Painting My Rusted 72 Blazer......Lots of Questions

[67Steven]

Originally Posted by Got Sand

Thanks, I'm changing it cause it's looking pretty worn and I suspect it my be cracked. I'm going to tackle it tomorrow.

Pic was taken in front of the Christmas Tree Farm on McCord.
A few of my co-workers have spotted your Blazer (at your work?) and have been telling me "you gotta see this awesome Blazer" I told them "yeah, you should see the build report on it"

Are you sure your solenoid is not getting heat soak? My '71 'burban had center dump cast iron exhaust manifolds, had an issue with the solenoid twice. Wrapped it up and spun up great until I sold it. Always meant to remote mount it, but it did fine attached.

I knew I had seen that barn with the diamond window before! I work up at Red Soils Ct., so they probably saw me up there.

[Got Sand]

Originally Posted by cleszkie

Its water under the bridge now, but I'm pretty sure that all body panels should be installed and shimmed to fit before paint is sprayed. Once everthing has been tweaked, shimmed, and bumped into position, it gets blown apart for paint. Then it is reassembled with all the proper shims so you don't have to roughhouse with the new paint. Its more time consuming, so thats probably why your "old dood" skipped that step.

Yeah, a lot of "coulda shoulda woulda" but the ol'dood didn't know Blazers, and insisted that shimming up the body mounts would do nothing (proved him wrong on that). But looking at the positive side of it, if he would have not pulled off the right side fender before painting it, that ugly would have caused me lots of problems in a year or two.
Even though I've owned this Blazer for 20+ years I've leaned a lot about it in the last year

Originally Posted by 67Steven

Are you sure your solenoid is not getting heat soak? My '71 'burban had center dump cast iron exhaust manifolds, had an issue with the solenoid twice. Wrapped it up and spun up great until I sold it. Always meant to remote mount it, but it did fine attached.

I knew I had seen that barn with the diamond window before! I work up at Red Soils Ct., so they probably saw me up there.

For the last 15 plus years I've have had Sanderson cast iron headers on it, and haven't had a problem. Changed the flexplate today and found a small break in one of the welds. Waiting on transfer case mounts before I can finish putting it back together *fingers crossed*

Yep, Red Soils Ct. there were some goofballs up there mess'n with the water valves

[Got Sand]

New flexplate installed with another new starter, on some advise that I found here I installed a starter for a 1970 Corvette (Thanks for that). I haven't drove it yet (still need to put the drive lines in) but it sounds sooo much better now when starting it up. Turns out the flexplate was not only worn out, it had a couple of small cracks around two of the welds on the ring gear.
I hope this issue is solved now and I can move on..................but I think I'll take the weekend off and get away from this heat

[raggedjim]

Nice work. Your body guy did you right by insisting on pulling the rocker. Even though he made a few mistakes (I have made most of them myself!) at least he was willing to tackle it, some shops won't touch rust repair at all.

Good luck, Rg

[Got Sand]

Originally Posted by raggedjim

Nice work. Your body guy did you right by insisting on pulling the rocker. Even though he made a few mistakes (I have made most of them myself!) at least he was willing to tackle it, some shops won't touch rust repair at all.

Good luck, Rg

Thanks, just got it back from a real body shop to fix the major items that it needed, mostly touch up, wet sanded and buffed out. Getting the trim on it now, pics soon to come.

[Got Sand]

I had the paint touched up, including the spot on the inside of the drivers door that was completly missed, door plates welded in and painted, right side wet sanded and buffed, still not perfect, but it looks way better.



This guy has a nice clean shop




Time to finish putting it back together, got the mirrors, the rest of the side trim and the window felt put on this weekend............then took her for nice drive in the country.

[Chulisohombre]

Looks great

[hemi43]

Quite the difference in just a few weeks, now get out there and pound on it.
Looks good !!

[67Steven]

Looks sweet!

It will be nice finally seeing another 1st gen Blazer on the road. I have yet to see ONE since I have had mine finished.

[Got Sand]

Originally Posted by 67Steven

Looks sweet!

It will be nice finally seeing another 1st gen Blazer on the road. I have yet to see ONE since I have had mine finished.

There used to be at least a half a dozen of them running around OC 15 years ago, but I don't see them any more, but I did see a sweet gun metal gray one here in town last week.

And I thought mine was ready for the road, but...................

I was fighting a miss that it had, I first thought was bad gas (as it sat for almost a year), so I just drove it, put in fresh gas, some seafoam, took it out for the nice drive in the country and got some non-ethanol gas for it, but it just didn't get any better, in fact it got worse, seemed like a fouled plug.
So changed the plugs, no difference, then new plug wires, cap and rotor...........no difference. I take it to a friend for their opinion and he's pretty sure it's the carb as it ran fine in the higher RPM's but not at idle or slow speeds. So off came the carb for a rebuild, it did have crap in it, but no difference.

I had been told to do a compression check but was in denial..............no, it couldn't be...............yep dead hole in #8, so off came the head, and it turns out it was a broken spring. Well not going to just replace the spring at this point so off came the other head, and in the shop they went.

The only pic I have of it apart, night shot in my friends driveway.




Putting it back together, I'll get another pic of it as I have done more detailing on the engine compartment since this pic was taken.



Now that it is running sweet..........."oh so sweet" now I can concentrate on putting more of it back together which I was going to do on Friday, but I heard about this old guys breakfast meet up that happens every Friday and was told that the guy I bought the Blazer from 23 years ago would be there, plus it would prolly be the last warm dry day of the year.................so yeah, I gotta go to this. Got one of the last parking spots..................but it was a good one






........up next, Bilstein shocks, anyone here ever put them on their lifted Blazer/Pickup?

[67Steven]

Originally Posted by Got Sand

Now that it is running sweet..........."oh so sweet" now I can concentrate on putting more of it back together which I was going to do on Friday, but I heard about this old guys breakfast meet up that happens every Friday and was told that the guy I bought the Blazer from 23 years ago would be there, plus it would prolly be the last warm dry day of the year.................so yeah, I gotta go to this. Got one of the last parking spots..................but it was a good one

The Hanger, eh? We haven't been to one of those Friday meets yet, but since we live a couple miles away, probably should. Looks like a good spread of cars, and heart attack dining at it's best!

[Got Sand]

Originally Posted by 67Steven

The Hanger, eh? We haven't been to one of those Friday meets yet, but since we live a couple miles away, probably should. Looks like a good spread of cars, and heart attack dining at it's best!

Obviously won't be going again until the sun get's warm (next spring), but let me know if ya want to take a cruise over there some Friday.

[Got Sand]

Finally got a chance to get her out a couple of weeks ago for some pics

Had to do a bit of research to find some Bilstein shocks that would fit a 72 Blazer with a 4" lift (the catalog only list for stock height).






Been doing a little detailing on the engine compartment, not done, but getting close (as I'm going to get).




Interior, got the door panels on..................PITA since I put on 71 doors and still had my 72 panels. I'm going to wait until summer to install my new carpet kit and Tte seats will just get covers for now

TAKING SUGGESTIONS FOR SEAT COVERS




Out in the sunshine.................for probably the last time in 2015

[Chulisohombre]

Looks good. I bought grey seat covers from advance auto. They have a Chevy symbol sewn into the material. I also got the matching floor mats. They aren't bad for the price.

[Got Sand]

I guess it's time for an update, went with some Pro Elite covers from Auto Zone, water AND pet hair resistant

Had the top reconditioned, and rented a big diesel space heater to get my shop up to 65f-70f so I could get the weather striping on it.
Getting the top to line up with all of the holes was a PITA as this top had been sitting for years

I got this top from a craigslist link that someone here posted.......Thank you it didn't look as good but was in better shape then my old top, here it is just after I brought it home last year.



After 4 coats of semi gloss and clear coat went on. That's the rear seat behind it, all ready and waiting to be installed.






Even though it's not, it's looking complete now.







Been doing a lot of other little things, small trim pieces for the door and top, including a new tee handle for the rear hatch (didn't know that a universal one would work) new defroster hoses, new wiper arm and blades, and other small items not picture worthy.


Now I can drive it around in the cold and wet..................................hopefully will be hitting the beach by the end of the month

Getting the dynamat, rear carpet and seat in next.

[LBH72]

That is a beauty
Posted via Mobile Device

[Got Sand]

Originally Posted by LBH72

That is a beauty
Posted via Mobile Device

Thanks



Now for another question.........................looking up at my rocker panels from underneath, should I seal them where they meet up with the rocker boxes? that was my first thought, but then I was thinking maybe I shouldn't as crap could get in there from the back upper side of the rocker boxes.

Open for some thoughts, and/or would I be better off posting this question else where?

Here are some crappy pics of what I am talking about

[notsolo]

I made some diamond plate covers to keep the water and debris from getting in there....http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/a...p?albumid=1585

[Got Sand]

Originally Posted by notsolo

I made some diamond plate covers to keep the water and debris from getting in there....http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/a...p?albumid=1585

Nice, I may try something like that, I was also thinking of cutting in a couple of "clean-out ports" with sealed covers in the rocker boxes so I keep them clear and clean. Bu I need to really think about that.

Anyone have any thoughts on that? good idea? or stupidest thing you ever heard?

[1mrtimk]

Are you close to Eugene Oregon? There is a nice black 72 blazer on eBay,$22,000 and raising.

[Got Sand]

Originally Posted by 1mrtimk

Are you close to Eugene Oregon? There is a nice black 72 blazer on eBay,$22,000 and raising.

I'm about an hour and a half from Eugene, but know a few people(motorheads) that live there, you need someone to look at it for you?

[1mrtimk]

No, I just noticed you were from Oregon and thought you may have run into it. I have one more boy to get through school and plan a frame off on my triple black numbers matching 72 CST K5 that I have owned science 1980. Thanks for the offer.

[Got Sand]

Finally



And of course the smelly jelly fish had to be on the beach the first time the Blazer has seen the beach in almost 2 years.



Took the new paint smell right out of it..................this crap smelled bad



Helping out with the SOLVE Beach Clean-up



Where the Columbia River meets the Ocean....................as far NW as you can go in Oregon

[Chulisohombre]

Sweet pics. Good way to break her in. Lol. Make sure you wash the stink and undercarriage good to get that sand out before it finds a home. Looks good out there. Next time hopefully warmer and since you're at the beach go topless. Haha.

[hemi43]

I just went on Google Earth to see where the Columbia river meets the ocean, and I couldn't see your Blazer. WTF !!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Iredale