4x4 Blazer - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

Brew · 12-09-2002, 10:02 AM

Hey guys,
Cool site! There sure are some nice buggies here!
I'm currently in the market for a 68-72 Blazer 4X4 w/AT for use as a daily driver(and to fix up), but I don't know too much about them. Is there anything in particular I should be on the lookout for before I purchase one? Different transfer cases, axles, trannys?
Any and all help is much appreciated!

Custom 68 · 12-09-2002, 10:20 AM

Welcome from MO. There is alot of great info on here I dont have a Blazer (would like one too) so I cant offer much there was some recent posts of some awesome pictures of Blazers on here. Just keep asking questions and you will get flooded with answers.
Dave

JimKshortstep4x4 · 12-09-2002, 11:51 AM

Welcome to the board from Michigan!

Blazers are great! Running gear is same as trucks, (shorter drive
shafts) and holds up well. Big concern is rust, especially the rocker box/ firewall/windshield areas. Floors and sides can usually be repaired. Decent drivers are available, even in Michigan.

There is good information on them in the assembly manuals. Since the convertable body is different from the trucks, you may want to get one if you don't have already.

Here is a picture of my son's that started out as a driver but has since had some major work done on it.

good luck on finding one.

Jim

darrel_s · 12-09-2002, 12:34 PM

Welcome to the board from South Carolina.

Things to look for.

Good rear hatch. Expensive to replace if you can find them. (Almost alway broken or cracked)

Soild rocker boxes. Added structural support located on underside below doors. No one makes replacements.(Usually rusted pretty bad)

Rockers, and lower door pillars. Just cause they look good on the outside, doesn't mean its pretty underneath. (Almost always rusted)

Windshield frame pillars. (Bad place for rust and rot)

Single wall or Double wall tops. (Double wall tops tend to have warpage on top that you cannot see from inside. Check them out from above)

Half cabs are a great find.

Quarter panels. No one makes reproduction quarters for Blazers yet. NOS ones are rare and very expensive.

Take a look at my site if you want to see what you can often run into. Mine was in pretty good shape when I bought it. Dont have any before disassembly pics, but you can get the idea where the problem areas are.

72MARIO · 12-09-2002, 01:09 PM

you will have hard time finding a 68 blazer I think 69 was the first year. if you hang around the board you will learn alot of cool stuff. Good Luck

Blazer1970 · 12-09-2002, 02:03 PM

'71 is the first year for front discs so if that matters to ya, look for a '71 - '72. Most of them you will see for sale are '71 - '72 anyway. Most with manual trannies came with a Dana 20 t-case. The ones with a TH350 came with an NP205 which is much more desirable. Otherwise, the value is all about how rusty it is.

bouncytruck · 12-09-2002, 02:04 PM

'69 was definately the first year. Here is a link to some Blazer specs with production number and differences in years. http://coloradok5.com/specs.shtml.

Check out http://www.collectorcartraderonline.com/ and do a search for Blazer and Jimmy's. Everyone pretty much covered the problem areas but also check the frame around the steering box. Second gen's ('73 & up) are famous for cracking there but I've heard of it happening to first gen's too ('69-'72).

Here is an image of the Rocker Boxes from Blazerworld.net. These boxes were rusted and cut.

Brew · 12-09-2002, 02:19 PM

Wow! Great responses so far! Thanks!
I'm not too concerned with minimal rust, as I play with old Pontiacs as a hobby, and weld for a living. I know there are catalogs for repop stuff, but dont know who exactly is the best/cheapest, or any company names. Do any of the repop companies have catalogs online?

bouncytruck · 12-09-2002, 04:54 PM

http://www.ClassicHeartbeat.com/
http://www.kingparts.com/
http://www.pickupsnw.com/
http://www.gmcpaulstruckparts.com/index.htm
http://www.mothertruckers.net/
http://truckandcarshop.com/
http://www.chevyduty.com/
http://www.lmctruck.com/

and there are many others... I have seen replacement Blazer side panels in the Pickups NW catalog. I don't remember the price but it was quite expensive. I don't think they are on their online catalog.

Crank · 12-09-2002, 05:16 PM

Just for reference, try to stray away from LMC Truck. They apparently have sh!tty salespeople with piss poor attitudes and are either out of stock on parts or takes forever to get them.

Also Welcome from KY, the original Redneck state. I don't care what anyone says.
Brandon

71Blazer · 12-09-2002, 05:53 PM

Welcome!.. stick around, you've found one of the best resources for any future project. For anything from solid advice to hard to find parts I always start here.

Good luck with your search, good deals can be hard to find but on this board I've seen it happen!

Brew · 12-09-2002, 06:46 PM

Thanks again guys!
I do have another coupla Qs tho. Are there any differences between GMC and Chevy besides the obvious badging/trim, hood, grills, and core support? And, given a choice, would I rather have the double wall top or the single? Why?

bouncytruck · 12-09-2002, 07:47 PM

LMC isn't the preferred vendor around here but their catalog has some very usefull diagrams. Definately sign up for one.

As far as tops go, the single wall is more desireable to most people. It bolt down from above and where as the double wall bolts up from the bottom. The hatches are the same on both. A lot of people, including myself, have soft tops. http://www.specialtytopco.com/ and http://bestop.com/ both make tops for first generation Blazers. I have had my truck about 2 years and have yet to put the top on it.

The grills are different between the GMC Jimmy and the Chevy Blazer. The quickest way to tell is the Jimmy has four headlights. Parts are more readily available for the Blazers.

I looked at a blazer for sale at the Public Auto Auction in Woodinville, WA (it is really just a car lot). It had at least 38" mudders, a lot of lift, a bright red paint job with a soft top. Very nice looking, from a distance that is. The sales man said they wanted $15,000 for it. One look from 5 feet away and I knew they were high. The body was wavy, the gap betweent the fenders and door was over an inch at the bottom an snug at the top and then I opened the door. There was rust on the floor boards leading down to the inner rocker panel. I looked under it and the rocker boxes were all rusted out. I told the salesman that this was maybe a $2000 Blazer. I think he agreed but I'm sure he won't tell the next guy who comes to look at it. Some one is going to get ripped off, just don't let your friends buy this truck.

Billy72Blazer · 12-09-2002, 08:04 PM

I think that single wall tops bolt down from the top and double walla bolt from the bottem making it harder to take off the top.Mine is a single wall, and I need a liftgate, I think a repop liftgate frame costs around $380 alone, so if at all possible I'd try to find one in good condition to start with. By the way I'm new to the board too, I think I'm addicted already.

K5KRAZIE · 12-09-2002, 09:06 PM

HA! Bouncie, I went to look at that blazer as well. They told me like 8Gs for it, I just laughed at him, he was laughing as well though. He told me it is Rick Rizzes(sp?) ride, the voice of the Sonics. I think thats his name. I took I bunch of pictures of it as well.

Good from a far but far from good.

Rod · 12-09-2002, 09:59 PM

Welcome to the 67-72 boards.

Brew · 12-09-2002, 11:26 PM

Alright guys, thanks for the info. Now its time to find one of these jewels, preferably a GMC w/single wall top, AT, AC, low unmolested miles with no rust! HA! There is a peach of a Chevy in my neighborhood, guess I'll just have to knock on the door and find out if he's willing to sell (for a reasonable price, of course).
I'll be back!
Take care.
John

Leinie · 12-09-2002, 11:59 PM

Welcome from Minnesota.
I just want to say, find one with everything working properly- like ac/ heater- Some of the little things can be a big pain in the a$$.
Windshield frame, rocker boxes and door pillars and floor boards are the main things to be picky about. The other body sheet metal is not to difficult to repair. Also , take a good look at the tailgate- Repro's are not as good, and good originals are not the easiest to find ( at least not around here)
Single wall top is the only way to go
If your interested in an original to restore, get one with all the parts- like original seats, console etc, you can fix them up, but finding them is a pain.

If I had to do it over, I would buy one of those $8g rides and spend the time driving it instead of spending all the time fixing, rebuilding, or looking for parts. Just my $.02
Check out www.coloradok5.com Lot's of good guys there
There are lots of good parts suppliers, several on this board, check around and make up your own mind about them, get all the catalogs you can.
4x4 is ok but 2wd are cool if you can find one and fewer drivetrain headaches !!!
Good Luck!

bouncytruck · 12-10-2002, 12:39 PM

K5KRAZIE, I thought you might have seen that POS. The guy told me it was Rick Rizzo's Kids and he wanted $15K. I think he thought the truck was a complete joke. I took maybe 2 minutes looking at it before I left.

Brew, Good luck on your search.

Billy72Blazer, Welcome to the board.

red71cheyenne · 12-10-2002, 05:51 PM

Welcome! I am originally from close to you. Fordland to be exact. I am stationed in WA state right now. This board will tell you great things. I just recently got my Blazer project and am still learning. Its in about 100 pieces now in my garage, commencing the frame off. I have a question though, where did you find a repop back hatch? I've looked for one and can't find one. Anyone that knows please let me know. Thanks, Jeff.

bouncytruck · 12-10-2002, 05:53 PM

MotherTruckers has them for $385. This is the cheapest I've seen (others I have seen were around $480)

red71cheyenne · 12-10-2002, 06:18 PM

Thanks. I've looked around and not found any. I'll try them. Jeff.

12-09-2002, 10:02 AM	#1
Brew Registered User Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Colorado Posts: 4	4x4 Blazer Hey guys, Cool site! There sure are some nice buggies here! I'm currently in the market for a 68-72 Blazer 4X4 w/AT for use as a daily driver(and to fix up), but I don't know too much about them. Is there anything in particular I should be on the lookout for before I purchase one? Different transfer cases, axles, trannys? Any and all help is much appreciated!

12-09-2002, 10:20 AM	#2
Custom 68 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Springfield, MO Posts: 2,928	Welcome from MO. There is alot of great info on here I dont have a Blazer (would like one too) so I cant offer much there was some recent posts of some awesome pictures of Blazers on here. Just keep asking questions and you will get flooded with answers. Dave __________________ Dave 1968 Custom Chevy with turbo charged 5.3 gen III 4l80e swap 1967-71 GMC 3/4 ton long step 4x4 (not sure what year exactly?) "A good friend will bail you out of jail...but a true friend will be sitting next to you saying "that was frekin awesome". "If it doesn't fit force it...If it breaks then it needed to be replaced anyway!"

12-09-2002, 11:51 AM	#3
JimKshortstep4x4 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Muskegon,MI,USA Posts: 6,026	Welcome to the board from Michigan! Blazers are great! Running gear is same as trucks, (shorter drive shafts) and holds up well. Big concern is rust, especially the rocker box/ firewall/windshield areas. Floors and sides can usually be repaired. Decent drivers are available, even in Michigan. There is good information on them in the assembly manuals. Since the convertable body is different from the trucks, you may want to get one if you don't have already. Here is a picture of my son's that started out as a driver but has since had some major work done on it. good luck on finding one. Jim Attached Images

12-09-2002, 01:09 PM	#5
72MARIO Registered User Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Huntsville Ontario Canada Posts: 4,052	you will have hard time finding a 68 blazer I think 69 was the first year. if you hang around the board you will learn alot of cool stuff. Good Luck __________________ 1968 Suburban numbers matching all original truck now equipped with 6.0/4L80 on Accuair http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=625017 1967 C/20 6.0/4L80 Roofing Truck 1990 V2500 Suburban "Plow Truck" 2005 TAHOE DD

12-09-2002, 02:03 PM	#6
Blazer1970 Registered User Join Date: Dec 1999 Location: Old Mission, MI, USA Posts: 2,510	'71 is the first year for front discs so if that matters to ya, look for a '71 - '72. Most of them you will see for sale are '71 - '72 anyway. Most with manual trannies came with a Dana 20 t-case. The ones with a TH350 came with an NP205 which is much more desirable. Otherwise, the value is all about how rusty it is. __________________ Tim

12-09-2002, 12:34 PM	#4
darrel_s Registered User Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Denver, CO, USA Posts: 212	Welcome to the board from South Carolina. Things to look for. Good rear hatch. Expensive to replace if you can find them. (Almost alway broken or cracked) Soild rocker boxes. Added structural support located on underside below doors. No one makes replacements.(Usually rusted pretty bad) Rockers, and lower door pillars. Just cause they look good on the outside, doesn't mean its pretty underneath. (Almost always rusted) Windshield frame pillars. (Bad place for rust and rot) Single wall or Double wall tops. (Double wall tops tend to have warpage on top that you cannot see from inside. Check them out from above) Half cabs are a great find. Quarter panels. No one makes reproduction quarters for Blazers yet. NOS ones are rare and very expensive. Take a look at my site if you want to see what you can often run into. Mine was in pretty good shape when I bought it. Dont have any before disassembly pics, but you can get the idea where the problem areas are.

12-09-2002, 02:04 PM	#7
bouncytruck SKINNY TIRES RULE! Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Bothell, WA Posts: 11,049	'69 was definately the first year. Here is a link to some Blazer specs with production number and differences in years. http://coloradok5.com/specs.shtml. Check out http://www.collectorcartraderonline.com/ and do a search for Blazer and Jimmy's. Everyone pretty much covered the problem areas but also check the frame around the steering box. Second gen's ('73 & up) are famous for cracking there but I've heard of it happening to first gen's too ('69-'72). Here is an image of the Rocker Boxes from Blazerworld.net. These boxes were rusted and cut. __________________ bouncytruck 1972 K5 The Hauler 1994 K1500 Suburban The Daily2010 Kia Soul Wife's Ride2014 Fiat 500L

12-09-2002, 02:19 PM	#8
Brew Registered User Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Colorado Posts: 4	Wow! Great responses so far! Thanks! I'm not too concerned with minimal rust, as I play with old Pontiacs as a hobby, and weld for a living. I know there are catalogs for repop stuff, but dont know who exactly is the best/cheapest, or any company names. Do any of the repop companies have catalogs online?

12-09-2002, 04:54 PM	#9
bouncytruck SKINNY TIRES RULE! Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Bothell, WA Posts: 11,049	http://www.ClassicHeartbeat.com/ http://www.kingparts.com/ http://www.pickupsnw.com/ http://www.gmcpaulstruckparts.com/index.htm http://www.mothertruckers.net/ http://truckandcarshop.com/ http://www.chevyduty.com/ http://www.lmctruck.com/ and there are many others... I have seen replacement Blazer side panels in the Pickups NW catalog. I don't remember the price but it was quite expensive. I don't think they are on their online catalog. __________________ bouncytruck 1972 K5 The Hauler 1994 K1500 Suburban The Daily2010 Kia Soul Wife's Ride2014 Fiat 500L

12-09-2002, 05:16 PM	#10
Crank Registered User Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Crittenden, KY Posts: 1,964	Just for reference, try to stray away from LMC Truck. They apparently have sh!tty salespeople with piss poor attitudes and are either out of stock on parts or takes forever to get them. Also Welcome from KY, the original Redneck state. I don't care what anyone says. Brandon

12-09-2002, 05:53 PM	#11
71Blazer Goodbye Darlin' Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Coupeville, WA USA Posts: 330	Welcome!.. stick around, you've found one of the best resources for any future project. For anything from solid advice to hard to find parts I always start here. Good luck with your search, good deals can be hard to find but on this board I've seen it happen! __________________ 1971 Blazer CST SOLD!

12-09-2002, 06:46 PM	#12
Brew Registered User Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Colorado Posts: 4	Thanks again guys! I do have another coupla Qs tho. Are there any differences between GMC and Chevy besides the obvious badging/trim, hood, grills, and core support? And, given a choice, would I rather have the double wall top or the single? Why?

12-09-2002, 07:47 PM	#13
bouncytruck SKINNY TIRES RULE! Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Bothell, WA Posts: 11,049	LMC isn't the preferred vendor around here but their catalog has some very usefull diagrams. Definately sign up for one. As far as tops go, the single wall is more desireable to most people. It bolt down from above and where as the double wall bolts up from the bottom. The hatches are the same on both. A lot of people, including myself, have soft tops. http://www.specialtytopco.com/ and http://bestop.com/ both make tops for first generation Blazers. I have had my truck about 2 years and have yet to put the top on it. The grills are different between the GMC Jimmy and the Chevy Blazer. The quickest way to tell is the Jimmy has four headlights. Parts are more readily available for the Blazers. I looked at a blazer for sale at the Public Auto Auction in Woodinville, WA (it is really just a car lot). It had at least 38" mudders, a lot of lift, a bright red paint job with a soft top. Very nice looking, from a distance that is. The sales man said they wanted $15,000 for it. One look from 5 feet away and I knew they were high. The body was wavy, the gap betweent the fenders and door was over an inch at the bottom an snug at the top and then I opened the door. There was rust on the floor boards leading down to the inner rocker panel. I looked under it and the rocker boxes were all rusted out. I told the salesman that this was maybe a $2000 Blazer. I think he agreed but I'm sure he won't tell the next guy who comes to look at it. Some one is going to get ripped off, just don't let your friends buy this truck. __________________ bouncytruck 1972 K5 The Hauler 1994 K1500 Suburban The Daily2010 Kia Soul Wife's Ride2014 Fiat 500L

12-09-2002, 08:04 PM	#14
Billy72Blazer Registered User Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 6	I think that single wall tops bolt down from the top and double walla bolt from the bottem making it harder to take off the top.Mine is a single wall, and I need a liftgate, I think a repop liftgate frame costs around $380 alone, so if at all possible I'd try to find one in good condition to start with. By the way I'm new to the board too, I think I'm addicted already. __________________ 72 2wd Blazer

12-09-2002, 09:06 PM	#15
K5KRAZIE Registered User Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Wa. State Posts: 352	HA! Bouncie, I went to look at that blazer as well. They told me like 8Gs for it, I just laughed at him, he was laughing as well though. He told me it is Rick Rizzes(sp?) ride, the voice of the Sonics. I think thats his name. I took I bunch of pictures of it as well. Good from a far but far from good. __________________ TRUCKS '72 K5 '06 mega dually



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12-09-2002, 09:59 PM	#16
Rod Join Date: Dec 1999 Location: Eastern - Manitoba Canada, Winnipeg Posts: 4,369	Welcome to the 67-72 boards. __________________ Senior active founding member. 70 3/4 ton GMC Suburban 4x4 250/4 spd. 71 1/2 ton Suburban Chevy 4x4, 350/350 72 Chev 1 ton tow truck 402BB w/Holmes 440 wrecker on propane 2005 FLSTSCI Harley Springer 85 FXSB Harley Lowrider 72 Triumph 650 Bonneville 5spd "Poor people don't have hobbies" Quote from wife.

12-09-2002, 11:26 PM	#17
Brew Registered User Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Colorado Posts: 4	Alright guys, thanks for the info. Now its time to find one of these jewels, preferably a GMC w/single wall top, AT, AC, low unmolested miles with no rust! HA! There is a peach of a Chevy in my neighborhood, guess I'll just have to knock on the door and find out if he's willing to sell (for a reasonable price, of course). I'll be back! Take care. John

12-09-2002, 11:59 PM	#18
Leinie Registered User Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: USA Posts: 2,613	Welcome from Minnesota. I just want to say, find one with everything working properly- like ac/ heater- Some of the little things can be a big pain in the a$$. Windshield frame, rocker boxes and door pillars and floor boards are the main things to be picky about. The other body sheet metal is not to difficult to repair. Also , take a good look at the tailgate- Repro's are not as good, and good originals are not the easiest to find ( at least not around here) Single wall top is the only way to go If your interested in an original to restore, get one with all the parts- like original seats, console etc, you can fix them up, but finding them is a pain. If I had to do it over, I would buy one of those $8g rides and spend the time driving it instead of spending all the time fixing, rebuilding, or looking for parts. Just my $.02 Check out www.coloradok5.com Lot's of good guys there There are lots of good parts suppliers, several on this board, check around and make up your own mind about them, get all the catalogs you can. 4x4 is ok but 2wd are cool if you can find one and fewer drivetrain headaches !!! Good Luck! Last edited by Leinie; 12-10-2002 at 12:02 AM.

12-10-2002, 12:39 PM	#19
bouncytruck SKINNY TIRES RULE! Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Bothell, WA Posts: 11,049	K5KRAZIE, I thought you might have seen that POS. The guy told me it was Rick Rizzo's Kids and he wanted $15K. I think he thought the truck was a complete joke. I took maybe 2 minutes looking at it before I left. Brew, Good luck on your search. Billy72Blazer, Welcome to the board. __________________ bouncytruck 1972 K5 The Hauler 1994 K1500 Suburban The Daily2010 Kia Soul Wife's Ride2014 Fiat 500L

12-10-2002, 05:51 PM	#20
red71cheyenne Back in the sticks Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Fordland, MO Posts: 3,188	Welcome! I am originally from close to you. Fordland to be exact. I am stationed in WA state right now. This board will tell you great things. I just recently got my Blazer project and am still learning. Its in about 100 pieces now in my garage, commencing the frame off. I have a question though, where did you find a repop back hatch? I've looked for one and can't find one. Anyone that knows please let me know. Thanks, Jeff. __________________ 1971 Cheyenne C-10 w/700R4 and Tuned Port Injection 1969 K5 Blazer w/Tuned Port 2010 2SS/RS Flaming Orange Camaro 2011 K1500 Suburban 2014 K1500 Pickup 2008 Nissan Altima? The wifes' hoopty

12-10-2002, 05:53 PM	#21
bouncytruck SKINNY TIRES RULE! Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Bothell, WA Posts: 11,049	MotherTruckers has them for $385. This is the cheapest I've seen (others I have seen were around $480) __________________ bouncytruck 1972 K5 The Hauler 1994 K1500 Suburban The Daily2010 Kia Soul Wife's Ride2014 Fiat 500L

12-10-2002, 06:18 PM	#22
red71cheyenne Back in the sticks Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Fordland, MO Posts: 3,188	Thanks. I've looked around and not found any. I'll try them. Jeff. __________________ 1971 Cheyenne C-10 w/700R4 and Tuned Port Injection 1969 K5 Blazer w/Tuned Port 2010 2SS/RS Flaming Orange Camaro 2011 K1500 Suburban 2014 K1500 Pickup 2008 Nissan Altima? The wifes' hoopty

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