1988 K5 Blazer modifications. I've had this Blazer for 8 years or so. The parts collection and prep work for this has taken ten years... 1. Body shell replaced with one that has no rust/rot. This is why it was changed. When the rusted out section was cleared, there was a hole big enough to drop a basketball through. The rest of the body wasn't any better. Dashboard and VIN number was kept so title and registration is unchanged. New aftermarket body mounts. Painted underneath with grey POR-15. Frame painted with black POR-15. Access panel cut into rear floor for easier fuel pump replacement. Can now be changed without dropping the gas tank. It may be changed to a Holley external pump when this one quits. 2. Front axle is replaced with a 1979 Ford F-350 high pinion Dana 60 with 3.54 gears. All rebuilt, new PowerLock differential added. Brakes rebuilt. Shock mounts changed, new shocks. A 5 degree wedge installed to correct caster and pinion angle. 1995 Dodge u-bolts used. New three leaf springs. Chevy Dana 60 steering arm used. New steering damper. New brake dust shields. New kingpins. A special tool was made from a Mopar torsion bar to remove/install the upper kingpins. 3. Rear axle is a 1995 Dodge 2500 Dana 60HD. Naturally, with 3.54 gears. Detroit Locker 35 spline differential added. Aftermarket Moser 35 spline axle shafts used. Stock 13" drum brakes kept for the better parking brake. New hub seals. Shock mounts changed, new shocks. A 3 degree wedge is used to correct pinion angle. New u-bolts. Heavy duty 7 leaf springs kept. Moved the spring hangers 1/2" out from the frame to match the Dodge axle spring perches. Parking brake connected to stock Blazer cable, pedal. Aftermarket aluminum back cover also. 4. Bellhousing, flywheel, clutch, transmission and transfer case replaced. Ansen adapter bellhousing. McLeod 12" clutch and pressure plate. Aftermarket flywheel. Ford T-19 four speed transmission, 4.02:1 first gear ratio. Novak brass pilot bushing used. Ford NP205 transfer case. Two new driveshafts, all 1410 u-joints. Custom speedometer cable. Changed problematic hydraulic clutch linkage to the earlier mechanical linkage. All aircraft rod ends used. Z-bar reinforced. Pedal to z-bar link is 3/4" aluminum rod. New throwout bearing and fork. Lakewood boot. Custom z-bar mount on bellhousing. Rebuilt older style three bolt starter. 5. Exhaust redone. Later model driver's side manifold. Custom pipes made. All within the frame and not below. Mount bracket bolted to the side of the transfer case. Flex joint to new catalytic converter. Stainless muffler, new tailpipe. Extra mount bracket added to top of the tailpipe. 6. Radiator replaced with an aluminum version. Dual electric fans. New aluminum heater core. 7. Fram HPG-1 fuel filter used. Much easier to change and works better than the stock one.. 8. Changed to a rebuilt hydroboost 1 ton truck power brake unit. Stainless steel brake lines used throughout. New master cylinder. Brakes are essentially new and equivalent to a 1 ton truck. 9. Borgeson steering shaft with needle u-joints replaced the stock rag joint type. Seems better. 10. Upgraded to an aftermarket 43 gallon gas tank several years ago. Large ID diesel fuel filler used. I dislike the one with the flap and small hole. Hard to add gas from a five gallon can. 11. The BFG AT 35" tires have worked very nicely for a couple of years. Rubber overdrive, in effect. I had to do a very slight trim to the front fenders for clearance, but nothing else. Offroad it probably would need more lift so it wouldn't rub. Galvanized 16.5" rims. 12. In spring 2010 the roof will be changed to a 1973 Blazer full convertible type. Roll bar to be added. Already have the roll bar, roof, doors and top of the windshield frame. 13. New paint job. Late model Dodge PB7 Patriot Blue color. Doors and tailgate replaced by the body shop. Body in essentially new condition. 14. Eventually the interior will be upgraded. Later model seats, new rugs. 15. Second battery added, Optima Yellow Top. Cole-Hersee battery isolator used so both are charged by the alternator, but neither battery will discharge the other. Primary battery is an Optima Red Top. The second Optima is used to power the radio, 110vac inverter and the Espar Airtronic D2 heater. The Airtronic heater keeps the Blazer interior around 60° 24/7. Very comfortable. 16. Engine replaced some years ago with later stock 350 truck version. 4 bolt mains, factory roller lifter capable. Heads redone December 2008. Holley TBI intake manifold used. Factory one leaked. The 350 will be swapped this summer for a Cummins 4BT diesel which was just purchased. It's on a spare frame front half to make the mounts. Hooked up the fuel and battery up and got it started. It runs great! I'm looking forward to this swap. 17. Original parts left are the frame rails/crossmembers, hood, radiator support and numerous smaller parts like wiring. Most of the Blazer has been replaced. Old parts were scrapped, sold or given away. Frame is OK. Otherwise I would have changed it. I had a decent one. Interesting project, but a whole lot of work... Most of it was fun or "educational". Running and on the road 28 Nov 2009. It took about five months of fairly intense work to do. About 250 hours total. Cost was pretty high. Overall, still cheaper than buying a new and similar SUV. This was not done as if it was a show truck. Not cleaned to bare metal, nor polished and chromed. Just a street truck.