Re: Previous owner '68
 

Agreed on all three counts! That's a nice-lookin' Firebird, should be a fun project.

Re: Previous owner '68
 

Same here!

A kid in high school had a Formula with the "nostrils", white with twin green stripes, and I loved it.....

Re: Previous owner '68
 

I actually like the formula hood better than the TA hood, but the one I have has been abused. It looks okay but I have done a bunch of fiberglass work on it to get it to this point.

Re: Previous owner '68
 

I do too Jim, hopefully you can save it.

Re: Previous owner '68
 

Back to trucks! I threw some rollers on the rearend so I could roll it around easier. Ha! I'm an idiot, it's a posi. Rolls good going straight, not so good around the corners.

Re: Previous owner '68
 

Used the plasma cutter to cut Pacman out of the rear crossmember. Be looking for this on Facebook marketplace under "NOS 1968 Pacman - no lowballers, I know what I got"

Re: Previous owner '68
 

This had the added benefit of making a good place to run exhaust through in the future. I did finish the holes off by welding in some pieces of 4" pipe.

Re: Previous owner '68
 

I had to flip the frame to weld the bottom section of the cross-member exhaust pass throughs. Flipping the frame was fun and scary! While i had it flipped I cut it for a c-notch and painted the bottom. Should have taken more pics, but when I'm on a roll it's hard to remember.

Re: Previous owner '68
 

Then I flipped the frame (for the last time!) You'll notice that I removed the front cross-member, mostly to clean out the years of rust, grease, and mud.

Re: Previous owner '68
 

Now, I wanted to go five lug with this truck and I had the front cross-member from a '85 chevy truck that I decided to use. I know, I could have used the old cross-member and just used different balljoints and tierod ends but this is how I did it. If you are interested in the many different ways to do the drum to disc swap you should read this thread by lolife99. It says it all better than I ever could.

https://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/...d.php?t=444815

It was filthy. And I ain't gonna kid you, getting those springs out was a bear.

Re: Previous owner '68
 

Some wire brushing, scrubbing, and painting with black hammerite got me to this point.

Re: Previous owner '68
 

Nice Work. :metal:

Yes , Getting those front springs out without the help of the weight of the Truck is Fun. :uhmk::ito:

Re: Previous owner '68
 

And highly NOT recommended. In my case I didn't have a choice.

Re: Previous owner '68
 

Then I installed the cross-member. You can't really tell but I replaced the upper a-arm studs with grade 8 bolts due to damage on the stud threads. I also had to elongate the front side mounting holes to make the 85 cross-member work with the 68 frame. Other than that it went fairly easy.

December the 13th

Re: Previous owner '68
 

A view from the rear with the the front cross-member installed. You'll notice I removed the small frame cross-member at the rear so I can get a blazer tank installed.

Re: Previous owner '68
 

Next I threw on a new set of upper a-arms I had laying around in my storage area. These are 73-87 style. My drop spindles are also the squarebody style and I will be using the '85 ball joints, tierod ends, idler arm, steering link, and pitman arm.

Re: Previous owner '68
 

Moving quick, I like it!

Re: Previous owner '68
 

Thanks Joey, but not really, I started this truck on November 8, 2023 and didn't start posting until January '24 (a few of the posts have dates in silver so I can keep a record for myself.)

I've been on the board for a while but had never started any build threads so I thought what the heck, I'll do it. There will come a point when I get caught up and the posts will slow down. And for the past 3 days I've had STREPTHROAT!

Re: Previous owner '68
 

Well, that's still pretty quick by some standards :lol:

I wish you were further north in Kentucky, I'd come visit and lend a hand if I got a free Saturday. My profile still says Colorado (will probably return) but I'm living an hour upriver from Louisville for a while, since this last spring. But Murray is WAY down there...

Re: Previous owner '68
 

I know, I'm closer to most Tennessee members than I am Kentucky members! You working there or going to college?

Re: Previous owner '68
 

I'm from the Ohio River valley originally, spent the last 20 years in Colorado. Came back to spend some time with my long-lost family... but my wife is from Durango, so I think we'll be back eventually. Gotta try different things out every decade or so. :)

Re: Previous owner '68
 

You're right about that. My ex was from Colorado, I try to avoid it!

Re: Previous owner '68
 

I've got one of those there too - happily, it's a BIG state ;)

Back to trucks!

Re: Previous owner '68
 

I'm in for the build, what's the end plan?

Looks like you've got a great shop to do what ever

Re: Previous owner '68
 

Thanks, the shop was something I saved money for for the last 25 years and finally built now that I'm almost too old to enjoy it! I've always had a low tolerance for debt, but the truth is IF I had borrowed money to build it 25 years ago I would have it paid for by now and would have been using it for the last 25 years... It's a bitter pill to swallow!

As far as plans, I have a general idea what I'm trying to achieve but I don't really try to plan everything in advance. The guidelines are mostly a clean, lowered, dependable truck. It will not be a show truck, but hopefully someone will see it and smile. I will be using an early 350 and automatic transmission. I am trying to rebuild as much as I can, part of me having projects is so I can learn and do. I also need to use up some of the years of accumulated truck parts I have somehow acquired over the years! So, in summary, 503 green, low, 350/350.

Re: Previous owner '68
 

I'm still in agreement with your plans!!! It doesn't need to be fancy!!! Folks will be thrilled with seeing your old ride, just because of what it is!!!

I have a 67 and 68, both LWB's. I plan to get the 67 going first, nothing fancy. It will have 71/72 disc brakes (68 will also, when that day comes). I'm planning on manual disc brakes on both, just like the 71 and 72's had.

Re: Previous owner '68
 

Roger, do you already have a 350/350 you're going to use? I ask because I'm considering a 383/700R4 swap and would have a 350/350 combo to move out if I pull the trigger.

Re: Previous owner '68
 

Well, yes, but... I'll pm you.

Re: Previous owner '68
 

I had a set of lower a-arms I bought off of the board from DA68 awhile back. Bolted them on with a set of 2.5" drop spindles.

Re: Previous owner '68
 

Then, because I get bored easily, I decided to remove one of the rear fenders so I could weld up some rust areas. Had to use a drill to drill out the heads of the screws. Weren't no fun at all.

Re: Previous owner '68
 

Finally got it off and the rust cut out and welded up.

Re: Previous owner '68
 

Nice work on the fender, but I found it easier to over tighten till the nut snapped off

In my younger years I was laid off along with 500,000 other people and pissed at the world so I came up with idea to build my work shop, dug the foundation with pick and shovel, wheel barrow....polish backhoe

Poured foundation and .learned how to lay cinder blocks when my boiler went out in the house I had them put a zone in for my work shop, 70 degrees all the time

Been enjoying it for 50 years

Good luck on your project I'll be following

Re: Previous owner '68
 

Thanks Jim, I've been watching your blazer build for almost as long as I've been on the site! Sorry to hear about your son.

I wish I had built my shop earlier but I don't know how much I would have really used it. Before I retired I worked quite a bit and was always on call 24/7. It was a relief to finally be able to retire, no more phone calls at 2:30 in the morning! Now the shop is my M-F 9:00-6:00.

I'll try your method on the second fender, hopefully it's easier!

Re: Previous owner '68
 

I'm enjoying your approach and what you're aiming for sounds cool to me. I like the plan.

Re: Previous owner '68
 

Thanks LT, I spent about 3 months in Bremerton WA years ago with the Navy. That's where I first saw a 2wd Blazer (or at least noticed what it was!) Took the ferry over to Seattle a couple times.

Re: Previous owner '68
 

Decided to push the fender to the back burner and installed more front end parts.

I had the '85 1.25" rotors turned and installed new bearings and seals. I found a 72 power steering gearbox out in the horse shed. Not sure if it's good, so I painted and installed it. My motto is "Make it pretty, it gives you incentive to make it work".

Re: Previous owner '68
 

A couple more pics of the assembled front end, I was feeling good, until the brake caliper fiasco...

Re: Previous owner '68
 

:lol:

Re: Previous owner '68
 

I like that moto. Nice progress so far. I'll be following along with your progress.

Re: Previous owner '68
 

I decided to rebuild the brake calipers I have. I know, rebuilds are cheap, but I like to learn and do so I have always rebuilt them myself. It's not that hard.

Unfortunately, when I went to install them the caliper pins would not line up on the drivers side spindle.

I had heard that some of the aftermarket drop spindles have this problem but I suspect the true problem is the poor casting quality of the aftermarket calipers. The passengers side caliper I had is an original and it fit fine with room to spare.