Rare blazers???

[Jtrux]

I read some old brochure about the 1st gen blazers saying that the bare bones blazers came with no top, only one drivers seat and basically nothing else. Anyone have one of these; i'm guessing they'd be worth something since not very many were probably made and/or purchased. Also, was the three speed column shift standard and a four speed an option??

[69TowRig]

You read right. Not many left the factory without a top though. 3-speed column shift was standard. Mine doesn't have many options, 307, gauge dash, all 3 seats, top, chrome bumpers, manual locking hubs, and side mouldings.

[bouncytruck]

I wouldn't think that any dealers would order a truck without the top or a passenger seat. If one was ordered that way, most likely a top has been added over the years.

I wonder if the bed rails would have holes (double wall) or the threaded inserts (single wall) for the top if it came without one? Would the visor mounts be different?

[Classic Heartbeat]

My 70 2WD doesn't have any holes in the bed rails or rear stake pockets for the top. It also doesn't or didn't have window regulators, nor holes in the door panels for them. No vent window pillars on the doors either. Now that I think about it, it also doesn't have provisions for a back seat, had a 6 cylender, and 3 speed tranny also. WES www.ClassicHeartbeat.com

[bouncytruck]

Wes, what did they do for side windows? I thought the "Chalet" still had door glass.

[Classic Heartbeat]

The top of each door and tailgate had a row of snaps and inside where the side windows would have gone were little tubes screwed in place. Come to think about it, there is a bunch of what looks like screw holes in the drip rail and snaps are still in place at the top of the windsheild pillars. WES

[raggedjim]

Wes, did your doors have the fiberglass top piece on them? Did they have the frame for the vent glass? If not, it was probably one of a few that was ordered without a top. According to the literature the windows, regulators and vent windows were part of the fiberglass top option.

How did the inside door panels look on that Blazer? Was there a hole for the window crank?

Sorry for all the questions, I find this interesting...

Rg

[Classic Heartbeat]

There wasn't a fiberglass top peice, nor even the reminents of one that I can see. The door panels did not have holes for the window regulators, nor a frame for the vent windows. WES www.ClassicHeartbeat.com

[raggedjim]

Hmmm, this is the only pic (a bad one at that) of a blazer without windows or vent window frame. I always thought it was an early prototype (notice the bench seat in it). I have been looking for more info on it but haven't found any yet.

Wes, I apologize, I just noticed you had answered everything I had asked in your earlier post, I must have oldtimers...



Roger

[Classic Heartbeat]

Mine is realy close to that one. It doesn't have the spare tire mount and is a 2 wheel drive though. It also only had one utility bucket seat. WES www.ClassicHeartbeat.com

[raggedjim]

Wes, I went through your old post, everything looks good and you've made alot of progress on that blazer.

Did you have any pics from before you got started?

Rg

[Classic Heartbeat]

I have some somewhere. I will look for them. WES

[LUV2XCLR8]

Originally Posted by raggedjim

Did you have any pics from before you got started?

Rg

[65-72 chevytoys]

Originally Posted by Jtrux

I read some old brochure about the 1st gen blazers saying that the bare bones blazers came with no top, only one drivers seat and basically nothing else. Anyone have one of these; i'm guessing they'd be worth something since not very many were probably made and/or purchased. Also, was the three speed column shift standard and a four speed an option??

Here is a brochure showing the seat as well as other options. I found this picture here along with about 8 color pages for blazers and Jimmys

http://www.coloradok5.com/brochures/1972/

[Critter]

Originally Posted by 65-72 chevytoys

Here is a brochure showing the seat as well as other options. I found this picture here along with about 8 color pages for blazers and Jimmys

http://www.coloradok5.com/brochures/1972/

“Water-proofed instrument cluster and ignition switch”??? Look under the standard interior description. I’ve never heard it described that way before. I wish mine would have come with the “Water-proofed floor pans” so that the see-through rust hole wouldn’t have developed!

[cheyenne10]

Wes;

Didn't that blazer come out of Oregon? If it was sold here new it would have been a sunny day driver or a baja runner. I think you should return it to one of us in the state. I can promise to keep it dry and in good company!!

[special-K]

I never knew about the waterproof instument panel.Look at that cluster with only two small guage holes.Never seen that.Must be a pre-production ad.

[Huck]

Waterproof dash was standard issue on blazers--had radio speaker mounted below--and all the dashs (blazer and trucks) have a whole in the lower corners to allow the water to drip down that leaks from the leaking windshields. (heheheh)
Floor rust holes are actually planned to prevent water build up on the floor---if you remove floor mats, carpeting, etc. water will evaporate and you wouldn't have rust there!(hehehehe)
That's why the stock torque boxes have holes in them--to let the water out--but you need to flush them reqularly to avoid dirt to build up and hold the moisture. I've parted out dozens of trucks and probably 8 blazers recently and cab supports, cab corners, torque boxes, rear bed floors---almost always have dirt-mud-wet rags-crap---holding moisture which is the prime reason for the rust.
Now in my humble opinion, the rarest Blazers are not the early ones but the rust free ones. Those are the ones that are most valuable ---. Wes's bare bones blazer is really unusual and neat---but if rust free---then really valuable. Any normally rusted out blazer (no matter how equipped) is only worth the value of the parts less the work to remove them---my .02. These are not 63-7 corvette's with build numbers that are critical to bring mega $$$. The nicest original or perfectually restored Blazers rarely bring more then $25k despite the reality that it often takes twice that in investment to build one. Fun to have, fun to drive, great for off road, cheap 4x4 with tons of potential butttt---not the greatest collectable investment vehicle.