Left for dead: 72 2wd blazer build

[1949gmc]

That frame and firewall look soooooo much better. Don't ya just love a clean frame? Nice job...

[trenz68]

looks like a good project

[Muleman100]

What is your target date for finishing the passenger side of the floor and rocker?

[1956cameo]

1949gmc, Thanks I wish the body wasn't in the way so the rest of the frame could look as clean!

trenz68, Thanks! Its getting there.

Muleman100, It shouldn't take any longer than it does to re cover the seats to a 1966 suburban!

I wen't out to my dad's on Saturday to work on the blazer. It was a pretty uneventful day. We only got the following done.

- Welded in the donor toe board
-Completely welded in the donor hat channel (previously blocked by rocker box)
-Bolted both aftermarked blazer rienforcement plates into place
-Drilled out front fender to body mount holes
-Installed rienforcement place in F. fender to body mount
-Tacked the bottom of the rocker to the bottom of the outer floor panel
-Bolted D/S seat into place and got all of the mounting holes drilled and brackets welded into place
-Removed the remnants of the old rocker box
-Test fit the replacement focker box into place


Okay I had some pictures to show but Photobucket wants to be a pain in my @$$ like always so I will post them when it decides to work properly again.

[1956cameo]

Here is a before pic from February of the drivers side rocker area!



This is a shot of the rebuilt drivers side rocker area as of June 6.


Same area just looking forward.


This is a shot of the rebuilt underside of the drivers side rocker area. This is before the remnants of the old rocker box were removed from the vehicle, and touch up paint was applied.

[VA72C10]

nice progress!

[1956cameo]

VA72C10, Thanks! It feels good to see one part of this tub that doesn't have rust holes in it.

[JimmyFloyd]

Looks great. The more pictures the better. I will be doing a lot of this same stuff

[oldblue1968chevy]

WOW MAN! A month ago I woulda looked and said cool. I started on this and im AMAZED! Your doing WORK! I wish you could come give me some pointers! Looks great how long has all this taken you? Thanks keep up the AWESOME work!

[1956cameo]

JimmyFloyd, Thanks! I will definately keep posting as many pictures as I can.

Oldblue1968chevy, Thanks for the recognition! It has definately been some work.

[1956cameo]

I got a chance to work on the blazer a little today. I spent most of the day tearing out all of the rotten panels in the passenger side door area. I belive there was about 20 pounds of rust and dirt that came out of the truck today; and one rats nest.


I got the drivers side rocker box set into place, but my dad threw his back out so we were unable to weld it in today.



It felt so comforting to complete the metal work on the drivers side door and rocker area. Then it felt very deflating to start it all over again on the passenger side. Here is a shot of the passenger side before starting. It was much better than the drivers side when I started on it.



After taking off the rotten rocker panel I was left with the typical rotted out lower door pillar.



At least on this side I was left with enough metal to take pictures for references.

[1956cameo]

I was able to get the outer section of the old floor out today and cut the reproduction outer floor section down to size. I would have been able to get it tacked in today if it weren't for my dads bad back and a rotten hat channel.



Since I couldn't tack any new metal in I continued cutting out rotten metal. I tore down to the 1/4 panel brace. I was hoping it would be in good shape but it was rotten as well. So I cut it out to use as a template on making a new one.



I was thinking I might be able to keep the original rocker box in place and just patch it but it is pretty pitted so now I am thinking it will be replaced. I know this doesn't sound like alot but that was a days work! Hoping to make more progress soon. Here is a parting shot of the way she looked when I left her today.

[68,69 K20]

Thumbs up for taking on a project most guys would have probably sent to the crusher or stripped for parts...

You do great work, especially the repair work you did on the rusty cowl, nice....

[1956cameo]

68,69 K20, Thanks for the compliment! It's been alot of work so far, but still alot of fun.

[vectorit]

WOW! I just stumbled across your build here, and dang you sure are going the extra mile on reviving that Blaze! Very interesting to read, and see all of your progress photo's.

Keep up the good work, and I can't wait to see it all come together now!

Subscribed

[1956cameo]

Vectorit, Thanks! I am trying to show as many pictures as I can for both information and entertainment value. Whenever I am done with the blazer I plan on starting on my 72' suburban. It should be a cakewalk compared to this old girl!

72' Deluxe, with factory 402 big block. A spectator at the local cruise night called her "The Battle Wagon". I liked the name so thats what I now call her.



Not much in the way of rust. A little over the windshield, but that is it. Those specs you see aeren't small rust holes but little tar balls. They come from Texas asphalt roads that get so hot in the summer they make your tires sling up tar goop.

[1956cameo]

I got back out to the shop this weekend and made more progress! The first thing I did was get rid of all the rot in the rear door panel. As you can see it did not leave a whole lot left. I'll admit at this point I was wondering where to base dimensions on how to place things back into place.



I figured the piece that would be the hardest to screw up would be the vertical flooring, so I started the rebuild process here.



Next I started the long task of rebuilding the 1/4 panel to door jam brace. It is no where near as pretty as the repro's (or the D/S one I made) but I really need to put that money in other parts of the blazer.



After getting the 1/4 panel brace welded in I got the rear door pillar patch welded into place.

[1956cameo]

While the blazer has come a good ways I still feel that everywhere I look there are rust holes. Here you can see rust holes in the front floorboard area where the hat channel goes.


Fortunately I still had the donor flooring left from that old truck cab and it was in good shape. It also had a solid hat channel on it so I replaced both pieces at once.
Here is a shot of the blazer floor once the rotted hat channel and flooring had been removed.



The blazer now has a solid P/S floorboard and hat channel once again.



After I got the hat channel in place I trimmed down the outer floor patch panel and got it tacked in. Once I got this far along I really started noticing that this side of the blazer was really going back together much smoother and with better fitting than the drivers side panels had. I am attributing it to leaving the rocker box in on this side. It is working great as a reference for where the place all of the donor/ patch panels.



Before I called it a day I had just enough time to trim down the kick panel patch and tack it into place.




I was really pleased with the amount of work that got done this weekend. Next time I work on the blazer I am hoping to finish all of the rust repair around the door area and am hoping to finally get the top off of her and see what the windshield frame really looks like.

[VA72C10]

nice work on the rust repair...and that burb looks like an EXCELLENT start!!!

[1956cameo]

VA72C10, Thanks! I will be glad when I am done doing rust repairs in the door and rocker areas. I feel like I have been working on this part of the blazer for ever. I am not sure how eager I will be to start on the suburban after the blazer is done, I might need a break by then!

[hgs_notes]

Originally Posted by 1956cameo

I am not sure how eager I will be to start on the suburban after the blazer is done, I might need a break by then!

You might be surprised. You may find yourself getting revved up to work on something different.

[Muleman100]

You have a break every other weekend.

[1956cameo]

hgs_notes, I hope that is the case. I do find myself thinking about things I want to do to the suburban even though the blazer is no where near completion.

Muleman100, HA! I think you forgot how "relaxing" it is when you have 2 under 2 at home!

[72MARIO]

your work looks great

I did the same thing to my 67 short box. My only mistake was not aligning the doors on the cab first and then welding the rockers on. If you dont make sure the door fits and has a nice vertical line against the 1/4. Then hanging the rocker horiziontal to the bottom of the door the gaps are really hard to get looking right.

[1956cameo]

72MARIO, Thanks! I am definately concerned with what the door gaps are going to look like. On the drivers side I bolted the blazer door on while welding the rocker panel on. Unfortunately the original door is completely rusted out and I am not using it. For the most part it all fit up okay. There was a little rubbing of the door and rocker at the very front. I just hope that the door that I am going to use (cut down truck door) fits up at least as good if not better than the original door. I should find out the next time I work on the blazer.