70 build(ORD 4 link) short body ect

[1970stub]

Hey guys been a couple years since i posted. Life happens but I am finally getting around to getting the blazer worked on. Doing a body off restoration with dana 60 front and boxing the frame while im at it. LSX crossmember is here as well from pacificfab. Getting the ORD 4 link all set up is going well. I'll keep you guys posted

[1970stub]

These last pics are what it looked like before the teardown. Forgot to mention i am doing steering frame brace ect.

[skorpioskorpio]

What does the wheelbase end up being on that?

[1970stub]

when it was together it was 93". I'll take some pictures of where they cut the frame. I cleaned it up already so you will never notice it but I still want to box it for strength

[skorpioskorpio]

So about the same as a short wheelbase Land Rover, except probably a foot wider.

[1970stub]

Got all the frame brace mocked up and ready to weld. need to get more welding wire though. Anyway, the gap you see is where the frame was cut to allow for the core support and radiator. When i was driving it all the time the steering box put a hole in the aluminum radiator. A body lift is going to fix this problem. the brace fixed the problem of missing the 4th hole in the steering box luckily. I was worried about the frame strength in this area but ORD came to the rescue. I'll weld in a some plate so it looks like the frame was never cut. Back to work

[jrdv]

Cool shorty! I'll be watching this one.

[AHowe88]

That is AWESOME! Did you shorten it yourself? Any old build thread on it? That is one of my favorites. Any picture of the top off? What hood is that?

[1970stub]

I bought the blazer from the back of a used car dealership in Boise Idaho in 2007. Ran fine needed a couple things but was a good runner. Drove it around town and ran into someone that knew the previous owner. He said some guy in california had shortened it. When I start sanding down the body ill make sure i take pictures of the body and where he shortened it. As far as the hood goes i'm pretty sure they molded a 1967 corvette hood scoop on it after looking at some reference pictures.

Sadly I don't have any pictures of it with the top off. Funny because I lived in Vegas for 2 years and threw the top away after a month because it was falling apart. But it still won't be getting a top as I don't want to go through the hassle of shortening a fiberglass top and I'm not a fan of soft tops that are custom jobs.

[1970stub]

That leads me to my next question...

I've been throwing around the idea a laying the windshield back a couple inches and cutting the doors down to follow the body lines like this guys thread.
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=201680

That way it will be a nice 4x4 short roadster. I Don't think its been done before

What do you guys think?

[skorpioskorpio]

I personally think it's a really cool truck as it sits, that said, the weird transition between door and bed is rather bothersome. On my truck I'm kicking around the idea of milling some cargo rails that have a side profile that continues the door body line back. There is also at least one guy who has taken donor doors and cut the tops off to extend the bed up, be easier on yours, you have less bed to deal with. I don't know that I'd be willing to completely give up any option of a side window which you basically do if you trim the door top. I'm also not sure that laying the windshild back would really look that great on your truck, especially as a 4x4. It's kind of cool that it's squashed and laying down the windshield, I think, would make for confusing lines.

I read your thread from when you first got it, and it sounds to me you are really looking for something to do to it, like maybe you feel like you are driving someone elses project and you really want it to be your project. I get that, but I think maybe you are looking to the wrong place for inspiration, I don't think this truck lends it self to a lift and huge meats and I don't think borrowing styling ideas from 2wd Blazers works either. Maybe you should be looking for ideas from the Bronco-Scout crowd since it's more what the truck comes off as.

It really does have great purportions, and looks to be done surprisingly well from a style standpoint. even though I'm much more of a fan of slant noses, I don't think it would look good on this truck, the blunt nose enhances it's squishedness.

I'd love to see more pics though, top off, interior, did the engine bay shrink because of the front fender and hood shortening? Is it too short for a back seat?

[1970stub]

Those couple posts I made when I first got it make me ashamed that i even wrote those. No big tires and I want more of a functional K5 that can take camping but I'm not going to destroy wheeling because it is unique. That said that's why my maximum tire is a 37 or 38 for street driving and 35's when offroading so i don't destroy the fenders. I live in Northern Nevada now so taking my Raptor out at ridiculous speeds is addicting. So i have decided to go with EVO Double Throwdown in the front for an amazing suspension.

You made a very valid point about the squishface look that it has and laying the windshield back would take away from the lines of the truck. So that option is out but i'm still toying with the idea of the door lines but keeping the dash original and not anything custom like another dash. The reason why I want the roadster look is because of this machine.

[1970stub]

Surprisingly it did have a back seat when I bought it but that got tossed out. The engine bay did shrink quite a bit with the front being shortened. It had a 327 Short water pump setup on it. Plenty of room for a flex fan and a spacer too. A big block is out of the question even for a short water pump. Thats why i already have the LSX crossmember mocked up.

Heres the other problem with that. having a 93" wheelbase makes packaging very difficult. Its getting a 4L80 with an Atlas. I don't want anything to break. But this lengthens the drivetrain and puts me in a precarious position with 37's as far as driveshaft angle. So my only option is a HI9 to get a better driveshaft angle. A 14bolt would be great but the yoke is too low.

I'll get some more pics of the frame, fenders and body together so you guys have a better understanding of the truck

[rgreathouse]

old thread but wondering if it ever got finished?