Left for dead: 72 2wd blazer build

[1956cameo]

72blazr, It's great to hear that you enjoyed the thread! I am always excited to hear that I am able to help people out with the information that I am putting on here. I am confident you will get to see this blazer in person. What I am uncertain of is how long it will be before you get to see it. I would love to help you with any questions that you may have and even see your project as well. I will send you a PM, but feel free to post comments, questions, or even pictures here on the thread whenever you feel like doing so.

[Julio04]

Finally got around to looking at your build, it looks like your doing a great job!!!!!
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[67chevy1series]

wow! holy smokes! nice work i wanted to go to bed at a decent time but i ad to finish looking at the build! nothing like a rust free blazer and a 2wd at that! you deserve it! keep it up.

[1956cameo]

Julio4, Thanks! It was good talking with you the other day. I look forward to seeing your truck come together.

67chevy1series, I am glad that you liked the thread. It has definately been alot of work but it is starting to take shape.


I spent a few days over the last week doing body work. I will post some pics when I have a little more time.

[67chevy1series]

cool ill be waitin for pics

[bmfm64]

Subscribed...

[1956cameo]

67chevy1series, I hope I don't dissapoint.

bmfm64, It's good to see another subscriber.


I spent a few days doing some "rough" body work last week. It's not much to look at right now, but the body is definately taking shape. The drivers side donor door was side swiped way back in the day, it's definately going to take alot of filler to smooth back over.



To make sure everything is sanding down evenly I am using a 3 foot long sanding block, and an 18 inch pneumatic sander. I started with 120 grit sandpaper and have now moved on to 180 grit sand paper. Next I will move onto 220 grit sandpaper, then 360 and so on. Once I get to the 220 grit sandpaper all of the sanding I do will be by hand.

[hgs_notes]

Good progress. They all look 'bad' at this stage until you cover it with primer. I wouldn't bother with a 3 foot board until you were at the fine grit (320 and higher) stage. Once you are done with the 180 it's probably time to spray the primer. Use as heavy a primer as you can with at least a few coats before you start sanding again with an 18" block. Just so you know, I think my longest block was 2 foot and they body shop used 320 for the final sanding before the base coat and the results were very good on my C-10.

[PHAT TONY]

I agree totally on the primer, but you want it as straight as possible before you prime it. I'd 80g it with a long board, moving up in grits as you go, prime it after the 180 sanding. It's a really tough haul trying to straighten out waves in filler work with primer.

[Big Block]

Wow, it's come a long way. Great progress.

[1956cameo]

hgs_notes and PHAT TONY, Thanks for the pointers! I will definately keep all of that in mind while I progress on the body work.

Big Block, Thanks!

[67chevy1series]

looks good!

[Firebirdjones]

Coming along, that's alot of work.

I'm a little different when it comes to grits and sanding procedures. I prefer to go as fine as 220 before primer, and do alot of blocking before primer filler. Then guide coat on top of the primer and block that with 220 again. Then I may or may not need more primer filler, depends on how it blocks. When I'm close, I'll guide coat it again, then block with 400 (not 320) because the 320 still tends to show sand scratches through the paint.

If base/clear paint, I may even block the base before I clear, depends on how the base lays down. I'll block that with 600 if need be, then clear, cut and buff. I'm a bit picky though since I paint for a living, things have to turn out pretty slick.

[Slammed66]

wow, incredible amount of work done so far!!! looks great!!!

[YBNORML]

Looking good, consider me subscribed

[richard2717]

Well just sat here for a couple hours and read the whole build so far. Great job so far, looking to see how it turns out. I am getting ready to start on my 71' 4wd which is just about as bad from what I can see. Like you I am fortunate to have a donor pickup to get most of the body parts but I am still lacking a good rear floor area. The pickup was toast in the floor area. Subscribed.....

Richard

[72blazr]

Do you get your parts from outback truck parts? Whats new on the build by the way?

[1956cameo]

YBNORML, Thanks! I am glad you like it.

richard2717, It's always cool to hear when people actually spend the time to read the entire thread! I will have to keep an eye out for your build thread. I love seeing these old blazers bieng put back together.

72blazr, I actually have gotten a few of my parts from Outback (Repop tailgate, rear wheel tubs). Most of my parts come from "The Truck Shop" out in California. Overall they have the best prices from what I have seen. I usually just buy the oversize items locally.


Sorry for the lack of updates. I have been very busy with work and my kids, however I have been making steady progress on the blazer. I worked on it two days this week alone. The drivers side is bieng wet sanded and is about 90% done with the body work. The passenger side is still bieng block sanded and is about 50% done. I would post pictures of the progress but my camera stopped working. Don't worry I am getting another one soon. Hopefully I will get the entire truck covered in filler primer soon and then do the final blocking. I don't know when the paint will be laid down but it is starting to look like it will be very soon.

[ColoradoK5]

this is great build your build is what inspired me to take on my 2wd blazer, i havent started yet just collecting parts now. thanks for all the pics and great info.

[1956cameo]

ColoradoK5, Wow! That's really cool to hear. I'm with you on the parts collecting. I did the math and if I could do it over again I would have kept my old 72 4wd blazer. I sold it for $1,850 and have since bought parts that I could have used off of it for ALOT more than what I sold it for.

[1956cameo]

After taking the summer off from working on the blazer I am back at it. Around April I just hit the wall and was on total burn out mode. The last thing I felt like doing was working on the blazer. I honestly didn't even feel like looking at it. Fortunately I have been working on these old trucks long enough to know that my lack of interest was just part of the ebb and flow of working on a restoration project. I knew that eventually my interest would re ignite and the only thing I would be able to think about is working on the blazer. Well that interest came back a little over a month ago. Every weekend for the last month I have spent huge amounts of time doing bodywork on the blazer. Below are some updated pictures. They don't look too different from the pictures posted back in February but I can assure you many, many hours of work has been done since the last picture update. I am hoping to have the blazer ready for paint soon.

[YBNORML]

Originally Posted by 1956cameo

After taking the summer off from working on the blazer I am back at it. Around April I just hit the wall and was on total burn out mode. The last thing I felt like doing was working on the blazer. I honestly didn't even feel like looking at it. Fortunately I have been working on these old trucks long enough to know that my lack of interest was just part of the ebb and flow of working on a restoration project. I knew that eventually my interest would re ignite and the only thing I would be able to think about is working on the blazer. Well that interest came back a little over a month ago. Every weekend for the last month I have spent huge amounts of time doing bodywork on the blazer. Below are some updated pictures. They don't look too different from the pictures posted back in February but I can assure you many, many hours of work has been done since the last picture update. I am hoping to have the blazer ready for paint soon.

I hear ya! I am in the same position with my shortbox. I haven't touched it since early summer, soon though.

Blazer is looking good!
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[ColoradoK5]

I just picked up a decent 68 clip for mine and a five lug rear end. still need a few more things before i get started but parts list is slowly getting shorter

[Big Block]

I can see all that hard work is paying off. I can see a huge improvement. I wish I had the time and place to do that to my Jimmy. And of coarse the skills to do that kind of work! It looks good to me. You really had your work cut out when you started your project. Keep up the good work. I understand about burn out. I have too many projects and not enough time or money to keep up with all of them.

[hgs_notes]

Looks like its time to spray some primer and start blocking.