Re: Left for dead: 72 2wd blazer build
 

UPDATE!!

Well it looks like the plans have changed a little for this build. Instead of making it appear like a "Rare" one off factory original big block blazer I may just be putting a 350/350 combo back in it like it originally came. The reason? It appears that I will be purchasing a factory original short wide bed, BIG BLOCK, auto truck!! It is also a Custom truck with factory air and some other decent options. Best of all it is also factory red with white two tone! My favorite! The catch? It has been even more used and abused than the blazer you see before you and the original 396 is long gone along with alot of other parts. Fortunately I have everything it needs so my factory big block long bed 70 is going to be sacrificed to save a factory 69 short bed big block truck and of course this factory 2wd CST blazer. I guess if the 70 longbed has to die it might as well save two uncommon trucks. So it looks like the blazer will be getting a 350 4 bolt main and standard 350 auto trans. Hopefully it will still remain an interesting build for most of you; and now you have another build thread to look forward to down the road.

I will post pics of the truck after I pick it up on Sunday.

Re: Left for dead: 72 2wd blazer build
 

Why not do both as big blocks, they're not that hard to get? Good luck with more rusted abused sheetmetal. You're gonna need it.

Re: Left for dead: 72 2wd blazer build
 

hgs_notes, I would love to do that but I don't know if I could afford all of the other big block components that would be needed besides the engine itself. That and the more components that I use that I have laying around the less clutter I have to trip over. You and me brother, saving the "parts trucks" one at a time!!:lol:

Re: Left for dead: 72 2wd blazer build
 

Well I didn't get any progress made on the blazer this weekend because I spent the day picking up the 69' short bed, big block truck! Heres some pics of her.

I got the truck from fellow board member 67Mach1. I don't know who owned it before him but they did alot of short cuts. Not only that they took all of the chrome off and painted it fleet white (Originally Red with white contrast). So basically if you didn't give the truck a closer look it would simply come across as an old no frills fleet truck. The cab is rough but fixable, and the passenger side front fender is a little tattered but overall the body isn't bad.
http://i848.photobucket.com/albums/a...m/IMG_3858.jpg

Unfortunately someone took the original engine out and replaced it with a small block. Fortunately I have all the missing components.
http://i848.photobucket.com/albums/a...m/IMG_3859.jpg

The original red interior is gone, or covered in rattle can black paint! When I pulled the seat belts out they were in like new condition. I can't wait to get all of that old nasty house carpeting out of that cab!
http://i848.photobucket.com/albums/a...m/IMG_3860.jpg

Of course the most important part of the truck; the SPID. Since it is in a deteriorated state I took it off the truck as soon as I gave the money over and it is now staying in a display case in my bedroom. I figured it would be better off there in a climate controlled environment away from the heat and sun.
http://i848.photobucket.com/albums/a...m/IMG_3861.jpg



Hopefully I will be able to get back to the blazer in the next week or so. I would like to have it running by new years. We will see if it is anywhere close to that.

Re: Left for dead: 72 2wd blazer build
 

Well it has been a while since an update but I have made more progress on the old blazer. The part that I was most concerned with tackling (the windshield frame) is now completed. Below are pictures of the patched area on both the passenger side and the drivers side.


The patched passenger side.
http://i848.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/IMG_3928.jpg


The cut open drivers side section of the windshield frame. I don't know if this is common but this side of the windshield frame was much more solid than the passenger side. I thought this was unusual because the rest of the body is much worse on the drivers side than the passenger side.
http://i848.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/IMG_3934.jpg


The welded in drivers side patch.
http://i848.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/IMG_3966.jpg


Overall I guess the windshield frame was in above average condition. At least in above average condition for a blazer that was as rusty as this one. Also I wanted to let everyone know that even though alot of the pictures don't show it, I am treating everything with rust stabilizer and then laying weldable primer and paint down. I don't want anyone thinking I am just slapping metal back over crusty panels.

Re: Left for dead: 72 2wd blazer build
 

After completing the windshield frame I started working on the drivers side quarter panel. I know it is popular on here for everyone to simply replace the bedsides, but I am on too tight of a budget to do that. As you can see I already cut part of the panel off to work on the door jam/rocker area.
http://i848.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/IMG_3967.jpg


I really didn't need to take this much metal off, but I figured since I paid so much for the patch panel I had better use more than a sliver of it.
http://i848.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/IMG_3968.jpg

It isn't done bieng welded into place but the bottom patch is tacked in.
http://i848.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/IMG_3969.jpg


That is all of the progress I have to show for now. I believe that I am about 75% done with metal work so hopefully we will start to see some paint in the not too distant future! Also I showed my pictures to some non-car enthusiasts the other day. I got alot of funny comments. One guy who had some 67-72 trucks back in the day, and who deemed himself an expert had the best comments of all. He said that no matter what I did this truck was so rusty that it was structurally unsound and was just going to start rusting thru the minute I get done with it. He also told me that my blazer could not be a CST because they stopped making them back in 1970. I asked him if he ever had owned a 1st generation blazer. He answered no. I tried to inform him that the blazers were badged as CST's until 1972 but he wouldn't have any of it. I just thought it was funny how people know more about your stuff than you do; even when they have never owned something like it before!

Re: Left for dead: 72 2wd blazer build
 

Once it's all ground down, filled and sanded, it'll look like new. Nice work. I learned long ago not to argue with people about there recollections of days gone by. It's not worth the trouble to educate them because they really just don't care and in the end, it doesn't matter to me what they know or don't know. It could me me down the road a spell when my memory is worse than it is now. Which can be down-right pitiful at times.

Re: Left for dead: 72 2wd blazer build
 

looking good

Re: Left for dead: 72 2wd blazer build
 

Hats off to you for getting that bedside patch in there. I started with that patch and no matter what I did, I just couldn't get it lined up right (I don't have a lot of patience though) and I finally said the hell with it and put on the blazer bedsides I had.

Very good job!

Re: Left for dead: 72 2wd blazer build
 

hgs_notes, Your right. It is not worth arguing with them about. I told him that I would research it. I figured people on this board would get a kick out of that story. I know we have all run into "That Guy". :smoke:

VA72C10, Thanks!

1949gmc, Thanks! It was alot harder than I thought it would be. It looks normal in person but it looks like it has a slight pitch to it in the pictures. I will have to look at it some more in person to make sure it is where I like it.

Re: Left for dead: 72 2wd blazer build
 

I got a little more work done this weekend. We finished up on the lower quarter panel replacement and started working on the inner bedside. As you can see, there was some rust on the panel underneath where the inner wheel tub bolts up.
http://i848.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/IMG_3985.jpg


With the rot cut out. I tried brushing as much rust killer in here as I could. I think I am going to get a weed spayer with a long wand to help reach the areas I cant get to with the brush.
http://i848.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/IMG_3987.jpg


A shot of the donor patch from a parts truck welded into place.
http://i848.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/IMG_3989.jpg


The same rust on the rear section of the bedside where the wheel tub bolts into place.
http://i848.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/IMG_3986.jpg


Rear rotten section cut out and the section behind treated with rust killer.
http://i848.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/IMG_3990.jpg


I got a few other minor tasks done this week as well but that is pretty much the majority of this weeks progress.

Re: Left for dead: 72 2wd blazer build
 

Looks like way more progress than I made. I'm afraid of what I'll find when I pull the wheel tubs from my bed.

Re: Left for dead: 72 2wd blazer build
 

hgs_notes, Good luck to you when you pull them; although it propably wont be too bad. Mine was most likely rotten because the D/S side glass on the top was busted out! On the passenger side everything looked alot better and there was no pits or rust thru.

Re: Left for dead: 72 2wd blazer build
 

I got back to work on the blazer again today. I started off by finishing the patch on the rotten rear inner bedside.
http://i848.photobucket.com/albums/a...IMG_3992-1.jpg

After finishing that I started on getting the rear door pillars repaired.
http://i848.photobucket.com/albums/a...IMG_3994-1.jpg

I repaired it with a home made patch panel. The first one I made was too wide in the perpindicular section, so I got to make this one twice.
http://i848.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/IMG_3995.jpg

This part wasn't rusted out, but I had to cut it open to get to the bolt heads that were hidden beneath. I am not sure who designed it to be like that. At least it opened it up to where we could weld up those pin holes along the bed floor.
http://i848.photobucket.com/albums/a...IMG_3996-1.jpg

Re: Left for dead: 72 2wd blazer build
 

The finished product. Making one of those patches the second/third time around was much smoother.
http://i848.photobucket.com/albums/a...IMG_3997-1.jpg


The same repair on the passenger side door pillar.
http://i848.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/IMG_3998.jpg


With the last home made patch of the day in place.
http://i848.photobucket.com/albums/a...IMG_3999-1.jpg

After getting all the new metal in the door pillars I started on getting rid of the rotten 1/4 panel behind the passenger side door.
http://i848.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/IMG_4000.jpg

I was able to get the rotten section out and cutting the patch panel trimmed to shape before calling it a day. I am glad that I am in the last stages of the metal work; however I am dreading the 2-3 days of grinding I have ahead of me.
http://i848.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/IMG_4001.jpg

Re: Left for dead: 72 2wd blazer build
 

Nice progress....and really funny signature. It's the most interesting signature in the world

Re: Left for dead: 72 2wd blazer build
 

Great progress, keep up the good work, I can use the extra space.

:clap:

Re: Left for dead: 72 2wd blazer build
 

VA72C10, Thanks! I am glad you like it!

Muleman100, I am trying the best I can. The only problem is when I bring it home I need to build somewhere for it to go.

Re: Left for dead: 72 2wd blazer build
 

You have a permanent space at my shop forever

:bite:

Re: Left for dead: 72 2wd blazer build
 

dafad

Re: Left for dead: 72 2wd blazer build
 

Muleman100, Thats good! At the speed this project is going "forever" seems like the amount of time I will need.

chevyblazer, ???

Re: Left for dead: 72 2wd blazer build
 

Loving the rebuild :metal: Awesome work on making your panels.
Congrats on the bbc truck, Eric

Re: Left for dead: 72 2wd blazer build
 

stepside69, Thanks for the comments!

Re: Left for dead: 72 2wd blazer build
 

looking good, i finishwd my two wheel drive back in july.

Re: Left for dead: 72 2wd blazer build
 

Sylfred, Thanks for the compliment. Post pics of your rig. I could use the inspiration!


Well I must be staying busier than I thought. I worked on the blazer a week and a half ago and forgot to updade! I started back up where I left off on the P/S quarter panel. When I put the D/S patch panel on I aligned it by laying it over the body crease on the original panel. However once it was cut off the patch panel ended up bieng a 1/2 inch too short. So on this side I lined the patch up to how well it looked against the door and didn't pay any attention to the body crease on the patch vs. the body crease on the quarter panel. By doing this the P/S quarter panel patch lined up much better than the D/S one did. I also thought it was funny that I bought both patches from the same place but one was by GoodMark and the other was Counterpart.
http://i848.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/IMG_4031.jpg

A whole lot of new metal went into this area. Suprisingly the panels all line up really well to each other and the door.
http://i848.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/IMG_4032.jpg

The next section I focused on was the rotten area at the top of the P/S bed panel. http://i848.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/IMG_4034.jpg

As always out with the old and rusty. I cut out the donor section from a parts truck but didn't get a pic of it in place.
http://i848.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/IMG_4035.jpg

Since I was at a stopping point for the day on the metal work, but wasn't ready to go home I started taking all of the parts fastened to the firewall off of the blazer. http://i848.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/IMG_4041.jpg



I should be getting back to the blazer this weekend and updating shortly after. I had been working on smaller parts at home during the work week, but now that it gets dark so early and is cold that extra progress has slowed.

Re: Left for dead: 72 2wd blazer build
 

Nice progress!!!

Re: Left for dead: 72 2wd blazer build
 

it's coming together looking good...

Re: Left for dead: 72 2wd blazer build
 

VA72C10 & 1lo67, Thanks!

Re: Left for dead: 72 2wd blazer build
 

I made a little more progress last week. I started off by finishing the installation of the donor patch for the rotten part of the top P/S blazer bed panel.
http://i848.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/S4010003.jpg



A view from the top. To keep the flare out that the top front blazer bed panels have I had to make a home made sliver patch.
http://i848.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/S4010008.jpg


Interior side view.
http://i848.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/S4010006.jpg



There was some rust bubbles forming along the front edges of the bed panel behind the door jam. It wasn't bad but I want to make sure all the rust gets taken out. This is a picture of the first of two small sections that were patched.
http://i848.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/S4010009.jpg


I simply cut out the rear cab section from a donor truck for these patches.
http://i848.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/S4010010.jpg

Re: Left for dead: 72 2wd blazer build
 

Same thing just a little higher up the door jamb.
http://i848.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/S4010011.jpg

Ready for the grinder and sander.
http://i848.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/S4010012.jpg

A shot of all the patches that have gone into the passenger side door/ quarter panel area.
http://i848.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/S4010013.jpg


Unfortunately last week I notice a couple more areas on the body that need to be addressed so there will be a little more metal work than I was expecting left to do. I was wondering what everyone does as far as patches on the bottom parts of blazer bedsides behind the rear wheels from the lower chrome section down? I have not seen repop patches for these. I have some rough long wheel base bedsides that I could modify and use but I wanted to see if there were any better options. I can try to post pics of the area I am talking about if anyone is having trouble understanding where I am talking about.

Re: Left for dead: 72 2wd blazer build
 

Looking like more patch than original in some places. It's coming along though. As far as the rear lower quarters, I think a shortbed patch will work for that. Some guys have used a shortbed bed side and replaced the hole side, rather than do all of the small patches. The only difference I know is the front edge of the wheel well is radiused different.

Re: Left for dead: 72 2wd blazer build
 

I have not seen any decent repair panels with a nice contour at the wheel lip, I ASS-U-ME this is the area you mean. You've got some pile of grinding ahead of you (be sure to wear a dust mask!);awesome-keep going.

Re: Left for dead: 72 2wd blazer build
 

very nice work

Re: Left for dead: 72 2wd blazer build
 

hgs_notes, So I guess my only options are to modify something from an existing bed panel. You would think someone would be reproducing this item. It seems like an area that would need addressing on a good portion of trucks/blazers out there.

PHAT TONY, Yes that is the area I am talking about. I didn't think of getting a picture so I could show everyone what I mean. As far as the grinding goes, I will tell you that I have already bought a stack of discs! I am really not looking forward to that. I guess I will just crank up the ipod and put the face shield on and go to town. Of course I have to be careful not to overheat the metal while grinding the welds down. I cant wait to see it the body in finished metal though!

VA72C10, Thanks once again!

Re: Left for dead: 72 2wd blazer build
 

Try here:
http://www.gmcpauls.com/bed_patch_panels1.htm look for part number 198506 and 188362 for bed patch panels front and rear lower.

And here:
http://www.gmcpauls.com/bed_parts.htm look for part# 2104814

Re: Left for dead: 72 2wd blazer build
 

hgs_notes, Thanks for the link. I believe that shortbed rear lower patch should do the trick. Now I know where to get them. I wonder why the big boys don't sell some of the patches GMC Pauls sells? I bought some of their blazer specific patches and they were really nice.Thanks again!

Re: Left for dead: 72 2wd blazer build
 

I have searched and searched for a answer and sorry if this is the wrong forum to post this, but I thought with all the conversation going on in this one on 2wd it would be a good post.

Does anyone know how many 1972 GMC Jimmy's were made in 2wd this would help great full I have one and am looking to sell it.

But don't know how rare it is. It is a 2 owner vehicle I am second. Please if you can help I would be very appreciative.

Thanks

Re: Left for dead: 72 2wd blazer build
 

best thing to do is post pics and all you can about the condition it is in to me I like the looks of the chevy better than the 4 headlight on the Gmc I am sure someone here can give you a good Ideal what its worth

Re: Left for dead: 72 2wd blazer build
 

There was a post that listed all of the production numbers. May have to search the 67-72 Pickup forum to find it. If I can find it, I'll PM you with it.
BT
Good looking work on the bedside! I know its a pain patching it together, but you are getting there. And ya, grinding sucks, but you'll be happy when its all done and in primer.

Re: Left for dead: 72 2wd blazer build
 

[QUOTE=red71cheyenne;4376113
Good looking work on the bedside! ya, grinding sucks,[/QUOTE]

:lol:gotta agree, grinding is my least favorite part of the build!!!, but I may have an answer...good headphones and oldies on the headphones:smoke:

This build may qualify as the MOST worked on to bring back, nice job!! Thanks for letting us enjoy your build