New Blazer in WA State

[C.I.Blazer]

Hello Everyone!

I have been spending an incredible amount of time on this forum reading and researching. So let me start by saying Thank You to everyone for all the help and entertainment you have give me already. I have been wanting a first gen blazer for a long time and, for whatever reason, finally decided the right time was now.

I spent a fair bit of time looking around, but truth be told once I decided I was going to get one I acted pretty quickly (for me). Just got back yesterday from an 800 mile round trip to pick up my new 1971 Blazer. Never purchased a car based solely on pictures and phone calls before, so I was not exactly sure what to expect, but overall I am quite pleased. I think I have spent so many hours looking at builds on this site that start with SOOOO MUCH RUST, that I was convinced I was going to pick up a pile of rusty metal. While she does have her rust issues, I think overall they are not so bad.

My son recently turned 16 and he and I have a 2004 Suburban that we have been learning to work on and use as our adventure vehicle. My wife has a car and I have a car that I use for work. With the cost of teenage driver insurance we decided to try and get by with two cars between the three of us which works well 90% of the time. The other 10% I get home from work and they are both gone, which means I am stuck at home (actually kind of nice sometimes).

So my goal is to have a bit of a rolling restoration. Something I can drive locally, enjoy, and learn on with my son. If it is down for a few weeks at a time that is not a big deal, but I do not want it taken apart in pieces for the next three years. Time with family is very important to me and I have a pretty demanding job right now. It has been a life long dream to do a frame off restoration and that will be my longer term goal. For now, I want to get it in good safe running condition, stop the spread of rust, work on various aspects of the car, and learn mechanical and some body work along the way.

Anyway, just wanted to introduce myself as I am sure you will be hearing back from me with lots of questions. I will add pics below. Looking forward to the journey!