No build thread on the blazer above yet - I'm working on that one when I have time.
Replacing body panels almost 10 years ago was pretty difficult for those who live in places where things rust. It was a 3 step approach:
- Locate clean OEM sheet metal somebody wanted to sell (usually out West)
- Have seller be interested in helping to ship something huge across the country
- Afford the cost of shipping it across the county
Back then - many people were doing rust repair as replacement body panels were hard to come by. Others found ways of grafting fleetside short bedsides onto the Blazer structure to get to clean metal.
Today - you can buy the parts off the shelf and save yourself a LOT of time and energy in getting to clean sheet metal. The new Blazer parts are pretty good when it comes to fitment - nothing is perfect and will require some work to have everything line up.
What would I recommend on approach? In those days - I had more
time than money. Spending $40 on a patch panel and then hours to get it right as I learned how things went together was an educational journey. Now, I have more
money than time and swapping over a floor or bedside can be done pretty quick. Each approach has value - it just really depends on if you want to be a student of the craft or get it on the road and just drive the truck. You can always do both - fix a few things now to learn and then down the road swap the full panel as rust never sleeps and progress is always being made on replacement sheet metal.