Left for dead: 72 2wd blazer build

[Yukon Jack]

Great progress!

[OARNGESI]

blazers looking good

[1956cameo]

Thanks for all the comments everyone!

[1956cameo]

Last week I started tearing into the drivers side rocker area. ALOT of rot; at least the blazer is giving me alot of metal working experience before starting on my 56' Cameo project or 55' Bel Air project!


Here is a picture of the rocker area after cutting the rotten outer rocker and outer floor section off. I used what was left of the rocker box to help me line up the outer floor section when I tacked it on.



The rotten front door pillar prior to the rotten area bieng cut off. This is the part of the rocker area that I am using as a reference point to line everything up from. I made sure to get everything (door pillar panel, outer floor panel, and hatch channel) lined up perfectly right here. Anything from this spot should either fit into place or be modified to fit into place according to the placement of these three "foundation" panels.



The base of my foundation started from where the hole for the front fender was sitting. I used this point since it remained unmoved in its original location. As you can see the first panel that needed patching was the hat channel.



I know that repop hat channels are only about $10 but I like to patch with original GM metal whenever given the opportunity. So I took a section of hat channel from my donor floor panel and welded it into place.

[1956cameo]

After getting the hat channel into place I went ahead and got the outer floor section tacked into place. With this in place I now have something to line all of the outer rocker panels and kick panels to.



Out of fear that I am going to put all of my patch panels into place only to find out that they won't allow a door to shut over them I bolted the rusted out original drivers door back on.



The next step was to put the door pillar patch back on but unfortunately I ran out of time. The next time I get out to work on it I will do that, put the kick panel patch into place, and start working on the rear rocker area. Here is a shot of what that looks like as of now.



I didn't get to work on the blazer this week because I had alot of family time going on. Next week I am hoping to knock out another couple of days of work on it.

[VA72C10]

Good progress. Will be following along.

[Jeffs70]

Great job you have going here, I know its alot of work I am also replacing the rocker panel and patching the floor on my 71. I never knew how much work it would be till I just dug into it, but its much worth it when your finished. I cant wait to be done with that end of the project tomorrow. I never dug into something so deep like this but it actually was simple just time consuming.

again Great job your doing here. You will be enjoying it when your finished thats for sure.

[lks dcvn]

There seems to be several of these rebuilds going on at the same time - always nice to see them being saved from the crusher.

Keep up the good work!

[1956cameo]

Thanks everyone!

[Hart_Rod]

Sweet build. Looks like I may be picking one of these up this weekend.....

[1956cameo]

Thanks Hart Rod! I don't post much on your burb build however I have been keeping up with it regularly. If you do a 2wd blazer half as good as that burb it is going to be SWEET!!

[jaros44sr]

[QUOTE=1956cameo;3829288]After getting the hat channel into place I went ahead and got the outer floor section tacked into place. With this in place I now have something to line all of the outer rocker panels and kick panels to.


Cameo, how do you like those clamps. Been thinking of buying a set...worth the money?

[lks dcvn]

I bought a set at harbor freight since I started doing my stuff - they work OK and do provide some assistance...

They are like $5 or $6 for 8 or 10 of them (at HF) - way cheaper than the other places I looked at. I can get a part number off them when I get home tonight if that helps.

If you can get to the back of the panel you are welding - they can be helpful - several of the areas I have tackled I didn't have clear access to the back of the panel to use them...

Found the part number [44751] - http://www.harborfreightusa.com/usa/...o?itemid=44751

[jaros44sr]

Originally Posted by lks dcvn

I bought a set at harbor freight since I started doing my stuff - they work OK and do provide some assistance...

They are like $5 or $6 for 8 or 10 of them (at HF) - way cheaper than the other places I looked at. I can get a part number off them when I get home tonight if that helps.

If you can get to the back of the panel you are welding - they can be helpful - several of the areas I have tackled I didn't have clear access to the back of the panel to use them...

Thanks for the offer, but I live about 15 minutes from a HF. Way cheaper then Eastwood's

[1956cameo]

jaros44sr, They work pretty good; but only if you have alot of room to on both sides of the panels you welding together. I really only use them if I am flushing up panels that I cant get any vice grips onto. One thing they helped with in the pictures you saw was forcing the panels to get flush with each other. If I didn't use them I definately would have had to hammer the repro panel to get it to go flush with the contour of the original floor. I hardly ever use them but when I do it makes the job alot easier. If you can pick some up cheap they are definately worth grabbing.

[DURRTY]

Northern tool sells them also, harbor freight is banned in my household and family.

I agree with what has been said about them.

They can be a couple extra sets of hands at times.
since they don't lock down the steel like the self tappers and clecos it give a small amount of room for minor fit up while holding in place.

I have used smaller round stock instead of the small square and bent it around a small corner or squared edge as well as a longer piece to hold a larger area straight.

Worth the 10 bucks or whatever I paid for them.

[1956cameo]

I got more progress done on the blazer this week. I was hoping to get alot knocked out but now I am working in areas that are very rusty and in cramped areas. I only got about a third of what I thought I would done; oh well at least I made some progress. Of course I thought the only patch panels that I had left to buy was the drivers side rocker box, but I have now discovered I also need to buy a few obscure blazer only panels that should help to take another couple of hundred bucks out of the blazer fund!


I started right where I left off with the kick panel. Since it was already cut out and ready to go in I was able to knock it out quickly. The kick panel with the patch still missing. Sorry for the blurry pic.



A view of the kick panel patch tacked in with the still missing door pillar patch.



Interior shot of the repaired outer floor and kick panel. (Note still some rot in the toe board that will be repaired)



After getting the kick panel into place I went ahead and attatched the lower door pillar patch. Since I had already fit it the last time I was out this task also went quickly. I still have the front two bolt holes to drill, but will do that when I take the last of the rocker box off.

[1956cameo]

The next area I wanted to focus on was the rear door / rocker box area. This is looking like it will be the area where most of the metal work will be done.



I cut out part of the quarter panel section to give me access to the inner area of the door. Of course it is pretty much gone.



After I got the rotten quarter panel support out and the rotten rocker box reinforcement plate out this is what I had left to work with. I was warned by lks dcvn that the rocker box reinforcement plate was a bear to get out. Let me tell you he was not kidding!



In order to get the rocker box reinforcement plate off you have to open up the pillar area behind the door. For some reason GM designed it to where two of the bolts are completely hidden inside.

[1956cameo]

There was some rot on the vertical piece of flooring so I figured this would be the best time to patch that since everything that would be in my way is now gone.



A view of the vertical part of the floor with the rotten section removed.



Since it was flat it only took a few minutes to cut out, make a patch, and tack it in.



I know someone will say that so and so sells them for about $8 each but I could not find anyone that sells the blazer quarter panel support section that goes behind the rear door panels; so I spent a little time making one from scratch.



I had a little trial and error making it but I got it in and it appears it is going to fit just like the original piece.

[1956cameo]

I know it doesn't look like much but that is two solid days worth of work! I have ordered about $400 dollars worth of patches that I am hoping will be in by next week so I can continue making progress. I also have one more thing to show everyone.

On the 60-66 section of the forum alot of the guys were talking about making electrolysis tanks to get rust off of old parts. My dad thought he would give it a try and make an electrolysis tank of his own. He had done some hood hinges with good results so I let him do one of my rocker box end caps.

Here is the electrolysis tank. I am not completely sure how it works but it uses some sort of cleaning soda and an electrical current provided by a battery charger to draw the rust off of the part placed in it. Don't worry it does NOT electrify the water causing a shock hazard.



Here is the rocker box end cap when I took it off of the blazer.



The final product after sitting in the tank overnight. While it does not look like it was just stamped it is a whole lot better than it was and the best part I didn't have to do anything. Since this is pretty effective and cheap to do I will most likely do this to alot of my small rusty parts.



Thats it for now. Hopefully my patch panels will come in on time and I will have another update for everyone next week.

[my67chevytruck]

great progress.

[lks dcvn]

Wow - very familiar territory -

I opted to just grind the threads down to the floor on those bolts on the torsion box/b pillar area instead of opening up that area [see pix] - really stupid design if you ask me - even if they would have welded nuts to the floor and then ran the bolts up from the bottom - it would have been better [at least from a restoration perspective].

I spent a LOT of time on my back with a 4 1/2" angle grinder and cut off wheel [I don't have my compressor hooked up yet to use a smaller cut off wheel] to get those damn bolts cleaned up so I could fit the repro piece flush to the floor.

I figured I would be the one to tell you...If the patch panels that you made were easy enough for the B Pillar Support- then I think you did OK - Wes at Classic Hearbeat makes them - but they are spendy since they are handmade. If they were $8 - I would buy a set for sure.

http://www.classicheartbeat.com/cata...ar%20Patch.htm

I still haven't decided if I will just make my own yet...

Even if the pictures don't show it - I know how much time goes into this stuff now. I think I was naive before and thought - I can knock this out pretty quick. Rust repair/replacement is a very time consuming process and I have run into several 'hurdles' [rusted bolts, extra rust, part trimming, part mockup, final trimming, tack welding, finish welding, grinding, etc.] - all this stuff adds up to long days, tired legs and aching backs.

Keep up the good work!

[VA72C10]

that part came out nice...great progress.

[1956cameo]

my67chevytruck, Thanks!

VA72C10, Thanks!

lks dcvn, I will be extremely happy when the metal work in this area is over! Everything in this area is hard to reach and it so rusty you cant tell what you are looking at half the time.

Well its good to see someone sells that part I made; but for that price I am sure glad I made my own. It took me about 2 hours to make with a little trial and error. I strongly encourage you to attempt to make your own. It wasn't very complex. I went ahead and bit the bullet and bought the rocker box reinforcement plates and the blazer rear floor supports. I was going to patch mine or make my own but I didn't have enough good metal to save them or to make a pattern for a homemade patch from. Thanks for all the input and tips you keep helping me with!

[PHAT TONY]

Awsome!! I don't know many with the intestinal fortitude required to not only take on and start a project like this but to also see it even to this point of fab work....When you're drivin this sucker and someone says "nice Blazer", you should well be proud.