Bruiser gets some muscle... finally...

[68Timber]

This project has been sitting a long time, I haven't driven it in a year. Just starting it up occasionally and keeping it on the battery tender. But I have been collecting parts all the way for an engine upgrade.

Originally, the plan was to get a fresh 350 short block, freshen up the heads, intall a nice cam, aluminum intake, rebuild the Q-jet, and run it. That went out the window a looooong time ago. Parts collecting became an obsession, but it should pay off with a bunch more power. What I've got now is a 750 Holley, Victor Jr. intake, Brodix heads and Comp 1.6 roller rockers, Comp cam, Heddman headers, and GMPP serpentine setup w/AC. And the 350 shortblock is now a 383 shortblock.

I took the cover off the diff this weekend, the truck has 3.40 gears and the factory Gov-Loc. I ordered some 3.73's and an Eaton Posi to take its place.

Before anyone says it, I know I could've installed a 6.0/4L80E for less coin and had more power. But honestly, buying parts has been a slow deal and I passed the point of no return by the time our pioneers here mapped that swap out. No worries, a 383 will fit Bruiser's personality perfectly.

This will still be a slow go because I want to detail under the hood before all the shiny parts go in. But it should be turning the drag radials into smoke before too long. Updates coming!

[Ford Assassin]

Pics?

The Vic Jr isn't going to give you too much low end. I hope you have at least a 3000 stall converter. A Performer RPM would be a much better intake for a truck that will likely never see north of 6500 RPM, and live most of its life below 3500 (if going to be a street 'Bruiser'). Just my opinion, but I've built many SBC/BBC/LSx combos and they only time mine have received a single plane intake is when all they were doing is blasting down the drag strip or chasing its tail in a circle track car, in other works, not street cars.

What are the cam specs? Flat tappet hyd/solid, roller hyd/solid?

Regardless, good luck with it!!

[68Timber]

Thanks, I appreciate it. Oh, I've got pics. This is what I brought home:



This is after the suspension was redone, 2" Ground Force springs up front and 2" (IIRC) Western Chassis shackles in the rear. The original wheel/tire combo was 275/60's on 15x10's all the way around.



Later on the rear tires were replaced with 325/50 drag radials.



The cam is a Comp 274XE, 230/236 @ .050 and .490 lift and of course the lift will be boosted to .523 with the 1.6 rockers. This is a hydraulic flat tappet cam. I know the intake choice is arguable but I will be running a 3000 rpm stall converter, a TCI Street Fighter. The only question is transmission. I know a 700R4 will eventually make it's way into the truck so I went ahead and got the 3.73 gears. I'd like to go ahead and put one in now and not break the budget. I just need to find a good core. I can put that decision off until the motor's buttoned up, so maybe a good core will come up by then.

[Ackattack]

Uh...I'm sorry, but the project name "Bruiser" has been taken and copyrighted by me. Please cease and desist from using the name in any further communications. Thank you.


Just kidding Saw the name and thought I'd have to be funny.

[68Timber]

I saw your truck for the first time last week, had no idea we had two Bruiser's here. Beautiful truck, I'll be reading your build thread after work.

[bowtieguy79]

Sharp!
Posted via Mobile Device

[68Timber]

Thanks! It's rougher that the camera lets on, but not too bad.

[68Timber]

I only thought I was at the front of the line. A buddies truck that was thought to only need the head reworked turned out to have a cracked piston. So we're not done with it yet.

The black car got a cam/intake/carb upgrade. But now that all the accessories are out, it'll get cleaned up, painted, and otherwise detailed.

So for now the 383 sits in a bag.

I did get some seats from Tim Christian here on the forum, and got them installed last weekend. Pictures don't do them justice, I'm tickled to have them.

[68Timber]

I went to fuel it up this evening for the first time in a year. Left driving, came home riding. A fuel line split, so it came home on a rollback. Thank God for an AAA membership. I'll replace that fuel line so I can get it to a friends for the gear/posi install. Then it'll come back home to pull the engine/tranny. We do this for fun, right???

[DBLSPRT68]

Originally Posted by BRUISER

We do this for fun, right???

Yes we do it for fun; sweating all day, smashed fingers, fuel in the eyes, tired and sore all over..... I LOVE to work on my truck! Good luck with "Bruiser" John!

[68Timber]

David, I guess it's all good, but that's the first time I've been stranded in a while - no fun! Mainly because I forgot my cell phone. Big DOH on my part. One motor mount is broken, so no big suprise the fuel line broke on the rubber line between the hardline mounted on the frame and the the fuel pump. But easy to replace. The broken motormount will have to last another week or two until the old drivetrain is pulled. I'll just have to make sure to baby it so it doesn't happen again, and to carry some fuel line and a flat head screw driver. The fun stuff will start soon!

[made2drag]

Originally Posted by BRUISER

I only thought I was at the front of the line. A buddies truck that was thought to only need the head reworked turned out to have a cracked piston. So we're not done with it yet.

The black car got a cam/intake/carb upgrade. But now that all the accessories are out, it'll get cleaned up, painted, and otherwise detailed.

So for now the 383 sits in a bag.

I did get some seats from Tim Christian here on the forum, and got them installed last weekend. Pictures don't do them justice, I'm tickled to have them.

man, those seats look great!

[68Timber]

Originally Posted by made2drag

man, those seats look great!

Thanks man, I appreciate it. I've already got a set of later 80's Blazer/Burb buckets I bought from another member here that I'd planned to install so it was really great to come across a really nice correct set in the correct color. Those seats came with bases, so now I've got an extra set of the K5 seat bases to install in Sarge. They need a little work, the blue vinyl buckets previously in Buiser were not correct and they'd been welded to the seat bases, so those seat bases need a little refurb work before I can reuse them. It's all good, it just takes time - right?

That turquoise 68 pickup is finally done this last weekend. We ended up putting a new motor in and blasting/painting everything we could. It looks great, but it killed a lot of time. And that black Corvette has the new cam installed, but we've still got to detail the engine bay/accessories and button it up. When I started this thread I thought the turquoise truck was done and the Corvette was in the home stretch, putting Bruiser on deck. C'est la vie. I did drop it off for posi/gear install Sunday. Hopefully we'll be pulling the old motor soon.

[made2drag]

Originally Posted by BRUISER

Thanks man, I appreciate it. I've already got a set of later 80's Blazer/Burb buckets I bought from another member here that I'd planned to install so it was really great to come across a really nice correct set in the correct color. Those seats came with bases, so now I've got an extra set of the K5 seat bases to install in Sarge. They need a little work, the blue vinyl buckets previously in Buiser were not correct and they'd been welded to the seat bases, so those seat bases need a little refurb work before I can reuse them. It's all good, it just takes time - right?

That turquoise 68 pickup is finally done this last weekend. We ended up putting a new motor in and blasting/painting everything we could. It looks great, but it killed a lot of time. And that black Corvette has the new cam installed, but we've still got to detail the engine bay/accessories and button it up. When I started this thread I thought the turquoise truck was done and the Corvette was in the home stretch, putting Bruiser on deck. C'est la vie. I did drop it off for posi/gear install Sunday. Hopefully we'll be pulling the old motor soon.

sounds like you got all your bases covered!

[68Timber]

Originally Posted by made2drag

sounds like you got all your bases covered!

Everything but the time to do it. I'm having a shop built so I can't complain. Things are going more slowly than I thought but still going well.

[BigBlocksRule]

'Vette looks like a' 78?
I thought about Bruiser as a name for my crusty old '85 dually, ended up with Fugg & Ugly, my artist son is going to put it on the doors like an old shop truck.
Nice Blazer!

[68Timber]

Thanks man. The truck was in a buddy's shop for a few days back when the new suspension went on. Most everything got a new coat of satin black, some stuff got painted corporate blue. All that black and blue painting, Bruiser came up and stuck. I'm no artist, but I did free-hand it on the tailgate inspection panel and paint it up, it turned out OK but won't necessarily stay on there.

The Vette is a 78. He's had that car probably 15 yrs now. Hard to tell from that pic but it's a pretty nice car. It's just been under the car cover too long.

[68Timber]

I haven't done a thing with the truck. Like I mentioned, I'm having a shop built, and I'm at the point where I've decided to put things on hold until the shop is done. I'd rather wait and do it right the first time, and I won't have the workspace until the contractor is done. Every Saturday I'm working on someone else's project at a friend's shop; I love it - the experience is welcome and so is the money. But the more I do, the more my expectations rise for my own junk, so this has been pushed off until spring. I'm not going to drop the new engine in until I can redo under the hood the best I can. The weather will have to warm up again for that paint.

Anyway, just an update to explain the lack of updates. I'd rather do everything myself that I can and end up with a 7 out of 10 than try to pay for the best I can afford.

[sbc383rulz]

truck looks nice! its amazing how much easier it is to do quality work in a shop, not saying nice work cant be done outside its just alot easier with a roof!!

[jmack91z28]

New work spaces are always as exciting as new projects. Hell, post up some pictures of the shop that's being built.

John, are you still going with the single plane high rise intake?..

[BigBlocksRule]

Originally Posted by BRUISER

Like I mentioned, I'm having a shop built

It's not big enough.

I don't care if it's 100' x 100', it's not big enough.

Never found a man who built a shop that within a few years didn't say, "I wish I'd have built it bigger".

But it's awfully nice to get to work on a concrete floor, out of the weather!!!

[bk2life]

Originally Posted by BRUISER

The cam is a Comp 274XE, 230/236 @ .050 3000 rpm stall converter, 3.73 gears. .

that cam is way to small for that convertor and and the power band of your intake manifold.

what compression is your 383 with those brodix heads?

what RPM range are you planning on being with your motor?

bigger cam, 9-10:1, no smaller then a 750 carb, that motor will make good power. im jealous!!

[68Timber]

Originally Posted by BigBlocksRule

It's not big enough.

I don't care if it's 100' x 100', it's not big enough.

Never found a man who built a shop that within a few years didn't say, "I wish I'd have built it bigger".

But it's awfully nice to get to work on a concrete floor, out of the weather!!!

I should have said I'm building a tool shed! It will be 12x20, possibly 14x20. So far only the concrete work has been done, I had the driveway widened and extended to the back of our property. To keep from having to ask the city to bless my idea, I have to wait 90 days from the time the concrete was poured to start the building. I haven't had much of a place to work since we bought this house in 07. Right now I have to keep most everything in the house, so this will be nice.

The cam is already in the engine and the compression is 10:1. I've already bought the intake, but not the converter. I have a new vac seconday 750 Holley. I've been talked out of that much converter, now plans are for 2600 rpm stall. I haven't bought the converter yet because I don't know what transmission I'll be running. I hate to rebuild the TH350 when I really want an R4 in there, but I'll have to see how the funds go. I may have to run the TH350 for a while. No big deal except that I'd like to be able to take it out of town once in a while.

[OutlawDrifter]

definitely go 14x20, it may not seem like much, but an extra 2' will make a lot of difference. i've got a 24x30 stuffed to the gills...i grew up with a 48'x48' that had hanger doors on it, and a 16' roof height....haha, i miss that shop, you could have 3 projects going at once and still have room to pull in a few others.

[DBLSPRT68]

John, I had a 24x30 shop with 10 foot walls at my house in Mississippi. I miss that a whole lot now, even though it was too small............ I've now got a single car garage as my very own, with a double garage for other work/daily drivers. Go as big as you can!