RyeGuy's Obsession

This is how my new project looked when I first purchased it, about at the start of 2000.  I had some very definite goals for this new 4x4, which had come into focus over the past few years driving the Comanche:

• I had built the Comanche to be a long-range camping vehicle.  In almost all respects, it filled this role very well, but there are always things that can be done differently.  I would take what I’ve learned from that project to build a better vehicle.  (Needless to say, I would also use what I’ve learned watching other trucks on the trail and on the street.)  However, I had also asked the Comanche to fit down all the tight, hard-core trails I wanted to drive.  This new project would not be “dual purpose”.  It has to be built to go where-ever I could reasonably ask it to, but I would not expect it to drive tight, purposely abusive trails like RIP.  This means the vehicle could be bigger.

• It has to be enclosed so that tenting isn’t necessary.  On a great weekend, tenting may be an option, but I have to be able to climb in the back, out of the elements, and enjoy a sound sleep, and you just cannot do that in a wet tent.  Winter camping would become an option, too.  After all, this criterion is the seed for this entire project.

• The vehicle has to be big enough for “extras” that making camping more fun.  Items like an on-board shower aren’t necessary, but I don’t want to pick a vehicle where these could never be an option due to space constraints.  As such, the vehicle not only could be bigger, it likely would be bigger.

• If it is to be a pick-up (with a canopy), it has to be extended cab, so I would have more room behind the seat for gear.  One just uses up all the space behind the seat far too quickly with a regular cab pick-up.

• It has to be affordable to build.  We all work on a budget, and the truck will be built accordingly.

• It has to be affordable to run!  With gas prices increasing as they have lately, I don’t want to finish building a truck only to find out that I can only financially afford to take it on 4 camping trips a year.

• The reliability factor has to be there.  It has to be able to get me out of where I’ve gone.  I don’t mind hauling spare parts, but I don’t want to carry a full spare vehicle.  And if parts are readily available in small, desolate towns, even better.

• It has to handle good on the highway, as well as the trail.  We are seeing lots of purpose built rock buggies in magazines that perform unbelievably on the trail, but can only attain ~40kph on the highway due to squirrelly handling, death shakes, and what-not.  These vehicles are usually trailered to and from events.  For a long-range camping vehicle, this is simply unacceptable.  It has to (relatively) comfortably cruise at (or a bit over) the speed limit all day.

• The truck has to look “balanced”.  My personal taste tells me that 40” Swampers do not, generally speaking, look good on a long-wheelbase Samuri!

A tall order to fill for any vehicle, really.  Building a full-size Blazer has been brewing in my mind for a long time (I just really like the looks of them).  But so had building a Willies rock buggy.  What I wanted from this vehicle, though, seems to fit a full-size Blazer project very well.  So the word went out, “Find Ryeguy a Blazer”.

My brother offered his ’78 Blazer.  And I was given directions for an early ‘70’s Blazer that was apparently for sale.  But a great opportunity came along, a good friend came across a mid-80’s Blazer that was destined for a wrecker.  Going by his description, it was too good to pass up so we began proceedings to get it.   Lucky for me, and lucky for the Blazer, my bid won and it was hauled to another friend’s place in short order.  A quick visual assessment yielded the following:

• body tub is in very good condition – no real rust or dent
• the frame is clean but had a minor tweak in the passenger rear corner
• the interior is missing lots of parts, and the cap is also missing; this shouldn’t be a big issue, Chevy parts are always easy to find
• the 350 engine has a bad knock (it will need replaced so plans are to go bigger), but other than that it actually seems to run good, the rest of the fuel system seems to be in great shape
• the vehicle looks like it was generally very well maintained: a fair number of fresh parts on it
• the corp. 10-bolt axles are in good shape, but will be pitched since they won’t hold up to the size of tire planned for this truck.
  

All in all, this vehicle is an excellent start for a project.  It isn’t so pristine that I want to fix it back to stock, but it is in good enough shape to start on this type of project.

So now you’re saying, “Ryeguy, you’re crazy.  I know you, when I read between the lines, you’re looking at 40-inch tires or larger.  You can’t run a big truck, big motor, huge tires, and still expect to afford to drive it”.  Well, a lot of this project is not going to fall into a “normal” build-up, I want to challenge a lot of the standard assumptions and expectations.

Why "Hulk"?  A few of us began to clean out the interior of the remaining junk when I first bought it, we came across a toy Green Hulk, and the name stuck.  No information on its build-up for now, but stay tuned, once the truck if finished (hopefully by the end of 2001), the bugs worked out and running, I'll try find some time to write up some reports on it.  Bad rumors are harder to kill than no information.  I don't think it's going to hit all of my goals perfectly, but it looks like it'll be close enough for me.  And before anyone starts a brand-name war (like "see, he left a Jeep for a Chevy"), be forewarned that I'll be getting everyone in different camps (like Chevy, Ford, etc.) upset!