Re: "Slowly but Surely" Big J's build thread...
 

I had a few minutes tonight to do some rust removal:lol:. Something funny, kinda..... I was cutting across the floor toward the passenger door using a new 4" disc that I picked up cheap. It seemed ok for a second then it just wasn't cutting worth a crap. Real slow progress,lol... Talk about a brain fart. I cut into the bracing under the floor...... All the way through and across the top,lol. No big deal as I'll just weld it up, funny stuff though. Turns out the new cheap wiz wheels are ok...... I guess ya had to be there but I actually was laughing out loud. I mean I stopped cutting, checked out the wheel and the die grinder and was like what the fudge is wrong with this thing :lol: . Then looked down at the cut and said wtf, lol.... Oh well, heres some pics...

Re: "Slowly but Surely" Big J's build thread...
 

Oops! Oh well, fire up the welder. Good progress!

Re: "Slowly but Surely" Big J's build thread...
 

Are you using your cutoff wheel in the angle grinder, or just the air die grinder?

Re: "Slowly but Surely" Big J's build thread...
 

I use the air die grinder for cutting sheet metal and the makita angle grinder in the pic to clean up spot welds and stuff. I have a bit bigger makita grinder I use with cut off wheels for thick stuff, wreaking havoc:lol: and grinding down welds.

Re: "Slowly but Surely" Big J's build thread...
 

My son told me about this. If you buy the 4 1/2" cut off wheels for your smaller angle grinder, it cuts better then the air cutoff, no stalling. For years I used the air,I was amazed at the differance, more power and no stalling. It's alittle scary when you first use it, but you get used to it:lol:

Just a thought for you...J.

Re: "Slowly but Surely" Big J's build thread...
 

Jason, great job on the doors! It's kind of funny because I was wanting to run blazer doors on my truck as a "custom" touch, like the cars without door pillars. Glad they worked out for you.

I think the black magic blasting media is made up of coal slag mostly.

Re: "Slowly but Surely" Big J's build thread...
 

Hello people...extreme newbie here...new to truck and the website. I just wanted to thank all of you for the information I have gotten from this thread. Really good job Big J.

Re: "Slowly but Surely" Big J's build thread...
 

Welcome 71jimee, where are you from in TN???

sorry to hijack J

Re: "Slowly but Surely" Big J's build thread...
 

Thanks for the props... Welcome to the greatest site on the web.... If these trucks are what your into, lol.....

Re: "Slowly but Surely" Big J's build thread...
 

no prob.... Love the new avatar, McLovin was the greatest part of that movie:lol: For those that haven't seen it, its "Superbad". Its pretty funny, McLovin is great....

Re: "Slowly but Surely" Big J's build thread...
 

Hello again.....Clarksville Tn is home. I got the jimmy late november. First and last Ebay auto. I believe it would only be tires if not for bondo...LOL. I will be cutting on it very soon. some interesting things welded under it.

Re: "Slowly but Surely" Big J's build thread...
 

Go ahead and start a thread, we all love pics..... Show us the good and the bad, lol..... So how bad is the bondo?

Re: "Slowly but Surely" Big J's build thread...
 

I will start one soon, I need to finish a couple of smaller projs before I start. It appears to have been used as a snow plow in Maryland....there are no rocker boxes left. I'll know how bad when I hit it with a blaster.

Re: "Slowly but Surely" Big J's build thread...
 

I had a few minutes last night to work on the Blazer. Got some metal cleaned up and the big hole in the rocker box welded up. Hopefully tonight I'll have the time to get back over and Por15 it so I can start working with the patch panels tomorrow..... Maybe I'll get the passengers floor done this weekend :sumo:

Re: "Slowly but Surely" Big J's build thread...
 

Por15ed!!!!! I got it on me again.... I'm missing some skin from the repeated scrubbing but I got it off:lol: I think I need to clean my camera lense....

Re: "Slowly but Surely" Big J's build thread...
 

I didn't have much time to work on my Blazer today. I helped a good buddy put a remote start system on his wifes late model Accord.... OMG it took all day. We got it figured out, even though the directions were crap. I did manage to get a patch cut out and the outer floor fitted.

Re: "Slowly but Surely" Big J's build thread...
 

Nice.

Have any pics a that lower 'a' pillar area?

Re: "Slowly but Surely" Big J's build thread...
 

Take a look at post #121. If thats not what you need let me know from what angle your wanting to see and I'll snap a few for ya.

Re: "Slowly but Surely" Big J's build thread...
 

Nice work Big J. I could be wrong, but I just thought I'd mention it to save you problems. Putting that forward cab support in may give you a problem. I think it will have to go in on the diagonal(making it longer) and catch the head of the bolt on the "A" post, but maybe not. I just remember mine was a tight fit. Hope it all works out, because you are doing some really nice work to your truck, keep going and keep up the great pics

Don't forget, Chevyman is watching and needs your pics. for referance LOL

Re: "Slowly but Surely" Big J's build thread...
 

You know it Dude. ;)

And thanks for the great pics Big J. Nice work!

Re: "Slowly but Surely" Big J's build thread...
 

Its just mocked up at the moment. It'll come apart and go back together 3-20 more times, :lol: I still have more fitting to do, its not quite the way I want it yet. I put that in around 3 this morning half asleep, lol. I'll take more pics as I take it apart and piece it together.

Re: "Slowly but Surely" Big J's build thread...
 

This side ended up being a pain in the rear. I finally got it together though. Still some grinding to do along with the big hole in the middle:lol: I don't know if anyone has heard of them but I found some metal made by a company called Tabco, right here in the USA!!! It was heavier gauge too. Seemed to fit just as well as the other side, not sure where it was made. I know it wasn't here. Bought it at a place in Louisville called Harbison Gathright. If I get to sneak in a few hours on it I'll knock out the rest of it this week.

Re: "Slowly but Surely" Big J's build thread...
 

Looking good Big J. :metal:

Re: "Slowly but Surely" Big J's build thread...
 

:agree:

Re: "Slowly but Surely" Big J's build thread...
 

http://www.tabcobodyparts.com/html/t...f_contents.htm

I got my 1st blazer front floor pan Patch from Jerry Brown out Tenn in the mid 90's while at carlisle. Thats how long they have been making the parts that I know of. Still in business in Ohio I recently got a front floor pan from them for my other blazer. Hope the link works. Nice work on the Floors!

Re: "Slowly but Surely" Big J's build thread...
 

Thanks for the compliments fellas. Did some work on it the last couple days. In between working on my little sunfire and a friends dakota. Dropped 2 gas tanks and replace the fuel pumps in both..... fun fun.... My buddy Josh came over today and did some cuttin' for me while I helped neighbor on his S10 project, gettin' it ready for a repaint. Here are some pics of the holes in the bed I've gotta cut patches for (Thanks for the bed piece Jim). I did manage to get the patch cut for the hole in the front floor. Tomorrow should be a real good progress day...... Hopefully:lol:....

Re: "Slowly but Surely" Big J's build thread...
 

Nice progress, you sure are ambitious. Sorry I overcharged on shipping, I made $4.00 profit on that deal:lol: Glad, I could help. Looks like you have enough matrl., if that's all the holes your filling

Re: "Slowly but Surely" Big J's build thread...
 

Brother I'm just thankful you had the material to spare, its greatly appreciated. I had the chance to get some for free awhile back but wasn't thinkin' about the inside bed floor and missed out, oh well its all good.....

I didn't get to spend the day workin' on the Blazer, instead I helped install one of those B & W flip over goose neck balls in the back of my uncles truck. It took awhile being that the inside of the bed was bowed down, lol.... Had to bend all that up to slip the rails in.... After that I had to take some pics of my cousins truck to put on Craigslist. Neat little truck its a straight axle YO lifted up on 35's. Then go over to my inlaws for a dinner. So after all that I got home and went back over to the garage.... I managed to get the front floor fitted and tacked in. Then I started cutting and plottin' on bed floor patches. I just cut the worst out for now and if I have any left I'll cut out the not so bad and replace it too..... One pic is pretty cool, Saluke decided to inspect my work, I gave him a cheesy cracker so it passed...:lol:

Re: "Slowly but Surely" Big J's build thread...
 

Keeps looking better and better each time I visit this post!

Re: "Slowly but Surely" Big J's build thread...
 

Hopefully it keeps going that direction:lol:...... Thanks for the compliment.

I got some more done tonight. I got all the patches cut and fitted for the holes we cut. I have enough material left for a couple spots I'm debating on cutting. Maybe Wensday and Thursday I'll get to do some welding.....

Re: "Slowly but Surely" Big J's build thread...
 

I got the back 4 pieces welded in and the front pieces tacked in. I should have it all welded up and ground down tomorrow night. I'm getting closer to media blasting and primer:chevy:

Re: "Slowly but Surely" Big J's build thread...
 

I didn't get any grinding done but I did get all the patches welded in including the passengers floor. I started filling the little screw holes here and there too. If time allows I'll get some more done this weekend.....

Re: "Slowly but Surely" Big J's build thread...
 

Don't know about yours but the last one I did had over 125 of those "little screw holes" to fill. :rolleyes:

Looking great, thanks for the ongoing updates.

Re: "Slowly but Surely" Big J's build thread...
 

Thats alot of screw holes:lol:.... I may have 30-40, so not so bad. The worst hole to fill is the one in the fire wall, its more of a rip, can't figure out how it got there. You can see it in the last pic of the passenger floor. Its about 2/3rds up.
Yeah these ongoing updates seem to be the best way to document the build. If I didn't do it this way I'd forget what I've done:lol:

Re: "Slowly but Surely" Big J's build thread...
 

Don't even waste your time trying to figure out why or how the PO did something:lol:

Mine used a can opener to run the antenna wire thru the cowl

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k2...replace259.jpg

Did you have enuff bed panel matrl.? Nice work, looks like your wrapping things up

Re: "Slowly but Surely" Big J's build thread...
 

Excuse my stupidity are you flanging and welding the seams and screw holes or are you butt welding
Thanks

Re: "Slowly but Surely" Big J's build thread...
 

Not a stupid question at all. On the floors it was a mix of butt welding and some flanging. The screw hole are just ground clean and filled in. The bed pieces are all butt welded. It should hold up just fine, I'm going to be media blasting the top side and underside of the tub. Then primering and rubber coating the floor and Por15ing the underside. Should last for years.

J the material was plenty, I have about a 3rd left, unless some other parts go to crap when I hit it with the black beauty, lol...... Its gonna be bright shiny metal when I'm done with it!:metal:

Re: "Slowly but Surely" Big J's build thread...
 

I wasn't sure if you were flanging and screwing to get your fit and then cutting it to butt weld. I have restored many cars and done the bodywork/ paint but i had the welding done by professional. several years I bought a 75 silverado for a worktruck I decided to semi restore and weld in the panels for practice. I flanged some places on the bed and fender. The patches rusted back out and they started on the inside part of the flange opposite the weld. I didn't do anything to seal that area. I am replacing most of the entire front floor area of my blazer the area under the seats and hump they sit on was rusted badly Shockingly the torsion boxes were in good shape. Thats how i missed a lot of the rust. I had never seen one with good boxes and crappy floors so i never pulled the carpet. Anyway I wanted to flange but was afraid to. I see you are sealing yhe area. I thought of taking body seam sealer more in line with Jaros dum dum caulk and putting it on the edge opposite the weld and then screwing it let it set and then work. Sorry for the long post

Re: "Slowly but Surely" Big J's build thread...
 

That's the problem, with doing floors. Accessiblity, because of the torsion boxes. When I flanged mine, I still had access to the bottom to finish up the bottom weld. I think that if you use a good zinc primer this should stop the rust, or at least act as a sacrificial matrl. After your done welding, then you can come back with a good brushable seam sealer

Pound 41, let us know how you make out, curious, always open for new solutions to old problems

Sorry for the hyjack Big J., hyjack off

Re: "Slowly but Surely" Big J's build thread...
 

I sealed up underneath while I could get my arm up in there. It will probably rust again in about 40 or so years:lol:.... Maybe it won't. The only flange is on the outside edge of the floor. Its mostly protected, under and on top.

I got all my grinding done today. Got a bunch of holes filled in too. I found 3 more that I need to do. I should be able to get that done tomorrow.