1972 Blazer - 'Bullet' Project

[scottydawg]

Holy crap, it looks like the rust is holding it together! Careful with the grinder

[1949gmc]

Originally Posted by lks dcvn

That would be great - that way we can scratch our heads in unison and curse GM for not putting any rust prevention on any of their metal at the factory...

Actually, I don't know when I would have time to get it there, do the work and get it back home.

Most of my weekends get booked up with crap months in advance and I need to 'strategically' find ways to work on these things when I can.



I could use the help trust me...

Ahh, that's okay. I was looking for a pizza/beer sponsor. Mostly for the pizza. The hardest part about working on a project like this is finding the time.

[lks dcvn]

Removed the torsion box end cap on the psgr side and got a few new pix of the carnage...

Once I get the cars in the garage moved to long term storage I can really tear into this thing...one side at a time.

[Sacramento70]

Rust is a terrible disease that kills many trucks every year. Are you protected, contact your doctor for the proper medication

[lks dcvn]

Got some work done over the holiday weekend...

Few steps closer to welding. Removed the door, hood, bumper and psgr fender to get to the psgr side A pillar rust.

[lks dcvn]

I also found an 'easy' way to get rid of the spot welds where the outer rocker, inner rocker and torsion box meet.

I used a sacrificial set of pliers and a hammer to use as a 'sardine can' opener - rolling it along the bottom pinch weld - it came out pretty easy and in a few pieces...just some spot weld remnant grinding to do before getting to welds in this area now.

I was actually surprised how easy this was instead of drilling out all the spot welds (that and I don't own a spot weld drill bit - yet).

I was going to replace the torsion boxes but they are in really good shape now that I am able to see in there.

I will hit them with some rust prevention paint prior to closing them up for good to reduce future issues in this area.

[Jtrux]

For 5 bucks you can get a spot weld drill bit from harbor freight, i've found that if you're easy on them and use a little wd 40 or pb blaster you can get 30 or so spot welds before they break, I just buy 3 or 4 at a time.

[Classic Heartbeat]

If you are interested, we manufacture the Blazer "B" pillar, Blazer rear floor supports, blazer cargo to passenger step down area patch, and the Blazer rocker Box reinforcement plates. We also cary all of the other parts that I see in the pictures that are rotted away. WES

[lks dcvn]

Just picked up a couple of spot weld drill bits and a LOT of patch panels for this project and the 70 2wd Blazer.

69-72 Blazer Rocker Boxes
69-72 Blazer Rocker Box Rear Support Panels
69-72 Rocker Box End Cap New
67-72 Inner Rocker and Floor Extension
69-72 Blazer Rear Cab Pillars
67-72 Truck and Blazer Front Cab Pillar Patch Panel
69-72 Blazer Lower Forward Bed Patch Panel

I got my welder back from my buddy and also picked up a 60 gallon upright air compressor today from Craigs List...that was lightly used in a shop for a few years.

So my arsenal of tools needed is dwindling -

[lks dcvn]

OK - so about 2 hours in the cold garage - I now know that I am horrible at doing the patch panel thing...

My cab mount turned out horrible - wrong angle - huge gap...it is better just to replace the whole thing instead of cutting one down?

This crap takes forever...and I haven't even started to think about welding yet...yikes.

I did move my keg-o-rater CO2 tank over to the welder but the output on the regulator and input on the welder are different - so I need to improvise something to make it work [a reducer of some sort].

Anybody have any advice?

[1956cameo]

lks dcvn, I am in the same boat as you with this rust! Fortunately I have a solid windshield frame, but I have to do all the floor and rocker repairs you are doing. Good luck, I will be eagerly watching your progress.

[Big J]

I'd replace the whole support, no guess work on the angle. It definitely takes forever and a day to build one of these. Check out your local hardware store, not lowes or the depot but your local mom and pop store. Should be some brass fittings there to get you hooked up so you can start melting metal. Keep it up, just one step/job at a time and you'll knock it out. Keep in mind every single cut you make or spot you weld is a job. So after you do it you'll think "man I finally got something done", lol. Its a long road, but you can do it!

[1949gmc]

I started off on the cab mount with a repop piece, too, but it didn't have the correct angle where it welds to the inner cab support, so I went with a used GM piece. I've seen pics where vt and jaros did what you're attempting to do, but it looks like a pita. I found that it was hard enough welding that cab mount when it was on the bench.... still in the truck would be near impossible for me. Remember: that lower A pillar patch is going to dictate how well and where your outer rocker is placed. Too high and the door will hit the rocker, too low and you'll have a huge gap. It's 26 3/4" from the front upper fender bolt (in the cowl) to the center of the lower fender mount hole (in the a pillar).

You asked if you'd be better off changing the whole cab mount or just patching it. I changed the whole mount because I had to... they were non-existent on my truck. To change the whole mount you have to: a) drill out all of the spot welds between the floor and the cab mount. b) drill out all of the spot welds between the reinforcement plate and the cab mount/inner cab mount and remove the reinforcement plate (this is easiest done when there is no floor in the way). c) drill out the four spot welds between the cab mount tabs/ears and the vertical section of the inner cab mount. d) drill out the four spot welds between the cab mount and the horizontal section of the inner cab mount (this is easiest done when that little spacer is not in the way). To make a long story longer, I think the way you're doing it is the best way if the rest of the mount is in ok shape, which is probably why vtblazer and jaros did their's this way. You may have to go thru a few of those mounts, though, to get the angle of your cut right. Hey, let's face it, if it was easy, our wives would be doing it. Kidding... just kidding.

[Chevyman63]

Originally Posted by lks dcvn

OK - so about 2 hours in the cold garage - I now know that I am horrible at doing the patch panel thing...

My cab mount turned out horrible - wrong angle - huge gap...it is better just to replace the whole thing instead of cutting one down?

This crap takes forever...and I haven't even started to think about welding yet...yikes.

I did move my keg-o-rater CO2 tank over to the welder but the output on the regulator and input on the welder are different - so I need to improvise something to make it work [a reducer of some sort].

Anybody have any advice?

I say hook that Co2 back up to the keg-o-rater and drink until it warms up outside...then get back to work on the Blazer,

J/K...You're doing great...one step at a time.

[Jtrux]

Yeah one step at a time. I'm about to be in the same boat, I know my B pillars are junk but I think my A pillars are decent so I can't offer you advice there but i've gotten some sheet metal welding experience recently and I can tell you that fitment is everything. I'd be tempted if I was you to start over cuz when you begin to weld it you want as little gap as possible. Even if the original metal you're welding to is in decent shape it's still gonna be tough to weld through and you can expect it to blow through if you have any gap at all. I would try to keep the gap to about the thickness of the welding wire if possible to minimize having any issues with it.

Hope that helps.

[BLUE THUNDER]

Dude you're makin some serious progress on the Blazer. Looks like your getting pretty good at this stuff. Come on down, I could use a hand. Ha ha.

[lks dcvn]

I just got back from Key West for the holidays - and I don't go back to work until the 5th of January so I will have all week to get some stuff done on this thing (hopefully).

[lks dcvn]

Way more progress today - And a few more questions...

I got the cab support dialed in - and then was curious to know where the inner rocker/outer floor extension fell in relation to the other parts...

Nothing is even tacked in yet - just making sure that everything fits together first.

I know that there will be some final trimming on each piece to get the best fit - but for now it all seems close.

Although - when I put the outer floor extension in - it appears to be off about an inch from the drain in the floor and the hump where the seat bolts in - that might just be some trimming along the way though...

More pix in the next post...

[lks dcvn]

the inch difference in the floor patch [before any more trimming/alignment]

[Chevyman63]

Excellent!!! Progress is progress!

[jaros44sr]

Actually, I think VT picked up on that, (post #94) he cut a 1/2 circle around that depression so he could weld to the flat metal of the floorboard

[Firebirdjones]

Holy Iron Oxide Batman

That is one rusty Blazer. My hats off to ya for bringing something like that back from the dead.
Looks like you're staying busy with it. Enjoying the pics.

[lks dcvn]

Firebird - for these parts - this thing is in great shape - it has only been in Ohio for 10 years or so - that is what happens to these things here...

Nothing a welder, a few patch panels, plenty of patience, some rust preventative paint and time in the garage can't fix.

Back to it in the morning...

[BLUE THUNDER]

Hey Tom good work. Keep it up. What patch panels are the outer floor? Where'd you get them? How much. I nee that piece with the hump on the edge. Does that also come with the inner rocker? Let me know. Thanks, Mario

[Firebirdjones]

Originally Posted by lks dcvn

Firebird - for these parts - this thing is in great shape - it has only been in Ohio for 10 years or so - that is what happens to these things here...

Nothing a welder, a few patch panels, plenty of patience, some rust preventative paint and time in the garage can't fix.

Back to it in the morning...

Ya I lived in Ohio for nearly 40 years. Got tired of repairing rust a long time ago and started buying cars out west about 25 years ago and hauling them back.
Decided to just move out here a few years ago and save myself all the traveling

Well that and I got tired of the Ohio salt eating up all my rust free western cars Daily drivers would last 4-5 years and turn to dust, then back out west for another one

I can appreciate all the work you are doing though. I brought a few cars back from the dead. After 6-7 of those you start to really appreciate rust free sheetmetal It was worth the extra cost and traveling expense even after all those years.

Keep it up though. You are in pretty deep now. Probably too late to interest you in any rust free projects out this way huh???

Just kidding, I'm sure it will look sharp when it's done.