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My name is Kane. I have an 05 Canyon Crew with a blown 3.5. It has a unique past with a weird story I will share. I bought it in 09 for my wife. It replaced an 03 Mercury Mountaineer V8 AWD. My stepson had gotten his license and with two smaller boys, it was no longer needed so we decided to downsize. We sold the Mountaineer to a family friend and after looking at several smaller vehicles, including a, ugh, minivan, settled on the Canyon. She liked that we could carry the two smaller boys and had room to haul whatnot in the bed. All was good til 2011, when we got divorced. It was a peaceful, mutual agreement and she wanted to keep the truck. A few months later she buys a Toyota Corolla from her sister who couldn't afford payments any longer. After seeing me struggle with helping my little bro with the turd Mercedes mom gave him, she gave me the truck back to give to him. Unfortunately before my ex decided to give it back to me she had let the insurance lapse. The very DAY AFTER her coverage ended a bad hail storm came through. Damaged the roofs of houses all over town, broke windows in homes, downed power lines, and beat the ever living snot out of the Canyon. Amazingly didn't break any windows in it but dented and dinged every single panel on it, cracked the tail lights, broke a headlight, beat the mirror glass out, destroyed the vent visors, and pretty much totalled it out IF insurance would have been paid. At the time I still owed the bank several thousand on it (she got the truck, I got the note). A few days later I go to the bank to let them know what happened and ask what I can do for a pretty much worthless truck. They take my info and I walk out. A few days later I get a call from the loan officer. They were nice enough to put GAP insurance on it for me without me knowing when I bought it. She told me that GAP would pay 7500 if I could come in and pay the 1000 dollar balance. I was ecstatic, it would be one less payment per month and I could be rid of the thing. When I went to the bank I asked where I should take the truck since insurance paid it off. Loan officers response, GAP only covers the loss of property on the loan, what you do with it is up to you, once we receive their check we release the title and mail it back to you. I had to ask her three times, "So you mean I get to keep it? Are you sure?" It looks like hell but it's paid for, sweet! A few months prior, I had bought Dylan a Dodge Conquest (my main forte) since I had a garage full of parts and several parts cars. He enjoyed the car but missed the utility of a truck. He drove up from Venice FL in the quest and took the truck back home. Shortly thereafter he blew the transmission and rearend but admitted he did it being a knuckle head. He paid for the parts and I went down to help install it all calling it a "Vacation". Six months or so later he calls me up saying it's rattling in the top end pretty bad. I told him to try and get it back home, he was at work. It made it but was severely knocking in the bottom end by then. He drained the oil and chunks of aluminum came out. In the meantime he can ride his motorcycle to work and school. A few weeks later, I fly him up here for Thanksgiving and send him home in the Conquest. It's an annual tradition for my boys and I to go visit him after Christmas. So I hopped in the tree-fiddy (02 F350 crew cab short bed dually), visited, rented a dolly, and drug the Canyon back home. What would any enthusiast do with a paid for truck with a blown engine? Follow the hot rod mantra of big engine in a little car. The Canyon is getting a 5.3 and T56 and it is for that reason I am here.
If you've made it this far thanks for reading and here is a couple of pics.
Bringing it home:


At the shop:


The Goods:


A little about me if you care about such. I'm an operator at a Nuclear Power Plant, have two boys 7 and 12, enjoy the outdoors, automotive, and just about anything mechanical. My first love is the Dodge Conquest/Mitsubishi Starion, I have four of them. I also have a Dodge Raider with a diesel swap, a 72 celica with vintage JDM 18RG twincam engine, 66 Rambler station wagon that's getting a 2JZ swap, 92 Ford Escort sedan V6 5spd and five lug, and a 34 Ford pickup with toyota V8, five speed, and supra IRS. All of which are in varying states of completion. I've done the minitruckin thing way back when with a bagged and bodied square body S10 ext cab, owned my own air ride suspension company, been in the offroad scene, and founded/ran a car club.

Thanks,
Kane

Heavychevy87

Very interesting swap! Looking forward to seeing it all done as well as along the way