72 blazer, questions. need help

[pulser9]

Ok so a few months back I was looking to start a project on a early 70s blazer. I had a blazer I was going to buy but then it fell threw. But now I have another truck truck to look into. Its a 72 blazer all the drive train is origonal, frame has just surface rust, there is a good amount of body rust wich i dont like, and the rear floor is rusted out. If i do buy this blazer i will be trying to do a full restoration. Im not going to be geting the drive train rebuilt im going to buy new or rebuilt. Ok now to the questions. I need to know how i would go about repairing the floor. Next is dose anyone know a good site that I would be able to get all the replacment parts like all the hinges/brackets and like maby like quarter panels if I cant repair them, for good price. I have pictures or the rust and truck here. http://community.webshots.com/album/550164579aThSBN
One more thing is that dose anyone know of a site that has like a list thats like kind of in order on what to do on the tear down or the truck. This will be my first tear down to the frame. So i just wanted to know if theres any sites that would give me a little help to just make it a little easier and maby help me make a few less mistakes.

Any help willbe great
Thanks,
Kevin

 

[1979jimmy350]

LMC, year one and JC whitney have a good amount of Body parts, for theses trucks, as to the order of tearing it apart, there is really not set order, just get a lot of boxes and zip lock bags to label every thing, and take a lot of pictures so you know how to put it back together.

 

[pulser9]

Yea im definetly going to try and keep all the parts organized. Any idea on how to repair the floor tho?

 

[1979jimmy350]

http://coloradok5.com/floorremoval.shtml here is a article on floor replacment

 

[pulser9]

hey thanks, sorry I didnt even think about looking in that section.

 

[71 Blazer]

Have you looked through the "cancer support group" sticky in the 69-72 section?

 

[pulser9]

no I havnt. Ill go check that out right now.

 

[pulser9]

If you guys looked at the pictures, do you think that the truck would be a good deal for $500. remembering that the frame has just surface rust?

 

[1979jimmy350]

yea i think it is a pretty good deal, i have bought worse, look at my cardomain, i paid 300 for the Black blazer

 

[pulser9]

o yea I forgot about my other question. What front and rear axles dose the 72 blazer have? Because my goal is to run 38s and I need to know if im going to have to get new axles or not. Im figuring im going to have to get new axles. What axles do you sugjest I look into?

 

[70jimmy]

Best thing I can suggest on the floor replacement is to find either another blazer or pickup and cut the floor out and patch it in. that is what I did to mine and then I speedlined the entire interior.

The axles are probably a Dana 44 front and a 12 bolt rear. If it is fairly original check the sticker in the glove box. If somebody didn't already link you to it look at the axle identification post on this site. I think its in like the technical stuff on the home page???

You probably want a 14 bolt full floater rear and front Dana 60. I only have a 10 bolt with some mods and it does fine on the road and OK off but I would like a 60 also.

 

[Greg72]

Don't be seduced by a low sale price.....

Depending on how "nice" you want that truck to be, that rust repair could cost you THOUSANDS of dollars to repair.....and I guarantee that when you (or your bodyman) start getting into that repair, there will be a LOT more rust to fix than you expect. The rockers are probably also gone, and the lower door posts too. With a full-converible truck, that rust has eaten the major structural parts of that body (not all of the strength comes from the frame).

You are usually better off finding a clean K5 (less rust) and paying more initially, than trying to apply some "tough love" to a rusty basketcase.


The 1st Gen Forum will have a lot of specific help on the 69-72 K5s if you decide that's the style you like best!!