1947 S10 4x4 Blazer swap

[gregw98]

Same going on here in New Orleans. 11:30 at night and 68 degrees. Not complaining, but weird, it's still January.

[87Jimmy4JP]

I really like the above picture for some reason....the truck has a "snoopy" "Joe Cool" like personality...cool shot!

JP

[Daze57]

great job on poundin them out !
i am sure on this site you might be able to find a fender or two in better shape if ya wanna go that route - other than that truck looks great !

[msaintg]

thanks, it is quite the stress reliever to beat on old metal. Since I only paid $500 for the whole truck, it is hard for me to justify spending hundreds of dollars on other used parts.... bondo is cheap. People here in AZ are VERY proud of their crap too. Sellers ask thousands for stuff here that would sell for a few bucks other places (and then they wonder why it does not sell). I don't get it. I figure I can't make my crap any worse by trying to repair it, so if I can salvage it, I am ahead. If I replace every part on this truck that was worn out, there would be nothing left to call the original truck. mike

[msaintg]

week 51 - I finally got the last fender and the running boards painted. Nothing bolted on yet. I also decided to take a one inch wedge cut out of the hood..... partly because I got too frustrated trying to line the thing up and not being able to see what was going on under there.... but mostly because I like the look. I will probably spend the next couple of weeks getting fenders and running boards mounted and get the hood to fit.

Mike

[msaintg]

I forgot, I also got the gas filler tube and door attached.

[gregw98]

That is looking so good. If my garage was ever that clean, it would be a miracle.

[msaintg]

Thanks, the 'garage' may be clean, but my 'workshop' is a huge mess! I have not seen my bench in a year! I can hardly work. It is so funny how the angle of a picture effects our perceptions. My wife has one rule... she doesn't care what I do in the garage, but her car needs to be back in there every night. What you didn't see......

[msaintg]

Week 52 - I spent this week cleaning up the doors to find out what I have to work with. There is actually very little rust on the passenger door (and just a few dents) and the drivers door is almost perfect. Before and after pics from wire brushing everything. The PO was going to shave the door handles so he butchered the passenger door and then stopped. I think I am going to try to use the door handles and latches from the Blazer IF I can get them to work. Otherwise, I will put the door back to stock. (plan B is to use stock door handles with aftermarket bearclaw latches) The PO also removed all of the glass and hardware from the passenger door. I need to figure out what parts and hardware are missing and get some parts ordered.

[88Lt1wagon]

Nice, it's looking like a pickup again

[msaintg]

Ok 2/8/2013 is my one year anniversary from when I brought the project truck home, so it is time for some calculations…… I have 520 hours and $6472 invested in it so far. Not bad, I am still averaging 10 hours per week on it…..and that is less than $125 per week spent on it. I know people that spend more than that on cigarettes!!

[dug224]

Originally Posted by msaintg

Ok 2/8/2013 is my one year anniversary from when I brought the project truck home, so it is time for some calculations…… I have 520 hours and $6472 invested in it so far. Not bad, I am still averaging 10 hours per week on it…..and that is less than $125 per week spent on it. I know people that spend more than that on cigarettes!!

Man...I had hoped you included something like this. Great job keeping it "on the cheap". I am trying to keep mine at about $10k when complete and appear to be on track. I will have $100k in labor in it but I don't buy cigarettes or play golf. Great job. dug

[msaintg]

thanks dug, I know a lot of guys don't want to know how much money or time they have invested in their trucks, but I guess that is the engineer in me coming out. I managed to get the hinges painted so I was able to hang the doors. Still need some more TLC to get them hung properly, but I am getting closer.

[msaintg]

week 64 - Well I FINALLY got the dang doors hung without them sticking out to far, sticking in too far, or hitting the door frame. I got most of the hardware inside the doors and got the windows working (I couldn't figure out how to put those metal clips on the track strip so I left them off for now). Then I started to make some door panels and put the trim on the windshield.

[gregw98]

What you didn't see......

That's more like it, I feel better now.

[Daze57]

doors are lookin really good -- !!!!!

[msaintg]

thanks Daze57, the doors were the last of the dirty, rusted, nasty parts to clean. I got all of the hardware removed from the drivers door now, but there is a rubber strip down inside both doors that I can't figure out how to get out. (looks like a wiper for the outside of the glass). Any ideas?
Mike

[Daze57]

wd 40 it and see if it slides out - watch out that ya dont slice you fingers - spray it good - wrk it bk and forth then see if it slides out . also look to see (if ya can ) if the ends are crimped a bit closed to keep it stable --- holla

[msaintg]

week 53 - This week I did some body work on the doors and got a first coat of primer on them. I need to do more work on them but I need to get them hung first. I tried to hang the doors but they are both too close to the frame at the top hinge. (the hinge needs to move out about 1/4" and they don't move that way) These are new hinges, so I dont' know what to do.... maybe elongate the holes side to side? I then moved back to the hood. The hood now slants down 1" more than stock at the front and slants back about 1/2" more than stock.

[msaintg]

wow, I spent another frustrating 5 hours trying to hang the doors. I knew they were going to be a hassle, but I never thought I would not even be able to close them. I had to butcher my brand new top hinges to move the doors up 1/2" and outward 1/4" and I sill can't get them to close all the way. Arrrrgh!

[54 jimmy]

i'll have to check i think i have an extra set of passanger side stock hinges you can have if you want. just pay the shipping and there yours. always willing to help out a fellow member.

[Larry Lindley]

Dont remember what forum I saw it on but some one has a drawing how to heat and bend these hinges so your doors fit right.

[msaintg]

So are you guys saying the new hinges are the problem? I can't see any difference between the new and old hinges, except the new aren't bent to crap like the old ones. The new hinges line up perfectly with all 4 bolt holes (ya, even the one in the back) so I didn't think there was anything wrong with the hinges. I don't know if this is possible, or if it is, how common, but it appears the cab door frame is not square. Even if I get the door to close the trim line is 1/2" off from left to right. And the door frame is waaaaay 'rounder' than the door window frame. (the corner of the door frame by the windshield hits and there is still 1/2" gap at the roof and windshield. It is hard to believe these doors went to this truck. Don't know why I am surprised, the hood was off by a whole inch!

[Larry Lindley]

These trucks have the hardest doors to square up your cab could be racked,you my have to elongate the holes at the door end of hinge,if you find something that works let us know.and good luck.

[gregw98]

Couldn't you loosen the cab mounting bolts and maybe use so shims to square up the door opening. I am about to face the same task of door hanging. So I will be following this thread closely, as I have already been doing.