"Slowly but Surely" Big J's build thread...

[Big J]

I figured since that I've been working on this blazer for a few years now off and on that it was time for a proper build thread. I started off over to my uncles house. Hes the one to blame for getting me started on these trucks. I did all the tear down and some of the build there. I had a good bit of help with the whole process, Jamie, Renee, Jim, Warren..... Here are some pics of the start and the in between to now.

[Big J]

From there I moved it into my inlaws garage with intentions of working on it. But because of those things in life we sometimes we have to deal with it ended up being in storage there..... When the life things slowed down I moved it over to my cousins garage. It was a great place to work on it but I ended up helping him work on stuff more than being able to work on my blazer. Oh well, I gained some skill I guess....lol....

[Big J]

After that some more of that life stuff came back into play and back to the inlaws garage it went. At least I didn't have to store it outside. So I'm thankful for that.
Over the last couple years I helped my neighbor here and there build his garage. Its a pretty cool shop. 28x40 with a upstairs, great for parts storage. I was over one afternoon helping him work on something. He said, "why don't you just bring that blazer over here and finish it". Well after some thought (like 2 seconds) I said lets gitrdone...... He even let me use his truck and a trailer he borrowed to haul it over. I'm tellin' ya, best neighbor anyone could ask for. I picked up a new welder and air compressor to help things go easier. After using my cousins shop those are things that I couldn't live without. After tinkering here and there not being sure what to start on, my uncle emailed with a new body. The one on it is in pretty good shape but this one is going to require less work.
So I've got the body back off and doing some work on the rear of the frame. Stuff I should've done in the first place. Fixing the bodymounts, setting up my hitch, etc... I've got the motor that came out of my grandpas 69c20. My dad ran it in his truck but gave it to me after a crash... I'm debating on dropping it in, kind of a family heirloom thing.

[Big J]

All I did for the hitch was grind down the welds holding the side plates on and moved them in. Welded them back up and its good to go. I did weld some plate to the sides of it to hang a clevis on. Should be strong enough to use but mainly it will be for looks. I'm not build a truck to wheel with or show. Just a real nice solid driver. To fix the body mount holes on the frame I use machine washers. It worked out great.

[jaros44sr]

Nice build thread, thanks for sharing. Keep the pics coming.

Nice idea with washers, I should have thought of that, would've saved me some time!!

Soooo, have much rust? And where? J.

[Big J]

On the old tub it was floorboards, rocker boxes, winshield frame, rockers, inner rockers, front lower quarters, front pillars, etc., lol.... The best thing about this one is its bed floor. Short of a few dings its perfect.

On the new tub its some floor board, rockers, inner rockers, and maybe the front lower quarters. Some previous owner had cut the corners of the rear wheel wells for bigger tires. I've got patches so no biggie there. The front lower quarter may need to be replaced but not sure yet. Its gonna require pillars too. Its still some work but way more solid than the other one.

[Chevyman63]

Nice job, looks good so far.

Keep em coming.

[vtblazer]

I remember that one!

Glad your back at it, thanks for posting your progress.

[Big J]

I'm trying to at least put in a couple hours a few nights a week on it. In the next few weeks I'm taking a weeks vacation and dedicating 8-10hrs a day on it for 7-9 days. Thats the plan anyway, lol.

[Yukon Jack]

Originally Posted by Big J

I'm trying to at least put in a couple hours a few nights a week on it.

That's usually how my projects get worked on - takes a while to get much done, but better than nothing!

Keep us posted.

[Huck]

"GET-ER-DONE"" I just love the "I'm going to spend 8-10 hours a day on my vaction working on it! OH YEA Jason----care to bet! Will probably turn out to be 8-10hours for the week--if you're lucky. HONEY DO lists take precident~~~always!! ehheehhe

[Big J]

Originally Posted by Huck

"GET-ER-DONE"" I just love the "I'm going to spend 8-10 hours a day on my vaction working on it! OH YEA Jason----care to bet! Will probably turn out to be 8-10hours for the week--if you're lucky. HONEY DO lists take precident~~~always!! ehheehhe

I have a plan for that too, . I'm gonna try and get all those done before I take the blazerworkacation (yep, just made that fancy word up).

[Big J]

Got a few things done the other night. Por-15 is a wonderful but messy thing. Still can't get it off my hands. I did all the places I fixed plus the hitch, bumper brackets and liscence plate bracket. On the front of the truck are a couple of aftermarket tow hooks bolted to the under side of the frame. Not quite strong enough in my opinion to secure to. I cut a piece of 4" channel, drilled it, por-15ed it then bolted it up. Should work perfectly. I know its not OEM but I'm not really restoring this but rather building it for me, plus its behind the bumper so it can't be seen......lol... I got tired of leaning over to work on things or crawling around the concrete floor so I took some stuff I had laying around and welded up a sweet roll chair... Its got OH Chit handles and everything..... Still need to put a tray in the bottom of it and paint the lower part but it works for now.

[jamie72]

nice chair..lol and keep working on the blazer, you need to get it done before next summer.

[Big J]

Originally Posted by jamie72

nice chair..lol and keep working on the blazer, you need to get it done before next summer.

My goal is to at least have it in primer by the end of winter.

It figures though, if something bad can go wrong it will. The motor we dropped in that was supposed to be a great running low mileage engine is not so great, lol. Ran a compression test tonight and no 2 is dead and the rest range from 150 to 128.... oh well. I've got the engine out of my dads truck that came out of my grandpas truck. So tomorrow I'm pullin' a motor. Should be pretty easy in its current state no body!

[Big J]

Some progress.... Got the motor out and painted the shocks. I went yesterday and did some trading with a friend. I ended up with a good running 350, 350t, and x-case. Along with all the linkages, lines, exhaust, etc....
I have yet to figure out what the transfer case is. It all came out of a 68 bodied truck with what appeared to be a later model frame. I have a bunch of work to do this weekend but I'm gonna try and atleast get it all cleaned up, painted and dropped in.

[Big J]

Got a few things done this weekend. Got the accessories on the motor I'm dropping in. I was going to drop in the 350/350t and 203 that I just got but like usuall I changed my mind . It only has around 30000 miles on the whole setup, oh well. I'm dropping in the 350 that I got from my dad and stickin' with the 4spd and 205. Made a few calls to some media blasting shops. Its way cheaper than I thought to have the tub blasted and primed, 200-350. I'll strip it including the rockers so they can get inside the boxes. I'll probably have that done before I start the bodywork.
Here are some pics of the drivetrain I got and some of the stuff I got done, motor, painted shocks, etc......

[jamie72]

i need to come over and sit in the chair and watch you work..lol good job stay at it..

[muddbugg72]

nice build thread. going to be a nice blazer when you're done. would you mine, if you have the time, to get some close up pics of how the e-brake cables are hooked up in the front behind the transfer case. thanks and keep up the good work.

[Big J]

Originally Posted by muddbugg72

nice build thread. going to be a nice blazer when you're done. would you mine, if you have the time, to get some close up pics of how the e-brake cables are hooked up in the front behind the transfer case. thanks and keep up the good work.

Here ya go.

[72lb4x4]

Sorry to barge in, but since the body's off could you do me a favor and snap some pics of one side of the ubolt/block/snubber/spring plate area of the rear end?

Mine's got a similar lift block, and some funky spring plates, and cut snubber brackets. By spring plates I mean the things the ubolts attach to on top of the leaf spring. Can't think of the correct term.

I'm pretty sure the spring plates are wrong and they don't look safe to me, so I need an idea of what correct ones look like...

Great looking thread so far too...

Thanks!

[Big J]

Originally Posted by 72lb4x4

Sorry to barge in, but since the body's off could you do me a favor and snap some pics of one side of the ubolt/block/snubber/spring plate area of the rear end?

Not a problem. I'll try and take a couple in the next day or so.

[5150]

Looking good J, I hope to have mine back by the winter and you're trying to have it in primer by then

[muddbugg72]

thanks BIG J. those are just what i need!

[jaros44sr]

Wish my frame looked that pretty, keep plugging along, work looks good. J.