4.3 crawler gets a new shell!

[4.3 headache]

So what happens to your old 2-seater 4x4 when you get married and have kids?





it sits and the tires rot off!


So old trusty's going to get some new skin.

[4.3 headache]

I have needed to take care of some wiring cleanup issues with the factory chevy harness any way....


I kept telling myself I'd do it after getting the truck running and smogged and well 4 years later.....

[4.3 headache]

So with some help from my good friend Phil.

It's off with the cab   

This is how you get it done when you've got weekdays off and all your other friends are working.

[4XFlyin]

I have thought about changing my cab, but it just seems like it is not worth it for me. Very creative way to get it off. Good luck with the job. By the way, where are you located? Looks like Acton, CA.

[4.3 headache]

You are close , but I'm on the other side of the mountain. Frazier Park, Ca.

I've swapped several cabs now. The first one because I rolled it and couldn't get the cab straight enough to replace the windshield without cutting it, took a friend and I  8 hours start to finish ( with the help of a tractor ) to swap cabs.

This one will be a little more in-depth though since I've got a 4.3 now and some frame mods...


More pics tomorrow.

[4.3 headache]

hmm... tomorrow eh??

well in the last 2 months i've had about 3 days to work on it.

I had to relocate 6 body mounts. then weld 6" onto the back of my frame that i'd bobbed for the flat bed.

[4.3 headache]

 then i stared at it for an hour realizing i don't have  to spend on it




and went back home bummed.

[4.3 headache]

I'd love to go 23 spline but diapers are top priority!

[4.3 headache]

so i came back the following weekend with more determination and a friends cool toy.

[4.3 headache]

and here it sits....

far from done, got all the harness to reroute.

and i'll have to decide what to do for a fuel tank

[AaronB]

sweet. Im sure ill probably be doing that with mine in the future.

[RokCrawlinToy]

Hey Tommy, cool conversion. 

[46&2]

Nice work!! 

[bigarms23]

for a fuel tank maybe a 15gallon fuel cell

[kneedownnate]

Are you running a t350 or 700r4?  Are you using a toy column shift assembly too?  Any glitches to making them work together?

[88_Pathy]

As far as I remember he had the chevy interior too.

[4.3 headache]

http://board.marlincrawler.com/index.php?topic=3062.msg24747#msg24747

That's my original thread when i put the 4.3 in.

I'm running the gm steering column and gm harness . the engine is an 01 4.3 the tranny is a 4L60E out of a 2000 bravada

I welded the bottom of the Gm column to the plate that bolts to the firewall using a 3" to 2" exhaust reducer.

[offroadin88]

what adapter did you end up using between the duals and 4l60e?

[4.3 headache]

So I finally got my fuel tank in by spacing it down 2" with some square tube.
It is not what I want permanently but it was free.

Now I've been trying eliminate some of the extra wiring in the chevy harness. 

[4RunnerChevy]

Now I've been trying eliminate some of the extra wiring in the chevy harness. 

When I did this I had enough leftover spaghetti to feed an army. 

[4.3 headache]

I went through it when I put the 4.3 in, but got sick of doing it so I just slapped it in there.

This time I'd like to have use of my vents in the dash. To do that it's got to  be smaller.

[4.3 headache]

After driving the truck for a few days, I pulled the harness back out.

I wanted to eliminate all the splice blocks and some of GM's crappy connector plugs.   


Soldering gets old quick.....

[4.3 headache]

I managed to get rid of this.


The rest of the harness just needs a few zip ties and some loom.

[SJyota]

Looks good  men,

[4.3 headache]

so i'm on the slow build here.... family and work take priority.

but I've got my harness in, and de-soldered the led's in the dash to get rid of the abs ,airbag and seatbelt light.
the truck runs and drives so i believe i left all the right wires in.
maybe i'll get to go wheeling soon 

[4XFlyin]

I am really impressed at how well you are doing. Doing your own harness work is a pain in the AXX. I did my 2000 4.3 without the column and figured out the harness. It was a real pain, but worth it. Keep it up.

[THK Matt]

sexy conversion man... keep it up. I'll be watchin!

[Jud]

Looks cool. I just did the opposite as you are doing. I went from a runner body to a single cab flatbed. lol

[4.3 headache]

Back from the dead. . .







More to come

[4.3 headache]

Adding Wiring.....