My 1978 Blazer again

[78 Blazer]

  Hi, I'm Scott from Brookville Pennsylvania. This is the second time I've tried to send pictures. I think it will work this time. Here is some pictures of my 1978 Blazer. I restored it 9 years ago. It has been sitting in and around my garage for years waiting on me to rebuild its engine. It has mostly new sheetmetal, new weatherstripping, trim and bumpers. This was my first restoration/ paint job. It still needs a smog pump and cat. convertors to pass inspection. I just finished rebuilding my engine a couple months ago it runs good although I haven't had it on the road yet. I redone my interior in black it was originally two tone brown and tan. I put in a Kenwood cd player with Kenwood speakers and a Rockford Fosgate 600 watt 4 channel amp. I have 4 6x9s 1 4x10 and 1 Kenwood 2 channel box speaker with a tweeter, midrange, and 10" woofer per side.

  Here is some pictures of my engine. It was a 1971 350 4 bolt main. I stroked it to 383ci with an Eagle crank and I-beam rods with a .030 overbore. It has Keith Black 10.3:1 pistons, Lunati Voodoo flat tappet hydraulic cam with 227/233 duration and .489/.504 lift. The heads are the original rebuilt with Manley Race-flo valves and a three angle valve job. It has Comp Cams Pro Magnum 1.52 ratio roller rockers. My intake is an Edelbrock Performer EGR with a Summit rebuilt Quadrajet carb. and a Mallory 85 series HEI distributor. Right now it has my old headers on it but I want to get a set of stainless emission legal headers for it and run stainless duals out the back.


  It has 31" tires on it with 3.73 gears and a built TH-350 trans. with a TCI 3000 rpm torque converter. I want to put on a 4"lift with 33" tires eventually. I also have a 1986 Shortbed Chevy 4wd pickup that im fixing up, it has a long way to go yet.

[dirtmod0]

I really like the engine compartment nice and clean.

[oldwhity]

If you put the smog pump back on it don't you have to put the orig. manifolds back on? Do you have the old smog pump to put on? If not, I have one that I took off mine and your welcome to have it if it's worth the trip. I'm not sure how far away Brookville is from me.

Rob

[78 Blazer]

  Thanks, I washed the motor compartment out before I stuck the engine back in. It cleaned up good. Also, thanks for the offer Rob but that is pretty far away from here. No, when I stick the smog-pump back on it is legal to run emission legal headers. These headers have all necessary hook ups on them, and carry a smog-compliance number with them to prove that they have been accepted as a stock replacement part. Where I"m at in PA they don't do the tailpipe inspection but all the emission equipment has to be on there. It is a visual inspection only. I could put on antique plates and not need to have it inspected but you are limited to driving it once a week.

[oldwhity]

  I could put on antique plates and not need to have it inspected but you are limited to driving it once a week.

Do they really enforce that up there? I have "Historic" plates on mine and drive it almost every day from spring to summer.

[Captkaos]

Nice Blazer.  I am really itching to get a 4x4 version.

[FresnoK5er]

Very nice ride "78 Blazer". Engine does look great.

[78 Blazer]

  Thanks for the nice comments Captkaos. I didn't know that they made 2wd. Blazers in 1978. I forgot to say that my Blazer is a 4wd. It sits at stock height with 31x10.5 tires. I have always thought that Blazers look just right with a 4" lift and 33x12.5 tires, I may get to that this summer. Also Rob I'm not real sure about any of the laws regarding the different plates and how they enforce them or if they even do. I hate the idea of putting a smog pump on my engine, If I can get away with driving my Blazer whenever I want in the spring/summer with a different plate on it that's what I'll do. Even the inspection mechanics around here have all different ideas on what the laws are. You say you have "Historic" plates, what plate is this? Is it what I call an Antique, Classic, or Collectible plate. I have heard around that I could run Classic plates and be emission exempt but my inspection guy told me no, with a classic plate the emission equipment still has to be there. He told me the exemption was only for the tailpipe inspection, he also said that if I ran Antique plates there would be no inspection. I debated back and fourth a lot about this. Do you drive yours at night? If you do is it legal? Is the emission laws as shrouded in mystery there as they are here?   

[frogman68]

  Thanks for the nice comments Captkaos. I didn't know that they made 2wd. Blazers in 1978. I forgot to say that my Blazer is a 4wd. It sits at stock height with 31x10.5 tires. I have always thought that Blazers look just right with a 4" lift and 33x12.5 tires, I may get to that this summer. Also Rob I'm not real sure about any of the laws regarding the different plates and how they enforce them or if they even do. I hate the idea of putting a smog pump on my engine, If I can get away with driving my Blazer whenever I want in the spring/summer with a different plate on it that's what I'll do. Even the inspection mechanics around here have all different ideas on what the laws are. You say you have "Historic" plates, what plate is this? Is it what I call an Antique, Classic, or Collectible plate. I have heard around that I could run Classic plates and be emission exempt but my inspection guy told me no, with a classic plate the emission equipment still has to be there. He told me the exemption was only for the tailpipe inspection, he also said that if I ran Antique plates there would be no inspection. I debated back and fourth a lot about this. Do you drive yours at night? If you do is it legal? Is the emission laws as shrouded in mystery there as they are here?   

Not sure how "Nice" the police are in Rob's area but up where I am from you can drive it with Historic plates morning noon and night as long as you are not hot dogging it, they catch doing that they will write ya up..

Historic in MD is 20 yrs old at least . Md also has a Hot Rod tag not sure on what that is though

[oldwhity]

Your correct Frog. I drive it roughly 30 miles a day pulling a landscaping trailer with no problems. When I was a superintendant for Richmond American Homes on the Eastern Shore, I used to see a 55 chevy 4dr primered grey every morning and it had Historic tags on it during the week.

 Historic plates didn't require me to get any inspection done. I believe it said that I could only drive it on the weekends and to and from shows or repair shops. If you don't have historic than it's like your antique plates. We also have street rod tags which I believe are for vehicles with frame mods and major body mods.

I would go the antique route and see what happens. What's the worst they could do? Make you put the smog stuff on and get it inspected? Your were initially going that route anyway so it wouldn't be that big of a deal. I think it would be taking a "safe" chance since your driving record or insurance wouldn't get dinged if they made you change it.

[Captkaos]

  Thanks for the nice comments Captkaos. I didn't know that they made 2wd. Blazers in 1978.

Yep I have on in my garage that is in progress.  2WD Blazers were made from 1973 - 1982.

[78 Blazer]

  Thanks Fresnok5er, your Blazer is sweet. What size tires are you running?

  Thanks for the tips frogman68 and Rob, I've made up my mind, I'm going to see about getting antique plates.

  I see you do have a 2wd model Captkaos, I'll be watching your progress on it.

[FresnoK5er]

Thanks....I'm running Super Swamper TSL radials 36x14.5x15.....2 inch body lift....6 inch ProComp Springs in front...8 inch Superlift springs in rear.