New Member, no wagon.

Hi everyone, I'm Stew.

A little about myself. I do not have a wagon, but I have been looking to get one for my next project. My last project, a '94 S10, met an unfortunate end with a bent frame from an accident. I graduated college a few months ago and will be starting a new job this week or next once they get my background check back.

I have loved these wagons, B-bodies and D-bodies for a long time and spent a lot of time around them when I was younger. Once I finally get mine, I will probably drive it a lot on nice days and not in the winter to take advantage of the better mileage that these will get over my current daily Trailblazer.

I do most mechanical repairs myself as I learned how to use tools when I was a kid.

If you don't have a wagon, you're not allowed to be here.






J/K

phantom 309 wrote:

If you don't have a wagon, you're not allowed to be here.
J/K

Does that also apply to those members that are trying to sell off their entire fleet?  

Bill

Welcome to the madness Stew,guess you know a sense of humor helps around here!

Welcome, Stew!

First of all congratulations on your college graduation, that is a huge accomplishment! Even better you have a job.

You'll like it here, lot of good guys and some characters who are also good guys. Lots of knowledge, any questions just ask. Sometimes we get it right.

Tom

Welcome Stew good luck in your search seems to be a lot of wagons on craigslist in KY and FL. Not knowing where you are located but its always best to find one far from the rust belt. Jeff

Welcome Stew. Where are you located?

Howdy Stew! What area are you from? Perhaps I can keep my eyes peeled for ya!

Chris

Welcome aboard Stew! As others have have mentioned, fleshout your profile so we know about where you are.

I have 305 92 Caprice Wagon that's FS pretty cheap (under $1000) and some decent mods to it already. I have 5 in the yard and need to get rid of 2 of them (the other one is on laaway for another member). It'd be a great starting point for a project wagon:

https://gmlongroof.4umer.com/t6900-the-resurgence-of-ruby

Thanks for the warm welcome!

I live in the Dayton, Ohio area and spent some time browsing the forum here before I decided to join.

When I bought my TrailBlazer I thought about getting a '96 Roadmaster as a DD but finding the "right" one was proving to be too much and my money pit of a Cavalier was asking for brakes on all corners, tires, an AC compressor and was starting to get cancer in the rockers.

I think a pre LT1 car would be a better platform to start with as I'd like to go with a biodiesel burning turbo 6.2 with marine compression or an LS engine.

BY THE WAY: My avatar is not condoning the use of drugs, but is an actual street sign.  The street that leads back to the USAF Museum.

stewzer55 wrote:

I think a pre LT1 car would be a better platform to start with as I'd like to go with a biodiesel burning turbo 6.2 with marine compression or an LS engine.

6.2 has been done,.

marine compression?? whats that?

18:1 vs 21:1 It allows for more boost.

welcome Stew---you will enjoy all the folks here...they are very helpful....find that wagon and go for it...Tom W

stewzer55 wrote:

18:1 vs 21:1 It allows for more boost.

I'll join the others in welcoming you to the insanity.

As for using a puffer on a 6.2/6.5 in a "B" car, you'll have to concentrate on actually getting one to fit into the confines of the engine compartment before turning up the boost.  Tried for 3 years and short of plumbing up an exhaust worthy of an Italian spaghetti chef, there just ain't enough room.  Been there, done that.

By the way, if you're going to run B100, keep the compression at 22:1 and use an intercooler or the converted Holset, used on the Cummins .  Grease loves compression, and if you plan on going much beyond 250HP, make sure you start with the AMG or diamond block (2001 or later).  Next best is the 88-93 6.2/6.5 blocks.  Avoid the 94 - 2000 6.5s at all costs.

Good luck and looking forward to the build thread.

Bill

I'm going through your threads on the diesels right now. A like the idea of keeping the electronics out of it and going with a non-egr engine. Ideally, I'd get my hands on a military surplus engine. I think I read in a magazine somewhere that there is a supercharger available for them too but adding power is far down the road.

stewzer55 wrote:

18:1 vs 21:1 It allows for more boost.

As long as the bottom end is built right the 21:1 engine will make more power running the same boost.My kid brother gets that 8 lug magazine and some of those guys have made some incredible power running junkyard engines with stock bottom ends.All or them are running methanol/water injection to help with the combustion chamber temps.

well, 6.5 diesels,....i,ve some experience with them,..

bill,.. the 96-99 blocks weak,.these are oil squirter blocks, with the metric main bolts ,.
the 91-95's are still decent,.2000's improved again.

I,m pretty sure the B body chassis would work with a turbo if you could find an original cts turbo manifold that cocks the turbo up onto the intake somewhat and turns it slightly,.
The manifold was designed to put a turbo 6.2/5 into 73-87 trucks with a/c ,..
Although to be honest i haven't attempted this swap,.............................yet.

94-95 blocks could be alright as GM had a bunch of the good 599 blocks left over, but there are a bunch out there with thinner webs etc. that suffered the dreaded web cracking issues. If you're looking at a 94 or 95 block, do your homework.

Bill

599 blocks, got it. 6.2's had stronger blocks to begin with right?

Bill, Is this your old Roadie? http://jalopnik.com/5790065/for-2000-this-diesel-roadmaster-is-a-real-loco+motive

Welcome to the madness Stew

stewzer55 wrote:

Bill, Is this your old Roadie? http://jalopnik.com/5790065/for-2000-this-diesel-roadmaster-is-a-real-loco+motive

Yep that's it. First posted the conversion on the net back in 2004. Can't believe it's still wandering around and that there is still some interest in it. Sold the car to the guy who posted that advert 3 years ago and he sold it to another fellow who presumably is still using it to commute into town some 50 miles away. Jake says he still sees it around on occasion.

I put over a 100K on it after the conversion. Who knows what's on it now? Not bad for a junkyard conversion.

Bill

Just watched that video again and it still makes me grin when it clatters to life.A really professional looking installation,looks factory to me.

Very cool wagon...wish I could have seen it in person!

Thanks for the welcome PhastSS. Like I said, I may choose to go LS power too and have my '88 R3500 flatbed be a diesel toy but having a whale thats dirt cheap to run would be nice too.

stewzer55 wrote:

Thanks for the welcome PhastSS.  Like I said, I may choose to go LS power too and have my '88 R3500 flatbed be a diesel toy but having a whale thats dirt cheap to run would be nice too.

Better research that some more,. with the difference in price for fuel (diesel costs more now) the power and efficiency of LS engines,. my 94xclwb 6.5 costs more to run than buddy's 2008 5.3 ccsb, both 8 bolt 4x4's

On the first page I mentioned making my own B100 biodiesel hence the dirt cheap to run part. I figure an LS engine in a B-wagon would return mpgs closer to the higher end of LT-1 mileage which would beat my TrailBlazer by about 25%.