insane "blazer" (pics)

[low 84]

this i think is a really cutting edge truck being built. i will tell you all i know about it before i post the pics. i talked with the builder for probly 20 minutes at the show and this guy knows his stuff. he is incorparating alot of stuff into this truck that i havne't even heard of before. he seems like a top notch guy. runs a shop called black smith customs (i think thats the name) out of san antonio. and in looking at the pics keep in mind this truck is mostly one off stuff and it still infabrication stages. just tack together to get the lines right.

Body: well if you haven't figured it out already but the pic at the top, that is actualy a blazer. the idea was to convert a blazer into a swb truck thus you have a cab and bed with no seem and a shorther wheel base. and that exactly what he has done. he also wanted to give the effect of a chopped top, but being a taller guy himslef he didn't want to lose a buch of head room. so as you can see in the pics he added about 2 inches in to the front clip and bed of the truck which give the effect of lowering the top. i don't have any idea how he got all the lines right but seeing this is person, if it were painted at first you wouldn't even notice it, its that subtle.

Suspension: the frame partaily custom built and partial boxed original i think. the rear suspension is an adjustable 4 link & bags and the front i think he said is based of of some year f-body and uses bag and STRUTS, yeap i said struts. the cross member is heavily modified and when this thing in on the ground the cross memeber still has plenty of clearence. also rack and pinion steering up front.

Drivetrain: not in it yet but this thing will be power by a TWIN TURBO 406 sbc, wow! he plans on setting this up with a one off traction control system. i am over simplifying here but you will get the idea. basically i think it will use a type of wheel speed sensor and when it senses the rear wheels spining faster than the fronts it will automatically pull timing and/or boost jsut until it hooks and add back at the correct time. alot of programming and calculating is gonna go into that i'm sure.

Rolling stock: i'm tring to remember the sizes off hand that it will have, the ones on there are jsut to keep it rolling around. the will be one off wheels built by billet specialties. the fronts will be 22's and the rears i think it was either 24X12's or 24X14's.

thats all the info i can remember bout it right now, its been almost a month since i talked to the guy i'm usre i will think of a couple more details later. but as i said this guy was real top notch, he was more than happy to answer all my questions and let my friend do an all out photo shoot on his truck

[low 84]

[N2TRUX]

Well if your gonna cut one up, don't be shy about it. This guy knows his way around a plasm acutter and TIG, thats for sure.

The addition of the extra inches on the body will make a huge difference in making it look correct. The problem with a Blazer turned truck is the cab looks too tall. By adding the extra inches in the body, the cab won't look chopped, it will look normal.

He pie cut the front fenders, so the are shorter at the front. This will give it a nice rake. It will help with the "chopped off" look that our trucks have when you run a new style front clip.

The only thing I see that doesn't look right is he did not get back of the truck cab roof high enough. If you look at the side view in the pics, the back of the roof appears lower than the front. If he doesn't fix that, the truck will look "bent" in the middle when it's done.

It's gonna be a killer ride regardless...

[phantom dually]

Is it me or does the rear wheels look to be off center?? Alot work ahead there.

[Captkaos]

No, it isn't you. The angle could be compounding it, but yeah they look to be forward some. Of course the front is rearward some also Personally with a Blazer turned truck, reguardless of what is done to the Height of the hood/bed line, the cab will always look to high for such a short body. If he really wanted to do it right, (MY Opinion) he would have lengthened it to match a SWB truck. I am a stickler for matching body lines, and when I look at that I automatically can tell he added to the top of the bodyline. He put too much above the line. I would have though about channeling it and added some below the bodyline. Adding fender height to the front of the truck also puts the dimensions on the rear off. The rear looks like it is dragging it butt now. Something I hate. It makes the rake look backwards. back lower than the front. I am not going to describe the reasons, but his concept looks "ok", but he should have based them on the blazer body, not a modified Pickup, and he should have a put his new "thoughts" into the concept pic.

Not downplaying the amount of work he did, I respect him cutting one up, but its proportions are off in my opinion.

[SCOTI]

That's some trick metal work going on there.

[NoLegs]

Looks like somebody got bored in shop class. Seems like a lot of work to turn "Truck A" into "Truck B", when you could have just gotten "Truck B" to begin with.

[low 84]

lol, i knew everyone would be picking apart the work he did. i just posted all the pics and info so everyone could enjoy what someone is creating out of one of our truck. i prefer not to pick it apart but respect and enjoy the work and skill thats going into it. i could go post some counter arguments to somethings that have been posted, but i will just leave it at what i've already posted

[Izzy]

All that work and he's running a convoluted bag over the axle?

[bigblock73]

The man has skill, that is for sure! I really admire all the work and thought that went into it.

I agree with the others, some of the changes don't quite match, but hopefully the finished product will do his work justice.

-Jeff

[N2TRUX]

Ryan,
Don't take the comments personal. I don't think anyone was trying to beat up the messenger. I am glad you posted the pics by all means.

Any time some one steps out side the box, they can expect above average reaction. This guy is taking two giant steps out side the box, so the reaction (positive or negative) is going to be more extreme.

It's obvious that this was just a little venture out to get some public reaction, and attention to his shop I assume. So far he has been succesful in doing that.

I'm sure if he is capable of getting the project this far, he will be capable of nipping and tucking to end up with a mind blowing trendsetter when he is done.....

[low 84]

lol, i dont take it personal. i just think tis funny everyone posts how this and that should be different and this dosen't look right and such and such and then at the end they always add "but i admire the craftsmanship" lol. i knew when i posted it thats what the coments would be like.

[Izzy]

Originally posted by low 84
lol, i dont take it personal. i just think tis funny everyone posts how this and that should be different and this dosen't look right and such and such and then at the end they always add "but i admire the craftsmanship" lol. i knew when i posted it thats what the coments would be like.

I'll be honest and say I don't like it but I wish I had the time/skill this guy does.

[Captkaos]

Hey, I will definitely agree with Izzy and say I DEFINITELY don't like the truck, in fact I hate it, but I wish I had the time, means and skills that he had.

[C-10volvo]

i agree with all of you, the truck just doesnt line up right. i give the man props for doing a good job of it, but its just not how i would to it. it looks like he has the right idea on the drivelane though....

[brad2]

Thats WILD! Our trucks don't often receive such extreme attention.