If I didn't already have my Bravada, I'd just do what Dusterb13 did.
Unholy union of beater YJ and rusty big block K30 is also fun, but for totally different reasons.
If I didn't already have my Bravada, I'd just do what Dusterb13 did.
Unholy union of beater YJ and rusty big block K30 is also fun, but for totally different reasons.
gearheadmb wrote:NoPermitNeeded wrote: In reply to gearheadmb: Theoretically if I were to axle swap what would be a good donor? explorer 8.8? contemporary truck axles?The explorer axle is a good upgrade because they are stronger and have disc brakes. The width is close and the lug pattern is the same. No need to screw around with one ton stuff unless you want to run 39" or bigger tires.
I was thinking more about this and I think some older trucks had a D44 in the front. That could be a lighter option. And opens up the idea of 4wd steering 
Saw a tired, half-abandoned Comanche a couple weeks ago, and that thing had this sort of thing written all over it. S-10 seems to be much easier path to actually completing the project though.
thatsnowinnebago wrote:gearheadmb wrote:I was thinking more about this and I think some older trucks had a D44 in the front. That could be a lighter option. And opens up the idea of 4wd steeringNoPermitNeeded wrote: In reply to gearheadmb: Theoretically if I were to axle swap what would be a good donor? explorer 8.8? contemporary truck axles?The explorer axle is a good upgrade because they are stronger and have disc brakes. The width is close and the lug pattern is the same. No need to screw around with one ton stuff unless you want to run 39" or bigger tires.
I did a LOT of research on four wheel steering for my yj, it's a whole different bucket of clams and not at all for road driving.
For you guys still bench racing a fast jeep idea, look into the quadratrac system from the late 70s. It was Amc's all wheel drive system. It was popular in off road racing back in the day. It also used a turbo 400 trans with an amc bellhousing.
What do y'all think about Nissan Hardbodys? I say this because my friend is about to sell his, and it would be a easy way to get a mini-truck with an lsd.
In reply to NoPermitNeeded:
But that SR20 swap candidate gets hard to find a week before Race Wars.
Also seen in this shot are road racing Commanches, and a Ranger is sneaking up in the back.
In reply to Chadeux:
I spent about an hour last night watching those old truck races like that on youtube. Great stuff.
The hardbody is a good base. Can be had in various markets with the vg30 v6 which is the same basic engine as used in the 300zx. Otherwise there's plenty of info on turbocharging the ka24. Check out the ka-t forums for a bucket load of ideas.
Handling wise, the hardbody probably has the best starting point of the Jap trucks of its vintage, and that's coming for a Mazda b series fan.
hardbodies shares basically the same chassis and body as the same model pathfinders, so stiffer torsion bars could be harvested from there, it would also give you a good source for a v6 swap if you can't get a v6 hardbody
You will have a ball with a Nissan hardbody. Can be made to handle real well with junkyard parts. Even the for banger can be made to run pretty decent. Plus Insurance since you're young will be very cheap on a mini truck period and decent gas mileage. You can go out of crossing and just be a little terror. 15 inch low profile Gumballs and lowered and it will really stick. Z car wheels I think fit so you can get some cheap Wheels
In reply to Ovid_and_Flem:
It's a 4wd truck though, how would that affect handling or auto-crossing in general?
If it's anything like an S10 it's just different enough to make getting more low mildly difficult. I'm not at all familiar with the details of the D21 though. If the 2wd is already torsion bars the frame might be close enough to convert it. Just getting a 2wd to start is probably smarter though unless he's selling it for an insanely good price.
Chadeux wrote: If it's anything like an S10 it's just different enough to make getting more low mildly difficult. I'm not at all familiar with the details of the D21 though. If the 2wd is already torsion bars the frame might be close enough to convert it. Just getting a 2wd to start is probably smarter though unless he's selling it for an insanely good price.
It's an alright price. It's an '86 with some cosmetic issues and somewhere north of 200k miles; he's asking around 1500 but I think I could get the friend discount and get him closer to 1000. The bumper is getting replaced right now because another one of our friend's mom backed into it.
Id personally wait for a 2wd version If possible. The time, effort and money you'll spend to convert from 4wd would be better served being put into one that's already 2wd.
My 2 cents; if you want a fun minitruck and are on a tight budget go with a 2wd s10 with a 4.3 v6. Those have enough power to be fun right from the factory. My friend had one we hooned the hell out of one in high school. One time his dad put a new set of tires on the back on Friday, and they were pretty much shot on Sunday. So anyway you'll have enough power, so you can focus on getting it to hook and corner. It seems like s10's have better aftermarket support than other minitruck so that will make it easier. When the day comes that you want to dive down the horsepower rabbit hole it has been my understanding that 4.3 trucks are the best to v8 swap because of they have stronger trannys with the correct bellhousing. Or keep the v6 and add turbo. There were a couple guys at power tour with a turboed 4.3 running really fast times. I can't remember exactly what my fuzzy brain thinks they may have got into the 9's
Upon asking mt mother about procuring a mini-truck she decided to let me in on a something. She and my Granddad had already planned to give me his truck, '06 Honda Ridgline, for my 16th birthday. I had thought they scrapped this due to recent family incidents, but looks like it's back on. So the need for the auto-x project to also be practical, has now gone out the window. Back to square one.
In reply to NoPermitNeeded:
Well that sounds like a great option for you now. You will enjoy the Honda and get it reliable I'm sure. Now that you're going to have your own reliable daily driver truck you can concentrate on a fun toy to autocross. At this point in you're young Automotive life I wouldn't dive into some major engine swap project but would rather you have a smaller-scale project to enjoy. Why don't you shop around and find an old Shifter Kart. You have a truck to haul it around in and you could learn autocrossing relatively cheap.
And by the way keep up your cross country program and enjoy it. It's not lame. Young man does not live for cars alone. LOL
In reply to Ovid_and_Flem:
A shifter kart would be awesome. I don't think XC is lame at all; running is the only sport I'm good at. It just gets in the way sometimes, it's a big commitment.
Dumb question alert: can I take a shifter kart to an SCCA autocross event?
In reply to NoPermitNeeded:
Yes...they have kart classes.
I just realized you're about to turn 16. They have a formula junior class for entrance under 18 years old that runs the Briggs & Stratton motors and centrifical clutches. But let me tell you it's not a yard Kart centrifical clutch. It's a very sophisticated Disk type clutch. If you find yourself doing this I have a state-of-the-art clutch that we used on our roadrace Briggs motor. You buy the appropriate kart and if you need a clutch I'll donate this clutch to your cause. Retail value about $350
I even think I have two Motors, one disassembled for a briggs cart. I'll toss those in if you buy a chassis
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