Back in the game. RCSB 1500 D-max swap coming...
02-24-2013, 01:07 PM
#22
Sounds good!
Paint is not great, has a lot of rock chips and scratches.There's two dents that a good PDR guy might be able to get out. It has fog lights, but both are broken. Rear bumper is dented.
Mechanically it's pretty good, except the trans is acting funky. Either a bad converter, or a bad tune. It seems like the converter locks too early, and doesn't unlock properly when giving it some throttle. I wish I still had my EFILive, I'd pull the tune and see if it's factory. Engine is good, interior is good. Front diff leaks a bit, engine leaks oil, probably a bad rear main seal. T-case has some goo built up on it on the rear half of the case...I checked for fresh autotrac fluid and for holes where the normal pump rub issue comes from, but it looked ok. Parking brake doesn't hold, but I'll have to redo that anyway with the donor rear axle. Wheels have a lot of crud built up on them, I'm not sure if it's actually eaten into the finish or if it's just on the surface. Tires have decent tread depth but are 8 years old and are starting to crack a little bit between the tread blocks.
I paid $4000 for the truck, and my hope is that I can get about $2000 out of reselling parts. That's probably on the high side, but engines and trannies seem to go for more on craigslist than they do on the forums, plus I'll end up selling most of the interior. My plan right now is to just use the frame and body of the 99 with the drivetrain, electrical, and interior of the LBZ truck.
I started a spreadsheet to track all of the expenses related to this build, and I'll be happy to share along the way in case someone else wants to build one of these too. My goal is to be under $10k for a running truck with a stock LBZ drivetrain. Then stop tracking expenses and mod the hell out of it
I don't remember where I saw it, but 500 hp and 1200 ft-lb are stuck in my head for some reason, so that seems like a good long term target 
Mechanically it's pretty good, except the trans is acting funky. Either a bad converter, or a bad tune. It seems like the converter locks too early, and doesn't unlock properly when giving it some throttle. I wish I still had my EFILive, I'd pull the tune and see if it's factory. Engine is good, interior is good. Front diff leaks a bit, engine leaks oil, probably a bad rear main seal. T-case has some goo built up on it on the rear half of the case...I checked for fresh autotrac fluid and for holes where the normal pump rub issue comes from, but it looked ok. Parking brake doesn't hold, but I'll have to redo that anyway with the donor rear axle. Wheels have a lot of crud built up on them, I'm not sure if it's actually eaten into the finish or if it's just on the surface. Tires have decent tread depth but are 8 years old and are starting to crack a little bit between the tread blocks.
I paid $4000 for the truck, and my hope is that I can get about $2000 out of reselling parts. That's probably on the high side, but engines and trannies seem to go for more on craigslist than they do on the forums, plus I'll end up selling most of the interior. My plan right now is to just use the frame and body of the 99 with the drivetrain, electrical, and interior of the LBZ truck.
I started a spreadsheet to track all of the expenses related to this build, and I'll be happy to share along the way in case someone else wants to build one of these too. My goal is to be under $10k for a running truck with a stock LBZ drivetrain. Then stop tracking expenses and mod the hell out of it
I don't remember where I saw it, but 500 hp and 1200 ft-lb are stuck in my head for some reason, so that seems like a good long term target
Last edited by thunder550; 02-24-2013 at 01:20 PM.
02-24-2013, 08:47 PM
#28
I'm registered on IAAI and Copart, and I found a broker who can bid through either one for a flat $150 fee. Right now I have 23 trucks on my watchlists between the two sites, so hopefully something will come up soon. I am definitely open to other suggestions though.
For EFILive I'll end up getting another V2 from Kyle...it will tune the LBZ and the G8 if I ever decide to go there, and I'm trying to find out if it will at least read and clear DTC codes for the LML. Should be a worthwhile investment. As far as reading the 99, it was suggested in my other thread that I'll end up selling the trans as a core anyway with the high mileage, so I guess it's really not worth my time to try and diagnose or fix it.
For EFILive I'll end up getting another V2 from Kyle...it will tune the LBZ and the G8 if I ever decide to go there, and I'm trying to find out if it will at least read and clear DTC codes for the LML. Should be a worthwhile investment. As far as reading the 99, it was suggested in my other thread that I'll end up selling the trans as a core anyway with the high mileage, so I guess it's really not worth my time to try and diagnose or fix it.
