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Needed a new toy. Why a Blazer? Why NOT a Blazer?!?!
After I sold my last truck (94 F150 4x4), I needed a new toy that would go anywhere I want, and do anything I asked it to. So the search was on...... I had a select few requirements: 4x4, more interior room than a standard cab pickup, and decent power/towing capability. After looking at lots of fancy rides WAY out of my price range, and too much "junk" that I could actually afford, I decided to hold out for a 1st gen Blazer. I finally found a 72 for the right price a few weeks ago, and had it towed home.
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/P1000618.jpg It definitely has its problems, but it was not much worse than ones I saw listed for 4-5 times the price around here. Some rust in the rockers, but not near what I have seen repaired in other builds on here. I figure it will be good practice for all the work I will have to do on my 55 stepside when its turn comes. Anyway, more pictures: http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/P1000620.jpg Yes, someone stuffed a truck bench in the back, I have no idea where the original rear seat went. I hardly got into the pile of parts in the back when I bought it. It appeared to have most of the missing parts buried back there somewhere. http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/P1000619.jpg A previous owner kept the engine (and unfortunately all the accessories), and cut a lot of stuff when they pulled it. http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/P1000621.jpg |
Re: Needed a new toy. Why a Blazer? Why NOT a Blazer?!?!
I fired up the pressure washer and did some light cleaning, and started stripping it down for rust repair and lots of new parts. All the rubbers are bad, and the wiring harness is getting replaced too. If the age wasn't enough, previous owners' "fixes" were the last straw; the harnesses had been hacked, spliced, repaired, bypassed, and added onto more times than I wanted to deal with. The rust doesn't appear to be too bad. Just the inner and outer rocker panels, and a little bit into the edge of the floor. Windshield should be coming out soon so I can get a good look at the frame. I know it's rusty, but still don't know how bad. The factory A/C box was all broken on the interior side, and was held in with bungee cords and vented through pvc pipe and duct tape. Most of the A/C system is long gone, so I will probably just skip it and run a standard heat-only box from another truck we have. Who needs A/C when you have a convertible? :metal: Some nice aluminum wheels and good tires are on the list to replace the trashed 31s that look silly under a 6" lift. The top will need a fair amount of repair, and the rear hatch is broken into several pieces (most of them are still there) and will require major surgery to work again. I might just hunt down a soft top to run until I find a better hatch or fix the one I have.
A previous owner went a little crazy with the spraybombs on this one. So far, I have found red, blue, gold, and even hot pink on various parts of the chassis, not to mention all the flat black covering almost every visible surface. http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/P1000623.jpg http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/P1000624.jpg Sorted parts to see what was there. It turns out I have way more door glass than I will ever use, and even some parts that don't fit blazers. I still need to check if the driveshafts will work with the lift, or if I will have to have them rebuilt. http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/P1000625.jpg Had to get the new harness while the rebate was still on... http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/P1000622.jpg Hopefully I can get the garage cleaned out pretty soon and it can go inside for some serious progress. |
Re: Needed a new toy. Why a Blazer? Why NOT a Blazer?!?!
I'm subscribed
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Re: Needed a new toy. Why a Blazer? Why NOT a Blazer?!?!
Looks like a solid project to me. You will have your hands full for awhile...ask me how I know. :)
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Re: Needed a new toy. Why a Blazer? Why NOT a Blazer?!?!
Nice score. You'll have fun with it. It's also one of my fav colors.
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Re: Needed a new toy. Why a Blazer? Why NOT a Blazer?!?!
Is the other front tow hook somewhere in the interior - some of those are worth quite a bit. Lots of work but it will be worth it for sure!
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Re: Needed a new toy. Why a Blazer? Why NOT a Blazer?!?!
Wow, the frt hooks are what caught my eye too Yukon. Good luck with your new project and keep the pic's coming!
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Re: Needed a new toy. Why a Blazer? Why NOT a Blazer?!?!
Ok, more than 2 months later, It's time for some new pics. I cleaned off the patch of concrete next to the garage so that I wouldn't have to work in the dirt or gravel anymore. I'm still not out of the rain, but I'm a lot closer to the toolbox now. I'm ready to lift the body off so I can do all my frame and drivetrain work without it in the way.
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/P1000689.jpg http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/P1000690.jpg The more I work on this thing, the more I find that a previous owner practically beat this thing to death. I think I may be replacing the tank. Does anybody know if there is a larger replacement that doesn't cost an arm and a leg? http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/P1000691.jpg I started pulling the weatherstrips and cleaning all the crud off the body. I saw a replacement rocker piece that extended into the floor a little bit, but I can't remember who makes it. It would definitely save me a lot of time to order those instead of the inner/outer rocker replacements from LMC. http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/P1000692.jpg http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/P1000693.jpg Quote:
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Re: Needed a new toy. Why a Blazer? Why NOT a Blazer?!?!
Someone will chime in hopefully on whether a larger capacity tank is available - maybe a Suburban tank? If you get a stock replacement do not throw you old one away - you'll need to cut off your existing filler neck from your old tank and get it installed on your new tank - the new tanks neck is wrong.
Here is a good thread on that subject. |
Re: Needed a new toy. Why a Blazer? Why NOT a Blazer?!?!
Quote:
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Re: Needed a new toy. Why a Blazer? Why NOT a Blazer?!?!
It's been a while since I've updated my build (or even worked on it, for that matter), but I'm back to making some progress on it. A lot of time has been spent building a 7'x14' flatbed trailer, and working on my old man's 72 K20 (see avatar). Anyway, I've been putting in every hour I can at work to fund the projects, and collecting parts as I can get my hands on them. I've managed to land some good condition 37" MTR's, a single wall top with a good hatch, a billet dash loaded with auto meter gauges, new rocker panels, body mounts and engine mounts, and a complete set of axles with 3.73 gears out of another blazer. I've had the body off for months, and just last night pulled the transmission and transfer case out of the frame.
Here is how it sat last night before I got back to work on it. http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/102_0032.jpg |
Re: Needed a new toy. Why a Blazer? Why NOT a Blazer?!?!
Why a Blazer? I would have to say because every high school kid with his hat cocked to the side and his sister have a Jeep, Defender 90's are too expensive, and besides that, they just plain rule.
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Re: Needed a new toy. Why a Blazer? Why NOT a Blazer?!?!
Cottage Grove huh? I used to do some work at the Assisted Living home there.
Anyways, cool project-you'll love it. I cant wait to get back on the road with mine, I'm down to a brake system bleed/new fluid, radiator, and title transfer/registration. I'm thinking all us guys within a few hours of each other should get together this summer for a tailgate picnic or something. Erik |
Re: Needed a new toy. Why a Blazer? Why NOT a Blazer?!?!
Most definitely going to have to get a northwest gathering going. I'm planning on having this thing on the road sometime this summer, and I'll still have a lot of other modifications left to do after that.
Here's where I'm at right now. Still stripping the chassis down to check it all out and make any necessary modifications and repairs before I throw paint at it. The bolts in the engine and trans crossmembers are mostly loose, or just missing altogether, so now I need to go buy a bunch of hardware to put the crossmembers back on with. http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/102_0038.jpg I love other people's repair work. There is a big plate behind this monster crack, but the way it is all done is kinda hokey. I happen to have a spare frame section off a C20, so I'm going to splice that on instead of trusting an old patch. http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/102_0034.jpg The extra frame section that came under a front clip that I bought just for the perfect sheetmetal and grille shell, and the axles that will be going back under once the frame is sorted out. http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/102_0037.jpg |
Re: Needed a new toy. Why a Blazer? Why NOT a Blazer?!?!
Got the frame stripped down and replaced the front section on the drivers side. Threw the 3.73 axles under it and put the body back on to check lift clearance and so I can get started on rocker replacements and fender trimming.
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/102_0041.jpg Rear tire clearance. It looked alright at first, but some work with a jack proved otherwise. Only a little work required on the front edge of the fender lip to keep it from rubbing too much. http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/102_0040.jpg Front tires are gonna rub BAD if I don't rework the openings to fit better. Already had planned to cut the lower boxes off the front, but do a much better job than a previous owners attempts at cutting stuff off. Also going to have to trim out the rear of the openings to clear with the tires turned. http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/102_0042.jpg I'll just have to make sure I get everything I cut on to look like it was supposed to be shaped that way, not like the usual sawzall warrior hack-jobs I see all too often. I was also thinking about drilling and tapping the wheels to accept an extra set of 73+ 4x4 rally center caps we have in the garage just to break up all the black with a little shiny. Sure it would be easier to just buy some cheap chrome center caps from the tire shop, but how many people have rally centers on daytona wheels? |
Re: Needed a new toy. Why a Blazer? Why NOT a Blazer?!?!
Answer: If you have to ask you just ain't ready!
J/K LOL.. Welcome, looking good and good luck on the build. Posted via Mobile Device |
Re: Needed a new toy. Why a Blazer? Why NOT a Blazer?!?!
Been hiding in the garage doing some drivetrain work while the weather was being crappy this week. Got the trans and T-case all torn down so I could check all the internals before I ordered rebuild parts. I knew I was screwed when I popped the trans pan and it was full of metal. Upon futher inspection, nearly every wear item in it had been abused beyond belief. At least the case and hard parts are reusable, so I just went ahead and ordered a Monster in a box kit with ALL the extra pieces.
As soon as the seals and gaskets get here, the transfer case will be ready to go back together. http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/102_0054.jpg Decided to go with the JKW twinstick setup and new shift rails. http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/102_0055.jpg And ordered outer floor extensions from GMC Pauls when I decided that the LMC $10 inner rockers suck. The torsion boxes surprisingly look solid, so I should be good to go on new sheetmetal as soon as I get all these pieces welded in. http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/102_0056.jpg |
Re: Needed a new toy. Why a Blazer? Why NOT a Blazer?!?!
Looks like quite the project .. Welcome to the board from southern oregon..
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Re: Needed a new toy. Why a Blazer? Why NOT a Blazer?!?!
what year blazer are your new axles out of? if its 73+ then you'll need to get the shock for your lift and all for the 73+ my blazer has 3/4T axles out of like a 76 with a 4" lift and the 72 blazer 4" lift front shocks are too short, gotta run the 4" lift 73+ shocks. just a fyi might save you some frustration...
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Re: Needed a new toy. Why a Blazer? Why NOT a Blazer?!?!
The axles are out of another 72. Since the lift was never finished, I don't have any shocks or brake lines that fit. I have to buy new ones anyway, so I was thinking about cutting the inner fenders and relocating the upper mounts to run a longer shock. Thanks for the info though.
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Re: Needed a new toy. Why a Blazer? Why NOT a Blazer?!?!
Well, I got my stuff from Monster Transmission on Monday, and so far I am not at all impressed. I looked through the monster in a box kit (I got the mega monster ss because it was supposed to come with EVERYTHING to fully upgrade it) and am pretty disappointed. I could have ordered exactly the same parts for over $100 less from another supplier, and the kit doesn't even include extra sun gear bushings or a hardened intermediate sprag race for a proper high performance/heavy duty rebuild.
I also can't finish putting my transfer case back together because the seals in the NP205 overhaul kit (also from monster) don't fit right. I could have ordered the same gaskets and seals from somewhere else for about $40 less, which would have left me the necessary dollars to locally purchase the correct front output seal and the adapter housing/coupler seals to keep my trans from flooding my t-case with ATF I called Monster trans today and am working with them to price match the other suppliers (they have a lowest price guarantee), or else I'm going to have to get nasty about their 25% restocking fee on returns (more than the price difference to order somewhere else) so that I can get ALL my money back and order from someone else. I have also been busy cutting out my rocker panels for replacement. Sure, the torsion boxes themselves were solid, but I found a lot more rust hidden inside. I put in an order yesterday to Wes at Classic Heartbeat, and already got the parts today. It sure is nice to have such a local source for good metal when you come across some unexpected rot. I would have ordered my floor extensions there too, but dollars are dollars, and GMC Pauls had a much better deal on them and I wasn't in a hurry for shipping. |
Re: Needed a new toy. Why a Blazer? Why NOT a Blazer?!?!
Bummer about the monster problems but at least ya got a good deal from wes and quick shipping..
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Re: Needed a new toy. Why a Blazer? Why NOT a Blazer?!?!
Bought and buying all my stuff from WES!
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Re: Needed a new toy. Why a Blazer? Why NOT a Blazer?!?!
I got my problems with monster sorted out today. We finally agreed on a suitable refund amount, and I went and bought my own transfer case seals at the local auto parts supplier. I definitely won't be ordering from them again. Now I have to wait for another order of transmission parts that I thought would have been included in the mega monster ss kit. Oh well, now I can combine the shipping with the little things like the vent tube and kickdown cable that I was going to have to order separately anyway.
If it's not too cold tomorrow (not much heat in the shop, and none out where my blazer is) I should get my transfer case done, and either start working on the transmission or get back to cutting out rotten sheetmetal to replace it with nice new pieces. |
Re: Needed a new toy. Why a Blazer? Why NOT a Blazer?!?!
Transfer case is done. Now it gets to sit in the shop while I build the trans and get all my body work done so I can take the body back off to paint/coat the underside and paint the frame. All the drivetrain parts will go in while the body is off.
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/102_0059.jpg I spent several more hours cutting out sheetmetal to prepare for installation of the new parts. It sure is strange to cut off perfectly good metal just to get better access to the rotted stuff. I don't know when, but somebody did a lot of work on this thing MANY years ago. I'm finding an awful lot of brass and bondo in the panel seams instead of spot welds and body sealer. There was so much bondo in the kick panel I skipped the mess of grinding it and went right to the torch and scraper to get it out. http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/102_0060.jpg http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/102_0063.jpg http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/102_0062.jpg http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/102_0061.jpg |
Re: Needed a new toy. Why a Blazer? Why NOT a Blazer?!?!
Finally starting to get some new metal going in. I was starting to get tired of cutting and cutting, only to find more rust buried in the layers. I got enough of the B-pillar area rebuilt that tomorrow I'll throw some paint inside before I cover everything up with the new patch panels. There is some rust left above the bed floor, but I'll dig that out from the top side when I can pull the roll bar out of the way. Right now it has braces welded to it holding the windshield frame and firewall in place.
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/102_0064.jpg Also took an idea I saw in another build. I figure that dirt and water is going to get into the torsion boxes anyway, so I might as well give it a good way to get out. I punched some 2 1/4" holes and flared the edges by hand. http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/102_0065.jpg |
Re: Needed a new toy. Why a Blazer? Why NOT a Blazer?!?!
gonna por15 or something the insides of the torsion boxes too? it'd be nice knowing when water and stuff gets in them that it will at minimum dry out, driving in salty winter roads I'd like knowing i can flush it out
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Re: Needed a new toy. Why a Blazer? Why NOT a Blazer?!?!
Not with por15, but the insides of the boxes did get painted. I removed most of the heavy scaly rust, then treated the rest with Ospho, a rust converter that forms an Iron phosphate coating, ready to paint right over. I painted it with some leftover Imron polyurethane I had on the shelf. This stuff has awesome adhesion, even with direct-to-metal application, and also has some pretty serious corrosion resistance. I don't know if it still is, but it used to be popular for aircraft and heavy trucks.
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/102_0066.jpg I spent all day today lining up, trimming, hammering, and re-shaping the front floor support, inner rocker/floor extension, and lower b-pillar patch to get them to fit. It would be nice if patch panels ever actually fit with no modifications. Got them all welded in, burned myself a few times, dropped the grinder while it was running, and still didn't break anything or even have to get a band aid. http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/102_0067.jpg http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/102_0068.jpg |
Re: Needed a new toy. Why a Blazer? Why NOT a Blazer?!?!
And of course I just figured out that I have my b-pillar patch in the wrong place. I need to cut it back out and move it down a little bit so that the outer rocker will fit correctly. I hate doing things twice, but at least I get to make all my mistakes on this side. Now the driver's side will go much faster and hopefully look better when it's done.
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Re: Needed a new toy. Why a Blazer? Why NOT a Blazer?!?!
Having heard the horror stories about people incorrectly installing the rockers and having the front way off or the door not fitting, I checked the alignment with both the door and fender installed before I welded the outer rocker in place. It fit almost perfect the first try. The way all the panels fit against each other, I'm not entirely sure how they can get as messed up as what I've heard about.
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/102_0069.jpg I finished up welding the floorpan back in where I cut to access the floor support. It only took about 287295024 tacks and lots of cool time to do it. Welding sheetmetal really sucks compared to heavy steel. http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/102_0070.jpg Once I got them welded back on from a previous partial hack job, I also cut the lower boxes off the front fenders for better tire clearance. I made sure to leave some metal below the body line to flow nicely with the lower part of the grille shell. http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/102_0071.jpg Lots of grinding left, but I should get this side in primer pretty soon. Then it's time to take a break from all the cutting and grinding, and rebuild the transmission before I tackle the driver's side. |
Re: Needed a new toy. Why a Blazer? Why NOT a Blazer?!?!
I have been working on the transmission, trying to build one that should last at least as long as any other part on this truck. There are some projects I am saving for later, but this is one of the things I only want to do once.
Emptied the case and got all my new parts ordered, and rebuilt the pump before I started on the internals. All new bushings, seals, thrust washers, and sprag roller assemblies. New red clutches and kolene steels, even though stock tan clutches will take a huge amount of power before they slip. I also machined the direct clutch piston down to add another clutch to the pack. http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/102_0075.jpg http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/102_0073.jpg http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/102_0074.jpg Hardened intermediate sprag race (on the right). This is the only part I've ever personally heard of someone breaking in a th350, so it got an upgrade too. http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/102_0076.jpg http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/102_0077.jpg http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/102_0078.jpg Got all the internals buttoned up and started on the valvebody. It was really gunked up and took forever to get clean. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out exactly which modifications I wanted to do, and which ones to leave out. I'm hoping I got it right, because I want nice firm shifts (firmer than stock), but I don't want it to slam every gear all the time like some high performance builds do. Now I just have to get a drain plug and temp sender bung for my pan and the trans will be done. |
Re: Needed a new toy. Why a Blazer? Why NOT a Blazer?!?!
I know a good chassis builder in Sweethome that also knows his way around Turbo 350's and 400's pretttty damn good. Let me know if ya need anything.
And, nice work man, looks good! |
Re: Needed a new toy. Why a Blazer? Why NOT a Blazer?!?!
It only took me a month, but I finally got primer on the passenger side. Everything was stripped to bare metal, all the big nasty wheeling craters hammered out, rust removed and/or treated, extra holes welded up, and everything coated with epoxy primer. Now I have to shove it over to repeat the whole process on the other side, then I can start on the interior and windshield frame.
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/102_0079.jpg http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/102_0080.jpg http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/102_0082.jpg http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/102_0083.jpg |
Re: Needed a new toy. Why a Blazer? Why NOT a Blazer?!?!
Looks nice and solid..
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Re: Needed a new toy. Why a Blazer? Why NOT a Blazer?!?!
that looks really nice. I would never have thought the underside and inside of the rocker area would be so good to start with.
Its gotta be rare to see a lower rear door opening like that. Good stuff. |
Re: Needed a new toy. Why a Blazer? Why NOT a Blazer?!?!
Fire wood anyone? This is kind of a big piece to have found its way in there by itself. I'm thinking someone stuffed it in there to make a rattle to screw with their buddy.
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/102_0086.jpg It's been slow progress, but I finally got the rocker area done on the drivers side. Now to patch in the seat belt mount and finish up the floor pan, then cut the fenders out a little to match what I did on the other side. http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/102_0090.jpg And finally some good news. I cut the windshield out today to find that the frame isn't nearly as rusty as I thought it might be. Pretty heavy surface rust and some pitting, but nothing that requires total replacement. http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...102_0089-1.jpg |
Re: Needed a new toy. Why a Blazer? Why NOT a Blazer?!?!
nice work... Can you post more pics on how you modified the front fenders....
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Re: Needed a new toy. Why a Blazer? Why NOT a Blazer?!?!
I cut the rear of the front fender today and got some pics. I should get the front box cut off and reshaped in the next few days. I was hoping to have this thing on the road this summer, but summer is getting really close and I've got a long way to go. This thing eats hours so fast I'm not sure when I'm going to get it done. At least I have most of the drivetrain ready to go as soon as I get through the major time-suck of bodywork.
Laid out the new curve with a piece of masking tape. http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/102_0091.jpg Cut a wedge out. I saved the removed piece to help lay out the second side. Run your cut higher than where you want to start changing the curve to help smooth the transition. http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/102_0092.jpg Cut off the lower section of fender edge and line it back up with the bottom of the fender. Make some relief cuts to help flex the rest of the edge back to where you cut out. http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/102_0093.jpg Make a piece to fill in the gap left from separating the edge. http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/102_0095.jpg A gazillion tack welds later, grind it all smooth. I don't have perfect metal working skills yet, so mine will take some body filler to make the work invisible. http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/102_0098.jpg |
Re: Needed a new toy. Why a Blazer? Why NOT a Blazer?!?!
Done cutting fenders. Now I can get all the old paint and cracked filler ground off the drivers side and get some fresh epoxy primer on this side too.
Once I got the box welded back on from an unfinished hack job, I laid out the new bend and cut lines to match up with the bottom of the grille surround. Made relief cuts around the curve and in the ends to get everything to look like it was supposed to be that way, not just hacked off like all the other guys. I can't even count the number of "wheelin' rigs" around here that have been attacked by the sawzall warriors, when it's not that hard to go for a finished look. http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/102_0099.jpg http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/102_0100.jpg http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/102_0101.jpg http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/102_0102.jpg http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/102_0103.jpg |
Re: Needed a new toy. Why a Blazer? Why NOT a Blazer?!?!
Hmm....I've been slacking on the updates. Of course, there hasn't really been much progress to report. Just hours and hours of grinding off old paint and repairing the metal underneath. The engine died in the truck that I've been driving, so I had to swap in the one that was supposed to go in the blazer just to finish race season. Then work got really busy, and I haven't had much time to work on the car that's currently taking up the best shop space I can paint in. Once the 56 gets done (teal/white pearl two-tone), the blazer will move in for its turn. I'm going with PPG Lime Twist and black on the top.
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/m...928111638a.jpg |
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