71 k5 where to start?

[Neblazer71]

Hello everyone, first time blazer owner.
Mine needs pretty much everything, my question would be where should I start?
Cab floor, body mounts etc. thanks.

[truckster]

Welcome.

You should start by posting pictures.

[Neblazer71]

Right, I guess that would be a place to start lol

[DeadheadNM]

Originally Posted by Neblazer71

Hello everyone, first time blazer owner.
Mine needs pretty much everything, my question would be where should I start?
Cab floor, body mounts etc. thanks.

Do you want a driving project or ready to disassemble completely and rebuild from the ground up? Do you want a restoration to factory appearance or with some modifications?

First suggestion: don’t throw anything away.

[lks dcvn]

2nd suggestion - at this point - don't take the top off until you know what rust you have in the structural areas. I would give it a good cleaning, let it dry out a bit and then post up some pix and we can tell you what you are in for depending on what you are looking to do with it.

3rd suggestion - review the Blazer and Jimmy 'builds forum section' and you can see how these trucks get revived from all states of disrepair.

Welcome to the forum and congrats on the new Blazer!

[jaros44sr]

I agree with above comments but, if you want to drive it right away get the engine running, then do all the safety items with fluids and belts

How are your welding and fabrication skills and tools? costly if you have to farm out this area of restoration, not hard to learn if you have patience.

brace the cab, so it will go back together right, and only cut up one side at a time, so it will retain structural integrity

Build threads are your friend

welcome to the world of restoration, nice truck, and good luck, looks like you have enough toolboxes, just hope they are filled up with right tools. welder and compressor are invaluable

Oh, BTW, post up lots of pics, to keep us entertained

[truckster]

Congratulations on getting a Blazer. You'll love it once it's done.

Having said that, you've got a lot of work ahead of you. The good news is that pretty much every body part you're going to need is available aftermarket.

Your tub is in bad shape. The rocker panels, parts of the floor, and probably the A and B pillars are going to need to be replaced. It looks like the torsion boxes aren't even there. It's hard to tell from the pics, but it looks like your windshield frame and firewall are in pretty bad shape too. Honestly, you might want to look for an entire tub to replace yours. However, there are build threads on here where Blazers in worse shape have been brought back to life.

What Lks Dcvn said - don't take the top off until the tub is well braced. Right now it's holding everything in place.

Good luck. Come back here often and we'll help you keep your motivation as you tackle this.

[Neblazer71]

Thanks for all of kind comments everyone!
I will be going back to stock on this one, the body is in pretty bad shape but I’m not going to be in a huge hurry on this build.
I have been on this site before and know it’s the right place to come for great advice.

[raggedjim]

I agree with the good cleaning advice LKS DCVN gave. A good power wash will help. The jimmy I have was much like the one you have, it just takes time and effort, oh, and some money

Good luck, Rg