72 2wd Blazer: Project "Break Me"

[jkade]

I bought this blazer back in Nov of 2005 after going on many wild goose chases looking for a 67-72 c10 truck. I drove 10 hours one way to look at one truck and it was a piece when I got there to get it. Came home and saw the blazer on ebay and it was only about a 3 hour ride, I told my wife that if this wasn't the one I was giving up. Got there to look at it and out of the other 10 guys that told me their trucks were rust free this one was actually just that. There where a lot of things I didn't like about it but I did like the fact that it was a great starting point and need just a little block sanding to be a pretty much perfect body. So I bought it and brought it home.

The first thing I did was get my buddy over @ Rods and Restos to get me some 20" torq thrust II's and got them put on there and it sit like a 4x4 instead of a 2wd. Next on the list was a set of drop spindles for the front and some 6" springs and 1.5" block for the back. Got those pieces installed a a bolt in c notch and had it looking pretty good but it need some interior.

The P.O. had installed some buckets and a console out of a 454ss truck and they where mint but the burgandy seats and carpet didn't go to well with the red paint. I stripped the interior and waited 6 months for my name to come up at Wilson's Upholstery in Cedartown, Ga. They had it done in about a month and I was very pleased with what they did for me. I had them cover a set of 98 tahoe front buckets with the headrest removed and a back seat from a 88 suburban. They also made custom door panels, rear panels for the bed, tailgate panel, covered the dash, dash pad, sun visors, carpet, custom bed rail covers, and a custom speaker box.

By the time I got it back I was looking to give the 402 a little more power and bought some heads, cam, headers, edelbrock pro flo, roller rockers, and some dress up goodies plus a stall for the th400. During this time I also installed a eaton posi and a set of 3:73's. Got the motor with the new parts and efi back in and all the efi did was give me trouble. All it would do is foul plugs and really piss me off so I decide to sell the motor and the efi and wait for a GENIII motor.

Well it has been sitting since about march and has the suspension robbed and installed under my 67 c10 truck. So here is what it is going to get.
1. Bought a 2003 LQ4 from a 2500hd truck and I am going to run a car intake and the th400.
2. The front suspension will get moved forward to center it in the wheel well and the rear will get moved back to do the same.
3. Section the front crossmember, add R&P, install tubular arms and bags.
4. If Kore3 comes out with the c5 vette brakes I will intall them on the front and hopefully on the back as well.
5. The rear will have to have as much of a step notch as the factory trailing arms will allow. I don't care to lay frame but I want a pretty low ride height.
6. The firewall will be getting a shave and vintage air will be thrown in somewhere.
7. The factory fuel filler has to go so I think I will cut the one off the 91 suburban parts truck I have and graft it in. And block sand the whole body down and paint. If I run the 1/2 top I will also install a fiberglass bed cover but I may run the full top till the funds pick back up from the rest of the above.

So that is about it in a nutshell. I will post up some pics of when I bought it and the steps along the way.

[jkade]

This is the ebay pic, I will scan the pics I took when I got it home tonight.

[jkade]

This is after the new 20's

[jkade]

This is the new interior

[jkade]

The old motor setup and what it looked like with the pro flo

[jkade]

This is how she looked last summer before I parked her. About it's last trip was the Nashville Good Guys were I took home the young guns award with it.

[jkade]

This is the ride height stance I would like to have and this is the one that made me want a 1/2 top and bed cover also.

[ColoradoK5]

This is going to be a sweet transformation to follow! I think you should go with the half top you will get the best of both worlds truck and Blazer!!

[jkade]

More pics from along the way

[jkade]

This is it's current state but I do have 4 wheels and tires back under it now so I can roll it around.

[SactoJim]

Keep us posted on this one.....gonna be nice given what it looked like before!

[jkade]

Originally Posted by SactoJim

Keep us posted on this one.....gonna be nice given what it looked like before!

I will but it is going to be a slow process. Maybe I can get the tub pulled in a week or 2 and start on the suspension.

[ColoradoK5]

Did your Blazer start out as a 4x4?

[jkade]

Originally Posted by ColoradoK5

Did your Blazer start out as a 4x4?

Nope, it is a factory 2wd

[Frizzle Fry]

Was it a factory big block?

[jkade]

Originally Posted by Frizzle Fry

Was it a factory big block?

No the PO put that in there, a blazer never came with a bbc but you would have thought this one did.

[Frizzle Fry]

Originally Posted by jkade

No the PO put that in there, a blazer never came with a bbc but you would have thought this one did.

I didn't think they ever did, but wasn't sure. Why the heck didn't they??? They put them in 2wd trucks and Burbs, why not the blazer

Oh well, your genIII will be better than any stock 402 would have been

[jkade]

Originally Posted by Frizzle Fry

I didn't think they ever did, but wasn't sure. Why the heck didn't they??? They put them in 2wd trucks and Burbs, why not the blazer

Oh well, your genIII will be better than any stock 402 would have been

Your guess is as good as mine why they didn't come with a bbc but all the dealings I have had with a 402 is they suck. A 350 would blow one off the road as far as performance but the 402 was a torque motor. And yes the lq4 will out perform a 402 any day of the week.

[crzngmychvy]

Cool thread! You should post up a webpage to your truck. If you build it up as you build your truck it works out real nice and you end up with good documentation about what you did to it.

[gringoloco]

Subscribing.

[LOW DOUGH]

Very nice! I will have to stay tuned

[jkade]

Trust me it will be a slow process the way my funds are going. Is anyone else around here in the trucking business? Fuel prices are so high right now it doesn't leave me with much profit after paying, fuel, ins, driver, etc.

[Palf70Step]

The before shots were great from my perspective, looking forward to seeing the after shots fer sure!!

[IvelDesigns]

lookin' forward to lots of details on the LQ4 install. that's what i'm planning for my LWB.

[jkade]

Originally Posted by IvelDesigns

lookin' forward to lots of details on the LQ4 install. that's what i'm planning for my LWB.

Let me know what info you need. I just finished a ls1 install in my 67 truck and this will be the same as it. Be on the look out for a f body oil pan if you are going to have a low ride height.

Thanks for the props guys, got it out of the storage building yesterday to take it over to the shop and the damn rats have ruined the back carpet so I will have to have more new carpet.