1972 Blazer - 'Bullet' Project

[lks dcvn]

Firebird - if you see any solid Blazer/Jimmy tubs - shoot me a PM since the 2wd I bought will need similar surgery down the road.

More progress today - I only take off Fridays in the 'nice weather months' here [June-Sept] to do work on my trucks - I am getting more done in the cold than I did over the summer...oh well.

Mario - the part you are referring to is the outer floor extension piece - it is the inner rocker and about 4 inches into the floor [no more front and rear parts to weld together - this covers the whole length of the truck rocker and floor - where the rust usually is.

I could not get mine to line up enough (on the drain channel and seat bump) so I cut the floor at the edge to butt weld on the original floor. I got it from a FS thread on the board here it has an outback truck parts sticker on it from your neck of the woods - but several vendors have them [TriPlus, Wes, GMCPauls] - run about $60. Here is a link to a pic of them:

http://www.gmcpauls.com/pictures/677...nnerrocker.jpg

I got everything lined up and I think tomorrow will begin my B-Pillar project to see how much I am missing and what I will need to build.

I stopped by my local hardware store and did find a few brass fittings that will be me up and running for welding.

I was going to paint the insides of the rocker boxes to protect them from any more rusting - but when I checked the can from www.nomorerust.com it mentioned not to use it below 35 degrees - I don't even think it hit that as a high today.

Well - nonetheless - here are my pix from today. I didn't get a shot of the trimming I did on the outer floor extension patch - but you can see it in the shot of the top of the floor/support...

After checking out the B-pillar I will bolt/tack weld everything in place then put on the door and fender to check for alignment to make sure that I am on track still.

Then take it all back off and adjust, if necessary, and then start my welding.

I think the other side should go a lot faster once I do one side - so I know what I am working with.

I have a new appreciation for people who do this stuff for a living and I hate anybody who lives in areas where this stuff isn't an issue.

[Firebirdjones]

Originally Posted by lks dcvn

Firebird - if you see any solid Blazer/Jimmy tubs - shoot me a PM since the 2wd I bought will need similar surgery down the road.

I always have my eyes peeled and hit all the swap meets around Arizona, I'll keep in touch.

[Firebirdjones]

Originally Posted by lks dcvn

I have a new appreciation for people who do this stuff for a living and I hate anybody who lives in areas where this stuff isn't an issue.

Easier to understand why a good body man gets $60+ an hour for that stuff, sure is fun eh??

Guess I better not post anymore pictures of rust free stuff out here if I want to stay on your good side.

[1956cameo]

It's looking good!

[Jtrux]

Originally Posted by lks dcvn

I have a new appreciation for people who do this stuff for a living and I hate anybody who lives in areas where this stuff isn't an issue.

Hate is such a strong word.

[BLUE THUNDER]

Thanks dude. It's really looking good.

[lks dcvn]

B Pillar Work...some before and then after fitting the patch panels together...

still no tack welding - I want to be sure that this stuff all fits before doing one weld.

I will need to create some of the floor and 'step up' area on the psgr side...

Cutting out the rocker box reinforcement plate was a good time let me tell you - 4 1/2" angle grinder on my back to get the remnants of that plate out was a PITA for the past few days.

[lks dcvn]

few more pix...taking a break to thaw out and grab some lunch.

high of 23 today and I have been outside for 3+ hours already...brrrr

[Chevyman63]

Way to go...nice work.

[Firebirdjones]

Originally Posted by lks dcvn

few more pix...taking a break to thaw out and grab some lunch.

high of 23 today and I have been outside for 3+ hours already...brrrr

Looks good, it's coming along.

Holy moly it was a high of 23 and you're doing this outside???

We had a high of about 58 here in Prescott Valley today. My body has adjusted quite nicely since we moved out here from cold country

[lks dcvn]

Thanks Tim [ChevyMan]

I did about 2 more hours of work out there and then I was too tired of the cold to continue any longer...my knees and back are shot.

I am now working on the B pillar patch and the rear front quarter patch - more fun to follow as I am off work tomorrow as well.

I am working in a non-heated garage with a propane heater next to me and a 500 watt halogen light assisting with the crappy lighting in my garage.

I plan to build a well illuminated, heated multi-bay shop in 2011. I am heading to Alaska in 2010 so that will soak up my garage fund - but it should be worth it -

[Wasted Income]

Nice work! Thanks for the pics...they will help me when it's time for me to start on that section of my truck.

[BLUE THUNDER]

Alaska, you can't get enough of the cold can you? I'm sure that is gonna be a great vacation Tom. I'm digging the progress on the Blazer. Can't wait to see more pics. Mario.

[Firebirdjones]

Wow that's dedicated.

Are you hand fabbing those floor pans?? Doesn't anyone repop the floor pans for these trucks??

[lks dcvn]

hand fabbing floors - not yet. I have used all the patch panels I can so far...

I did some more work on the b pillar yesterday and neglected to get pix before I came back in the house.

I got it back to solid metal so I could see what I needed to do. Today is my last day of vacation so I would like to get some more done.

[lks dcvn]

Today's progress - more bone chilling time in the garage - high of 28 today -

I ordered a set of the floor supports from GMCPaul today [Pic 1] - hopefully they show up by the weekend so I can see how they look mocked up in position - they support the floor area under the corner of the floor where my rust hole is.

I also need to pick up some weld through primer tomorrow/this week since the paint place was closed today by the time I thought of it.

Pix of the progress.

[Pix 2 & 3]

I cut out the floor to test fit the inner rocker patch - came out pretty close. I then mocked up the B Pillar patch and got it cut down close enough

[Pix 4 & 5]

I then wanted to see how the outer rocker looked mocked up so I put it on and got a few pix to show it on the truck...

[lks dcvn]

I also needed to see how bad the rear quarter was so I did some trimming on that to resolve a crappy fix from one of the previous owners [old pix from late fall are the first 2] - interesting fix that they did here [pic of inside of quarter included] - looks like they never even ground the welds down afterward on the outside - just slapped on some filler and then painted it.

I went out to clean, unbent, non-rusted metal and cut from there...

[lks dcvn]

Then I did some hanging of the rear quarter - I haven't trimmed it down yet...

and then a picture from when it was warmer out before I started this project...

I hate cold weather -

[VA72C10]

looking good. Keep at it.

[lks dcvn]

Got my patch panels last night from GMCPaul - I got dinged on the shipping [$17 and it shows up in a $5 small flat rate box] - - oh well.

They seemed smaller than I had imagined - but I bolted one up to see how it looked. I didn't take a picture - I was too cold to stay out there too long.

One of my buddies let me borrow his propane heater for the winter - and the thing is terrible - don't get me wrong - it can warm you up if you are standing next to it, but for me to put on the rust paint and the weld through primer I need some warmer temps in the garage.

I just picked up a 125k forced air heater that is propane driven so that should put a bit more heat into the garage for me to work in. I should have that this weekend.

I will give by buddy his heater back with a 12 pack of beer for the 'rental fee' -

One day [hopefully before retirement] - I am moving just to be warm year round...I wish my job were portable.

[Firebirdjones]

Originally Posted by lks dcvn

One day [hopefully before retirement] - I am moving just to be warm year round...I wish my job were portable.

I hear ya. That's one reason we left too.
Can't wait to see more pics. It's starting to look like a Blazer again.

[1949gmc]

Is there anyplace in this country now that's warm? Hell, it's only 58 in Key West today! Then there's the snow that we have to put up with, too. You're probably getting hit pretty hard today. Ours started about 12 hours ago.

Hey, I was wondering what you're thinking about doing for doors for your truck. I've got two new repops (one Blazer and one truck door that I cut down) that I got from GMCPauls that I'm not going to use. Any interest? Wouldn't be sure how to get them to you- one of the boxes got ruined.

[lks dcvn]

Weather here - 3-5" of snow today/tonight - with snow in the forecast for the next few days as well -

Not sure on the doors yet - the set on there isn't too bad - some rust here and there.

I also have a set of truck doors that I might use - haven't got that far yet though.

When I get there and I have a need - I will be in touch. Thanks.

[Firebirdjones]

Originally Posted by 1949gmc

Is there anyplace in this country now that's warm?

Arizona

[Firebirdjones]

Originally Posted by lks dcvn

Weather here - 3-5" of snow today/tonight - with snow in the forecast for the next few days as well -

I hear ya, saw the forcast out there and it looked like quite a bit coming your way on radar.