Ridge Runner
Delta V
I've been wanting to do a cross-country trip since high school, but either couldn't afford it or had commitments. I would like to save the money for getting my future business off the ground, but I figure the older I get the harder this will be to pull off and you only live once. Plus, I'm looking to move away from here, so this will hopefully be a good way to get an idea of where I want to move to. I don't have a set route yet, but I'm mainly interested in exploring the western United States. I want to see some urban stuff like museums, but mostly I'm wanting to explore 4x4 trails. It would be cool to visit a friend or two up in New England, but I don't know if that would be before or after going west. This is one of the few times I'm thankful to be relatively short. At 5'9", the bed is just long enough for me to sleep comfortably. I'm not planning on staying in any motels - my dog and I will be camping out either in the back or a tent.
I picked up this 1970 Blazer over the summer as partial payment for some work I did. Thanks to the local salvage yard and the previous owner throwing in a truck interior and a couple other parts, it's not as incomplete as it looks, but still needs just about everything rebuilt or replaced. I need to order the bolt kit for the dog house and will hopefully have the front end attached by this weekend. That way it doesn't look quite so forlorn.
The plan is to get it on the road by or soon after late spring so I can have a little bit of fun with it. After August, I'll get the rust patched, a top put on it, and a fuel injected, overdrive drive train installed. Maybe have the frame and axles powder coated. It'll be primed, but for the roadtrip I'll use spray paint so I don't ruin the paint with rock chips and trail damage.
If by some chance it's finished by summer 2013, it would still be winter before I had enough gas money saved up. So, despite as anxious as I am to do this, spring/summer 2014 is my projected start date. Right now it's got a 350/350 combo with a Dana 44 front and 12 bolt rear. I want to get a 6.0/6L80E setup for it, but will settle for a 5.3 and 4L60E. The interior will be getting heavily insulated, a heavy duty inverter for charging my electronics, a new A/C system, and some other amenities. An ARB air locker and compressor would be nice. It's got a 4" lift on it with 35s, but unless someone advises me otherwise about trails out west, I'll be going with 33s for better mileage.
I started a build thread on a website for these trucks, but I'm hoping people here who are experienced in expedition vehicles will be better able to spot flaws in my plans and suggest alternative modifications.
I picked up this 1970 Blazer over the summer as partial payment for some work I did. Thanks to the local salvage yard and the previous owner throwing in a truck interior and a couple other parts, it's not as incomplete as it looks, but still needs just about everything rebuilt or replaced. I need to order the bolt kit for the dog house and will hopefully have the front end attached by this weekend. That way it doesn't look quite so forlorn.
The plan is to get it on the road by or soon after late spring so I can have a little bit of fun with it. After August, I'll get the rust patched, a top put on it, and a fuel injected, overdrive drive train installed. Maybe have the frame and axles powder coated. It'll be primed, but for the roadtrip I'll use spray paint so I don't ruin the paint with rock chips and trail damage.
If by some chance it's finished by summer 2013, it would still be winter before I had enough gas money saved up. So, despite as anxious as I am to do this, spring/summer 2014 is my projected start date. Right now it's got a 350/350 combo with a Dana 44 front and 12 bolt rear. I want to get a 6.0/6L80E setup for it, but will settle for a 5.3 and 4L60E. The interior will be getting heavily insulated, a heavy duty inverter for charging my electronics, a new A/C system, and some other amenities. An ARB air locker and compressor would be nice. It's got a 4" lift on it with 35s, but unless someone advises me otherwise about trails out west, I'll be going with 33s for better mileage.
I started a build thread on a website for these trucks, but I'm hoping people here who are experienced in expedition vehicles will be better able to spot flaws in my plans and suggest alternative modifications.
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