| Clownin' Around | |||||||||||||||||||
| Performance and Interior Modifications |
First thing I did was to get rid of the tired motor that was under the hood. It was soon replaced with a new GM Goodwrench crate motor. I purchased the cam upgrade for a few bucks extra. Motor cost with tax was $2002. Of course I had to go pick it up though. Then I wanted to upgrade the ignition set up on it. So I called around and Jacob's is who I finally purchased from. I bought the Magnum ignition system. Seemed the best bang for the buck, and guaranteed more than anyone else in the gains department. That set me back $360 and it was on sale at the time of purchase. I ordered a Z-Industries custom chip from Evergreen Performance that was around $230. Next came the exhaust department. So many choices, this took a while but I finally decided on Mesa headers. They are costly, but well worth the money. Super thick flange, lifetime guarantee, and the finish on them is really cool. From there I had a high flow converter, and a Flowmaster muffler installed. For better filtering and breathing for the motor I topped the motor off with a K&N filter, better than replacement filters from the parts stores and the maintenance is minimal. I cleaned up the engine compartment with some black wire loom and rubberized undercoating. For a cleaner look under the hood I added chrome valve covers, air cleaner lid, and power steering cap. I had the polished tanks in there and just didn't think they were worth all the trouble. So I took them out and painted the stock overflow tank, and the windshield washer tank well it's history. Had to have someplace too mount the new coil from Jacob's. I have also added a set of flow matched injectors from Turbo City. I'm still trying to find someone that can rebuild a 700R4 transmission and it stay together. So I'm thinking about a 4L80 maybe for it later down the line. I'm also hoping by fall of 2001 to maybe add an ATI ProCharger. I can dream can't I! As anyone knows a factory Chevrolet seat is anything but comfortable. So that's the first thing to hit the garbage. I ordered a new 3-piece bucket seat in black and gray. It has a fold up center console and they are pretty comfortable. Well after I finally got tired of the way the material was fading I sought out an upholstery guru. And just my luck I found "the bearded one" in Denison. Merle recovered my sets in black and teal tweed much to my satifaction. The carpet was a mess, it was so stained that shampooing wasn't worth the time so I ripped the old gray carpet out and replaced it with black carpet. It's much easier to keep clean and doesn't show stains near as bad. I originally had the headliner redone in black material, but Merle will soon remedy that also with custom black and teal tweed design matching the truck. He will also be covering various interior trim panels, and the door panels. Why they put a steering wheel big enough to drive a bus on a pickup is beyond me. So I replaced it with a new black and gray leather Lecarra steering wheel. Easy to install and it looks really cool. Then the factory tunes, well everyone knows they are less than satisfactory. So I purchased a new CD player and a set of Rockford Fosgate 10's. I still need to replace the stock speakers but for now they are okay. I plan on upgrading them as soon as I have some spare money. I guess it'll be a while. I also plan on installing a Dakota digital dash as soon as cash flow permits. Owner: Jennifer Gasparas Truck: 1988 Chevy Silverado | ||||||||||||||||||
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First we added a new billet grill, a cowl hood, sport mirrors, ZR-1 roll pan, and a billet bumper with lights. I wanted to close the bed off so I added a Gaylord bed lid, and their bed carpet kit. Criswell's Place performed all of the paint and body modifications. They shaved the tailgate handle and smoothed the taillights. For a cleaner edge on the bedcover they removed the seal around the edge of the bed lid. The carpet is a self install job, it's pretty simple. I must have looked at paint chips and color codes for months. These are the three colors I finally picked out. The best I can describe the paint scheme is tribal art. We taped and retaped until the design looked like I wanted it to. In case your wondering why the truck is named Clownin' Around I had the clown from the Dangerous Toys album painted on the bed lid. Real attention getter. Future modifications: I might drop it a little bit more, maybe add some air bags, and clear side markers for the grill. A special thanks goes out to Rex and Bruce both for their hard work and putting up with me through this whole process. | Paint, Body, and Exterior Modifications | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Wheels and Suspension |
Well here we are at the end. Wheels are like paint chips, there are so many to choose from you'll go crazy trying to pick some out. These pictures depict 15" Centerlines, I have since upgraded to a set of 17" Centerline Thrusters. I just happened to run across a good deal on these at Discount Tire in Sherman. I was utilizing KYB shocks for most of the trucks lowered life, but have recently switched to Ground Force shocks instead. The ride is a little stiffer now and that is good for town driving but a little rough out on the highway.Now I wanted to drop the truck, but how much? Be careful of the components you buy, remember the old saying you get what you pay for. For the 4" drop up front I used Bell Tech spindles and drop springs. Be sure not to crimp the brake lines when your done, and head for the nearest alignment shop. In the rear well that's a long story. In the end though it was dropped 6". I used hangers and a new leaf pack. You'll lose some of your payload capacity by doing this, but the ride is better compared to a flip kit I think. For added axle clearance Criswell's notched the frame for me and installed the leafs. Make sure a reputable shop or individual does your notch or you'll end up with a tweeked frame. I was leary at first about the c-notch but it's twice the thickness of the frame rails. You'll have to relocate your brake line bracket when you're done though. The truck rides like a dream and I have had no problems with any of the components I used. Well I hope you enjoyed the page and the information. In case you're wondering how much I have spent so far, well around too much money at this point. I'm guessing around the $20-21K area. In all honesty though, it's been painted 3 times, lowered probably 2 times, and had about 4 different sets of wheels onit to date. If there is anything you'd like to know, or if you'd just like to talk trucks with a chick drop me a line. Thanks for stopping by. | ||||||||||||||||||
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