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I thought I would start a new thread on this since the build is finally started. I have the truck all striped down. The cage is from S&W race cars and came in this week. So I was able to get some of it done today, or at least tacked in. I will get more done tomorrow which should go a bit quicker. The hardest part is over. I am using solid aluminum body mounts to help stiffen it up. Its a race truck that will be street driven some. I really didn't like the way I had to run the front down bars but the cab mounts dictated the final location and angle. Plus I need to be behind the stock dash mounts which I am going to try and reuse.
The engine is at Mark G's machine shop in Buda. A friend of mine that's on the forum here has used him a couple of times with good success. Its a SBE 6.0 with Gen 4 rods and pistons, EDIT ordered an Isky 224 JFR cam, 317 heads with Manley valves, BTR springs with Ti retainers. Trick Flow balancer. I hope to have the block work done this next week. We had to cut the cylinders to 4.003 due to some water damage from sitting in a few holes. The pistons measured 4.0005 so this leaves me with .0025 difference. So I am going with oversized rings for now and will most likely build it again later with a forged bottom end. It will be a little loose but for a race engine, I prefer it loose vs tight. It will run with Deka 80lb injectors supplied by 2 Bosch 044 inline pumps. Fuel lab regulator, Holley fuel rails. Will be running the stock truck intake until I can find a deal for a Super Victor intake.
BW S482 turbo, Tial 44mm wastegate, Precision turbo 50mm Race port BOV, A2W intercooler, Ice/water tank in the bed. Snow Meth injection. It will be run on pump gas. Race gas if needed at the track.
Controlling this is a MS3 Gold box from EFI Source. I have the universal harness so I will be wiring all the connectors myself.
The rest of the truck will be run on standalone wiring done myself. It will be rocker switches for everything from engine power to lights. This will be a street driven truck so everything has to work. But I already pulled all of the stock wiring our of the dash and under the hood. Stock steering column will not be used.
Powerglide transmission. Hughes converter which will be replaced soon for a higher stall. I will need a built driveshaft once I get the engine and trany in so I can measure it. The truck already has a Ford 9" rear end that I built and installed. Moser axles, full spool with a 3.90 gear.
I am looking for race seats, but might use the stock seats for now if the race harness works ok with them. I doubt they will work. I will test fit them tomorrow so I can get more of the cage done.
I ma sure I am missing some details, but I will get to them as they come up. I am trying to get this truck running in the next month or so. Its been a long time coming while I was buying the parts for the engine and turbo build.
Got a bit more done this am. Raised the cab and welded up the top bars and painted them so I can put the cab back down. I just have to figure out how to paint the front edge of the front down bars facing the windshield. The are too close to the glass to reach and I don't want to remove the windshield.
Here is the front down bar mount. The rears look the same and they sit in front of the cab mounts.
Deja vu of welding in my brothers '91 S10 cage. His had been tied to the floor when he bought it. I had to build the outriggers and weld them in just like you showed there. Good luck on the build!
Got more of the cage done but not 100% complete yet . Need to work out the dash cutting for the dash bar. And I need the engine installed so I can set up the front frame supports.
I really wanted the main hoop behind the seat to be further back. But there just wasnt a way to reach the frame rail due to the location of the cab mounts. Kinda sucks not having an extended cab.
Might take the trany this week for a freshen up. Also might send one of my old BTC converters in for a restall and the front snout changed for the LS crank. Im hearing bad things about the adapter tearing the front pumps up.
Got a few more bars in today. Only ones left are the door bars and the front frame supports. I need a bender for the door bars due to wanting to keep the door panels stock, so these will go in later. And I need the engine in for the front bars so I can be sure to locate them in a good spot. Gutted the stock dash in the glove box to fit around the knee bar.
Engine should be ready to build up in about a week. Will try to get some other stuff done this weekend. Fuel pump swap and line routes figured out.
Today I got the front frame supports installed. I still need to install the down braces but I might need to figure my turbo placement first.
Finished the interior work except the door bars. These will need to be done after its on the road as I do not have the bender needed.
I did get the holes filled in the floor and the cover plates installed and sealed on the bars going through the floor. They aren't pretty but after a little sealer and paint, they will be fine. Just a pain in the *** to weld between the pipe and body. Cant get the metal clean enough.
Will try to remove my Aeromotive fuel pump today and try to get the dual Bosch 044 setup installed. I think I am going to be short a fitting or 2, but we will see. I have a lot of AN stuff so I am hoping to get lucky.
They are front frame supports. They help stiffen up the front end and keeps it from twisting so bad and sagging if the front wheels get off the ground. More bars, more stiff, that's what your looking for. There are still 2 more bars that will drop down behind the upper control arm that I haven't installed yet.
Thanks.
I like it. The top halo was not straight though. The bends were not lined up 100% so that took some serious manpower to twist it to get it as straight as I could get it. Fitment on the truck turned out ok as I cant notice it now. When laid on the floor it was about 3/4" off at the end of the one side. You can see it in the top picture with everything laid out. Other than that one piece it fit well.
With the stock cars I used to build with my buddies, we had a bender. So we could do it all ourselves. I don't have one anymore so this kit was the best way to go for the price.
I dont have a bender yet either. For what they charge for a chromolly prebent, it's only a few hundred more to buy the bender and die myself and have at it with sticks of straight tubing. Just didn't want to buy a tubing bender if their cage was already an awesome fit. Sounds like I might be better off biting the bullet and picking up a bender, it'll give me an excuse to make everything out of chromoly tubing lol
I thought about getting a bender myself. But a good bender, not even high end, will cost you about 700+ with the die. I wouldn't waste your time on the cheap benders out there. I bought the entire cage kit, back window lexan and extras for 740.00 including shipping.
My buddy has a bender with a die that I think is correct. If so I will do it myself. Then I have buddy that owns pro comp engineering that builds drag cars that can do it, and another friend that builds stock cars. So that's 3 avenues so far to get them bent.
05-21-2016, 09:01 PM
97 S10 with 6.0, 224 Isky JFR cam, S482 turbo, Powerglide, 9" rear 
