how rough is too rough for a start

[Custom 68]

Hey all I have wanted a blazer/jimmy for years but hadnt found one that I could afford as a project. Well I looked at one today but as expected the body is pretty rough. I have redone my 68 pickup but dont know much about these beasts.
The rust is the bottom of the doors, and rockers. the front of the floor doesnt look bad but the "tub" around the wheel wells and the wheel arches (outside) are eatten up pretty bad.
Now it has the double wall hard top and soft top. CST, front original buckets (rough) and console and original rear seat. No other options to speak of.

anyway it is a 72 4x4
Thanks
Dave

[krue]

How is the windsheild frame? That seems to be the hardest piece to find.

[Custom 68]

I did look at that frame it looks good no rust I could see it still has the original windshield (I assume) it has the "snow" effect
Dave

[LUV2XCLR8]

Take ya a orange peeler, they are a plastic thingamajiggy that peel
oranges w/ out being able to break your own skin, and go around in
side and outside of the seal peeling it back a lil w/ the peeler, if it's
got alot of rust, missing the edges, or has holes it's a pretty involved
repair, you will have to swap out the entire winsheild frame, yuck

[raggedjim]

Dave, after messing with these trucks and blazers for awhile, I recommend starting with the best unit you can afford as far as rust. That being said, even ones that don't look too bad have more rust than you would expect.

I never take my own advise and this is what I get for it... But doing something like this gives me a learning experience (even if I only learn new curse words!)

Mine needed rocker panels, lower a-pillars, lower b-pillars, floors, floor supports, rocker boxes, and on and on... Was it worth buying? Well, I could have driven it the way it was and I decided to tear it down. I think it's worth it, but others will not think it is, after all, it's just an old truck.

You're the one who will have to live with the decision, and remember, you can quickly spend alot of $ fixing things that you may have been better off spending on a better truck to start with...

Good luck, Rg

[LUV2XCLR8]

I c u are finally making a lil Porgress w/ that one Roger

[Custom 68]

thanks roger, you are right you can spend tons of money and time I just did on my 68. timing is bad right now we are moving so it is a mess around here.
I can buy it for 1300-1500 dollars. it is drivable alot of the drive train has been gone thru but yea the rust will be tough. I had been following your repars looks fun...
thanks again fellas for the advice.
dave

[72jimmy]

FWIW I bought mine with the intention of learning to repair rot. you could see the ground through the pass and drivers floorboard. I put in rockers, torque boxes (youch!!) floorboards, lower quarters all around, rear wheel wells, a tailgate, several hand made panels for the bed... by the time I was finished I wished I had not gotten into it that deep. I had to buy a parts truck just to get some pieces. lots of money and too much time. love the truck now dont get me wrong.

BEFORE
AFTER

[vtblazer]

Rust repair can take years depending on your available time.
Consider that when purchasing, JMO.

Save your money and buy a good one when you find it.
Their almost 'always' worse than what you can see from the first go 'round.

[pound41]

I agree with get the best you can for your $. I read an article in a muscle mag about Goodmark. They said they got into the business to hang sheetmetal. It was talking about how backed up they were. They said with all the new sheetmetal out there. Cars that people once would not touch are being totally redone. With the complete floorpan due out soon and Wes trying to get the windsheild frame repoed. Theres not much left. Then that highly optioned CST with no 1/4s left is going to be just as desireable as any other than an unmolested original. Its like with my 69 camaro rs/ss.A minimal rust base model was once worth more than a highly optioned rust bucket. You now have totally unmolested -Highly optional original motor trans etc irregardless of whether every panel on it had been rehung or not and then on down the line. Trucks/Blazers are the new semi untapped market thats why we have all the new parts. Outside of the virgin no rust metal states they all rust to some extend unless you keep them in a controlled envirnoment. I have seen a few cali trucks come to VA and start to rusting pretty quick. Without question if you don't want to do any sheetmetal work go as rustfree as possible. But once repairing rust even small amounts. The amout most want for doing 2 common patches on a 1/4
panel is the same labor price for hanging a new one

[Ochre]

It all depends on your equipment and motivation....mechanically, seems like 80% of the bolts on the trucks are 1/2" or 9/16", but getting into bodywork takes some big money and motivation....I'm going thru rust repair on my '71, in the past few months i've dropped at least $500 in equipment just for doing the bodywork on this thing, including a good spot weld drill and a steal on a nicer welder that needed some work, it will take me time, money, swearing and mistakes but at least in the end I'll have more equipment, experience and a nice truck to show for it (instead of just a nice truck and a huge bodyshop bill)

Really, my advice is to go for as straight as possible, rustfree as possible is nice but not really realistic with these trucks as even the cali trucks do rust out around the windshield frame, rear tailgate area and rocker boxes due to not enough thought put into where water would go/get stuck when it rained.

[70rs/ss]

Man, I keep trying to tell you guys to fly to AZ and drive one home!! I found my 72 sitting for sale along side the road, struck a deal and drove it home. Compared to what you guys see back east, this is a as new rolling off the showroom floor (I could cover the rust with a dime!) and two rockers later it is spotless!!. I paid decent coin and plan to unload at a latter date, but with the purchase price, plane ticket, and fuel, you'll save money and butt loads of time!! My time is free, but when I work I make lots of $$$ so my spare "free time" is worth something, so I buy a "GOOD" start and fix mechanicals and drive, rather than pull it down to the last bolt for a full on resto. Buy good, and do not be afraid to pull stuff back and poke around, if the seller freaks, he is hiding something. Look untill you are satisfied, cause whatever you think it will take in time will actually be triple that and the $$$ you plan for will be 5 times that and so on!! Good luck!!

[raggedjim]

Yeah, It's been busy at work but I hope to get some garage time soon...

Hopefully, I can post an update thread in a month or so...

Custom68, thanks for letting me jack your thread...

Rg

[RunTMCfan]

I overpaid for mine. But I absolutely wanted A/C, Tilt and no rust. That's the way it goes.

I'm pretty happy. Lot's of work left.

[Custom 68]

Hey thanks guys, and jack the thread all you want I am holding off for now the timing is bad with us trying to move, I am going to be homless here pretty quick
I did a frame off with my 68 SWB it was a ton of work but well worth it. I had had the truck for 18 or 20 years...
I will find one and it will be a fun project.
Thanks guys and I think I will hang out here more often.
Dave

[DURRTY]

Originally Posted by LUV2XCLR8

Take ya a orange peeler, they are a plastic thingamajiggy that peel
oranges w/ out being able to break your own skin, and go around in
side and outside of the seal peeling it back a lil w/ the peeler, if it's
got alot of rust, missing the edges, or has holes it's a pretty involved
repair, you will have to swap out the entire winsheild frame, yuck

this is an older post I know but

What if you patched and welded the holes? not anything along the top of it but the sides and bottom? I ask because up until I read this I was going to do this to mine. If its going to be nothing but a waste of time Ill start hunting down a better frame and graft it in.......