"Slowly but Surely" Big J's build thread...

[Big J]

I got the back 4 pieces welded in and the front pieces tacked in. I should have it all welded up and ground down tomorrow night. I'm getting closer to media blasting and primer

[Big J]

I didn't get any grinding done but I did get all the patches welded in including the passengers floor. I started filling the little screw holes here and there too. If time allows I'll get some more done this weekend.....

[vtblazer]

Originally Posted by Big J

I started filling the little screw holes here and there too.

Don't know about yours but the last one I did had over 125 of those "little screw holes" to fill.

Looking great, thanks for the ongoing updates.

[Big J]

Originally Posted by vtblazer

Don't know about yours but the last one I did had over 125 of those "little screw holes" to fill.

Looking great, thanks for the ongoing updates.

Thats alot of screw holes.... I may have 30-40, so not so bad. The worst hole to fill is the one in the fire wall, its more of a rip, can't figure out how it got there. You can see it in the last pic of the passenger floor. Its about 2/3rds up.
Yeah these ongoing updates seem to be the best way to document the build. If I didn't do it this way I'd forget what I've done

[jaros44sr]

Don't even waste your time trying to figure out why or how the PO did something

Mine used a can opener to run the antenna wire thru the cowl



Did you have enuff bed panel matrl.? Nice work, looks like your wrapping things up

[pound41]

Excuse my stupidity are you flanging and welding the seams and screw holes or are you butt welding
Thanks

[Big J]

Originally Posted by pound41

Excuse my stupidity are you flanging and welding the seams and screw holes or are you butt welding
Thanks

Not a stupid question at all. On the floors it was a mix of butt welding and some flanging. The screw hole are just ground clean and filled in. The bed pieces are all butt welded. It should hold up just fine, I'm going to be media blasting the top side and underside of the tub. Then primering and rubber coating the floor and Por15ing the underside. Should last for years.

J the material was plenty, I have about a 3rd left, unless some other parts go to crap when I hit it with the black beauty, lol...... Its gonna be bright shiny metal when I'm done with it!

[pound41]

I wasn't sure if you were flanging and screwing to get your fit and then cutting it to butt weld. I have restored many cars and done the bodywork/ paint but i had the welding done by professional. several years I bought a 75 silverado for a worktruck I decided to semi restore and weld in the panels for practice. I flanged some places on the bed and fender. The patches rusted back out and they started on the inside part of the flange opposite the weld. I didn't do anything to seal that area. I am replacing most of the entire front floor area of my blazer the area under the seats and hump they sit on was rusted badly Shockingly the torsion boxes were in good shape. Thats how i missed a lot of the rust. I had never seen one with good boxes and crappy floors so i never pulled the carpet. Anyway I wanted to flange but was afraid to. I see you are sealing yhe area. I thought of taking body seam sealer more in line with Jaros dum dum caulk and putting it on the edge opposite the weld and then screwing it let it set and then work. Sorry for the long post

[jaros44sr]

That's the problem, with doing floors. Accessiblity, because of the torsion boxes. When I flanged mine, I still had access to the bottom to finish up the bottom weld. I think that if you use a good zinc primer this should stop the rust, or at least act as a sacrificial matrl. After your done welding, then you can come back with a good brushable seam sealer

Pound 41, let us know how you make out, curious, always open for new solutions to old problems

Sorry for the hyjack Big J., hyjack off

[Big J]

I sealed up underneath while I could get my arm up in there. It will probably rust again in about 40 or so years.... Maybe it won't. The only flange is on the outside edge of the floor. Its mostly protected, under and on top.

I got all my grinding done today. Got a bunch of holes filled in too. I found 3 more that I need to do. I should be able to get that done tomorrow.

[Big J]

Wow, all kinds of posts today on the Blazer board. I figure I'd better post a pic of what little I did, lol. I put the drivers door on. Thats mostly it, . I have some adjusting to do but its not far out. I put the plate around the door latch on the passenger door too. Got the hinges off, just need to rebuild them.

[Big J]

Got the hinges rebuilt tonight for the passenger door. Man that top hinge gave me fits. I used a torch to heat it and everything, even busted out the BFH! Ended up bending the hinge, good thing I had several laying around. I broke a punch too... It wasn't until I got to the third hinge that I was able to get it apart...... The door lined up pretty nice. I still have some adjusting to do but for the most part they look good. I plan on mounting up the outer rockers this weekend.

[Big J]

I almost forgot about the goodies!!! Heres all the stuff to get it ready for paint. Primers, filler, cleaner, primer gun, metal prep, sand paper, dura-blocks...... Gettin' there, "Slowly but Surely", .

[49m]

Where did you get your paint supplies and how much did they cost

[Big J]

Originally Posted by 49m

Where did you get your paint supplies and how much did they cost

I got them from a place in Lousiville called Finishmaster 4350 Robards Lane, Suite B Louisville, KY 40218 (502)458-9002. Ask for Mike. All the stuff you see is just to get primer down and ready to paint. I'll pm you the rest....

[49m]

Thanks

[Big J]

Originally Posted by 49m

Thanks

No problem....

Well with the advice a wisdom filled fellow board member I started pulling out and installing my new body mount set on this old frame. I really want the doors and outer rockers to line up the best they can so add one more step to this slow process. I should have all that done tomorrow night. I'm really wanting to get my outer rockers on so I can call the floors done!!!! Then on to the bedsides....

[Chevyman63]

Way to go Big J, great progress!

[Big J]

Well this ended up being one of those weekends with lots of projects to do.... Not including the Blazer, lol.... I did get the doors all lined up nice and straight..... A shim here and a shim there along with some adjusting at the hinges... They came out nice... to me anyways, . I started fitting the drivers outer rocker. I've got it close to welding in. Hopefully I'll get some time this week to knock both of those out.

[Big J]

I haven't got much done...... The drivers outer rocker is ready to weld on. I'm going to throw a fender on to make sure but it looks pretty good right now. Maybe this weekend I'll actually get something done. I've been tinkering with a couple new mowers we picked up... Ones a John Deere 400 and the other is a Cub Cadet 2135. Fun stuff. Tinkering that is, not mowing, that just sucks . Neighbors giving me a hard time. I've got a mower collection going on, JD GT275, 216, 210, and the Cub 2135
I like lawn mowers, I really want a small tractor, oh well. Thats way down on the list. I've still got to pick up a new grill and paint and tires and etc......... It'll be worth all the blood, sweat, and tears when I get to drive it. Yes there were tears, lol.... After bloodying my knuckles I wasn't able to wipe the sweat out of my eyes quick enough so I teared up, .

[Burt4x4]

Keep going
Looks like the factory green on your firewall is the same as mine was.

[vtblazer]

Doors look like they came out great, nice job.

What's next after the floors are finished?

[Big J]

Originally Posted by Burt4x4

Keep going
Looks like the factory green on your firewall is the same as mine was.

I'm tryin'... Friggin' mig, fought with it all day.....

Originally Posted by vtblazer

Doors look like they came out great, nice job.

What's next after the floors are finished?

Well a P.O. cut off the bottom edges of the rear wheel wells, so probably fixing that. Then some dent work. Glad you like the doors. Hangin' doors by yourself is fun.....

I got the drivers rocker done today and the passengers ready to weld up. I'd got more done if my mig hadn't been acting funny. Maybe tomorrow it will cooperate I also had to go play in the snow with the JD... We're supposed to end up with 6-13" of the white stuff.

[jaros44sr]

Try checking amps and volts, maybe something is sucking some of your current away....Dang PO's

[Chevyman63]

Looking good man!