Building Dexter, My Wife's 95 80 series

NCFJ

Adventurer
It all started about 18 months ago when I bought a 1995 80 series with a "blown motor". $750.00 for a future swap. I drove it on the trailer with the radiator leaking badly. I sold the ugly TJM bumper for $250.00 so I had a 95, locked 80 for $500.00 and a round trip too Asheville, cool!

Heather checked it out and asked about the radiator, I told her it was supposed to be new but was leaking, no big deal I would be pulling it when I got around to putting a Vortec in this truck. I parked it in line and thought nothing of it. Heather had other plans. She found the little oil service sticker in the upper left corner of the wind shield and gave the guy in Charleston a call.

He had indeed replaced the radiator a month or so prior and faxed Heather the receipt. Heather contacted the local NAPA and they agreed to replace the defective radiator for free. I swapped the radiator and started "Dexter" up. The motor actually ran well and has, what all those who have listened to it, consider to be a wrist pin knock. Heather tells those who ask that it is a diesel :)

So Heather put a 45 day tag on it and started to drive it, feeling it out. Well, she fell in love with it and put a regular tag on it and claimed it as her "foul weather backup". She then informed me that I would onlly get it back to do a swap when I gave her another running 80 as a replacement. I threw on a set of BFG ATs that came on another 80 I bought and she has been driving it since then.

I had been itching to see what a cowl inducted hood scoop looked like on an 80 and Dexter's hood was dented here and there like someone had walked on it so it was a likely candidate. Some careful cutting left me with a gaping hole in the hood and a whole lot of Bondo dust in the shop. There wee more dents than I knew about. So I ground out the Bondo and straightened out the dents so I could weld in the scoop.

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NCFJ

Adventurer
Over X-mas Heather told me she wanted Dexter to be built into our new trail rig. Works for me. Heather has driven it around for about 18 months without a front bumper so it was time to get one on there. I looked around at bumpers and found that it would be about $1K plus shipping, I decided to make one myself. Criteria was simple, plate style, use materials on hand and modular in design. I had no 3/16" plate so 1/8" it was. This is what I came up with.

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NCFJ

Adventurer
One of these is on its way, day after tomorrow delivery. It is a 4L65E Stage 2 trans. Beefed up and built to my specs.

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Picked this up from Griffin Radiator last week. It is the prototype 80 series, direct fit radiator. This one is set up for a Vortec with both tubes on the PS and sized to accomodate the 15" and 1.25" hoses. It also has a steam port. This radiator is now available in stock configuration as well as a direct replacement.

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It will keep one of these cool

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When it is all said and done, it will all go together like this. No mistake, that is a Split Case from a 60 series. Think manual locking hubs and twin stick shifters

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NCFJ

Adventurer
I dont like bright orange/yellow springs. Self etching primer and gloss black. I can live with white shocks for now. Giving an Iron Man 2"lift a shot.

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NCFJ

Adventurer
These are the gauges we have decided on, they are even called "Cruiser" by Autometer.

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Bretthn

Explorer
Sweet build so far. Can't wait to see more.

Is that expanded metal bent over the top and tacked to the sliders?
 

NCFJ

Adventurer
Thank you. The expanded metal is two rows wide. It was hard welded at the joints down the center then hammered over the tube until all sat flat on the tube then the edges are welded.
 

JPsLC

Observer
The expanded metal is not only a very effective non-slip surface, and it's simple. I think I l like that more.
 

NCFJ

Adventurer
X-mas in March, I love it. Really cool that my wife got excited when she saw it.

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All this spaghetti gets boxed up and shipped off to be pared down and re programmed for the needs of the customer, this time my wife

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RMP&O

Expedition Leader
Friggin nice drivetrain!! Watching your build. :)

BTW, very cool your wife wants a v8 in her 80. That is awesome!

Cheers
 

NCFJ

Adventurer
I am a very fortunate man indeed. We were on a cruise over X-mas when Heather told me she wanted me to build her 80 into a trail rig. We sold our trail rig in the beginning of 2014 and did not go wheeling all last season. She wanted to get back on the trails and her 80 was the candidate. She had no problem with the stock power in the 80 until she test drove a couple of the Vortec swaps coming out of the shop. Now she brags about her LC to her girl friends and gets excited when a radiator shows up at the door.

A little more back history, Heather used to run a used car lot. During that time I'd get a phone call once in a while about the latest 4X4 she took in on trade and was told that she bought it and was bringing it home. Lots of my buddies were getting a hassle at home because they wanted to buy a new set of shocks, my wife was bringing home trucks. :wings: Keep an eye out on the East coast trails for a 40 something brunette wheeling a greenish 95 80. If you are smart, you'll introduce her to your wife.
 

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