Help evaluating hard top please.

[patmcd44]

Newbie to this board in the process of purchasing a 1971 Blazer 4x4. Everything about the truck is pretty straight forward for me to evaluate with the exception of the top. It has a large ugly patch where the previous owner installed and then removed a 12" x 12" vent. He said he put the original piece that he cut out back in the hole and used fiberglass bondo to complete the patch. He said he didn't care what it looked like so he never spent any time sanding it. Also the hatch has some cracks and ugly bondo as well. I'm looking for opinions if this is easily repairable or I should be searching for a new top. I imagine this is the first of many questions I will have with my build! Thank you for your help!

[pound41]

if its a single wall top if have to save it since they are most desired and scarce. If its a double wall you can find them much easier and cheap. Might be easier in long run to replace
Hatch cracks are typical. Lots of good threads where members have done some amazing repairs. Also I have always wondered what a good boat person could do with a blazer hatch and top Good Luck

[Bentblazer]

Does it have dome lights? If so its a single wall, KEEP IT. It looks to me like its a double given the interior top. The hatches will work on either top and are repairable, I took two bad hatches to make one good one.

[Tom Vogel]

Scrap the double wall top. Save the hatch. Look for a single wall top/

[rwhite692]

Subscribing to this thread. Just picked up a '72 blazer and to say my rear hatch is "in need of help" would be an understatement. It is cracked clean through at the bottom span and has cracks and a bad prior repair at the hinges...I have some experience working with fiberglass, but this will be a challenge, getting the new resin and fiberglass cloth or chopped mat inside of the hollow structure. I would be interested to see how others have gone about repairing these!

[patmcd44]

Yes, it is a double wall top. I am glad to hear the hatch cracks are normal and repairable. I may try to find a boat guy to give me a quote because otherwise, the top is perfect. If not, it sounds like I can search for a single wall. Thanks for your help.

[Bentblazer]

Here's what I did:http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=438402

[rwhite692]

Aha! Thanks! Splitting the shell indeed makes perfect sense. I will take your advice and go slowly with the method you described. I have a bunch of other fixes to do to the truck first to get it moving around under its own power, before I tear into the hatch repair.