Project Fat Amy

[ckato4477]

So this project is a 72 blazer i picked up for $400 with a title and no front clip or drivetrain. It looked like this:

[ckato4477]

The body is a little rough and so is the frame so i'll be doing a lot of patching and rust repair. I have big plans for this thing that i haven't seen done before. I've decided on a 67 front clip, and the drivetrain will be 8.1 vortec, gear splitter made to go in front of an sm465 but adapted to the front of an NV4500, np205(twin sticked), dana 60 front, 14 bolt rear with disc brakes. 52" springs up front and 56" out back. cross over steering(hi steering though).

I want it to look purdy on the street and with decent gas mileage and be a beast off road.

[Warrens69GMC]

Looks like you got a big project!!

[ckato4477]

I still have the option of running the gear splitter/sm465/np205 if i want it:


I completely rebuilt the axles and set 5.13 gears in both. also there's the 37" rubber you see attached to them.:


I got the frame out from under it and it needs all new mounting bolts and bushings(go figure):


and here is the frame mostly stripped:

[ckato4477]

plans for the frame are:
strip it
remove all the random little brackets i don't need
remove the engine crossmember and replace it with the DIY4x piece
remove the front and rear spring mounts/perches and replace with DIY4x stuff
cut off the front frame horns and replace with a pair that are in better shape
send it off to get sand blasted and primed
box the frame
then mock up the drivetrain and make a crossmember for the transmission

[ckato4477]

this truck is my inspiration(minus the decals on the side):

[mtully79]

My wife's name is Amy...haha! Subscribed, looks like it's gonna be a fun build!

[ckato4477]

Hahaha well my wife named it after a character from the movie Pitch Perfect.....she calls herself "fat amy"
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[ckato4477]

got a little work done this weekend. I got the firewall stripped and painted using the KBS coatings system:

first I wire wheeled the whole thing and some of the rust I couldn't get out(PITA)


then I sprayed on the Rust Blast stuff which worked okay but not great. I seemed like it lifted the rust a bit so I could hit it with the wire wheel and get more rust out. It really isn't anything magical by itself at removing rust but it helped the process.



this is what it looked like after rinsing off the rust blast. it left a nice coat of zinc


then I used the Rust Seal to paint over it

[ckato4477]

I'll be installing a vintage air system later so i'm not worried about patching the rust holes by the heater box yet.


......and I got the frame mostly stripped too, I just have one more cross member left to remove and to unbolt the transmission crossmember so I can send it off to get blasted. then it will be ready for me to box it and put it stronger and better placed crossmembers:

[ckato4477]

got the last crossmember out and tacked on a few pieces just to hold it all together. it goes to the sand blaster tomorrow:

[ckato4477]

I got in a nice package from DIY4x with the rear shackle flip and engine crossmember with all greasable bolts for every pivot point. Also i got the frame back from being blasted, now i can start boxing it and putting on the new brackets and crossmembers:



.....So i mentioned on another thread that i wanted to graft a shortbed onto the blazer so i could get an extra 6"ish of wheelbase, so i started the chop.

[Ol Blue K20]

subscribed and watching here now...

[Effeckt]

Am as well. Interested in seeing the end result for sure.

[JayDubBlazer]

yeppers

[ckato4477]

anyone know where i can find a nice shape shortbed around tennessee/kentucky?

[Benji]

Originally Posted by ckato4477

anyone know where i can find a nice shape shortbed around tennessee/kentucky?

Seen one on craigslist in Cincinnati, Ohio no pic though for 800. Unless thats too far for ya
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[ckato4477]

Its a little far.I'm in clarksville TN. Pretty much right on the border of Kentucky and Tennessee
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[ckato4477]

I think i might just buy new bedsides and bed floorpan. Itll save me the hassle of finding a decent bed, then doing rust removal and extra body work. Like not having to shave the side marker lights and cutting holes for the fuel filler, and of course smoothing everything out. Im going have a hidden fuel filler behind the license plate.
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[ckato4477]

When you buy new bedsides do they come with the inner bedside attache or is it just the skin?
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[NPilot1975]

They come as a complete bedside with any and out metal.
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[ckato4477]

Originally Posted by NPilot1975

.... with any and out metal.

?
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[Ol Blue K20]

I think he meant inner and outer metal.......

[NPilot1975]

Yes, little too early and didn't retread before submit. Meant to put inner and outer. Lol
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[Dale99]

I can confirm that as I have one sitting in my garage at the moment.