MY 1971 Jimmy Build Thread
 

Here are some pics of MY Jimmy build, or rebuild as it were. I picked it up last month thru an online auction, so I was skeptical (scared) about what I was getting. Turned out to be not as bad as I had thought. It's a '71 that is an honest to goodness one owner, 61K mile truck that is very original. It looks like the glove box has never held anything, that ash tray has never been used, still had the plastic around the seatbelts! I'm not sure if the rear seat has ever been sat in! Unfortunately, it was a plow truck in northern Wisconsin..... and it shows. The left inner fender is only being held together by the factory emissions decal.

So, take a look at the pics and tell me what you think.
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moreAttachment 474755

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even moreAttachment 474760

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still moreAttachment 474766

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The good news is cancer in Trucks is easier to cure than cancer in people :uhmk:
Inside looks good, even has the side pannels in the bed and armrest on the rear seat.
My first thought was look for another blazer/jimmy with better sheetmetal then use the two too make one :metal:
:mm:

Re: MY 1971 Jimmy Build Thread
 

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I thought about getting another tub or truck to make one good one, too, but after I started digging into this one, I started thinking it could be saved. I rebuilt a '78 Blazer almost 20 years ago that was in waaaaaay worse shape than this thing is in, so I think I'd feel bad if I didn't try to save this one. What the hell, it's only money, right?:lol:

Re: MY 1971 Jimmy Build Thread
 

hahaha Cool man!
Keep us posted :metal:

Re: MY 1971 Jimmy Build Thread
 

Keep the pics coming. A build like this could inspire a few to try to save some more! A little rust a lot of rust and you still have to replace a whole rocker etc!!

Good luck.

Re: MY 1971 Jimmy Build Thread
 

I challenge any truck that has been used as a Wisconsin plow vehicle for 38 years to look that good. I think I would rather have a one owner unmolested truck that has rust issues but all the parts over one that has had many owners and many mysterious previous owner "improvements".

Re: MY 1971 Jimmy Build Thread
 

I like it, get another one back on the road.

Re: MY 1971 Jimmy Build Thread
 

Surely cant fault you for saving another Jimmy. Cut, Clean, Weld, Paint & repeat.

Re: MY 1971 Jimmy Build Thread
 

Time and money can fix anything I am told ,I am lacking both and also patience so I hope you have all three! Good luck and take lots of pics

Re: MY 1971 Jimmy Build Thread
 

Good luck and welcome to the First Gen K5 side of life!

Re: MY 1971 Jimmy Build Thread
 

Looks very similar to the first Jimmy that I was looking to buy - it was in NY.

Congrats on the purchase - looks like you will have some 'project time' ahead of you...:)

Re: MY 1971 Jimmy Build Thread
 

Way to jump in! :metal:

Re: MY 1971 Jimmy Build Thread
 

Nice looking project bro! Good to see another one being saved! Keep up the pic's!

Re: MY 1971 Jimmy Build Thread
 

Thanks for the comps, everyone! I have noticed, in all the other project threads, no one ever gripes about the sore backs and legs from being hunched over these things. Nor do I see the complaints about the blisters left by the 3000 degree molten metal that drops on your hands or the sliced open wounds that get bandaged by masking tape, duct tape or electrical tape. I guess that all would be considered whining and, by no means am I whining, just commenting on how I've never read that..... not that any of that has happened to me. ;)

Anyhow, I've got some new pics from recent progress....


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I've not seen any pics of these next two from this view:

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A couple more...

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I wound up making these cab floor reinforcement plates on saturday...

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Re: MY 1971 Jimmy Build Thread
 

Man, looking good on progress. Wisconson rust, Michigan rust, what's the diff! It all looks about the same.Keep up the good work, and keep us updated with new pic's. Us guy's that are sitting on our projects just love to see pic's, so we can see what it's actually like to be wrenching on it again!

holy old posts, batman
 

Getting back at it after a three month hiatus for kids' sports- four kids, each one doing at least two different things. Ugh.

Finally got the right side floor just about finished up. Some things I did, then re-did because i didn't like what I had done the first time. Inner cab support, for example. Patched it with angle iron thinking no one made replacements for it. Put in the replacement when I found out that LMC had them. I ran into a bunch of stuff like this. Those homemade cab floor reinforcements? Gone to the scrap pile. Didn't quite work.

Tore into the driver's side tonight. Seems like it will go faster now that I know what I'm doing. I bought the bottom half of a pick up cab back in August to use for the A & B pillars, floors/firewall and cab supports.

Here are a few pics of the left side from underneath. How many things are missing that should be there?

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one side down, one side to go
 

Welding continues to kick my ass. Somtimes I'm okay at it, the other 99% of the time I suck at it. I was pretty aggravated with it getting this right side floor finished up. I got to a point where I didn't care what it looked like, I just wanted it done. Patience has never been one of my strong points. So please excuse the crappy welds.

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Re: MY 1971 Jimmy Build Thread
 

you have your work cut out for you do'nt ya (and rust) GETTER DONE:smoke::barn::barn:

Re: MY 1971 Jimmy Build Thread
 

No problem on the welds, practice and thats what grinders are for!