B's 70 2wd Blazer
 

Don't know if my Blazer deserves a build thread since I'm not doing anything real drastically cool, but I wanted somewhere to track my progress so I figured this was the best place for it. I bought it in July 2010 and this is what it looked like when the day I got it.

It already had the 67/8 nose, 5 lug conversion and a 4/6 drop. It has a center bolt style 350 with TH350 combo. No real engine/drivetrain upgrades, but that was fine because I was looking for something that just was cool to ride in. The best part was that there was almost no rust.

Re: B's 70 2wd Blazer
 

Awesome!

Re: B's 70 2wd Blazer
 

I got it home and just drove it for a couple of days until the battery died which let me know the alternator wasn't wired right. The outside was decent, but the interior was VERY rough. It had buckets and a bench, but the gauges didn't work, it had a floor shifter with a column shifter, no carpet, no door panels and it was a couple different colors.

Re: B's 70 2wd Blazer
 

You can see in the pics the 1st thing I started was installing a painless wiring kit. I also scavanged some parts from my bro's C10 to clean up the inside. I scuffed most of the red of the dash and shot it with a dark metalic grey rattle can. I hit the door panels and arm rests up with black. I'm not going for a show car, so until it actually hits the paint booth, this is going to be just fine for me.

I also got an ignition key since it didn't have one when I bought it, so no more popping the hood and touching wires to start it!!! :metal:

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Next was to clean up the gauge cluster and get them all working. I got a new bezel and lense, and painted the indicators with a flourecent red. I chose red instead of orange just because I liked the look better. I never took a pic of it installed, but here's the before and after shot.

After getting a speedo cable and a oil pressure sending unit, all the gauges worked with the exception of the gas...

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The tank wasn't attached in the stock location...it was actually sitting in the tub behind the bench, so I called up Boyd's and had a nice aluminum tank sent out...after installing it and wiring, the gas gauge finally worked too!

The actual plumbing of the filler neck was a chore though...it was over a year ago, but I remember running a T off the vent for a motorcyle check valve to allow the pressure to release as well as a one going back up to the neck for filling. Also, the filler neck off the truck and to the tank were different sizes, so I had to use reducers to get it all to work. It all seems to be ok because I can fill up the tank at the pump without any overflow issues!

Sorry...never took any pics of the tank installed...

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I only had the blazer for about a month at this time, so it was time to clean her up and have some fun...so I just drover her around like this through the end of the warm season.

Re: B's 70 2wd Blazer
 

During the winter, it was time for a suspension change...Airbags!!! I picked up 4 DOM 2600's for all corners, a set up ***************** (now QAR) bag plates and cups for the front and a CPP bolt in notch off the board. The blazer already had a super track bar on it and I took my bro's 2" blocks. During the enire bag process, I didn't take any pictures, but it's nothing special, just bags in place of coils.

For the valves, I used 8 1/2" valves and all 1/2" line. I only used this because it too was free from my brother's left overs, so I put a set of flow controls going to all 4 corners so I can adjust the speed to my liking.

Since there was no where to put the tank under the tub, I decided to build an enclosure for the valves which would also serve a spot to mount the tank and compressor.
1st pic is the valves inside the enclosure and the rest are with it put together and in place. It's now covered in black carpet, and the top hinges for not so easy access to the valves. I still liked how it came out though.

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Oh yeah, I also POR-15'd the inside of the tub and installed a black carpet kit...The only pics I have on my PC right now are filthy, so I'll get some better ones up later. I also sprayed the white bench with black vinyl dye...the upholstry is trash, but at least all 3 seats are the same color.

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I needed a spot for the air gauges, so I decided to take out the heater control and put the gauges there. It's not an exactly perfect fit, but it's really close and the area flexes enought for them to fit. I used the bracket off the factory control and bent a piece of sheet metal with holes in it for the mount. I still haven't ran the lines or painted this part yet, so here's where the gauges are going to go...you just have to use your imagination that you can't actually see through around them...haha

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During the bag process, I found a set of 22's that fit my price range and bolt pattern so I picked them up and finshed the bag job...the only problem was the offset on the rear caused the tires to rub on both side's inner wells. I picked up some 1" spacers to fix that issue.

The 1st pick is hopefully my ride height, and the rest are full dump...the 22's really keep it off the ground...

The other pic shos that I finally got some chrome trim around the holes in the front and the rear pieces so I could mount my clear turns!

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After that there were lingering issues with the air ride such as a ton of leaks, sticky switches and what not, so I spent a lot of time trying to fix them all. I then ended up moving. I tried driving the Blazer to the new house, but this when I noticed the rubbing of the wheels and had to have the tow truck take me the rest of the way...here's pics of it in the parking lot waiting for the tow truck. It was the only time I had driven it with the top on.

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I moved in March of 2011, and decided it was time to go through everything and clean up the engine bay...this turned into that snow ball effect where the whole front end came off and I haven't driven it since...
http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/IMAG0024.jpg

But, I got it all cleaned up and painted while also having some help of my son and scray gaurd dog.
http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/IMAG0186.jpg

Re: B's 70 2wd Blazer
 

During this whole tear down, there was A LOT that needed to be done, but unfortunately, not may pictures were taken.

With only having 1 compressor, the fill time was way too slow for my likings, so I put together a York 210 I got out of a Volvo, and am using that a EDC. The downfall for me is that I do not have a welder and cannot weld, so I'm stuck with looking for bolt in parts. I found a bracket for the york online for a SBC from a 4x4 guy. Bad part was, it it the master cylinder. I then had to swap out the master/booster for another that had a bracket which moved it about an inch higher.

The brake lines on the ride were basically just there to get the truck sold, so all new lines were purchased as well as new tranny lines to the radiator. I put new TA bushings in the rear and rebuilt the rear drums while cleaning it all up.

That pretty much gets me up to speed where I am today. There's other things, but I'll snap some pics in the day light so I can post them as well.

Re: B's 70 2wd Blazer
 

'Bout time we see more of this than that 1 1/4X1 1/2 avatar pic! I ain't even gonna say how SLOW mine fills gas with the marker light mod; glad yours worked out with a different tank. Factory wheel studs in the rear? I'd like spacers to push the back wheels out a bit, not interested in changing studs though. I kinda like having the top on actually, and yes, I put miles on without it. Looks good; get 'er together an DRIVE IT!!

Re: B's 70 2wd Blazer
 

Hellz yeah!!

Man, once you put on the 22's it went to a whole new level of awesomeness!!!

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I am gonna keep and eye on this one..:metal:

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Nothing like going "topless"!!!!! :chevy:

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looking good....mine was going to be a driver,then the nose came off..might as well pull the body...bought another frame and 2 years later it was done.this all looks familiar!!

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Loo. Ahhh the snow ball..... He and I are on daily speaking terms. Lol.
It looks good man.
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Re: B's 70 2wd Blazer
 

Awesome rig!

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Looking great! Glad to see a build thread on it!

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Looking sharp, looks like you got a real good start on things. I really like the wheels, a nice simple 5-star is always a winner in my book.

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The studs are factory, but I'm using a 1" spacer that bolts to the stock studs and has separate studs to mount the wheel too that are aluminum off ebay. I was real lucky by going with the 1" instead of anything bigger because I had to cut the outter well out and roll the lip to clear the 9.5" wheel with 295/40's. The attached pic shows what they look like on.

Thanks Matt! Love the edit reason.. :lol: Really, they weren't my 1st choice or even ever a wheel I wanted, but at $600 with decent tires, I felt like they worked. I actually wish I would have kept the 17" rally wheels just to swap once in a while, but oh well...

The whole reason I looked so long for a 2wd blazer was for the full topless effect, and loved driving it that way last summer. Funny thing is, seeing pics of it with the top on makes me love it both ways and a little more with the top on. I'll still have no top in the warm weather cuz it just feels dam cool...it's my 1st "convertible".

Good thing it only took 2 years! That's actually not too bad...it's been almost a year and I'm just doing simple stuff. This is my 1st project I'm doing all on my own though, so I feel like I'm learning all over again and taking 5 times longer to do things than it should. Having a great time though, when I'm not pulling my hair out...haha

Thanks jmedero...and thanks again for the c-notches...I got them from ya a long time ago and they worked out great!

Thanks you two! I can't believe it took me this long to start one...oh well, better late than never!

The wheels look good in the pics, but honestly, they aren't great. They are the cheapo's you find at the corner wheel shop...spray on chrome and all. Up close they aren't smooth, but like I said, they fit the budget and give it a decent wow effect. My original goal that fit the budget was the Boss 335's which I still may swap to some day, but might actually save up for an even better wheel once it's painted.

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Got a little work done this weekend. It was one of those 1 step forward, 2 steps back though. I decided to ditch the box I made to free up some real estate behind the rear bench for future subs and hopefully be able to put an ice chest and some chairs. It was hard to do because I was really proud of the box and the wiring, not to mention the amount of hours I had into it. Oh well...guess it comes with the territory...

I moved the valves to under the tub and mounted them to the floor of the tub rather than the frame. I chose this since my valves were pretty bulky with the 4 way T and the mounts really didn't fit on the frame well enough. Also, mounting them this way allowed me to not have to buy different fittings. I did blow them all apart and used Parker's hyrdo thread sealant on the threads. I had a slow leak and couldn't find it with the box since I couldn't open it with air in the system.

The pics show the mounting locations.

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Oh yeah...I did have to ditch the flow controls due to no longer having the room for them. The nice thing is that I had them wide open and liked the speed. The port off my tank is actually 3/8" rather than 1/2" like my lines and valves. I've read that the system is as fast as the smallest opening, so my lift should be fine. If my dump it too fast since it's true 1/2", all the dump valves are mounted with easy access to be to put a cap with holes to slow it down. If anyone needs a set of 1/2" PTC flow controls, I have 4 of them... :)

Re: B's 70 2wd Blazer
 

I did the get the front bags fully plumbed as well. I drilled through the side of the stock crossmember's spring pocket towards the rear of the blazer for the air line. I wish I would have drilled the hole a little closer to the frame because the line goes behind the shock and actually makes pretty good contact as is. I used a rubber insulated clamp under the frame to pull the line away from the shock. I finally got to use my tap and dye set too!

Re: B's 70 2wd Blazer
 

I got everything buttoned up on my EDC as well. I think I said this before, but it's a York 210 off a Volvo from pick-n-pull and I got the bracket off a 4x4 guy. I really wish I had fab/welding skills because I spent a lot of dough making this darn thing work with all bolt in stuff. The only SBC bracket I found for the York is the one I'm running, so I had to do a lot to make it work in the blazer. 1st, the stock master was in the way...but only by 1/2". I found another bracket off another C10 on the board that actually raised the whole set up a little higher which allowed the bracket and York to fit. The bracket is set up to run off the PS pulley, so I also needed a double groove pulley. After getting that, I noticed that using the pump in the stock location wasn't going to work because the belt would hit the frame, so I needed a new bracket that moved the pump up higher. After getting that, I then needed a different PS pump because the return line off the back was hitting the block. Also, moving the pump required new PS lines, so I got a set of braided hoses. It turned out to be a lot of money for this darn thing, but oh well, I couldn't stand the 14 minute fill times that single 440 viair put out.

Re: B's 70 2wd Blazer
 

In order to run the York, I needed a stainless leader hose to handle the heat, so I used 2' of 3/8" line from vaiair...pretty cheap from Summit at about 40 bucks. From there it goes into an oil filter since you have to fill the York with about 4 oz of ATF to keep it lubed which will pass through rings and get into the valves if you don't run one. I mounted this to the firewall as you can see from the pic. The filter didn't come with a mounting bracket, but the MSD coil bracket worked perfectly! After the filter it goes to a 1 way check valve and then a square d pressure switch with a purge (not the right word, but I can't remember what it's really called) that relieves the pressure from the check valve to the York so it doesn't wear out the rings. From there it just goes to tank which will still be behind the seat since there's no room under the tub.

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I also got the Jeep Cherokee fan all buttoned up and final wired with a temp switch kit from Summit. I put the temp sending unit at the head since the one on to the gauge is already routed at the intake next to the t-stat housing. I know this isn't ideal, but I didn't want to re-route the wire for the gauge since I wrapped it in place with electrical tape.

I don't know how well this fan performs just yet, but I love how it looks installed! Really looks like it was made for it.

The other pic just shows the new positive battery connector that I used in order to feed power to the starter, amps and relays I used for the headlights and electric fan.

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Hopefully during the week I can get the tank mounted and plumbed so I can start on re-wiring the switches. Once that's done, I can actually put the wheels back on and get the blazer off the jack stands!!!

Re: B's 70 2wd Blazer
 

Great progress!!!

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Tonight I routed the lines from the valves into the tub and to the tank. Nothing really to brag about, but I am a little excited about figuring out how to plumb a drain for the tank. There was a hole next to my rear licence plate that I enlarged and fit a shredder valve in. I'm going to run some 1/4" line to it from the bottom fitting on the tank and use it as a drain but also to fill the tank in case something ever happens to the compressor. Sorry again for the crappy pic, but my only digital camera is my phone...

Re: B's 70 2wd Blazer
 

Nice work!

my '69 had a York in it for aftermarket AC and like a jackass, I tossed it before I knew better. :lol:

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Thanks, Dave! The worst part about it is one day the pullies and brackets are probably going to be all redone anyways because I do want a/c-heat in the Blazer...but I'll tackle that hurdle when I get to it.

I picked up a vacuum bleeder from a friend today at lunch. It hooks up to an air compressor to build vacuum, so if this doesn't get the fluid flowing, I'll at least know there's a bigger problem.

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Not a whole lot done last night. I had an extra set of hands helping me out, so we worked on mounting the tank and getting all the fittings right. I got the line from the compressor into the tub and all the holes in the carpet cut and cleaned. Hit a bump trying to get the fittings from the drain through the floor board...I'm going to have to drop the gas tank to get it done, so we called it quits and moved to beer curls instead...:barn:

Re: B's 70 2wd Blazer
 

What year Cherokee is that from?

Thanks and nice job on the build

Re: B's 70 2wd Blazer
 

Thanks, jstplyn331!

I got the fan idea from this thread: another cheap electric fan build!

It's P/N: CBG4F250
I don't know all the years this fan came on, but the thread said 2000 and 2002 grand cherokees. I got mine online for $40, but I guess going to the chrysler dealership is just as cheap. They were recalled so I would stick with getting a new one, not a used one.

Re: B's 70 2wd Blazer
 

Nice, I appreciate it. I was curious about your gas tank also, as I have been looking at them from Boyds, Do you have a picture of it from behind just curious on how far it hangs down and or is exposed?

Thanks again

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I took one from the side this morning, but couldn't from the rear. The one from the rear is from a while ago right after I bagged it. The lowest part of the tank is 6.5" below the frame. I know that sounds like a lot, but the bottom of the TA's u-bolt is a little over 9" lower than the same part of the frame with it all the way in the notch and a 2" block

You can't see it normally below the body or rear bumper unless you bend down, but you can see it through the rear wheel wells...or maybe it's just cuz of the big windows in my wheels.