, man!  I want to see it on the ground, with wheels, man!

I have two small orders of suspension parts coming from RockAuto that I'm waiting to arrive before I shift into that phase of the build. I am a patient man. 

(you could even just roll the wheels into the openings.... but alright.... I'll wait....)

SkinnyG said:

(you could even just roll the wheels into the openings.... but alright.... I'll wait....)

I honestly am not holding out. I haven't even rolled them up to the truck for a visual yet. The wheels are stacked next to my toolbox and covered with a blanket. Soon enough.

Looks and sound excellent! I too am excited to see the finished stance. 

I'm not sure if you've mentioned it in previous threads (I try not to stalk too hard) but do you take any of these OCD masterpieces to any car gatherings? Maybe it's different down in Texas  but up here in MN this truck would really get a lot of attention, especially with how sanitary it is under the hood. 

Gunchsta said:

Looks and sound excellent! I too am excited to see the finished stance. 

 

I'm not sure if you've mentioned it in previous threads (I try not to stalk too hard) but do you take any of these OCD masterpieces to any car gatherings? Maybe it's different down in Texas  but up here in MN this truck would really get a lot of attention, especially with how sanitary it is under the hood. 

My reply may be rambling and disjointed....

Not too often is the answer.  My style of build is to try and make things look factory even when they're not (someone recently called my stuff OEM+ style). So, the end result is lost on most casual viewers. The reaction I get to my stuff at car shows is usually depressing to me. A few people really get it. Those guys ask good questions and I can talk to them for a long time. But it's few who fall into that category. The rest just piss me off.

An example was my 74 truck. I did the TBI fuel injection V8 engine swap. I don't brag on myself much, but that job was clean. It was factory OEM GM clean. Maybe better. Almost everyone who looked at it had some dumb E36 M3 to say about how TBI sucks and it was a waste. Never you mind that these same bastards usually show up at car shows and park their mom's Cavalier or Corolla in the spectator parking lot and walk around and run their mouths at people's hard work.

This truck, I gar-un-tee you I will hear constantly about how I should "bag it bro" or LS swap it or some other E36 M3.

More and more, I hole up in the shop by myself.

Im with you eddie.

I go to cruise nights and parking lot shows, but make it a point not to be around the car because of those guys. They really piss me off too. Worst is mopar guys. 

Generally i share my projectshere or on model specific forums and thats good enough for me. Essentially an online car show.

Understood. 

It's not much different around here, I guess what I maybe meant was "Man, my group of friends would go wild for this thing" more than anything. 

It's hard to find a good group of nerds to appreciate the simple things and not need the overly saturated instagram filter builds. 

Glad to have GRM!

I normally spend time with the odd ball cars, they are way more interesting to me than another bored over small block with a too big carb. Inlines, odd swaps, the lost 90's cars... or the really old stuff. Those are my favorites. This will pull me in, the clean work, being a mazda and not another s10, the different motor, all things that I find engaging and interesting.

Thank you to each of you who have posted positive responses. It shows that I am not alone in my viewpoints (which is nice and feels less isolated).

Thanks for the feedback on the Loc-tite fix. I ASSumed your crank was too beat. Live and learn. Carry on Cousin E.

wheelsmithy said:

It bears repeating that I love everything I've seen you do from the long-bed turned short-bed, to the miata to the civic. Sano.

Hang, there are more Cousin Eddie builds?  Unfortunately there isn't an 'all threads started by' feature on GRM.  I've looked at all the threads that Cousin Eddie has commented on and gone through those 12 pages.  I've found this, the Civic and the Miata.  Are there others I missed?  Can someone point them out to me?

To be relevant to this thread.  Outstanding work.  I can see that you were once an A&P, why the change to Firefighting?  Love the attention to detail in all the threads I've found.  I wish my brain could create results like yours.