Just bought my first Blazer!!! 1970...any thoughts on..
 

Hey there everybody i joined this site about a month ago when i decided i wanted a classic blazer, after about of month of looking around i finally got one! Its being delivered in 3 days and i am super excited to start playing around with it, any thoughts what i should do? Right now it has a lift, in person i cant tell what size though and the guy on craigslist i bought it from didn't know either, looks to be a 6" to me but since the front fenders have been cut a bit its hard to tell, right now it has 35x12.50R15's i was thinking the first thing i would do would be to go to 37X13.5R170r18, hope they clear or if not throw a little body lift on...any suggestions there? Its running great right now rebuilt 350 with TH400, automatic, it has a fuel cell welded behind the bak seat but no gas gauge...any ideas about how much it might cost me to add a fuel gauge and sensor? Is that a big job? I sadly have very little knowledge about working on cars,but i have a few good friends that are mechanics and love to drink..and luckily i manage a bar here in San Antonio so we normally just swap "services" lol. I was thinking about taking off the steel bumpers the previous owner had on there and going back to the old chrome factory style, any good idea where to order some? Thanks again for any input, I'm brand new to all this and i know there are a lot of members on here with just an incredible wealth of knowledge on the subject so any advice is greatly greatly appreciated!!!

Re: Just bought my first Blazer!!! 1970...any thoughts on..
 

Good lookin! I share your little knowledge, so I cant answer your questions, but nice rig, and welcome!

Re: Just bought my first Blazer!!! 1970...any thoughts on..
 

Thanks! much appreciated!

Re: Just bought my first Blazer!!! 1970...any thoughts on..
 

Welcome to the board. Nice rig, I'd be excited too!
I like your idea about the classic sport bumpers. Call Wes at Classic Heartbeat in Olympia, Wash. He is a board supporter/vendor, a super knowledgable and great guy.
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Re: Just bought my first Blazer!!! 1970...any thoughts on..
 

Welcome to the forums. I think your right on the 6" lift. If the rear axle has a block lift then measure that. I would go back to the factory style tank, and get the cell out of the cab. Also get a LMC catalog just for referance because they have lots of pictures in there that will familarize you with your Blazer better. Nice looking truck,I also have a '70 blazer too.

Re: Just bought my first Blazer!!! 1970...any thoughts on..
 

congrats on the Blazer. Just curious on how you did the transaction in regards to payment and shipping? I'm looking into the samething and trying to figure out how to do it where both parties are protected.

Re: Just bought my first Blazer!!! 1970...any thoughts on..
 

Nice looking blazer. And welcome to the forum.

Re: Just bought my first Blazer!!! 1970...any thoughts on..
 

SWEET RIDE! It is a great feeling to take a new rig home, next morning too!!!

Re: Just bought my first Blazer!!! 1970...any thoughts on..
 

Good looking blazer. I like the ride height and tire size as it sits now. A set of stock sport bumpers would look good, too. Black or chrome would look nice. A "K/5 Blazer" emblem would look good on the front fenders as well as some deluxe turn signal covers. Perhaps some rally wheels or slots, too.

Be sure to spend your money on the important things first.

Also, look carefully at the "B" pillar/rocker box area for rust. It appears as though they "mudded" over the outer rocker panel seam when they painted... Not much you can do now, especially that the blazer has a nice paint job. But, it's info for the future.

Re: Just bought my first Blazer!!! 1970...any thoughts on..
 

I'd guess you're about right on the lift. I've owned 3 now. The first had 4" lift and 35's, second 6" lift and 35's and my current has a 4" lift and approx 31.5" skinny tires.

If you go with bigger tires, you may need to regear and/or go with some heavier duty axles. Then you may need to address stopping power too. If I were you, I'd drive it for a while, fix the things that need to function daily (like the missing button on the driver door handle) before adding bigger tires, more lift, etc.

Re: Just bought my first Blazer!!! 1970...any thoughts on..
 

Thanks for the advice guys! I saw Wes's add and that looks like the right place, good to hear some feedback on a good vendor. I definitely am gonna do the turn signals, and the emblems. Gonna look into the steering too, there is a little slop but not bad, just worried if i do go up to 37's that it might get a little worse. In regards to the transaction.....i feel like right now i could write a book lol....my best advice hard as it may be in cash in hand and arrange for a reputable auto transport company to ship it to your doorstep. Get the title at the time you hand over the cash because that really is what gives you legal ownership of course, if the seller tried to retain possession and not allow shipping having the title would probably cover you but you might have to use the legal process and get put through some expense. I'm finishing up my last semester of law school but just want to disclaim that in no way am i giving ANY legal advice! Just talking as a "friend" here...but,don't use paypal!!!! I arranged a purchase of another blazer out in california with a guy who had it listed several places online, i paid 8,000$ through paypal and we were going to arrange a shipping date after the money cleared from his pay pal account into his personal checking account. The day after i completed the payment he called and said he had read online that many people had had problems with shipping vehicles i.e. the buyer said they never received the vehicle or received it but sent it back demanding a refund etc etc. So in the end he wanted to break the deal because he didnt feel comfortable shipping and because i didnt want to fly to california and risk a cross country drive back in a 40 year old truck. He agreed to just refund the money and keep trying to sell it locally. The problem is he has yet to refund the money, after hours and hours on the phone with paypal i have yet no get back my 8,000 they maintain i am totally protected and that if he doesn't refund the money they will and pursue a claim against the seller directly. Well to make a long story short its been about 17 days since the transaction and looks to be maybe another month before i will get back my money if i do at all......moral of the story in one man's opinion...DONT use paypal for such a large transaction you are not nearly as protected as they lead you to believe. Not to mention dealing with them is maddening and a huge ordeal! I think personally e-bay is much safer but keep in mind that the seller pays 10 percent of the purchase price to e bay so many sellers ask more knowing that or try to negotiate a side deal for payment not through e bay to avoid loosing 10 percent. P.S. Paypal takes 3 percent so if you do buy through them make sure your seller knows when the money shows up in their account after you transfer it,it wont be the "agreed" upon price they were asking,it will be 97 percent of that price. In a nutshell, i would always say the best way to be protected is to pay with a certified cashiers check from your bank, and when you pay take possession of the title at least, if not the title and vehicle. Personally i have purchased before where i paid and took possession of the vehicle and allowed the seller to send out the title afterwards and not had problems, BUT at the very least take possession of either the title or vehicle at the time of payment if at all possible. If you do use paypal or wire money without receiving title or the vehicle first as i did (I know i should have known better!!!) then just be aware that your only remedy may be a lawsuit. So my best advice as a car buyer and not as an attorney, is buy in person if at all possible or if not use e bay they seem to offer more protection to both the buyer and seller than paypal:)

Re: Just bought my first Blazer!!! 1970...any thoughts on..
 

Thanks for the advice. Do you have a pic of the Blazer from California? You said that he had it listed in several places for sale, I think it would be nice for other's to see what it looks like, so other people don't get scammed and have to fight for thier money. As I'm in the middle of buying one in Arizona, I'd like to make sure that I'm not buying the one you tried to in Califonia.
Cam

Re: Just bought my first Blazer!!! 1970...any thoughts on..
 

The only reason I mention that I want to make sure I'm not buying the one you tried to in California is that the one that I'm trying to get I found it on ebay, the seller has zero feedback and I also found it on craigslist exactly 17days ago. There was a issue with the title, so we are waiting for that to get fixed before any money exchanges. There is some other things that you mentioned in your reply that sounds familar to the deal I'm trying to make, like a direct deposit prior to releasing the truck. We are going through ebay and I had a member that live's thier look at the truck and it does exist. I'm just trying to figure out a way that I can buy this truck in Arizona without flying down/driving back, while being protected. If you don't have any pic's of the one from California, then look at my post from a week ago, as I posted some pic's of it, as I wanted to see if anyone knew the truck. Its a shame that there are scammers out there taking advantage of honest people. And I guess he origanlly was asking $8000 for it as well.
Cam

Re: Just bought my first Blazer!!! 1970...any thoughts on..
 

Hey sorry for the delay in responding to your question, the blazer i was or maybe scammed on if the money does in fact not get refunded was in Pico Rivera California the contact person was Jose Perez, it was a 72' Bright Orange blazer with a new 383 stroker, he had listed in on cars.com and e-bay and youtube as "orange Crush" I'm hesitant to give his name in the fact that there is still the possibility he isn't a total scammer and just has delayed refunding over and over because of personal financial issues, not that that is acceptable either,but i will make sure and post a retraction here if the refund is ever given without a lawsuit being filed. Love the blue blazer pics you posted i would snatch that one up!

Re: Just bought my first Blazer!!! 1970...any thoughts on..
 

Not mine. It's been for sale for quite a long time:

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lgb...472413374.html

Re: Just bought my first Blazer!!! 1970...any thoughts on..
 

Great looking blazer! I agree with the 1st things to do would be to get the tank out of the inside and just going with a stock tank, and then swapping out the bumpers.

Re: Just bought my first Blazer!!! 1970...any thoughts on..
 

The link to the orange blazer posted by 67549vette is the exact ,EXACT blazer i am being scammed on. DO NOT PURCHASE THIS VEHICLE!!!!!!! Can a board moderator check into who 67540vette is?!!!

Re: Just bought my first Blazer!!! 1970...any thoughts on..
 

67540 says it is not his....

Re: Just bought my first Blazer!!! 1970...any thoughts on..
 

Any luck? Welcome to the board. Let me know when you get a Blazer, I'd like to check it out. What part of town are you on?

Re: Just bought my first Blazer!!! 1970...any thoughts on..
 

NOT MINE

I was posting the link of the blazer that you were talking about.

Re: Just bought my first Blazer!!! 1970...any thoughts on..
 

Ah, Gotcha!! Sorry for the confusion! I thought you were saying the one i had described was not yours, and then posting the profile OF yours! sorry about that. And yes you are right that is the blazer i was talking about, anybody else out there know if that guy and blazer are for real or if its an ongoing scam he keeps running? Oh and to BLUE THUNDER, yes i got it Im on the north side the Stone Oak area, anytime you wanna check it out just give me a holler bud, 210-232-7559 Marty-

Re: Just bought my first Blazer!!! 1970...any thoughts on..
 

Hey Martyeth23 ...

First of all ...

:welcome2: to the forums and :hi: from Ohio

:cong: on one :c2: looking blazer. :metal:

Re: Just bought my first Blazer!!! 1970...any thoughts on..
 

1. I read this and I'm a little confused... Do you currently own a Blazer? Is the orange one in the first post the one you attempted to purchase and are waiting for a refund on?

2. Maybe a member in the Pico Rivera / Los Angeles are can call the seller and look at the truck in person, make sure its real and have a face to face conversation about your attempt to purchase the same truck???


here is the text from the CL ad ::
383 stroker crate engine. TH 400 Transimission both with less than 500 miles on them. Upholstery is good, sound system is good. Body has a ding on the hood and another on the driverside rear quarter panel. This truck has no A/C or Heater. There are receipts for engine and transmission adding up to about $ 7K. We are asking $ 10,000.00 OBO Call at 310-Eight zero zero - 781six

Re: Just bought my first Blazer!!! 1970...any thoughts on..
 

Hey there mcmlxix, yes i currently own the orange 1970 blazer i posted the pics of, i bought it in Houston a couple weeks ago after the deal fell through on the one in Pico Rivera California. That text you are quoting is the text from the craigslist ad that the guy in Pico Rivera just recently posted.It is the exact wording and pictures of the truck that i paid for, and the contact number is the same one that i have used to contact the seller Jose Perez. I paid for the California truck via paypal transfer on Nov. 27 th. The next day the seller Jose called and said he wasnt comfortable using paypal and wanted to make other arrangements he agreed to refund the money back which is a pretty simple process but has yet to do so almost a month later as today is the 26th of December. He blames paypal for the long delay and several technical glitches with his bank, however i cant see any senario in my head where if i were a good faith seller i could ever hold onto anyones money that long, so naturally after a month of promises about a refund that have yet to come i am begining to feel more and more like i have been scammed altogether. I'm still not sure to be honest, but when i had seen the vehicle i had followed it on cars.com and then e-bay, it was never listed on craigslist until about a week ago. I find this a bit more disturbing....since technically as he has yet to refund the agreed on purchase price i do sort of own the damn thing! :) Kind of at a loss now as to what to do....my pragmatic side says pursue a claim against paypal and wait and wait and maybe have to file a personal lawsuit against the seller....the less rational side wants to hop on a plane and show up on his doorstep and not leave without my money in hand or the truck.... So, i would have to say i wouldn't reccomend ANYONE do business with this guy on this truck. I do have to say though i am very happy with the one i bought in Houston and love it so far, luckily the last few weeks have been in the 70's here so perfect weather with the top off!

Re: Just bought my first Blazer!!! 1970...any thoughts on..
 

I would show up at his house with a couple of police officers and wouldn't leave without the Blazer or your money.

Re: Just bought my first Blazer!!! 1970...any thoughts on..
 

Offtopic, but my passenger side button has been "missing" for years...and by years I mean over 30...and by missing I mean "hiding inside the door in the bottom". Truck still functions fine, but the girlfriend's short fingers dont allow her access to the passenger seat-unless I chivalrously open the door for her.

Erik

Re: Just bought my first Blazer!!! 1970...any thoughts on..
 

Well your truck looks nice. Glad you were able to find another one. I would put up a post about having another local member go over and pay a visit to the seller of the first truck....

I would aslo start a build thread to keep track of your progress. Take lots of pictures so you can see it progress as you make changes.

Check craigslist for parts. Alot of the truck parts will fit the Blazer, including bumpers....

Re: Just bought my first Blazer!!! 1970...any thoughts on..
 

Thanks for the advice guys, yeah my girlfriend has had the same problem with the missing buttons lol! The truck really is in descent shape and i have seen some of the builds on here that have just been incredible!!! I'm sure eveyone has seen it but i checked out BLUE THUNDER's build, just awesome! There is still a ton of things i want to do to my new blazer so i might start a little build thread too, I know i want to put in new seats, have it sanded and painted...I'm thinking some shade of blue, upgrade the stereo system, cut a big portion off the roll bar past the bak of the drivers seat, get rid of the fuel cell and go back to a regular gas tank, get the entire inside rhino lined and then new carpet as it has none right now, maybe a new steering wheel and add emblems and new signal lights, and go back to the factory style chrome bumpers, i was wanting a few opinions on that part though, everyone keeps telling to me to keep the black steel bumper in the back and the huge (way to big in my opinion) cattle guard in the front, i know its all a matter of preference on the bumpers but some opinions would be a big help. I was also considering putting in new replacement front headlights with HID bulbs but cant decide, i love the way they look on my regular trucks but cant decide if they would be a cool addition to the blazer or if they would just look too out of place on a classic vehicle...i think i'm getting to that point where its about to be time to decide how far i want to venture away from the classic look and parts to a newer looking style truck ...and having trouble doing so...i love the fact its a classic and that its old and so simple compared to newer vehicles but at the same time after having owned and built up so many other modern trucks with lifts, expensive wheels and tires HID's and LED's and big stereos i find im fighting the urge to go way overboard on this project too...i guess a little at a time and my budget should help keep me in check as well :)

Re: Just bought my first Blazer!!! 1970...any thoughts on..
 

My opinion on the bumpers is to ditch the ones you have currently. I'm a fan of big black beefy bumpers on lifted rigs and all, but not the round bar type you currently have...just a little outdated. Your cheapest bet would be going to a set of sport (stock chrome) bumpers all around, but if you plan on doing some heavy wheelin with the rig they won't provide any protection...but you'd look damn good doin it! Haha...

Going overboard is REALLY easy with any project so it's good idea to start a written plan taking care of the necessities 1st, but the important part is sticking to it. A safe/functional rig is more important than one that booms and shines bright, and a rig that's running is more fun that one that's in pieces in the garage (trust me on the pieces in the garage part...it's been over a year since I've been able to drive mine and I was just supposed to slap on some air bags).

Re: Just bought my first Blazer!!! 1970...any thoughts on..
 

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...yoldwheel2.jpg

my stock front bumper has the rollers for a PTO winch (currently not installed) built into it, the box that holds the winch bolts in between the framerails, and has 1/2" plate that fit snugly inside the chrome bumper all the way out to the end bolts (the factory diagonal support brackets are long gone). Dad did this in order to be able to wheel and race my truck when it was new, and keep the chrome bumper alive. It shows its age today, but I like the fact its so stout.

I agree, ditch the pipe bumpers, if anything build a modern prerunner style smaller tubular setup...thats my plan if I finally decide to permanently leave the PTO winch out.

Erik

edit: I was hoping that pic showed better how the plate works, but it just kinda looks stock minus a bolt per side. The driver front corner of the bumper is forwards a bit because when backing up while offroading ages ago, the edge snagged something and tweaked it. I'll get better pics of the bumper reinforcement if you want me to.

Re: Just bought my first Blazer!!! 1970...any thoughts on..
 

Sweet ride man, looks like a beast. I too am a new Blazer owner with zero prior mechanical experience. However, I have two bits of advice I think everyone on this forum would agree with;
1. Go TOPLESS as quickly as you can! I had the my top on for the first 2 months and off the last two....these Blazers with the tops off are not just a total blast to drive, but you'd think you were driving around in a Lamborghini with the looks and thumbs ups you'll get driving around town. Great thing for us here in Texas is we can go topless nearly year round.
2. Don't be afraid to jump into the projects you mentioned all by yourself. I've replace my alternator, break booster, starter, front wiring harness, water pump pulley, distributor and intake/valve cover gaskets. Prior to owning this Blazer my mechanical experience consisted of changing oil in an old S10 back in school..that's it. I've found that this forum holds the answers to virtually every question you could have and the members are very eager to help. This plus YouTube and other classic car sites, an original shop manual, lots and lots of patience and determination, and a steadfast determination to stick with it and have fun and I think you will be very happy with your purchase. Oh yeah, hopefully you have an autoparts store nearby and room in the garage for all the tools you'll be buying!
When you get that top off could you post a few pics of the roll cage? I'm thinking about getting the family style cage you've got.
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Re: Just bought my first Blazer!!! 1970...any thoughts on..
 

Yeah I'll throw up a few pics of it already pulled the top off last week, I'm gonna be pulling out the whole roll cage in about 3 weeks if you are looking to pick one up super cheap:)

Re: Just bought my first Blazer!!! 1970...any thoughts on..
 

Welcome to the beging of the sickness or should I say club. You are about to have fun . A little advice plan and think out what direction you want to go with your blazer. There are so many options
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Re: Just bought my first Blazer!!! 1970...any thoughts on..
 

Here is a couple of pics my blazer has 6" rancho lift with 39.5x15 my jimmy has 4" lift with 35" just to give you an idea.

Re: Just bought my first Blazer!!! 1970...any thoughts on..
 

Sorry to hijack your thread, but...

I didnt know that brown was available in '72, my father gave me a '75 in that brown and i always liked it. Now, i think i finally found a paint color. Does that brown have a small flake in it, metallic? Just dont see that color very often

Hijack off!...

Re: Just bought my first Blazer!!! 1970...any thoughts on..
 

Wow!!! What an awesome Blazer!!! I was thinking of keeping the 15 inch wheels i have now but going up to 39.5x13.5 tires or 38x14.5, yours looks awesome with the 39's what else did you have to do to get them to fit? fender trimming or an extra body lift? I'm told from what it looks like i have a 3 inch body lift and 4 inch suspension lift, the front fenders have already been trimmed a bit so I'm curious to see what will fit without any extra lift or additional cutting....I was told to stick with the 15in wheel because once you go up past that the backspacing increases and they may not clear the tie rods...i sort of understood the explanation but was wondering if anyone could elaborate a bit as i've seen a lot with 15in+ wheels, is that just being done with wheel spacers i was told to steer way way clear of that route...:)

Re: Just bought my first Blazer!!! 1970...any thoughts on..
 

So just to update those that were interested, I finally got a full refund on the Blazer I attempted to purchase in California. The guy Jose Perez came through and refunded apperently he had a ton of trouble with paypal(believe me i experienced an amazing amount myself) When all was said and done he turned out to be an honest guy and lived up to his word. The posting of his Blazer on Craigslist that appears in this thread seems far more legit to me now! So if anyone out in Cali is looking I know he is still looking to sell locally. Just wanted to caution others still on using paypal for any such similar transactions on large dollar items thet are an absolute nightmare! And here are a few topless pics for spenceman72

Re: Just bought my first Blazer!!! 1970...any thoughts on..
 

Glad you got that worked out! Looks like the pics didn't post though...

Re: Just bought my first Blazer!!! 1970...any thoughts on..
 

The brown is not origanal use to be metallic tan think sandstone. The blazer the front horns on front fender trimed.