01 Sonoma Build Thread

[relaxednoma]

So after far far to long of being registered here, and never creating any threads, I figure I'll create a build thread for each of the trucks since they are all in different stages. I'll start with the obvious choice, the Sonoma or "lownoma" as most associate it as.

Here's some background info on the first car, the first truck and then getting to the Sonoma.
It started after I got into an accident, which subsequently totaled my first truck, my white 95 S10 SS, which I'd bought bone stock after my Beretta (LAUGH MAH (BEEP) OFF WTF WAS I THINKING) chucked a head gasket, and took the block with it. End of car, someone else bought it, it wound up at route 8 auto sales in Melbourne with a boneyard motor and eventually a fugly (BEEP) wing. By that point I'd wished terribly that I'd picked up the mint grandma edition 86 Monte CL that I'd intended on doing a SS build on some welds out of, but oh well. The 95 started innocent, clear lenses all around, removed the checkered flag graphic, shaved the gate, ran some duals, lowered 4/4, billet grill, lowered 4/5.5 (pulled overload) on stock S-Series swirlies. Truck was a true SS (which on a few can appreicate the SS badging being on a ...truck lol). It was the 2nd year of production for the SS version, which in 96 turned into being a full on ZQ8 truck (lower from factory, 16 inch wheels, nice tires, rear sway bar, anti-hop shock.) SS's only came with the CPI Motor found in in 4wd blazers in some late 94's (early were the standard TBI trucks) and 95's. All SS's ever produced were only Summit White, Onyx Black or Apple Red, were only Std. Cab trucks with a 4L60E and the 4.3. Never was a 2.2 4 banger, an xcab, or a 5 spd. truck ever produced. True SS's will have the code B4U in the glove box. Anywho, after lowering more, and then going to a 5/5.5 drop (cut a bit off the front coils) i wanted wheels, so I saved up and bought a brand new set of 17x8 Eagle 203's on 215/40/17 BFG's, which brought it lower. Then i became good friends with my buddy Brian. (Roller Coaster Greg will know who I'm talking about) Brian had a wild graphiced red 94 Xcab 4.3 5spd slammed on 15's and low pros, I was hooked. the next time I saw it, it was laid out on a 17x7 and 18x8 combo of Torq Thrust II's (yes, for those of you know that know the sonoma, thats the dot to connect! lol) in blue primer awaiting paint. The hook was cinched in. I'd seen several other trucks throughout travels, stumbling into seeing Andy's "LOMOFO" from lexington in some fashion, my buddy Jerry's doored 75 toyota, my now good friend Steve's white bodied 95 GMC, Greg's standard cab in it's primer days and so on. Suddenly, my 5/5.5 drop, was not enough, i wanted more. So air went on the front, with the intent for a rake. Then I didnt like how it sat with the tires, so we put air on the back. I did some more things here and there, and while heading off to the covington/park hills campus of Gateway for my morning college class, slid on black ice into the back of a Dakota 4x4. Nowadays the damage done was minimal and not a big deal, but back then, the world had ended. When we got word state farm totaled it and we could buy it back for 2k, i was floored. So I cut my losses, paid the $500 deductible after my dad brought up a great point, use this oppourtunity to move forward, and get an extended cab truck. We stripped the suspension, air management, stereo, put the stock tailgate back on, put leaf springs back on it, stock springs front, stock spindles on it and gave it away. They said it had to have a radio it in it since when it was brought in, it had one. So I put the stock one...in the floorboard. Pissed, and disgruntled, I started truck hunting.

No wheels makes a college student go fawkin nuts. Late January 2003 I'm online in class, when i come upon a bone stock 01 Sonoma, 4.3, xcab, SLS truck. It's an auto, and I really want a 5spd, but i'm sold on the pewter. After going and test driving it, with dad checking it out and mom literally in the parking lot asking me about each aspect on the truck of what I'm going to change etc. it comes home. The next day I stick lowering springs, spindles and leafs/blocks on it, along with the OEM Xtreme wheels I had (kept the eagles in the basement since it was winter, and my stock SS wheels went on dad’s 91 S10 when we stuck his oem 14’s on the white truck). Along with the gawd awful “euro” tails. Tinted the windows and enjoyed freedom again…while buying and saving for parts. For I had front bag suspension pieces, bags, rear 4 link, bags, valves, tank, compressor ready and waiting. Ordered up a notch kit, and started planning. It took February and March to gather all the parts, clean paint the stuff that was used on the SS and get all the folks that would spend 4 days thrashing on the truck to get it done together. The first Thursday of April, about 2 months after buying the truck, and making one payment on it (LOL) I drove it to Brian’s dad’s house in Grants Lick after our Thursday meeting (we all worked together at quikstop in Alexandria, before getting “promoted/moved/fawked” to Ft Wright. I was Brian’s assistant manager at both stores, he was off on Fridays and he was to be welding and working on the truck all weekend. Which meant basically Thursday – Sunday I wouldn’t be doing anything but working on the truck after running the store so he could be off that Saturday. Thursday we got the bed off, leaf springs off, bolted the link setup on, welded the gas tank xmember bracket for the upper link bars to connect to on and tacked in the notches before heading home (as I rode shotgun in my buddys cavalier) at midnight. When I got there after work Friday, notches were done, frame wirewheeled, rear bags plumbed and the carrier bearing Xmember being air hammered out to install the new one that sits level with frame. I took about doing the front of the truck, headed home with my buddy again at midnight, or 1 or 2 or hell 3 and grabbed some sleep, and back to work again at quikstop Saturday morning. As soon as we were off work, straight back to Brian’s. I finished up the front end, set about cutting the bed, cleaned it up, edged it with rubber, mounted the valves to the tank and tank and compressor to the bed. My buddy Dan wired everything to be ready to plug into the valves and such all day Saturday. By the time it was buttoned up, it was Sunday night about 9pm when we took it off the stands. It was fully aired up. And I’d made it my mission to make sure this thing was on the ground, frame flat, planted, hard. I aired it out for the first time, stood back and giggled like a school girl. Pulled it out of the garage, laid down some sparks with the bumper meeting the concrete and was content. Had a nice convoy of folks following me back towards Alexandria, pulled into Shell on 27 to get gas and aired it out. Priceless lol. Took it to Florence to cruise, laid it out in the local lot and was over talking to my friend Jake, when our friend Rob walks over, who had only seen the truck 3 times stock, and me a few times since I was working a ton and saving money for parts and says “dood, you see the truck over there? That looks just like the truck you bought, but it’s all laid out and shit”. I say “oh you don’t say, lets go look at it!” lol.
Anywho, here’s some older pics and progression through the years to the point I’m at, at the moment.

Best/favorite pic of the Beretta


95 S10 SS lowered 4/4 and then aired out





Sonoma meeting 75N


Rolling with the rear buried in the grass lol


Laid out with my buddy Jess's Xtreme in Crittenden


Summer 2005 @ Summer Showoff put on by SideFx in Cincy w/Tony (PT Cruiser) and Craig (cavalier)


*** I have a ton of pics from this stage to the 2006 stages, just have to figure out where they are online lol. ***

Right before getting flamed and doing the bed liner 2006


After flames laid down, before being buffed and rear glass put in, I had no where to put it inside and cavalcade was coming SOON. Stacks anyone? (total joke btw)


Cavalcade 2007 - Fresh flames and bed liner (you could smell it still lol)




Slamology 2007 @ Holiday Inn Sunday Morning with old striping around flames.


Midwest Mayhem - after show show in lexington with Roller Coaster, my buddy KP (blue S10) and Steve w/ red truck


Interior (oldershot) Mayhem 2007


Winter 2007 - storing at another friends house, new wheels, sold the Torq Thrust II's, got Coys C57/Intro Rodder 5's


*** will insert more 2008 stuff later ***

Cavalcade 2008 - more interior paint and billet/chrome


Spring 2009 - Freshly re-striped in black/orange around flames, at my favorite ride height of almost on the ground lol
[img]https://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/10525_139213646466_654091466_3070720_5234533_n.jpg[img]

A John Bailey Productions Photo from 2009 at BCFG show


Heritage 2009 - Whitesburg, police led cruise



Brought along Steve with both of his trucks (his daughter drove the white one) and Tony w/wife and PT


Lee & John who?


May 2010 KOIM - Louisville at a yearly truck run I organize since 2003 called KOIM. Ennoying the smoothness of the 265 i think



Camp N Drag 2010 - Waveland, IN



Vow Renewal / Wedding Ceremony October 2011



* I have more, but am running out of freebie time, I started this at like 9 AM today lol

[Reb Stew]

I always liked that truck. Very nice!

[relaxednoma]

Thanks Steve!


Here's some of the random stuff from winter 09-10. little less than what I wanted to get done, but our daughter was born in january 09, so I halted progress somewhat

Powdercoated a few things, gloss black and "almost chrome"


Reassembled with polished hardware


MAF Housing. smoothed out with dremel, wetsanded and then powdered with the almost chrome, again shiny hardware


All this interior plastic was sanded smooth by hand or with orbital, primed, sanded, primed, sanded, primed sanded. then color and clear. sanding > me and takes me back to the horror of blocksanding a 60's caddy.


Some of it ready for paint


Finally scored a set of envoy headlights that didnt destroy my happyness, restored them and put HID's in



More from 09-10, a bunch from 07-08 and then the current round. which is STILL INCOMPLETE because I need my fawkin seats back.

[JRiggs]

Damn Scotty, this thread had to take hours. Doesn't Linder have anything 4 u to do.

[6-71Kid]

Man that truck looks great

[relaxednoma]

Damn Scotty, this thread had to take hours. Doesn't Linder have anything 4 u to do.

Hahah, there's plenty to do. I think I started it at 9 or 10ish in the morning while waiting for some stuff to apply to a server I was working on that I wanted to keep an eye on, on one monitor and had this open on the other lol. went back to it every half hour or so and typed out more, then got to the pics and finally was able to post it about 2:20 yesterday afternoon lol.

Man that truck looks great

Thanks!


So heading back to the 07-08 winter project stuff. Snagged some billet door speaker covers made by a now defunt company "KAIK" and got my stuff back back from from my buddy who does chrome.


Reassembled drivers side switches and smoothed painted piece.


Smoothed and painted airbag cover, vents installed


Billet grab bar, although I find now, and not available in 07 when i did this, a rounded ball milled piece, so I'll probably
be replacing that soon.


Glovebox door smoothed / painted & handle chromed


Dremel is fun, cut out the stock speaker cover area to make room for billet pieces.


Both door panels with billet installed. Still need to smooth and paint the panels and redo the fabric (yes to this day lol)



Reassembled the dash bezel with the other chrome vents, added the ball milled headlight panel and airbag panel repolished the shifter and added the billet HVAC control panel piece as well.



Also during this time frame, I'd had to have a used PCM located for the truck, had it flashed for my truck, and tweaked with HP Tuners for my wheel/tire combo and a few things opened up.


Now moving along to 08-09, more interior
Hated the jack cover, but wanted to have something there, and was not putting a sub box there, so, more billet, in the form of cup holders, why not right?


What you mean they no fit? Dremel will fix


I win


More sanding, back wall piece and jack cover, texture removed, ready to prime.


But wait theres more!


A lot more actually lol


Wetsanding off the charcoal striping, so Mike Speck from Lexington can make a house call in a month from this time.



A few randoms

And an older pic. Cavalcade 2004, 1st time in show. Hood installed 12 hours before loading into trailer to come down lol


Hey where's this at!


and 2 years later IIRC, again a John Bailey Super Duper Productions Photograph


Ohh, piece of candy! pewter metallic base with a spice of HOK gold pearl (why not right?) Silver tribals, striped in orange/black @ Cavalcade 2004 by shortround



How the front of the white truck sat, at the chalet in Pigeon Forge for Minitruck Nats 2002. Had Street Scene mirrors awaiting paint, billet wipers, and a shaved and molded 94-97 front bumper, awaiting paint as well. It had the end caps made of steel, and then welded in and fitted to the truck, no tag holes, and clear LED's flushed in (that lit up amber) I'd added the Street Scene Gen1 valance with billet and the upper billet grills and billet bowtie, see the obsession started way early eh?



ACK! 4/4 on stockers, checkered graphic still on, no billet. Ugh lol


And Brian's truck, somebody may recognize it, even tho the picture is horrible.


Jerry's truck 03 or 04 at showfest, it's fully bodyworked now, in sealer ready for paint (if he ever will) and is basically a whole new truck from these days. He's in Taylor Mill now.

[relaxednoma]

And jumping around a bit, some of the more current project stuff, that should have been done already, but isnt. AKA i want to drive my truck.

Downstairs after cavalcade 2012, since 2007 I've basically been asked to keep it in one piece, at least for that weekend, so I can bring it to the show by Greg (McDaniel). so why not right? It's a great weekend and I get to hang out with a ton of folks I dont normally see.


The following Wednesday after the show, seats came out, FINALLY right?


Chrome off the seats, and some more pieces to be chromed or smoothed and painted.


New temporary custom seating. which is still there at the moment, my seats have been in Clarksville, IN getting done since JANUARY, ANNOYED!!!


Front end coming apart, envoy cover getting fixed from an oops by a buddy while lowering the truck off jackstands in 07 from the JBA header install.


No, I dont drive low everywhere....ok yes, yes I do, bent billet from said oops, which eventually cracked the paint, bumper would have come home with me last night had Shannon (mine and steve (white and red gmc's) buddy with the lifted indigo blue 02 2500HD who paints, did the graphics and paint on steve's white truck etc. who btw we are working on his 55 210 car that he picked up a full LS motor with trans for. But yeah, shannons compressor motor took a shit at his house, after being installed for 4 months... so no paint yet, all stuff fixed on it, and ready to prime and paint though. WOO! New billet grill already in posession and awaiting bumper coming home to install! I'll post a thread on Shannons 55 shortly.


OEM Wiper cowl, trading for a 94-97 smooth assembly, and spraying it gloss black for some clean contrast, rather than color match.


Intended on installing an E-Fan, have the fan, not the controls, will fully admit, thats one thing I've never done yet. I've put the shroud back on, havent attemped that yet. have the upper K&N intake tube piece though to finish off the intake for the moment. It will be smoothed and painted lol. Not going to crazy as this all will come off/out for firewall tubbing/shaving, cleaning up, and a built 5.3 LSx


More smoothing and priming.


New air suspension controls WIP. I've since "finished it" but I need to get a piece of aluminum like this cut so I can redo it, 2 of the 9 holes are off enough that it pisses me off. *sigh* any ideas where I can get a piece of aluminum, this is actually...an old speed limit sign lol


Headlights and grill are now back on


Finally, new key fobs. Lucky to have Ron Perkins as a fellow ///RA member in Oregon whom is the marketing director for Autoloc/Hoffman/zirgo etc.

[Brownie]

New air suspension controls WIP. I've since "finished it" but I need to get a piece of aluminum like this cut so I can redo it, 2 of the 9 holes are off enough that it pisses me off. *sigh* any ideas where I can get a piece of aluminum, this is actually...an old speed limit sign lol

What size? How Thick? I run a sign shop and have lots of this kind of stuff.

[relaxednoma]

whoa! well that is an excellent turn of events!

I'll take some quick measurements. it's pretty thin stuff.

here's a close up of it before I put the other 4 buttons in if that helps at the moment.




Came home from work today, got the steering column pieces and the ashtray piece wetsanded for the final time. They are ready for paint now. Went to my buddies house that is painting the envoy cover, no dice, he was ready to prime it and a side job bumper & decklid, voila compressor motor took a shit (after being 4 months old)

smoove


headlights and grillshell back on.


Now I need to do 3 things:
- get seats and install
- redo/wire switchplate
- put new billet grill and fogs in repainted envoy cover & install

Then I'll start on the spare set of door panels lol.

[JRiggs]

SideFx in Cincy w/Tony (PT Cruiser) and Craig (cavalier)

way before i had any association with the scroungers. i was asked to come join the sidefx crew by a member (james he had a early 80's late 70's 4 door cutlass), went for one meeting seemed to be at a pizza hut (cant quit remember) didnt stay long, one of the members started talking some crap i went with a close friend of mine whom is pretty hard headed and a redneck. well a long story short we called said pizza hut or wherever and mentioned it was one of thems bday. we sat laughed our (BEEP) off and then rolled on....

[relaxednoma]

wow lol. Yeah i know a few of the guys that were/are in. Guy with the S10 on Bonspeeds (will is his name IIRC) he moved to FL and then back at some point, lost contact. Tony that had the black v6 mustang with the dark pink flames and eventually s/c'd it. Randy had the graphiced toaster, and the guy with he IS300 (only average to talk to lol). I was asked once or twice to come out to a meeting, i respectfully declined.

[Reb Stew]

I may just fit in with those guys in that club but never got an invite to a club meeting.

[relaxednoma]

LOL!!

[relaxednoma]

Cherlyn (my wife) made a house call to my buddy jason's yesterday and picked up the seats out of our friends Zack's, now Ricky's truck for me to use as it appears mine wont be done in time for midwest.

Mother in law randomly decided to show up at brother in laws house (where Cherlyn is M-F). So mother in law is bringing them back with her. I've got to clean them up real good and put them in, Thats wednesdays task since mother in law is coming home that day.

Yes, I'm extremely irritated that my seats, that this lady has had since January are note done yet. And according to the wife, who's seen the ONE seat that is done for Jason, the quality is...well not my standards... *sigh*

[Reb Stew]

You may be better off to go get the seats and go some where else.

[relaxednoma]

I'm starting to think that. i've yet to see any progress pics of them, i'm told they are almsot done, and he (jason) told her that they needed to be done by this weekend. but i'm not holding my breath at this point. Part of it was that some work was traded for the seats (jasons and mine) being done. Our end of the bargain was held up, hers, at this point. not....

so who does seats locally for a reasonable price lol. the headrest is already whacked

[relaxednoma]

so the truck moved, as in I got to drive it around the street since I have seats

[relaxednoma]

switchplate with buttons wired in and functioning properly.

Shiny bumper w/ new billet

[Reb Stew]

I got to drive it around the street since I have seats

Seats are always a plus when driving.

[JRiggs]

o hell stewart who needs seats. remember when we junk that shitty saturn I drove it down sitting on a trauth dairy plastic crate.

[Reb Stew]

o hell stewart who needs seats. remember when we junk that shitty saturn I drove it down sitting on a trauth dairy plastic crate.

[relaxednoma]

LOL! plastic crate seat is a win!

[relaxednoma]

air suspension buttons done for the moment, need to polish it out, but it's functional. Have a latching button that is the same as the others to replace the red rocker switch (compressor power on.off) just hasnt arrived yet. I'm going to have the plate made out of billet via my friend Tom who runs Billet & Acrylic in florida. But the ideal, i love having the buttons compared to the toggles.





So I gave shannon my steering column pieces and the ashtray piece last night after he came over to the house....

and he saw them sitting in the bed...

and took them with him....

and 5 minutes ago sent me pictures of them in the booth with clear lol.

+1 is not enough, i'll give it a +947

[relaxednoma]

hooooo-reeee shit
bumper on, interior reassembled, and filled up the tank.

need to REALLY REALLY clean the truck, but damn it felt good to drive it lol.





Ashtray piece done, it's installed now.


column pieces done, chome tilt lever as well.

[relaxednoma]

went to camp n drag in waveland, indiana. Great show, great time, great people.



new favorite picture of the truck lol

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