Project: 40/Yr old makeover.

[BlazinC5]

With the outer front floor support securely in place, I also had it bolted up to the A pillar, inner rocker, and kick panel. I made some plug welds in the small section of the floor area. I used some sheetmetal screws to hold it in place that i stole from an old busted washing machine. Sometimes beeing a packrat has advantages. Cause I figured they would be useful for something some day. and since everything was nice and snug in place, I tacked welded the kick pannel and lower A pillar on too. Keep in mind the inner rocker needed a bit of modification to fit in place and the tail end of it was shortend because it was going to a blazer. I also had to drill 2 holes to match up with the rear floor support.


As for the A-pillar patch. Once I got it tacked on, it needed some tweeking too. I just lined up the critical outer points and tapped the material into place with the body hammer making a nice smooth radious.

After I was satisfied with everything, I welded it solid. It seems I am also lacking the pic of it ground smooth. I'll have to look in my other file and try to find it. It looked really nice all polished up.


Time to tackle some floor. When you get a floor, side section. There is alot of extra I didn't need. So I turned on the Plasma cutter and started triming it down to a more manageable size. I got a lil carried away on the rearward side. But worked out in the end. The front part was more of a challenge with making it meet up to the firewall. I didn't want to just lay it over the top and weld it. I wanted it to fit like the old floor. So there was lots of trimming and bending with my wide mouth vise grips.


I cut some slits in in the panel about the same width of the vise grips and bent the end over at a 90 deg. angle.

[BlazinC5]

I also put my vise and a deadblow hammer to use. It took alot of back and forth getting it to line up good. a small tweek and somthing else was off. It helped alot to have a couple screws to run in to the floor and fold it from moving while you plan the next tweek.


I used a body hammer to smooth out the ruffled feather I created. Needless to say. I got some exercise on this part.


Once I got my tweeks all figured out, I drilled holes for the screws and plug welds. To the left of this pic you can see the heads of the screws I got off the old washer, Nice and wide with a hex pattern for a nut driver.


Not pictured, was the top plate to support the floor. Well not much to show there. I just plug welded it back into place from the origional holes i drilled the spot welds out of.


I also picked up these nifty sheetmetal clamps from Harbor Freight. They worked pretty good, but hey, They are Harbor Freight. They got the job done with a lil help from me.

[BlazinC5]

Look at the wonderful mess I have here. The floor is welded up solid and a good portion of my tools are in various places everywhere.

Another thing I will mention is that the body mount bolt hole does not bottom out on the big heavy plate under it. I drilled the hole in the floor replacment panel and dropped the bolt in. But I had to WD40 the threads and sucked the floor down only after all of it was welded. That way it streaches the metal down into the pocket and don't screw up everything else I spent so much time on.


Next step is the outer rocker panel. Yup it needs some tweeking too. I had hoped for alot better But what can ya do.. It is what it is. The surface that gets seen on the body looks spot on so I'll do my mods and be happy.


That is of course if I can get my back section to line up rite. The piece is wider than the Blazer B pillar. so I have to figure out how to shorten that and keep the channel for the seal at the correct width.


I made some cuts to slim it down and I used some screws to hold it in place too. So far there are a bunch of things with this pannel that aren't adding up But i will get it done eventually. More coming....

[BlazinC5]

So, Until I find the other pics I'm missing, I will share this with you. I have started the mod on the back side of the outer rocker. I made 2 cuts with my cutoff wheel in order to squeeze it closer to the B pillar. It is close but gunna need to make the cuts a little longer. When I screwed the part next to the B pillar down. A bulge in the rocker was visible. So more trimming will be needed. I think I got a bad outer rocker. But, I'm gunna do what I can to make this piece work.


Now that you all are mostly up to date. I hope you have enjoed the toutorial I have so far. I am still a long ways off to get the floors done. The passenger side wll be next. You know the saying. Wash rinse, repeat.

I will do what I can for getting the stragling pics I didn't post up on and I may have some questions with how my door is mounting back up , along with that outer rocker. It's close but not quite.

Any questions, comments or concerns. Please don't hesitate to ask.
The down side to this is,, Winter is coming on, and I am now working on the house more. I gotta do what I can inside to get my house ready to sell. With that beeing said. Not much progress will be made for a while. My hopes are for as soon as possible, and with any luck, a shop that is at least close to a 30x40 will be in store. I have the Blazer at least out of Fred Flintstone mode and able to get on a trailer without worrying about bending the tub. So I am good with that for now.

[briank]

Nice work and perfect timing for me. I get to do the same exact thing in a bit.

[jaros44sr]

Yeah, i had to do the exact same thing, two pie cuts to get it to line up....nice work, so far

Good luck to you


20131112_131905 by jarosaj, on Flickr

[BlazinC5]

Thanks for the compliments guys. I hope this help ya out to Briank. I been trying to be as detailed as I can. I know my writing probably pretty dry.

[Dale99]

I wish my drivers floor turned out as nice as yours. But it was my first rodeo for such a task.

[BlazinC5]

It's like this Dale. Alot of patience and understanding. Pretty much how I deal with my wife. I do the wrong thing and "Oh crap" how am I gunna fix this?!?! This is my first rodeo as far as sheet metal body stuff. So I am learning as I go too. Some days it took a couple extra beers too.

[BlazinC5]

oops, I double posted

[Dale99]

oh wow, first time for you as well? You have more patience then me I guess.

[BlazinC5]

Yup. First time. And there will be alot more first time things on this rig coming up. I've always done component type stuff. Engine swaps/rebuilds, Axle swaps, front clips, transmission/ T-case, and even a couple of frame swaps. But a very minimal amount of body work. So it's a whole new relm. Usualy I have done all the mechanical stuff and get it running and driving good but pay no real attention to the body. Granted most of my rigs were 20 footers or slightly better. I just figured this time I am gunna get it looking Real good and then justify the pimped out engine and drivetrain.

[BlazinC5]

Ha ha ha ha........

[Secret Squirrel]

Can't wait to see the progress