Gig City Garage

08/03/2025

Back on the custom YJ project today Cut the rear of the frame off and fabricated the custom frame back half then frenched in the shock mounts. Will handle 2.5 air shocks or 2.0 coilovers. Will give lots of flex with the linked rear end and still keep the jeep center of gravity as low as possible without channeling the tub. Hoping to get this build done by Nov for the next ride. Custom fabbed wheel tubs will need to be put in once suspension is complete.

03/11/2025

My 15 year old’s first vehicle! We got a super nice barn find that is mostly complete minus engine and transmission. Then we found a great mid 90’s roller cam 5.0L to rebuild and stuff in it. We have just shy of 11 months to get it ready for his 16th birthday… at least that’s his goal!

01/10/2025

The Jeep Wrangler project, a.k.a. "The Velosiwrangler," is still in the shop and we've decided to just press on with that through the winter. Mostly because it's cold, snowy-like, and this is already in the nice warm shop... So, axles off and no return now. For those of you who asked, yes, that is a Toyota 3.4 LTR 5VZ-FE V6. This one came out of a 2002 Toyota 4Runner. And why not. We had the engine and trans laying around and a project that needed an engine and trans. This project will remain an 89 Jeep YJ on the outside. In fact, it's called Velosiwrangler (thanks to my step-daughter) because we are going to paint it up to look like a Jurassic Park Jeep. But not just any Jurassic Park Jeep. That's been done before. This one will remain ratty looking. The theme being that it was pulled off the island over 30 years later and turned into this. Thus the tan paint. Red to come soon. Stay tuned.

01/06/2025

After hours of cutting, shaping, welding, and filling, we’re finally nearing the end of the major reconstruction. Right now, you’re seeing the raw, unpolished phase—the "ugly" stage—but once it’s finished, the surface will be smooth, and you’d never know the metal was replaced. The remaining work is straightforward, mostly minor rust hole repairs. Soon, this beauty will be out of the weather and into the shop, up on the lift, and ready to begin phase two. With just one lift and one bay, we’ve had to strategize: either shuffle vehicles while they’re still mobile or push to finish quickly and make space for the next project. In this case, we kept the Jeep project, "Velociwrangler," on its axles as long as possible so we could move it easily to make room for the shop truck in the bay.

12/31/2024

After six years of sitting idle in storage (a.k.a. my backyard), we’re finally kicking off our ultimate shop truck build: Project Cummins Squared. The base for this ambitious project is a 1986 GMC 2500 Crew Cab Square Body long bed—an increasingly rare find in decent condition. This one’s no exception, with significant rust rot on the passenger side of the cab that demands extensive repair work.

Our vision includes a Cummins Diesel swap—a tried-and-true upgrade, but what sets this build apart is the platform. Rather than using the stock 2WD 2500 chassis, we’ll be transplanting the cab onto a 2008 Ford F-450 4WD chassis. After completing the body restoration and chassis graft, we’ll drop in a Cummins 6BT Diesel engine. The result? A powerhouse shop truck capable of hauling over 6,000 pounds in the bed or towing upwards of 30,000 pounds. This isn’t just a rebuild; it’s the creation of a true workhorse and a statement piece for Gig City Garage!

09/13/2024

Okay, I think I‘m fairly progressive. However, I’m not ready for EVs in racing. I mean, I’m not ready for EVs period really. Honestly the world isn’t actually ready for them yet since they have crap range, take forever to charge, and are stupid expensive. Fossil fuels for me! You may pry the keys of my Diesel truck and my V8s (among others) out of my cold dead hands! Just saying!

12/13/2023

All I'm saying is sometimes I miss the days when you were charged per word for listing ads in a newspaper. Pretty sure people wouldn't bother paying for ads like this. "Don't bother with questions..." Um, so what you are saying is you're selling a turd and I must just buy it or sod off? Or, "Don't even try to negotiate with me over the phone!" Never mind the fact the buyer may be a 4 hour drive away and might want to get things settled BEFORE making the long drive with a trailer. Or my favorite, "will not respond to is this still available." 🙄 Um, why waste your time saying that? Just ignore them if that's what you need to do. No need to advertise it. I promise your words will not stop people from doing that. 😕

09/03/2021

F-450 Cab goes to a new home.

This guy from Georgia came to pick up the cab for a few hundred bucks. Brought a rollback tow truck with him and we loaded it up. Now, I wouldn't climb under...

09/03/2021

We get the F-450 cab removed!

Project Cummins Squared Part two.I get a buddy to help me remove the cab off of the frame. Sketchy setup, but it worked in a pinch.Cinder blocks, wood beams,...

07/10/2021

Project Cummins Squared & Project VLOG - Goes Wrong Near the End!

Headed out to SC from TN in a single day to pick up the frame and axles for our Classic Chevy Squarebody Cummins project. I Vlog along the way for the 15-hou...