K5 Blazer Bedside Repair

[67see10]

These donor bedsides looked pretty good until I torn the donor tubs apart. Can you use truck bedsides to repair these blazer bedsides? From what I understand these B-pillars are not reproduced

[DeadheadNM]

Try here: https://www.motorcityk5.com/c-737-69...r-quarter.html

[lks dcvn]

At this point - you are better off buying the entire rear quarter and linking it up with the front floor.

I replaced the entire rear half (tubs, cargo floor, both besides, b-pillar support panes, torsion box end caps, etc. of my 71 blazer in my driveway with simple hand tools over 3 weeks. Removed the old crusty stuff - bolted on the brand new stuff. These are the old pix from last summer. I've updated quite a few things since then - wanted to share the pix though.

I repaired or replaced all of bolts while I was in there as well. I purchased a thread 'saver' kit from Summit that allows me to fix any cross threads from previous owners on both the bolt and captive nuts. I used it way more than I thought I would and have used it on a few other projects trucks since then.

Over the past 2 weekends, I have doing a bit more tweaking on the panel fitment and I'm pretty happy right now with how it all lines up.

[lks dcvn]

Be sure to save the small triangle shaped piece with 2 bolts in it - in your 1st pic. You will need it if you go the new 1/4 route. Those are unique parts and are not part of the new floor or the new bedside.

[DeadheadNM]

Do the repro quarters have predrilled holes for top to bedside bolts?

[lks dcvn]

negative on the top holes pre-drilled on the new quarters. I took measurements from the OEM old bedsides. 1971 and double wall top so no captive nuts to worry about under the bed rail - so just drilled a few holes per side for the top.

At the end of last summer, I was able to bolt the top back on without much issue.

[GMCPaul]

Originally Posted by DeadheadNM

Do the repro quarters have predrilled holes for top to bedside bolts?

None of them have the top to quarter panel mounting holes because the double wall and single wall top differ in mounting method rather than having to make 2 different quarters and then them only being able to be used on 1 style the decision was made to make them without holes so they would work with either style top by customer drilling holes for style of top they have.
Paul Jr @ GMCPauls

[HeloCrewChief]

I had to do the same with my 72. Took measurements, set the top on, marked and drilled the holes and then we transferred the captive nuts over from my old bedsides.

[GMCPaul]

We've included the information about top to bedside holes in our product description of them since day 1 of listing them

Since the Blazer & Jimmy were offered with 2 different style tops that mount differently the holes were not drilled for the tops so that these can be used on either a single wall top or a double wall top.

I believe we may be the only company that does, but you should be aware these are only made by 1 manufacturer so I can guarantee everyone selling these will not have the holes drilled for the tops and I wouldn't doubt 1/2 or more of the retailers selling these would most likely have to check if asked they pay that much attention to detail when a new product comes out they don't even catch things like this.
Time to send more tracking emails and a little more
Paul Jr @ GMCPauls

[DeadheadNM]

Good info. Thanks for sharing. It’s interesting that GM had bedsides with three style of holes during the production run: 2x wall only, 2x and 1x wall, and 1x wall only.

[GMCPaul]

I would suspect that the sides with double wall and single wall holes were at the transition period for adding the single wall tops and they took the already manufactured side that was set up for a double wall top and added single wall top holes on factory floor during the assembly process.
Paul Jr @ GMCPauls

[DeadheadNM]

Could be. One rear quarter on my Blazer had been replaced years ago using a GM piece and it had provisions for both styles. There was no old paint underneath that suggested it had come from another Blazer. I’d be curious to know what provisions are present on the NOS pair that have been lingering on eBay.

[Skymortar]

Ok. Reading this made me a little nervous. I have factory gm replacement quarters. Which mounting style is this? Hopefully single wall. My blazer has a double wall but I have a single wall to go on it

[DeadheadNM]

That’s a single wall mount.

[Skymortar]

Thanks deadhead