Some assembly required……
 

After reading the boards for months, I took the plunge and purchased a 72 Blazer. I had looked at several, but most had unknown cosmetic repairs done, and decided that at least with this one, hopefully most of the issues were at least visible. It’s a bit rough, but I’ve seen folks resurrect worst and figured I would give it a try.
The tub seems reasonably good. The bed floor is solid except for the last foot or so. The one remaining door aligns well, although I haven’t been brave enough to loosen the top. The rocker boxes, while needing to be replaced, are certainly stable at this point.
I know I need to replace the bedsides, tailgate, inner/outer rockers, rocker boxes, doors, and patch the floors, etc.
Although I’ve done a couple frame off’s before, I’ve never done a convertible, so I get a little nervous about doing something out of order and ending up with alignment issues as I progress.

I was trying to plan out the proper order to continue with and I’m hoping to get a perspective from some people that have been down this path before.

-Pull body off frame , remove the rear bedsides, and get the frame and remainder of the body media blasted.
-Put the body back on frame with new body bushings, repair the rear floor, and loose install new bedsides/tailgate. Put the top back on, square the bedsides, align doors, and tighten everything up.

I could then move on to the inner/outer rocker panels and rocker boxes. I guess this is also a bit of a mystery to me as well, but it looks like you do the inner/ outer rocker panels first, and the rocker/torsion boxes are the last step.

Re: Some assembly required……
 

I'm on board for your build. I can't speak from frame-off experience with a K5 but many excellent build threads here. I'd invite the members with the following builds and you are sure to have excellent results. Good luck!

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=628612

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=645076

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=626752

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=210641

Re: Some assembly required……
 

Thanks! I have been doing a lot of reading, so much great information on this site. Luckily I'm only an hour from White House so I plan to spend the weekend there getting ideas and getting started.

Re: Some assembly required……
 

"-Pull body off frame , remove the rear bedsides, and get the frame and remainder of the body media blasted."

Yikes!? What's this remove the rear bedsides? I'd think there will be problems if you do this with the tub on the frame. With it off, things will probably be worse.

I'd replace the body to frame bushings first, then get some opinions after describing "remove the rear bedsides."

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Thanks. I probably should have described that better. Looks like guys have repaired the sides using truck sides. or replacing the entire bedside. Probably pro's and con's to either method. I'm definitely looking for opinions on both. I attached a pic of the good side. It might not look that way, but at least that side isn't full of bondo

Re: Some assembly required……
 

Glad to see someone brave enough to tackle a fine southeast specimen. They can't all be Californians. On our build, we only ended up keeping about 30% of the original tub. Basically the firewall, windshield frame, center hump and first quarter of the rear deck were the only bits that survived. Our sequence as previously suggested was to first replace all body mounts, then A-pillar repair, floor board, inner/outer rockers, rear deck, wheel tubs, bed sides, then rocker boxes. Gaps set with top on, then doors off, braces places between the jams, then body off. I think it's a safe sequence and nothing got away from us. I've got a fair number of pics of the process in my build thread in my signature below. I look forward to following your progress.

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Thanks for the help Brad. I'm glad I asked some questions, looks like I was about to exactly the wrong thing by starting at the back and working forward. Looks like I have a lot of parts to get ordered!

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No sweat. I'm excited to see you step into the ring with this rascal...she looks like a wildcat. Remember, be strong...they can smell fear.

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Slow progress......strange how I encounter some parts that are completely rusted away, yet others look almost brand new. I've removed some more of the floor, trying to minimize metal removal until I know exactly what I'm doing. Its surprising how stubborn rusty metal is to remove, you would think it would practically fall apart.

I don't see a way to replace that cab support without cutting out the spotwelds on the plate above the support. I did get a spotweld cutter, and it does work pretty well.

Door hinges are cooking in the derusting tank, figured I would re-pin those before hanging the new doors to check measurements. As usual, 3 pins came out pretty well, but the lower driver hinge has refused to budge, will have to see if I can scrounge up a replacement.

Re: Some assembly required……
 

That reinforcement plate does in fact have to be removed to access the cab support. I just used an impact hammer to break the spotwelds, then hammered the plate flat again so that I could re-use it. Spotweld cutters are a great thing, but I only use them on sheet metal that will be seen because they are time consuming to use IMHO.

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Looks exciting and challenging....I will be tagging along. Looking forward to a good learning experience.

Remember, they can smell fear...love that advice from Iron Canine!

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After you remove the plate Hemi is referring to, you will encounter a spacer. I had to torch mine off, couldn t get a tool in there to cut the spot welds. You ll see it in the pictures in post 19 of my build

Also, I would cut the old floor forward to the factory seam, will make for a cleaner install of the patch panel JMHO. Only do one side of the floor at a time

Thanks Pete for recommending me

Re: Some assembly required……
 

Thanks for the advice guys, its helping.

I got the plate off, and ran into the spacer. I tried to figure a way to leave it, or remove and reuse it. Both options failed and I ended up chiseling it off.

I'm getting closer to test fitting, although I'm a bit stuck with what to do at the back of the door. I have backed out the two bolts that secure the bedside, and the bedside will be replaced later. I expected to run the patch panel all the way to butt up against the new bedside, but there is something still attached in there. I don't really want to leave the last couple of inched of old metal there, just haven't figured out what is still in the way.

On a good note, although I will replace the torsion boxes later, they are provided a great deal of support. The drivers side isn't rusted through, and combined with the top still on its holding everything pretty solid as I mock up parts.

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Make sure you weld some sort of support in to prevent the front of the cab from creeping backwards as you cut all the old metal out. I can't stress this enough !!If you don't do this, your doors will never line up again.
If it was me, I would reinstall the doors before proceeding forward to make sure things haven't moved already. A bit of work now could save you a lot of grief later.
Dan

EDIT;
Take a look at the build tjsblazer did, and you'll see what I mean by the reinforcement I'm talking about. He used the original hinge mount and door latch area to bolt his on, so it didn't have to be welded in.
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=626752

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The 'B' post area is the most difficult, as you have about 5 or 6 pieces of sheet metal joining in that area. I think I see rust in the lower area, so it will have to be cut out. The metal is doubled in that area so be careful not to cut through both pieces, and DO NOT cut above the spot welds shown. Keep your cut to a minimum of the patch you have. Where did you get your patch panels from?

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When you work on your inner and outer rocker panels, don t get rid of the top flange, as your weatherstrip gets mounted on that
Take lots of pics of the areas your working on, will help you to remember how it goes back together
Don t final weld everything until you have your fenders, core support, hood and doors reinstalled to check final gaps

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I bought my patch panels from Southern Kentucky Classics, but I may have more to purchase. I was planning on putting on new bedsides, but I may not know what parts come with the bedsides. I'll probably show my ignorance here, do the bedsides include the "B" pillar? I was hoping for $700 per side they installed themselves as well

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From what I see of the bedside, they come with a portion of the 'B' post, but I 'm not sure if they go all the way to the bottom
don't know what you mean by "they installed themselves as well". If I get time I'll look them up. Make sure you ask how thick the sheet metal patch panels are.

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Hemi43 - Good call on the doors. My old doors are pretty beat, I have new doors, but for the truck. They didn't have Blazer doors, and I've been procrastinating on cutting these. I'll have to start measuring and remove the top of the door. The old hinges have been through the derusting tank, I'll rebuild those with new pins and get a door on there to make sure nothing has moved around.

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Today was a milestone, a part was actually put on the Blazer, rather than being taken off (or falling off). I test fit a door. Its a reproduction door, but fits pretty well. I was hoping for a little tighter gap, its running at a 1/4 inch, but very even around the back of the door. I put a strap on the opening to put tension on it but it didn't budge, and the passenger side measures the same as the drivers side. I have read that the reproduction doors are slightly off in the hinge area, and guys have had to shim them a bit. Its possible that when I put the new bedsides on I could tighten up the gap a bit at that time.

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Been fitting patch pieces, hoping I was close to tack welding, but I've run into some fitment issues. Since most of the A pillar, inner and outer rocker and cab support were rusted away, I haven't really had a good reference point to know if new parts were in the correct location. In hindsight, I should have left as much of the existing rusty bolt locations as possible. I've test fitted the door and fender, and they fit well in relation to each other and the rest of the truck.

As a reference point, the inner rocker had a hole in it, and that hole seemed to line up with an existing bolt hole and the rear of the door opening. However, when that hole is lined up, the front fender lower bolt mount is about 3/4 of a inch too far forward to thread into the fender. Additionally, the floor patch panel doesn't fit well, as it sits a bit forward as well if I try to line up the "gutters" in the floor.

Everything appears that it would line up if a trimmed more off the back of the inner rocker, allowing it to slide back, but then the existing bolt hole at the rear of the inner rocker would not line up.

The top is still bolted on, and luckily one of the few things that isn't to rusty is the torsion boxes. Both doors fit well, and the openings all measure the same left to right, so it doesn't seem like the firewall has shifted.

Anyone else run into this? I don't want to trim the inner rocker to get everything to align, and find out I missed the real problem

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I notice you don't have any bracing. It it was me, I would re install the passenger door, and pay close attention to the A-pillar and door frame gap. By cutting out the rockers like you did, the whole front part of the cab will have a tendency to sag rearwards. Just keeping the top on is not sufficient IMHO.
Dan

Re: Some assembly required……
 

First you should be using zip screws or clecos to hold the patches in place, if you still need to move the patches, easy enuff to weld up the holes later

Second the outrigger, the patch that the body mount goes thru, has to be fitted under the floor patch

Third, the 'A' post lower patch has to be fitted along with the kick panel patch. When you fit up the 'A' post patch, make sure you can bolt up the lower fender mount. Don't cut anymore of your upper 'A' post as it will give you problems, like running into the plate for the door hinge

Patches are cheap, don't worry about screwing them up by cutting to much off. Also don't count on patches being a good fit, sometimes you will have to bend them or cut them to work

Post up pics with lots of light

JMHO

Also mount all of your sheet metal back on the front of truck, to check alignment of gaps

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I second Bracing the doors... You don't wanna deal with the nightmare I'm dealing with.

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Thanks guys!

I put the old passenger door back on. It dropped into place and aligned great. I then put on the driver door on again. Its a reproduction, but seems to fit pretty well, and aligned it. I rehung the driver fender, and aligned it. Put a couple of screws in the inner rocker....

Everything seems to be fitting a little better. Still some work to do, but getting closer.

Again, thanks for the help