Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

Nice! Needs more low and wheels :lol:

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

I haven't found any 1:64 scale American Racing Gassers yet.:lol:

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

Well, the mini-Blazer came in and the color isn't quite what it looked like in the pics. It is actually teal and nowhere near the color of my Blazer, oh well.

I finally got the metal between the inner and outer bedsides cut out and was able to give myself 3/4" between the inside of the tires and the edge of the floor where the tubs bolt in. I need to pick up some 18 Ga. sheetmetal to make the replacement inserts, I have 12 Ga., but it is way too thick to bend into shape.

My measurement from wheel mounting surface to wheel mounting surface is 59-3/8" and that is very close to the lip of the outer bedside. Since this is my first narrowed rear end (I'm second-guessing myself a lot) and the fact that I already have a set of quality 1/4" wheel spacers, I decided to give the guy narrowing the rear end a 58-7/8" measurement, just in case I am too close to the outer lip. I dropped the housing off last night and should have it back by next weekend. Once I have the housing back and double-check everything, I will order the axles.

I also dropped off the calipers and the Kingsport Grey powder, I should have those back by next weekend also.

No pics due to the fact that I was rushing to get everything done before coming back to work in TX today, not to mention having a double root canal done on Tuesday...

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

Crazy how far off the mini blazer was. It looks almost dark blue in the pics you posted.
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Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

Yeah, the whole reason I bought it on ebay is because those pics looked like an almost perfect match to the factory paint. My wife told me that I could paint it to match, but I told her that my old eyes have enough trouble seeing the full-size parts, I'm not even going to try to detail the 1:64 scale stuff. :lol:

Haha yep. I bought mine in red because I couldn’t find one blue. Wife said the same thing. But I wouldn’t do it good enough.
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Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

I picked up my freshly narrowed housing today. Check out the welds Darrell laid down!!! He is obviously skilled at what he does, his shop is full of drag cars that he is building the chassis for. I know who is going to build the roll cage for Oscar's truck now!

Anyway, I got it home and took about 1,736 measurements so that I can call Moser tomorrow and get some axles ordered. My buddy Jason wasn't able to get my calipers done, but he should have them for the Crazy Wheels Cruise-In on Saturday.

Next weekend, I will clean up the housing and paint it, then throw in some new wheel bearings and seals and wait till the Brown Santa brings me a box a little over 28.75" long!

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

Nice to have the rear narrowed and ready for the next step! Impressive looking welds!

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

Very nice!

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

I ordered my axles from Moser Monday morning on my way out to TX for the week and the guy told me that they should be delivered next Monday, which upset me because I was going to have to wait another week to get it all together. But.... I just got an email from UPS saying that my "package" from Greg Moser Engineering will be delivered by the end of the day, FRIDAY!!!! :hot::four::two::ele::ennyd:

That means, hopefully this weekend, there will be pics of the Blazer, ...on the ground, ...laid out, ...on some 20" Gassers!!! Finally!

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

Hell yeah!! :metal:

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

Kewl!!

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

Soooo Close! Only a few more things to button up now...

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

WooHOO!

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

I pulled the factory tach cluster out this morning to bring to a buddy, so I decided to mount the new gauges in the bezel just to make sure I didn't lose any screws, etc. I really like these gauges, I can't wait to see them powered up.

We did some serious parts swapping at the Cruise-In, I brought my buddy the factory tach cluster, original control arms, and original gas pedal setup off of the Blazer, as well as some grill filler panels that I had stashed for later. I brought home a new door panel for my Duramax, a 700-R4 for the S-10, paint for the Blazer, and of course my re-powdered calipers. I think the color came out better than the swatches that I had ordered. Again, the pictures don't do the color justice, but if you ask the guys that saw them at the Cruise-In, they look really good.

Tomorrow I plan on getting the rearend cleaned, painted, and installed so that I can finally mount my wheels. Wish me luck. Pics to follow tomorrow, hopefully.

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

:metal:

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

I got the rearend cleaned up and rattle-canned satin black. It is a pain in the @ss to get a rearend in and lined up by yourself... But it is in, and technically NOT on the ground, but it is resting on the tires. I need to center the rear end with the panhard bar. What upsets me is that the rim is not tucking into the bedside, so I might as well cut it apart and make it lower since I am this far into it, right? ;)

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

One more pic showing the rim NOT tucking... :banghead:

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

First off..Your Blazer Looks Great.
The color looks really Good.
When you can, could you tell me your tire and wheel size
Thank You

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

Thanks!

Front is a 20"x8.5" with 4.5" BS, and a 255-35-20 tire. I used PB 1" narrowed and 1" forward arms to use this backspacing.

Rear is a 20"x10.5" with 3.75" BS, and a 315-35-20 tire. I had to narrow the rearend and cut out between the inner and outer bedwalls to be able to fit this combo.

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

I guess I need to play catch-up for a bit. The weekend before Easter I didn't get anything done on the Blazer, but I did get a pile of dirt that was behind my shop moved up to the shop driveway to fill in low spots that were holding water. More importantly, without the pile of dirt behind the shop, I could use the brother-in-law's little tractor to finally install the A/C that I've had for almost a year! I need to do some more insulating in the shop to get the A/C to keep it really cool in there, but it is definitely an improvement, now that it is starting to get warmer.

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

Easter weekend, I came down with Bronchitis so work on the Blazer slowed down drastically. I did get the calipers all reassembled after the powder coating was done and got the rears installed. I started modifying my spindles to mount the fronts but ran out of time.

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

The following weekend, a buddy came down for the weekend so that we could piece together a good under dash A/C out of all of the parts in my stash. While he was here I got him to help with a few things around the shop that I needed a second set of hands to do. Before he left, we changed the rear u-joint on my driveshaft since the 10-bolt takes a 3R u-joint that has the clips on the inside of the cups. When I went to install the driveshaft I found out that a 10-bolt has a longer pinion than the truck 12-bolt that was taken out... The driveshaft was now too long to fit.

Luckily, I had already picked up a second-hand ECE center crossmember. I figured I would put that in and make some 1/2" spacers to go between the crossmember and trailing arm brackets, which would center the rear wheels in the wheel wells better and give me more room for the driveshaft at the same time. Unfortunately, the borrowed air hammer that I was using just wasn't cutting it (literally) on the factory rivets, so I ordered an Ingersoll Rand long stroke air hammer and had to wait a week to get it in.

Once the air hammer came in, I tested it on 2 rivets before the A/C went out on the house. That finished off my weekend trying to get that fixed with limited parts availability on a weekend.

This past Monday, my wife had a 2 level cervical fusion surgery, so I haven't really been able to play in the shop. But this weekend, she told me to go get something done on the Blazer since I am running out of time to get it ready for HRPT. She figured she could text me if she needed me in the house to help her.

I was finally able to get the trailing arm crossmember changed out and the spacers made. The new air hammer is a BEAST! I still don't ever want to change out one of those crossmembers on a complete truck again though, it is way easier on a bare frame. Once I got it all back together tonight I aired it out and basked in the glory of centered rear wheels! Tomorrow, I will try to install my driveshaft again, it should fit now, but if not I can still get it shortened locally pretty quick.

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

I don't have a good shot of the before with the 20's on, and there is no way that I am going to un-do what I just did to get one, but here is the before with the 17's and the after with the 20's...

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

The ac will be really nice!
Nice work on the brakes and rear end centering.
Hope the wife heals quickly.

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

Very nice Steven.

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

Thanks Doug and Bill!

I hope she heals quickly, but more importantly, I hope this fixes all of her pain.

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

Well, the driveshaft fits! I cycled it through the full range of travel and it doesn't even come close to bottoming out in the transmission. It is further into the transmission than when I had the old axle in there, but that just means that there is more spline engagement, which in theory should make it stronger and more stable.

After I got the driveshaft in, I was tired of laying on my back on the creeper, so I decided to do a little interior work that I had been putting off. I finally installed my Accuair ashtray mount in the dash. Of course, it involved laying on my back on the floor board to be able to see.:crazy: Just as I suspected, with the transmission in Park, I can't pull it out all the way, but I can still get to the "All Down" button, which is the important part, so that I can look cool.:cool: The Accuair system will automatically go to ride height when I start the Blazer, so I really don't even need to pull it out until I park anyway. Here's a few pictures for y'all, the one with it halfway out is with the transmission in Park.

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

Looks good Steven, I like how you added the spacers to the center crossmember to center the rear wheels in the wheel well. I need to do that on my Suburban.

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

Thanks Keith. It was a mod that I was planning to do later... after HRPT because I thought I might have to get another longer driveshaft built, but when my current driveshaft was too long, it was kind of a necessity.

I think it would make a big difference on your burb since the wheels are tucked up in there on that body style. If you're going to do it, be prepared to cut a sh!t-ton of rivets, laying on your back with no good access to the top rivets.

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

Warning, non-slip rear end! This thing is sofa king badass

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

:lol: One of the previous owners felt the need to label everything on the dash. I haven't been able to pull them all off since its a part of its character.

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

Just realized that I hadn't put any pictures on here for a while.

I've gotten the Captainfab brackets and hydroboost mounted up. The brackets do a good job of hiding the mess on the firewall from old leaking master cylinders. I tried putting a vacuum booster to save myself some time of having to deal with power steering hoses, but was having issues with connecting the brake pedal to the booster, so I switched back to the hydroboost. I have some factory style lines for an 86 3/4 Ton for the hydroboost, but it turns out that they hit the proportioning valve. I ordered some PTFE AN hoses and ends this week and they should be in by Friday when I get home from TX, so HOPEFULLY, I can finally finish the brakes this weekend!

The other 2 pics are of my surprise visitor that was on the handle of the flaring tool that I grabbed before I noticed him! This was not long after I had a Brown Recluse crawl in between my legs, and after I tested the surface tension of the skin on my finger with a hacksaw blade... Hopefully, I'll get it together AND still be alive by the time HRPT gets here!

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

Holy snakes Batman! What kind is that? Had one in my shop a couple years ago acting if he owned the place. A bit startling.

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

No clue, I wasn't able to find anything quite like it on the internet. Probably a little rat snake of some kind. I do know that I didn't like him and he didn't like me!

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

Last weekend, my buddy Chris came over to help me make some pretty brake lines to drop down to the frame rail from the prop valve. I'd say we nailed what I was looking to do.

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

Last night and this morning, I started the tedious task of cutting down my wheel studs and assembling the billet hubs from Kore3. Spindles have been cut down, smoothed out and painted, so now I just need to pack the bearings and install them and I can finally finish mounting up the front brakes. Now that I'm done with lunch, I'll head back out there and get that done.

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

So you think it will be done, so you can get a good night sleep before you have to head out for PowerTour?

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

Hopefully I'll get it done in time to leave for HRPT on June 7th. If I can make it to the starting line in Bowling Green, I will acquire a passenger/driver and sleep then...

Re: Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint
 

Ran into an issue last night with the pad abutment bracket contacting the rotor. Fortunately, I know some awesome guys, so I had some spacers machined to fix the problem!

I have washers stacked holding that black pad abutment bracket in the correct position, but here's a pic of the spacers that Chris made for me that I am about to go pick up. These freakin' rotors are huge!

I couldn't figure out why my panhard bar adjustment changed after I put in the pinion shims to raise the pinion 3 degrees, until today. After moving the axle back and adding the pinion shims, my diff cover actually hit the panhard bar and tweaked it a bit. So I ripped it out and stole the No Limit panhard bar off of my other truck. I've got it most of the way in and it looks like it is going to work, and as an added benefit, the bar is much more level at ride height. I'll get some pics of it later.