My daily driver, '90 B2200

The steering wheel looks great. I hate the stock wheel on my 88 b2200. I might look into upgrading to what you've done. Nice work.

I have a set of GM wheels just sitting at my house. I'd like to put them on the B but Im not sure how. Anyone know of a writeup or is it pretty simple?

The simple way to fit them is to grind off the tabs on the Mazda hubs. You'll see four tabs on each corner of your truck, make them go away. Otherwise, you can have the center enlarged on the wheel to make it fit over those Mazda mounting tabs

That's how I put Escalade wheels on mine, by grinding off the tabs. Super easy just takes a while. You might find it easier to remove some of the studs to give you more room.

Ugh, top end coolant/oil leaks and cylinder #3 has a worn ring. That's all too much money for me right now, I'll just be driving it until it blows up.. Thankfully it doesn't smoke all the time, once it warms the smoke clears from the tailpipe and it runs totally fine.

It's too bad refurbished engines run almost $2k, it seems worthless to just swap in an untested used engine, like a time-bomb basically. Also, shop repairs to my engine would run almost $2k as well ...

For that kind of cash, I'd rather put down on a new SkyActiv Mazda 2.

First world problems.

get a short block for like 820.00 and put your head and all on it. Or I have seen a long block for like 1200.00 too.. Check it out.. I have to do mine this winter same problems you have but mine is #4

That's not really that big of a deal to replace the head gasket. A set of rings is a bit harder but still doable. You can take the head off and have it checked by a local machine shop. A new gasket and your back in business. That option is a WHOLE lot cheaper than any other one. I found a used head for my B2200 for between $150-$200. Had it checked and surfaced for $50-$75. Fairly easy to replace.

It's all been professionally diagnosed, $260 for labor and a few small bits to know what's actually wrong with it wasn't too bad.

I can do the head gasket and reinstall a worked on head but it's my only ride as well, that's too much time off the road in my inexperienced hands.

option 1 - run it till it blows, with small fixes here and there .. I'll do this for awhile anyway.
option 2 - pro shop repairs or refurbished engine ($$ - no thanks)
option 3 - do more labor myself and use local shops for less budget pain, but then be on the bus and in friends passenger seats for awhile.. onviously this is the right choice but I think I can put it off since I don't have a job atm..

meh

Option #4......

Get a used engine from the JY, around here we can get them for $200.00, buy a engine stand for $40.00 and rebuild it as time & money allow while your driving your truck. Then once it is done, swap it in on the weekend.......might want to save for a clutch package as well before the swap, unless yours is newer.

Your new engine could look like this!



This way you'll learn some things, and when you get the old motor out, you may even be gung ho to jump on that one to and sell it!

Man, I wish I had indoor space for that!

Yes......that is a requirement for doing a long term engine build........so, the girlfriend doesn't have a spare bedroom?

I remember back when my wife and I were dating, she had a 2 bedroom apt. and her roommate moved out.......I'm sure I was helping with the rent, even though I officially lived at my parents then (1980) and was a mile from the apartment,........I moved all of my 1968 Firebird interior into that spare bedroom. I remember going in there and setting it all up like it was in the car and would sit in the seat and pretend it was done.........I pulled it completely apart and painted it myself so it took a while to complete.

Off topic, but here it was in it's glory days!