Jeep Trailblazer SS

[gottattooz]

I welded in the right rear fender well filler panel today. I think it came out really well.

-Josh

[Ol Blue K20]

It's going to be sealed up soon.

[67ChevyRedneck]

This is coming out so cool. You're going to have such an awesome/fun driver.

These things have gone nuts in price. A clean, nice paint 80's-91 that's ready to drive goes for 15-20K, that's just a nice driver quality one.

[gottattooz]

Originally Posted by 67ChevyRedneck

These things have gone nuts in price. A clean, nice paint 80's-91 that's ready to drive goes for 15-20K, that's just a nice driver quality one.

Yeah, they were pretty iconic in their day. If you watch movies like sixteen candles where the family had a really nice house with a great paying job, they always had a grand Wagoneer in the driveway. Of course mine's going to drive like a trailblazer, but with 395hp/400 tq, awd 4-wheel disc brakes and the fattest sway bars I've ever seen, I'll be ok with the aggressive handling versus riding on a cloud luxury of the Wagoneer.

-Josh

[67ChevyRedneck]

The one that got me was "Problem Child". That beautiful medium blue one John Ritter's character drove.

I remember telling my dad he should buy one when I was a kid.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgRYZBc4NM0

[gottattooz]

I finished the left fender well and the stinger on my welder broke. I guess the wire sleeve is trying to come out the nozzle, so i ordered a replacement.

I went to Wal-Mart and Lowe's with the piece i cut out for the fuel door to try and match the blue paint. In the picture, the light blue is what Wal-Mart came up with. If you look just to the right of my thumb, there looks to be a blister in the paint. That's actually the Lowe's paint. I dipped the handle of the brush in the paint and dabbed it on the metal. When it dried, it took me a few seconds to find it.

I scuffed and painted the fuel door. I set it in place for the picture. It's definitely in the realm of "close enough for now". I also painted the wiper cowl because i burned the paint welding the mounting tabs on it.

-Josh

[Ol Blue K20]

The blue is pretty good match.

[gottattooz]

I pulled the stock exhaust manifolds and the y-pipe off to fit the shorty headers. I broke two bolts on the driver's side, but none on the passenger side.

Apparently the shorty headers i bought weren't designed for the trailblazer. The front tube on the passenger side header hits the strut tower and is about 3/4" away from lining up with the bolt holes. My dad and i discussed having the front tube altered to clear, but all the planning was scrapped when i tried to fit the driver's side and the flange hit the firewall with an inch between the header and the bolt holes lining up.

Now i either have to buy full length headers and have the exhaust turn 180 degrees toward the front of the Jeep and then turn 90 degrees outward to connect to the side pipes, or Hooker makes a cast shorty header that flows better than stock manifolds.

-Josh

[gottattooz]

Getting back to patching and filling in the gaps.

-Josh

[gottattooz]

Well i managed to extract both exhaust bolts today. I had to use a rose bud torch for the second one, but it's better pulling the engine.

I returned the shorty headers today and ordered stainless full length stainless headers.

I cut up the piece left from the new fuel filler door and made a plug for the original fuel filler hole. I made some templates the left rear fender well that I removed 6 inches out of. Then I undercoated the inner fender.

-Josh

[gottattooz]

I patched the passenger rear fender well.

I got my new stainless headers in from speed engineering. I tried to reuse the stock 02 sensors, but the threads got mangled while trying to remove them from the factory Y-pipe. They don't go back as far as i feared which is good. I need 2 90 degree elbows and a 45 degree pipe per side to connect to the side pipes.

-Josh

[gottattooz]

Alobg with new 02 sensors, i got Taylor wires to clear the headers (135 degree boots) and Bosch double iridium plugs.

-Josh

[gottattooz]

I got stainless 3 inch pipe to connect the headers to the side pipes. I bought an exhaust flaring tool, but apparently it's not strong enough to flare stainless. Dad and i even heated the pipe with a rose bud torch, and it didn't help. Looks like I'll be taking them to an exhaust shop to get them flared.

I bought a 10-pack of nut-serts from summit racing. I only needed 4 to mount the side pipe brackets, but i used one on a scrap metal to see how it works and ruined 3 of them trying to install them. I drilled the bottom of the 1"x2" rectangular spacer i welded to the inner rocker panels. I had to spot weld the nut-serts to keep them from spinning while trying to set the flares.

I did get the passenger sidepipe brackets and heat shield mounted, but i mocked in the inlet and outlet pipes for the picture. I need to take it all back apart and paint everything flat black so it's not visible when the exhaust is mounted permanently.

-Josh

[gottattooz]

Well the passenger side is tighter than the driver's side. I had to clearance a bracket underneath to get as close to the frame as possible. Then i used a long 4x4 and a framing square to figure out the angles of the pipes. If i used the flared ends like I'd planned, the exhaust would hang 7 inches below the frame. So I used 2x4s to secure the route of the pipes so i knew where to cut and weld the 2 90 degree elbows. With those pieces welded together, i scuffed and blacked out the exposed rocker panel I'm using the exhaust to cover up.

-Josh

[gottattooz]

Here is the passenger side pipe finished.

-Josh

[gottattooz]

I finished the driver's side exhaust. I had to remove the drivers side header to install the front drive shaft. I replaced all the u-joints and i didn't want to do the exhaust without knowing where the front shaft ran. The problem being i removed the spark plug wires, but not the plugs. I suspended the header to put the shaft in. But the header fell and broke the back spark plug.

I also bought a profile gauge so i can make my patch panels more accurate to the body panels.

-Josh

[biketopia]

Coming right along! Exhaust hides the other rocker well, I can't wait to see what this thing looks like with all the sheet metal on it and some different wheels!

[Ol Blue K20]

Pipes look good.

[gottattooz]

After a slight detour to work on my wagon, I'm back on the jeep. I made filler panels to close the gaps on the driver's side where i cut away too much for the swap. I've still got the passenger side to do, but then i can start fitting the front clip.

-Josh

[gottattooz]

I finished all my filler panels, so now i can start plugging in the electronics and firing the front clip.

-Josh

[gottattooz]

I traded my three-piece bumpers for one-piece bumpers.

-Josh

[gottattooz]

Now that all the filler panels are finished, it's time to start fitting the front end. Good news is that the radiator clears the waterpump. The radiator hoses are going to be a challenge, I'm going to ditch the idea of retaining the air conditioning because of the limited real estate between the radiator and the grille. I've got to put an electric fan and trans oil cooler between the radiator and the grille and it's already going to be quite a squeeze without an a/c condenser in there. I might be able to lady the trans oil cooler flat with a fan on it and salvage the a/c, but it's just one of the many hurdles in front of me.

I put the engine cover on to see how it looks and if it'd clear. I'm living how it's coming together.

-Josh

[Ol Blue K20]

Man, it's looking good...

[gottattooz]

I mounted the rear bumper today.

I also figured out the space available between the grille and the radiator to mount the engine Fan and the trans oil cooler with it's own fan. Unfortunately there isn't enough room for an a/c condenser, so when i remove the front clip to make new core support mount holes, I'll remove the a/c compressor and the lines. I've never had a/c in anything I've ever owned, so it's not that big a deal.

-Josh

[Ol Blue K20]

No a/c sucks but we do what we have to do. You might figure a way once it's completely together and driving. Work out the bugs first, nice progress.