1947 S10 4x4 Blazer swap

[msaintg]

thanks. Ya, I have done some work to the bed (pics back in post #7). I put an S10 bed floor in (which needed holes filled and lengthend 4"). I had to lower the Blazer shock mounts 2" because that was the highest point on the frame. The bed is welded in 1.5" higher than the stock bed to clear the rise in the frame. I am trying real hard to use the outer skin from the Blazer tailgate as my new tailgate. I like the look of the curved tailgate better than the stock one, but I am having a devel of a time figuring out how to make it work.

[msaintg]

Week 21 – Started working on building a new tailgate out of the Blazer tailgate and modifying the back end of the bed to accommodate the new tailgate (the top rail is cut back 2" to make the tailgate slant forward). Also started on the roll pan and I put some pipe caps on the ends of the bed top rails.

[msaintg]

week 22 - I had to rework my tailgate design at the bottom so that it would rotate better and then I added the vertical supports. I then put the bed back on the truck to test fit it to see if I could get it closer to the cab. I then added the corner pieces to the bottom of the bed to connect the pan.

[Larry Lindley]

wont be long now.very good

[msaintg]

thanks. I get discouraged when I think of all that I still need to do. Then I go back and review my build ledger and think of all that I have done to date and it gives me motivation to continue.

[cleanshaven84]

You are some kind of creative bud. I really like what you are doing with this build. Don't get discouraged and keep up the good work. Look forward to seeing this one progress.

[msaintg]

week 23 Didn't do much this week because I had family visiting from out of town. I was able to get some small stuff done. Made a 'T' bracket for the Blazer windshield wiper motor so that it will attach to my truck wiper arms (now I need to make a mounting bracket). Modified the Blazer power steering cooling lines to fit in the truck. Made some transmission lines to connect the transmission to the new radiator. I also cut 10" out of the rear bumper. I don't have any mounts for the rear bumper, I need to make those next. I was not sure if I was going to use the bumpers or not, but I think the rear would look better with it (what do you guys think?)and if I use a rear bumper, then I have to use a front bumper too... right?

[Don Johnston]

The rear might look good if you put the hitch in the pan,

[msaintg]

ya, if I went without a bumper, I would definitely move the hitch up and put it behind the license plate and put custom lights in the pan. Everyone I have talked to though said keep the bumper. So I will keep the bumper and get some of the stock taillights for that year. I don't think I can move the hitch up then because it will interfere with the bumper. I will just take it off it it looks bad.

[msaintg]

week 24 - I did a lot of welding, grinding and body filler on the bed this week. I added plates to the front of the frame to box them and modified the radiator support bracket that I had made to add the oil filter mount, closed the hole for the old gas tank, added pipe caps to the front of the bed rails (I also shortened the pipe caps that I had put on the back of the bed earlier). I also modified the front of the bed so that it rounds around the cab so that I can get it real close (I had bent the top rail before, but now it is curved at the bottom where the front panel meets the bed floor)

[msaintg]

more from week 24.... I decided to sell the hitch from the Blazer, so I removed that and built some rear bumper brackets.

[msaintg]

week 25 - I removed the bed and built some mounting brackets so I can bolt the bed to the Blazer frame. While I had the bed off, I also boxed the frame where the gas filler tube passes through it.

[msaintg]

Week 26 (8/8/2012 marks my 6 month anniversary from when I brought the truck home) I have now completed over 254 hours in the last 26 weeks which is an average of almost 10 hours per week. Subtracting out what I have made selling Blazer / Truck parts ($916), and adding in all of the cost of parts that I have purchased (about $1700… Radiator, all window glass and window rubber to name a few), my total investment is now up to $2280. (this does NOT include almost $1000 in new tools though)

[mknittle]

I never count the tools.

[pinecrest]

Nope, tools don't count. If you use them a second time, then only like 1/2 of the cost of these tools went to the truck. So, you see, you can probably deduct at least 1/2 of the tool expense right off the bat. Feel better?

[Daze57]

''one can never have enough tools'' -- nietzsche

[msaintg]

ya, tools are always a good investment. And I am NOT counting them as a cost of the build. The funny thing is that I have a shop FULL of tools and I didn't know I needed anymore tools when I started this project. Now I have a plasma cutter, engine hoist,a second floor jack, paint gun, flaring tool, tube bender and two new 4.5" grinders! God I love tools.

[Russell Ashley]

I never consider it a "need" for a new tool, I consider it an opportunity, LOL.

[msaintg]

week 26 Well between work and this intense heat here, I only manage to spend a couple of hours this week working on the project truck. But I did manage to get the gas filler tube lengthened.

[msaintg]

week 27 - Battled the heat again this week and only managed to get the front bumper mounting brackets made. It was a lot more work on the 4x4 Blazer frame than the pickup frame. I had to leave an extra 1.5" on the frame when I cut off the front horns because the Blazer anti sway bar mount is much more intrusive than the S10 pickup. And because of that mount, you can't just weld a mounting plate to the bottom of the frame. I had to cut the bracket back about half an inch (first pic) then weld my plate in place (second pic). Unforunately, my bumper brackets are still about 2" farther to the outside than stock, so I will have to drill new holes in the bumper and fill old holes. I purposely mounted my bumper about 2" closer to the grill than the stock vehicle since I don't have the sheet metal that goes in that spot.

[msaintg]

more from week 27 - I worked on the bumpers and tailgate. I made new square holes and filled old ones on the front bumper because I could not mount the front bumper in the same place on the Blazer frame as the old truck frame. I had to do the same thing with the rear bumper because I took 10” out of the center and I had to make my own mounting brackets. I tried in vain to drill the holes... just kept making the drill bits go dull. Then I thought… duh, use the new plasma cutter. Piece of cake.... and square too! I worked on putting sheet metal on the inside of the tailgate too. I did not have a piece of metal large enough to fit, so I did it in 3 pieces. I still need to do some work on the ends to finish it up. Just for fun I weighed the old and new tailgates…. Old = 24lbs, new = 36lbs.

[Daze57]

very nice work !

[cleanshaven84]

I love your creativity with this build. Keep up the good work. Can't wait to see the finished product.

[msaintg]

thanks guys. I have built a lot of stuff, but I have never worked with sheet metal like this before. Such a learning curve. I built a rock crawler out of a Suzuki Samurai (using ALL Suzuki or custom built parts), but there was no sheet metal when I was done. heres a pic

[msaintg]

sorry, my wife wants me to post two 'other' things I did that she thinks was 'more' creative than the rock crawler.... I built this table for her and hand painted the garage door to look like wood. anyway...