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1996 K2500 “Krovvy”

n8in8or

I never met a project I didn’t like
Messages
4,285
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8,286
Location
Kalamazoo, MI
Yep. Another project......

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Last fall I bought some 6.5 parts from a guy about 2 hours from me. While there he showed me a truck he had that was basically complete except for an engine and he said he’d sell it to me for $800. I wasn’t looking for a truck, but noted that it was really solid for a Michigan truck, so I stored it in the memory banks. I kept thinking about the truck over the winter.....

Well the dually project keeps growing legs in my mind and I’m woefully behind on it (ok, haven’t started on it) because I’ve been focusing on getting my barn into better shape for working on projects. Over the past 2 months I have sold off 8 pickup bed loads of non-6.5 stuff as part of this process and I’m so happy to have more room and organization! So here I am now - a barn for working on stuff, a decent stash of 6.5 parts and in need of a truck for towing this summer. Sounds like a good fit for this other truck!!

I contacted the owner last week and we made an arrangement for me to come get it. Yesterday I drove up with the Envoy and my car trailer and drug it home. I hope that’s the last time I have to tow something that big with the Envoy, it wasn’t a leisurely drive, that’s for sure.

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So here’s the plan: get it on the road in the next couple months using mostly parts I already have and have a nice solid, doing-nearly-anything rig. That was the problem with the dually - since it’s a 94, with the parts I have in stock, I could only put it together stock or hot, mechanical using all the stuff from the Tahoe. The idea of a stock 6.5 didn’t excite me and I want to do some things before I put the Omega Moose in another truck. I also didn’t want to spend money on an OBD1 tune when it would only be a temporary setup. That’s where the 96 is a better fit - I can put all my cast-off DS4 stuff from the earlier Tahoe build and have a decent running rig.


So today I will be starting the process of pulling the engine and trans from the Tahoe so I can at least use that transmission in this truck - again a good fit....it’s relatively fresh and in good working order so it will work well in this application; the Tahoe and the dually will be getting something built stronger so I might as well start fresh with a core on those rather than take apart a perfectly good transmission. I may also use the Hoe’s short block on this truck since it’s also somewhat fresh and again I’ll want to go bigger and better on the other builds.

I’m excited to get a 6.5 back on the road again!

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Ya know Nate if you ever run across another red seat like that I'd be interested even a passenger seat

I’ll keep you in mind

I’ll talk to the Vegas odd makers on if Nate accidentally does a full frame off restoration by accident to this one...

Let me know what the odds are, I’ll put some money on it (I won’t say which way🤭)!
 
Progress seemed really slow today, but I did make a pile of parts. This hasn’t been very fun - every surface up front is covered in sandblasting dust and when I’m workIng under something it rains down on me. Nasty.

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Got the engine, trans and transfer case yanked out of the Tahoe tonight. I’m glad to have that job done, sandblasting dust was falling on me and in my mouth any time I was wrenching under it. Tomorrow night I start picking up and organizing parts before tearing down the engine.

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After driving a couple of different vehicles around the same power as what my Burb had, the 6 speeds really stand-out as making a big difference. The motor in front of a 4 speed just seems to work a lot harder. The 6 speeds had better gearing range for climbing grades too as opposed to the 4 speed where I had to make the motor scream before up-shifting, or scream after downshifting.

So perhaps now is a good time to try a 6 speed swap? Sure, more work, but can safely state that you will like the result!
 
After driving a couple of different vehicles around the same power as what my Burb had, the 6 speeds really stand-out as making a big difference. The motor in front of a 4 speed just seems to work a lot harder. The 6 speeds had better gearing range for climbing grades too as opposed to the 4 speed where I had to make the motor scream before up-shifting, or scream after downshifting.

So perhaps now is a good time to try a 6 speed swap? Sure, more work, but can safely state that you will like the result!
Not for this truck. I don’t know, maybe in the future. I’d have to ride in a truck with a 6 speed to be convinced it’s worth the money for the conversion. If you spend the same money on adding power as you would on buying a 6 speed and adapting it, I feel like I’d be just as happy......but I could definitely be wrong there.
 
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