Well, here I am back in this thread again, typing for fun and amusement while waiting for the sun to come up on a chilly Phoenix day so I can get outside and work on my neighbor Jorge's '86 SWB 5-speed. I can't even remember how much I've already written about this one, so...

We picked up this project in west Phoenix earlier this year in summer from an old guy who'd had it sitting for about 6 years. There was an engine in it, but it was half taken apart under the hood and was rusty and dirt-filled. He'd finally sourced a running 2.6 out of a later model D-50 5-speed and he included that. Interior was dusty but in good shape, the exterior sunfaded and kids had played on top of it, denting the hood and roof a bit.

We had it towed home and proceeded to sort through the parts in the back and cleaned up the interior over an afternoon while we talked about what was likely to need to be done to get it running. Eventually we pulled the old engine and set it aside in favor of the 'newer' one. Ordered a non-jet valve Clearwater head with mechanical rockers and set that on the cleaned up block with a Fel-Pro turbo gasket, new head bolts and reamed out threads. We had to clean the heck out of the block due to poor cooling system maintenance and replaced all the freeze plugs. New water pump, new little cooling/heater hoses. Lots of spray paint. Trips to junkyards to replace the thermovalve and other actuators took place. Used my clean three row radiator with a new cap. Got a rebuilt carb from Guaranteed Carburetors. Replaced the gas tank since the old one had about an inch of slime on the bottom and a hole rusted through the top. Cleaned out the fuel lines and put on a new fuel filler hose.

Yesterday, on Christmas morning, we turned the key and it started right up. I just have to lay in the emissions hoses and hook up the throttle cable, set the timing and cap off a couple of unused vacuum lines. Needs one more emissions solenoid over on the driver's side fender well since I missed that it had a connection snapped off. There was some oil leakage and coolant weeping out of at least one of the freeze plugs I put in (that chaps my hide, since they're new), but I had to leave to go do the family thing. Jorge looked it over some for the rest of the day and did something or other to his '89, so he can probably fill in some more info on what needs to be done to get everything (hopefully) ready for the AZ Crew run tomorrow.

With its P225/75 tires on stock wheels, it's not going rock crawling, but with the KYB gas-a-just shocks, new leaf spring bushings and sway bar bushings, at least the suspension is up to trail running. It has a new clutch, throw-out and pilot bearing, as well as a new rear main seal, but since we've never driven it, there's just a leap of faith with the condition of the 5 speed trans.

We'll see. It's been fun.

John B.