Just a quick update on this monumental project.
Big news is I heard from Kelford yesterday that they got the billet blanks in for the cams, and my cams will be milled next week and shipped. So it seems so far they were as good as their word on timing and scheduling, which is fantastic.
My Thorley shorty headers came in from URD. Thanks, Gadget!
I've been grinding away on essentially a full mechanical overhaul of most of the truck systems, other than the suspension and brakes which were recently done. Since I've driven the truck hard, it's got 150k miles, and I plan to keep it, I'm replacing things that are obvious weak links that should be serviced. Things like bushings, ball joints, hoses, etc. It's adding maybe 15% to the budget, but since I already have the truck apart and it's all easy to get to, it makes sense to do it now and not be left on the trail or the side of the road somewhere.
This weekend I tackled the lower control arms and generally cleaning up the wheel wells--including rust treatment for anywhere I can find surface rust on frame and components. I'm using Purple Power to degrease, then treating with Corroseal, then putting a fresh coat of paint over it. Pretty straightforward, but a lot of elbow grease.
I've also made progress on a grill mod. I liked
Paraordnance's approach for the 2005, because it stayed true to the 2005 front end, rather than updating it to 2006. I like the simpler straight line of the lights, and keeping the grill in proportion rather than englarging it. Just personal preference.
I took a slightly different approach, and retained the size and shape of the bottom bar. It was definitely a challenge. I'll post a thread on how I did it--basically I made a Plaster of Paris mold of the bottom bar on one side, and moved it to the middle to create a fiberglass replacement after cutting out the toyota badge. I got the paint and grill material, and new headlights, which I should be able to complete this week. Just need to do a little more sanding to sharpen the lines in the center of the lower bar.
I'm pretty much on track at this point to have everything complete when I get the motor back, so when I get it back from the tuner, it'll basically be a completely fresh mechanical build, ready for the Sierras when the snow melts.