Rear Interior Panels

[Rhytum4blu]

Looking for pics of all or any custom rear interior panel pics. Also does anyone have paper pattern of rear panel willing to send?

[1972 Banana]

I have a set the PO cut out off the old ones for a patern, I will be around here pidiling this weeknd if you still need them! Shoot me an E-Mail at
Lifter294@msn.com

Bryan

[swyfor5]

Man, I sure could use those measurements. Thank's, Bryan.

[chevy2racr]

agreed I mean i'll take plywood and start cutting and drop it in and mark more, cut more, mark more cut more.... but I'd be way easier if someone had a measurement, maybe I should just start measuring and make a pattern....

[NuBomb]

I'm hoping to start on mine soon. I bought a sheet of aluminum diamond plate and I'm going to glue it to some thin plywood to match the thickness of the originals so they will fit in the chrome top brackets.

[trz1000]

I made some over the weekend for my 72 Jimmy out of 3/8" plywood. Stock ones were long gone plus I needed something to mount the amp and speakers in. I wouldn't go any thicker than 3/8" as you could run into interference with the roll bar mounting pads.

I used the stock brackets as mounting points. I don't know if mine are out of whack or what but they stick out into the interior about 7/16" further than the bed rail lip. Maybe that's how they were from the factory. Anyway, I took the easy way out by adding a furring strip of 3/8" along the lip. Worked out for the better as I had a little extra depth for the speakers and amp. However, if I wasn't mounting that stuff in the panels I would have shortened the stock brackets as the end result would be much cleaner.

The hardest part is cutting out around the wheel humps. I just cut the panels to size, set them in the bed in front of the wheel humps, traced the outside with a grease pencil, then cut. Had to do some trimming a few times but worked out ok. You can always make the hole bigger but it's pretty hard to make it smaller.

I used threaded inserts along the bed lip and welded nuts on the back side of the stock brackets as well as the ones I had to make. I went that route instead of sheet metal screws as it'll be easier to take apart and reinstall. Going to have to do that a lot as I continue to get the Jimmy whipped into shape.

If you're going to cover them and add carpet, make sure to leave some room. I had to estimate the clearance, we'll see how I did in a few weeks. Need to install sound deadening material, carpet, and cover the panels all of which will take up some space. Got to clean up the wiring a bit too.

I used a table saw for the long straight cuts and a rotozip for the curves. The rotozip is pretty sweet but I'm not too good at it yet. I found cutting the 6x9 holes in the doors with a pneumatic cut off wheel way easier but I work with metal all the time so I may be a bit biased.

Here are a couple of pics. I'm not much of a woodworker, took me about 25 hours start to finish and I'm still not done. I'm going to add some more reinforcement along the floor and try and make the subwoofer blend better. And of course cover it all in something, just not sure what I'm going to use yet.

[NuBomb]

The CST models have a chrome bracket that is mounted on the lip of the inner bedrail and holds the panel in place. I will have a problem with my roll bar for sure. I think I'm going to have to make some adjustments. I'll use much thinner plywood for mine as it will be a backing for the diamond plate. Yours is looking good.

[BigRed Beast]

Try searching the forums...there was a post several years ago where one of the members posted a cad drawing with dimensions for the rear panels. The title on the sheet is "Blazer CST Side Panels" and it was drawn on August 2008 according to the sheet I have. I can also post it if you can't find it.

For materials, try 1/4 or 1/8" masonite. It's cheap, easy to work with and covers well. For the single wall guys, you can still use the chrome retainer strip along the rail, cut the panel full size and either glass it or upholster it. If you're doing diamond plate, you'll probably have to run it to just under the the chrome rail.

We have a double wall, so were experimenting with two options: one was to cut the panel short of the rail by several inches--enough room to get a socket without taking the panel off. We were then going to put a cap on top of the side panel and butt it to the side wall of the bed, creating a kind of ledge. We were going to round over the edge and glass it.

The second option was to essentially build the same thing as above, but then add another chrome strip along the top edge of the side panel, parallel to the chrome strip along the rail but upside down, then cutting an insert to slide into the chrome rails and cover the gap. We'll see...

[hotrodhomi]

No dimensions, but here a few pics of mine.

[VA72C10]

Originally Posted by hotrodhomi

No dimensions, but here a few pics of mine.

any chance you could take pictures at the front and back of the panels to show how you mounted them to the front and rear and the thickness there? Are they contoured like the bedside like it looks in the pictures? I was thinking I would have to make mine with a 3/8" buildup in the middle to square it all up but it looks like you didn't have to do that...

[hotrodhomi]

The panels curve around the front near the seat. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures but they are held in with push connections. They had to drill new holes in the side of the bedrails. The thickness is the same as the bedrail covers that I had made.

[VA72C10]

so do you have a single wall or double? If double, how do you put the top on and off....just have to take the panels off?

[hotrodhomi]

I have a single wall top but it doesn't see much use. I've only had it on for a few weeks over the past two years (since the interior and bags were finished) and that was just to move it from my old house to my new house. I don't drive it in the rain so I don't see a point in having a top... It just takes up space until I sell my blazer, but I don't have it for sale.

[BLUE THUNDER]

Here are mine that are still in progress. Let me know if you nn the template. Later, Mario.