For sale is a Pullmax P9 Nibbler, commonly used in the aircraft industry and automotive body panel fabrication to cut and shape sheet metal panels. The machine is located in my late cousin’s shop in Greenville, South Carolina.
Included with the machine is a collection of attachments and tooling for shaping sheet metal. The wall rack is also included. The machine is fully operational and can be seen running in the video linked at the end of this post.
Please note: I do not have a forklift available, so anyone interested will need to make their own arrangements for moving this large and heavy piece of equipment.
Price: $6,300 or best offer – includes the machine and all tooling. If you’re interested, please contact me at: era.ensigns-2e@icloud.com
This article is about my cousin Jim Thompson’s 1946 Plymouth 4-door street rod. Sadly, Jim passed away recently, and I’m now looking for a new home for this special car. This car was part of Jim’s collection, which also included the 1964 TR4 that recently sold on Bring-a-Trailer (check out the Ecotec Powered Triumph TR4 post). Jim drove this ‘46 Plymouth everywhere and, for the most part, it served as his daily driver.
About the Car
I don’t have every spec for this car, but Jim kept two notebooks with detailed notes. While the list isn’t exhaustive, I’ll do my best to describe the car as thoroughly as possible. I’m selling the car as-is since I wasn’t the primary driver, so I don’t have all the answers. I do have a clear South Carolina title in my name.
Jim acquired the car many years ago and heavily modified it. The car became operational in February 2014. The odometer reads 42,967 miles, which I believe reflects the actual mileage since the rebuild, and this is documented in a log book, which will be provided with the car. The last entry in the log book is from March 2023, when Jim changed the oil at 41,132 miles. Jim’s health declined after that, and he passed away in June 2024, which is why there’s minimal mileage since then.
Exterior & Interior Details
Up front, the car features a custom aluminum grille with a fabricated “nerf” bar on the lower valance, and below that, an aluminum splitter. The headlight bezels are also custom, integrated into the front fenders.
The hood is custom made from aluminum, with a much lower profile than the original. It’s fitted with a unique hinge that pivots forward, and a pin holds it open. The “Plymouth” emblem doubles as the hood release, and the hood ornament is a small engine piston, which also serves as a tool for opening the hood once the release is activated.
The hood is all hand formed aluminum and has a very low profile compared to the original. It has a fabricated hinge that pivots the top towards the front of the car and there is a pin that holds it open. There is a “Plymouth” emblem that doubles as the hood release. The hood ornament is small engine piston, that can be used to help open the hood when the release is activated.
The roof was chopped several inches, requiring all glass to be modified to fit the new dimensions. The front windshield consists of two windows, with a divider in the middle. Each door has an electric window mechanism by Specialty Power Windows, operated via switches on the custom center console. All four windows work smoothly with no issue.
At the rear, the back window is actually a front windshield from a Triumph TR6, installed upside down. Jim modified the opening to fit the glass. I can’t find any leaks when washing the car, and all windows appear to seal properly.
The doors were also modified to fit the chopped roof. The lower portion of each door has been reshaped where the original chrome trim used to be. In fact, there’s no chrome on the car, except for the custom aluminum door handles and latch mechanism. The doors are equipped with SPAL electric locks, and I have one key fob (unfortunately, I’ve been unable to locate the second one). Jim also fabricated a subtle drip rail above the edge of the door openings. The rear windows are fixed.
The rear fenders were highly modified for a wider stance. Jim split them down the middle and widened them. The bullet-style brake and turn signals are frenched into the fenders. There is no backup light, and the trunk lid has a recessed area holding the license plate, mounted on a custom aluminum bracket with the “Mopar” logo. Below that, you’ll find two large exhaust pipes.
The car’s finish is a single-stage “milkshake” white paint. Jim wasn’t into shiny finishes, so the paint wasn’t wet-sanded or buffed. It’s not matte, but it has a natural patina that suits the car’s age. There are some chips and imperfections, with one spot on the passenger side front door where the paint is bubbling, likely due to poor adhesion.
The ‘46 Plymouth has rear suicide doors, which only open from the inside via a lever—no external latch. The interior is dark green velour, with matching dark green carpet. The front bucket seats are comfortable, and the rear bench is spacious. The door pulls, custom-made by Jim, are not entirely symmetric: the front pulls are padded, while the rears are not. The door thresholds are fabricated from stainless steel. There’s a switch on each inside door pillar to activate the LED dome lights.
The custom dashboard and center console feature engine-turned plate, with all instruments VDO (except for the clock). All instruments work, and they light up when the car’s headlights are on. The steering wheel is one of Jim’s own creations—thin, covered in leather, with adjustable tilt. The horn is activated by a small button on the turn signal stalk. There’s no cruise control.
The car has a Victory Climate Systems all-electric in-dash heating and air-conditioning system. The Sanden compressor is functional, and there are three dash vents plus defrost vents near the windshields. The fan speed control works fine, as well as the vent selector and temp selector. Turning the AC selector engages the compressor and cold air flows. There’s a clicking noise when the AC is engaged—likely a defrost vent mechanism issue, but I am not 100% sure. After a minute or two, the clicking stops.
Other dashboard controls include:
Left of the steering wheel: The manual turn signal switch and horn button
Center dashboard: Turn signal and high beam indicators
Right of the wheel: A knob for electric power steering adjustment
The center console houses several other switches:
Top row: Wiper switch, AC controls, ignition key
Middle row: Power window switches for each door
Bottom row: Toggle switches for fuel pump, power steering, lights, and engine ignition
Jim installed electric power steering from a Chevy Equinox, controlled manually via a potentiometer mounted on the dash. This setup allows you to dial in the desired level of steering assist.
Finally, between the seats is the shifter lever. It has detents to separate the gears, pull on the two tabs and the stick will move through the range. The handbrake is to the right.
High/Low beam selector is old-school mounted on the floor and activated by your left foot.
Powertrain
Under the hood, you’ll find a modified 5.3L Vortec engine from a Chevy Silverado. Jim rebuilt this engine, removing the Active Fuel Management (AFM) (Displacement on Demand) system and swapping out the camshaft. He installed Crane roller rockers and Scoggin-Dickey aluminum heads (with their logo stamped on them). Unfortunately, Jim didn’t keep track of specific specs, but the engine is tuned using an E38 ECM. The ECM was tuned with HPTuners software, and it’s running without any error codes.
Two high-flow SPAL electric fans are mounted behind an aluminum radiator, housed in a custom shroud. The fan controller is equipped with a capillary pickup, which is adjustable via a potentiometer to control when the fans turn on. The engine also features a fabricated catch can mounted at the rear.
The transmission is a 4L60E, recently rebuilt by Greenville Transmission Clinic in Greenville, SC, with receipts available in one of the notebooks. There is a transmission oil cooler mounted in the nose of the car.
The car rides on a frame that Jim modified. The front suspension uses a FatMan Fabrication Mustang II tubular control arm kit. The front brakes are Wilwood and include a Wilwood dual master cylinder with pressure residual valves. The rear brakes are stamped Ford, however the exact model is unknown. The entire braking system uses custom stainless-steel lines, and the brakes are fully manual—no power assist here, just as Jim preferred.
The rear end features a 9-inch Ford with a 3.50 gearset with a 31-spline Posi and Daytona pinion support, all assembled by Ring and Pinion Service in Pickens, SC. Documented in a receipt in the log book.
The car rides on Aldan adjustable coilovers, though I’m not sure what spring rates are installed, the ride is firm yet comfortable. The coilovers are adjustable for rebound. The 4 tires are BF Goodrich 215/60R15 mounted on steel rims. Manufacture date is: K4MWNX513618 – or 36’th week of 2018 and show no cracks or severe weathering.
The ECM is mounted under the hood in an aluminum box, and all wiring is custom, along with a modified engine harness.
Trunk
In the trunk, you’ll find the aluminum fabricated fuel tank, which holds the electric fuel pump feeding the Vortec engine and Aeromotive fuel pressure regulator. A red-top Optima battery with a cut-off-switch is also located there. The fuel pump is an LSx internal fuel tank model. All lines are braided steel.
To open the trunk, there’s a small pull latch under the rear valance. Inside the trunk, there’s another small cable to release the fuel filler door.
Frame and Suspension
Jim modified the strengthened the Plymouth’s frame. The front as mentioned before is a FatMan’s Mustang II kit. The rear is a four link design suspension with a solid axle.
In Summary
This Plymouth is truly a one-of-a-kind creation. There’s immense potential for someone to take it further and add their own touches, whether it’s a fresh cut and buff or leaving the current patina as is, which suits the car’s vintage character.
Despite the chopped top, there’s plenty of headroom, and the ride is surprisingly quiet for such a unique build. No radio is currently installed, but there’s ample space for a high-quality stereo.
This is a rare opportunity to own a unique street rod with incredible craftsmanship.
UPDATE: Well, the TR4 has a new owner and has been shipped to its new stomping grounds. The auction on Bring-a-Trail was a success and thanks to all who participated. Also a great thanks to my friend Michael Y. who helped me through the entire process.
This is my cousin Jim’s Ecotec Powered Triumph TR4. Currently for sale on Bring a Trailer – CLICK HERE.
Jim passed away about a year ago. He was a machinist and built many cars in his shop in Greenville, SC. This was his personal car, having built it about 14 years ago. The car weights 2100 pounds – read more HERE. The odometer in the speedo states 21,784 miles. The speedo was brand new when installed at the time the car was restored (zero miles). The paint scheme was inspired by the 1959 ex-works Sebring Sprite – Jim owned a Bugeye Sprite back in the day, and he used to talk about it a lot!
The body shell was locally sourced in Greenville SC and was for the most part rust-free. The body was stripped, primed and painted in Jim’s shop. Bad spots were fabricated and repaired then welded where needed. The hood and the trunk lid are all aluminum, formed with an English wheel in his shop. The hood and trunk lids both have custom fabricated stays. Finally, a custom hardtop was also made from aluminum. The car does not have the convertible soft top frame nor soft top.
Inside, the car has a roll bar mounted to the frame. In addition to the hard top, the car comes with an “Alumakini” that can be used instead of the hard top (read more HERE and HERE). In the nose of the car is a custom aluminum air dam, stainless mesh, and aluminum front grill. At the rear, the bumper is custom made from aluminum, as well as the tail light bezels. All body panel fit is consistent and there are no big gaps between body panels.
The car rides on a set of 185/55R16 Firestone FR740 tires mounted on Panasport 16″ wheels – read more HERE.. Wheels are free of scars or curb rash. The tires have code “V698 ADR 2820″”; no cracks on the walls; no cracks on the tread. The 2820 date code indicates these tires were manufactured in the 28th week of 2020.
Jim made a new frame from square steel tubing to match the dimensions of the original frame. The frame was designed to hold Triumph TR6 IRS front suspension components, TR6 steering rack, Aldan coil overs (front and back) and a modified rear axle. The rear axle housing is a narrowed 8” Ford with Motive posi-traction and a 3.80 to 1 ratio. Axles are special order Moser. The rear end is held in place by a 4-link design. Once all was fitted, it was taken apart and painted black and re-assembled.
The frame was also designed to hold an LE5 2.4 GM Ecotec 4-cylinder motor. The motor and transmission came from a 2006 Pontiac Solstice. The engine/gearbox was purchased from a lot of engines/gearboxes sold by Mallet Cars. Mallet at the time was doing LSx conversions on Solstice/Sky cars, and we bought 3 “take out” motors with almost zero mileage. The engine and transmission in Jim’s car originally had less than 20 miles on it. The engines came with the Solstice harness, and that was later modified at Jim’s shop to fit the engine compartment of the TR4. The gearbox is an AISIN 5-speed, as fitted to the Solstice/Sky. The engine did not come with an ECM, so an ECM from a 2.4 Cobalt SS was used instead. Using HPTuners, the base Solstice 2.4 tune was downloaded to the ECM as a base and then, further tuning was performed. The E67 ECM fits inside a custom aluminum box in the engine compartment. Various relays, circuits and main fuse panel can be found there. The Ecotec has variable-valve timing (VVT) and it is noticeable when accelerating.
The engine is for the most part stock. However, the Solstice intake is too big so a custom aluminum intake was fabricated by Jim. The new intake was mated to a GM sourced flange that matches the intake ports. Four aluminum runners were welded and the new intake made to match. The original fly-by-wire electronic throttle was adapted to the new intake. Due to space restrictions, the headers were fabricated from stainless steel and welded to a GM sourced exhaust flange, including provision for an O2 sensor. This was welded to a low restriction muffler and a single stainless pipe exiting at the rear of the car. Just because we wanted to be different, the end holds two Supertrapp diffusers with removable rings. All this gives the TR4 a very distinctive exhaust note. The driveshaft is custom-made by a local manufacturer and adapted to fit the AISIN 5 speed gearbox and narrowed Ford 8″ rear axle.
The E67 ECM has been set up by a local LSx tuner. He set the mapping based on several hours of real-time driving; the TR4 was never put on a dyno. We used HPTuners to remove VATS and also to set the engine mapping. The Solstice was originally rated at 177 HP and with the new intake, exhaust and tune, the tuner estimated it would be good for 200 HP. Perhaps this can be improved with more tuning/dyno time.
Engine cooling is handled by a Griffin Thermal Products aluminum radiator. It has a custom-made shroud holding a SPAL curved blade high-efficiency puller electric fan. The fan is controlled by a temp sensor that has a potentiometer that can be dialed in for whatever temp you want to set – this is inside the aluminum box housing the E67 ECM. At the time we put the car together we did not have the fan figured out to run with the ECM. However, with a little work, this can be achieved.
Due to the fuel requirements of the Ecotec, Jim made a new aluminum fuel tank for the TR4. This tank is fitted in the trunk and holds a modified GM LSx electric fuel pump. There is also a fuel regulator mounted in the trunk for dialing in the correct fuel pressure. If you look at the frame pictures, you can see all the stainless tubing for fuel lines and brake lines held in place with special brackets. The tank holds approximately 15 gallons.
As stated previously, the Solstice engine harness was modified to fit. The rest of the car’s wiring was made at Jim’s shop. All wires, relays, switches and breakers were sourced from Waytek. All joints and connectors were soldered and shrink wrapped. Gauges are all VDO and are fully functional. Lights all work, turn signals work and brake lights work (see video). The instruments are mounted on an engine-turned plate on the wood dash. The VDO speedo has a problem with the LCD for the odometer in that it goes blank from time to time, although to the best of my knowledge the counter continues to work. This seems to be a known issue with VDO speedos and there is a fix available on youTube – CLICK HERE for the video. I have contacted AK Speedo and they have told me their repair kit will work with the VDO speedo.
There is a fuse box mounted in the passenger’s side dash area. The master switch is on the wood dash, with a key. There is a momentary on/off toggle switch next to it, and that starts the car. There is also a switch mounted on the dash for the turn signals. Mounted underneath the edge of the dash (out of sight) is a horn push button, light switch, windshield wiper switch (with low, fast and intermittent settings), heater switch and fuel pump switch that acts like an extra security because the engine won’t run without the pump running. To turn the car off, just turn the key back to the “off” position. I provided a video that explains all this too.
There is an adjustable steering column! This is controlled by a small lever that unlocks the mounts and allows free travel up and down. The four spoke steering wheel is custom made and hand stitched. The shift knob came from brass stock, and was turned by Jim on his lathe. This compliments the very short-throw shifts by adding a little more mass to the shifter. Installed is an aftermarket street rod heater. Jim made several trap doors that are manually operated to help distribute warm air to either passenger side or driver side or defrost to the dash. The headlight high/low beam is controlled by an old-school foot switch, mounted vertically on the side because there is no room on the floor. You can press it with you left knee. There is also a lever near the heater that opens/closes the air scoop on the dash. There are factory openings behind the dash that allow air to come in.
Brake calipers are Wilwood Dynalites in the front and Nissan in the rear. The rotors are TR6 in the front and matching Nissan on the rear and they are not vented. The hand brake mechanism was fabricated and it engages he rear brake pads – however this might need to be adjusted. The brake master cylinders are Wilwood with two reservoirs and a balance bar on the pedal, so this allows bias adjustment. The clutch master cylinder is also Wilwood. Also to note, there is no power booster and as such, requires a bit of pedal pressure to stop the car. The pedal box is also Wilwood. There are pressure residual valves on both front and back brake lines. This provides a constant minute pressure reducing the amount of pedal travel. A keen eye will notice the VIN plate is not where it is supposed to be: in the area where the Wilwood pedal box is currently installed. The VIN plate has been relocated to the driver’s side door sill.
The bodywork was all done at Jim’s shop. The body was primed, sealed and painted with single-stage automotive paint in Gulf sky blue. The aluminum top is painted in gray, and has a small crack on the passenger’s side. Overall, the paint is not show quality. It has aged, shows some orange peel (mainly on the top) and has a faded patina. Perhaps in the hands of a professional, the look could be improved. There are several small cracks in the paint and there is a damaged spot on the passenger’s side door. There is a small ding on the hard top, but since it is aluminum that can be repaired with a hammer and dolly.
The aluminum top was shaped to resemble the hardtop on a TR6. The side windows do open and have a fabricated latch that allows the window to swing and lock in the closed position. The side and rear window are all acrylic, and while the side windows are still clear, the rear window is very foggy. The rear window can be replaced by removing screws holding it in place.
Jim fabricated the aluminum bomber seats. The bottoms have a rubber insert with springs around it, reminiscent of old Jaguar seats. The back-rests are held by screws. All the upholstery was made by a local automotive upholstery shop. The seats currently in the car are “version 2”: they have a longer seat cushion and are very comfortable. Included with the car will be the “version 1” seats; they have a shorter bottom cushion and different backrest design. Lap seat belts are provided and are bolted to a post extending from the frame. This is the same post that the roll bar is bolted to. There is a small box in the back deck between the roll bar posts for holding registration papers, etc. This small box is made of aluminum and has a lock, however I don’t have the key for that lock. The carpet throughout the car was sourced from a local upholstery supplier and was cut and shaped to fit.
The fuel tank is made of aluminum with an in-tank fuel pump accessible through a bolted cover. The tank holds approximately 15 gallons. The tank sits in a recess in the trunk so the bottom of the tank is not exposed. In the trunk area is a separate small fuse box that controls the rear lights as well as the fuel pump. Inside a fabricated enclosure sits a red-top Optima battery. The fuel tank has a spout with a custom turned aluminum knurled top that screws on. The trunk lid does not have a key, instead there is a small cable that extends underneath the back bumper, that when pulled, opens the latch. Closing the lid requires very little effort.
In summary, this car is a blast to drive! As shown in the photos, the car has room for improvement aesthetically. There is a lot of TLC but the mechanical systems and quality is absolutely first rate. The car has not been driven much over the past few years, and the underside could benefit from cleanup and paint to get rid of the surface rust. I have several ignition keys. The car has a clean South Carolina title and is in my name.
Finally: There is more info in the TR4 section – there are several articles about the TR4 there as well as a ton of information about my Ecotec powered Triumph TR6.
We built my TR6 first, and after Jim saw how much fun it was, he built the TR4 for himself. If you want even more information, you can read about the the TR4 and the TR6 in this blog. The details of the construction of my TR6 are very similar to the TR4 since they have the same basic frame, engine, gearbox, rear-end. The TR6 of course is a bit different but you get the idea.
If you have any questions, feel free to leave them on this page and I’ll do my best to answer them.
This post is about my 1985 Chevy C10 Silverado Squarebody pickup, powered by an L98 Tuned Port Injection (TPI) engine from a 1990 IROC Camaro. This is an old-school conversion, that my late cousin Jim Thompson did many years ago.
I have put about 800 miles on the truck during the last few months and so far, it has been a blast to drive. The Frost White (RPO 12) paint is not as shiny as it was when new, but it is original. For a 40 year-old truck, the body is still free of dings and most important, no rust. The interior still has the original blue carpet and the bench seat has a stylish ‘blanket’ cover – as George Takei would say, “oh my!”.
Short History
The truck was driven by it’s first owner until sometime in January of 1988, when the second owner acquired the truck with 32k miles. Second owner was a friend of Jim’s and sold the truck to JIm’s mom in the fall of 1993, with 101k miles. Since then, the truck has been a member of the family.
According to the RPO build sheet in the glovebox (see below), the truck was born on April 26, 1985 powered by an LE9 5.0L V8.
Google Search result for the LE9 5.0L V8…
According to Jim’s documentation I have found, the engine started to give trouble and somewhere around the 130k mile mark, Jim decided to pull the tired engine and update it with an L98 Tuned Port from a 1990 IROC Camaro. The gearbox is a 700R4, also from the IROC. From the notes I found, Jim bought the IROC engine with about 32k miles.
Today, the truck shows 175k miles. So doing the math, the Tuned Port has about 77k miles. Barely broken in, right? Hehe…
This is the RPO build sheet in the glovebox. Unfortunately, I do not have the window sticker – wonder what that would look like? No telling what this truck sold for back in 1985. I’ve found some videos on youTube from the day, and the Silverado was “the” truck to have.
More About the Truck…
Jim had a thing for Squarebody C10’s. He had two, actually. The ‘shop truck’ was a tan 1985 that was once-upon-a-time in the US Forestry Service. It was a plain-jane C10. No carpet, no headliner. Jim put an LSx in that one, and it was a ton of fun. I could not keep it all, so the ‘shop truck’ has a new owner now. This is what it looked like:
Dig that custom aluminum front bumper…
Thes second Squarebody is the Frost White C10, and has always been a bit special, perhaps because his mom (my aunt) drove it for many years. After my aunt passed, the truck did not get driven much. That would account for the 175k miles after 40 years.
The interior is a bit tired… Blue carpet and blue accents on the doors – all original. The seat cover – well, can’t beat the ‘blanket’ cover look…Next, high tech from the 80’s… Dig those power window and power door lock switches. Too bad the boys from GM decided to run full voltage to the window motors and locks through the switch. Not so good after 40 years because the windows would barely move up or down. I re-wired both doors with relays and now the windows go up and down smooth as they did in 1985. The door locks work flawlessly with that period correct “click”.
The dash is still decent under that blue cover…The radio still works. When it wants to. And there are four (4) speakers that work very well, mind you. I’ve noticed when the radio gets a bit warm, it will play intermittently. On the list to fix is a new period correct replacement. All instruments work, even the clock. Speedo is off by about 5 mph. I suppose the reluctor wheel on the 700R4 is slightly different from the one that was in the original tranny. No worries, I’ve checked this with the iPhone app and it is consistent across the range. Lucky it shows under rather than over actual speed…
Tilt wheel works, turn signals, headlights, check. There is no cruise control though – who needs it? Ditto for the windshield squirter thinggies. And there seems to be some malfunction with the dome light. Oh and the horn does not work either. I need to add all that to the list of things to fix.
Check this out… Sliding rear window! Oh and it is nice to lower the windows, open the rear window and have a nice breeze in the cab.
About that Tuned Port Injection L98…
I think the L98 has always been a favorite of mine. The L98 powered Camaros and Corvettes of the era. Yeah, it ran out of breath quickly but that intake with those 8 runners each going to the intake ports of each cylinder was sexy as it gets.
But wait a minute… The photo above shows four siamesed runners. What’s up with that, where are the 8 runners? Well, back in the day this intake was very special. This is the SLP high flow version. This was supposed to gain you a ton of foot-pounds and make your car run better. This setup was not cheap. Does it live up to the hype? Who knows… Hehe…
I do have a set of original runners, but they are a major pain in the ass to swap. Given this has not been touched in years, I will leave this alone thank you very much. The last thing I want to do is break a bolt and then be up the creek.
Engine management you ask? This is controlled by an OBD I ECM. There was an outfit called Street & Performance in Mena, Arkansas that made a killer wiring harness. Jim had a contact there that was on speed-dial on his phone. Tony was his name. We used to call Tony and he would help us out with L98 and LT1 setups. That guy was a genius. No telling what happened to Tony but that is who Jim got the harness from. I don’t think Street & Performance exists anymore. But back in the day, they where the shit when it came to this kind of stuff.
This photo shows a closeup of the siamesed runners. They have a partition inside but the first inch or so, is the entire width of the runner. Towards the back of the intake is a cover that hides the HEI distributor. The Camaro came with a cheap, plastic version. What you see in the photo above is the Corvette version – it was all metal and fits and looks nicer than the cheap plastic one.
“Does it have AC?”, you ask… Well yes it does!
“Is it cold?”… Hell yeah, it is!!!
Jim mounted an aftermarket compressor. This enabled the use of modern refrigerant, not Freon. Yeah, he added a big-ass condenser in front of the radiator and yes, it works. We have cold air! Not too shabby for a 40 year-old truck.
Another problem that I recently fixed was the vacuum check-valve leading to the vent system in the cab. The only thing working was the heater vent. The dash vents did not work. Googling and watching some youTube videos pointed to a possible issue with the check valve. Sure enough, a couple of bucks fixed that. Now all vents work. Even the defroster works! Amazing what you can learn on youTube.
A keen eye will notice the absence of radiator fan. Right? Well, Jim was very fond of SPAL fans – that is what those Italian red cars with the little prancing horse on the hood come equipped with too! This is what the air movement mechanism looks like…
Two 13″ SPAL electric fans keep things cool. One is wired to a thermostat pickup plumbed into the bottom coolant hose and the other is wired into a trinary switch on the AC side of things. So when refrigerant pressure reaches a certain point, it kicks the fan on and this keeps the refrigerant happy. Brilliant!
Here is a picture of the red-top Optima battery. I added the quick disconnect to prevent it from draining down. Behind is the custom made overflow tank – Jim made that from aluminum.
Oh and check this out…
Lurking behind the grill is a MOCAL cooler. Its plumbed as a transmission oil cooler.
And, I added the #3 tag. Long live The Intimidator. My friend Mike said this was a very “period correct” accessory. So there.
What about cooling engine oil? For this, we need to check out the oil filter. Have no idea what this originally came on, but Jim decided to hang the largest oil filter he could find. Check out this monstrosity of a filter:
8 inches long – this is a righteous sized filter!
This will hold an extra quart I suppose, and is also giving more surface area to keep engine oil cooler. And we can get away with that because this is a C10 – try this on an IROC… Yeah right!
The other side of the L98. Unfortunately the cast iron headers were not JetHot coated. They are rusty and I can’t imagine how hard it would be to get those bolts off. So they stay put.
In Closing
When I first started driving the C10, it would shut down at red lights for no good reason. Turns out the intake where the butterflies live was filthy, covered in carbon residue. I took the idle air controller out and replaced it. It helped some. So I took throttle body apart and cleaned it in an ultrasonic cleaner. What a difference that made. Bought some new gaskets and put it back together. That solved the problem. If you don’t have an ultrasonic cleaner, get one. Amazing what you can do with that piece of kit.
I bought a new set of tires and had them mounted. The old tires were just unsafe. Yes, I’ve thought about getting a set of drop-spindles and maybe relocating the rear spring to lower the truck. I asked Jim about this time or two, and he would always say “leave it stock”. So for now, it stays stock.
The truck is fun to drive. I’ve had many thumbs’ up from other folks at red lights. Yeah, this is a keeper. It runs decent, just have to remember this is not a modern LSx and the 700R4 is dated, but for what it is, it does the job very well. I also have to remember the rear-end is a 2.73 and is not a posi. But, it is plenty fast for what it is.
Does anyone know where this dealership might have been located in the Upstate of South Carolina back in the day?
