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'72 K5 - Where do I go from here?

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REPLACE THE DOOR HINGES! Bailed work early Friday, ferried all of the Front Clip parts to my house, did the vehicle shuffle, laid out all of the bolts, shims, etc. Guy comes over this morning and we start putting the front clip on. Holy freakin frustrating! Put on, remove, adjust, put on, remove, adjust......All done - All that remains is final adjustments on doors. Guy is telling me 'lift up, pull, lower, etc....' Something is not right. We start messing with it - The G-Damn hinges have about 3/4" of play in them! Have to take EVERYTHING back off to remove the door hinges. Start again next Saturday morning.

So, I am shopping (and drinking heavily, but that is not germane.....). The Truck Shop shows them, but the pictures do not match the hinges on the '72 Blazer, or the '72 K20. LMC's do (though very small picture), but their quality is sometimes not as good. Anyone know a good source?

Oh, and just to add insult to injury, the only part we got on today (tailgate) will have to come back off because they did not fill all of the holes like I wanted. It still has holes for all of the stock trim, none of which is going back on. I am also going to get them to paint the CHEVROLET lettering stamped into the tailgate......I'm torn between filling it in black, or like a flat eggshell..........I have time. I found tons of chips and scratches in the parts which remained at the body shop (so much for that strategy), so he'll be doing more work regardless. I guess it's still nice to look over and see the tailgate on......and the one front fender we left on temporarily, basically because we were both wiped out after working all day in my 100 degree shop.

Whatever - learned a ton, really like the dude helping me, and at the end of the day I was working on something I love instead of toiling away for The Man.......all and all - good day, getting better with each Silver Bullet.............
 
Not that I'm a pro like Ryoken, but I like to work from a datum that can't move...the door opening...and go forward from there.
 
I know the factory hinges are NOT rebuildable, but maybe there’s a way a machinist could drill out the pin and set them up to use a late-model rebuild kit?

For sure, the hinges can be sloppy and will drive you nuts trying to get good gaps.


-G
 
Thanks guys. Datum - have not heard that word since my time as a Navigator. I am going to call the Truck Shop tomorrow and verify correct hinges/order overnight. The body guy said that he would pick them up from my place, take them to the shop to paint them, and we'd be ready next weekend. We'll see........Yesterday my wife drove my '88 'Down the Hill' into San Diego to run errands (she likes to drive it now and then). Today I take it to a buddy's house and notice an odd squeak which goes away when I put my foot on the brake.........it never ends..........
 
I may just be a garbage truck driver now, but back in the day I was a fabricator building aircraft tooling for all the usual suspects. "Datum" was everyday use. :waytogo:
 
Wiring. I have a wire for the front side marker light, and one for the front blinker. The pigtail off that light only has one wire (well, and a ground). Do I just splice the side marker light and the blinker light wires together? The manual is useless. I guess I could put the battery in and just try it........I bought a few extra bulbs with the new lights.......

The new grill assembly/brackets came in this week, as well as all of the lights, mirrors, and door handles.....It amazes me how fast the $$$ add up. People ask me all the time, "How much do you have into it so far?" I just tell them that I don't want to know, because I honestly don't.

Finding someone to put in the windshield is proving challenging......seems like everyone is afraid of those windshields.

I go back and forth every single day whether or not I want to put on the 'wood grain' trim. That decision plays into what I do with the tailgate, something I only realized when I saw the holes for the trim around the rear lights......If I don't want to do any trim it has to go back to the body shop to get those holes filled, which I am ok with, but. I've looked at hundreds of pictures of First Gens and I have mixed feelings about the wood grain. I started off wanting to 'hear Metallica (old Metallica)' when I looked at it......now, I don't know. I guess taste changes in two years......or I've just gained an appreciation for the stock look. Besides, Metallica, while perfect to listen to while kicking your own ass in the garage at 4AM, might not be the best standard for a vehicle.......I could just do the trim/wood grain on the tailgate but I think that would look stupid.......but then I look at my '88 K5 and that's basically how it is (not wood grain, but the more modern version)......and I love my '88.....

First World problems......
 
Spot on (article linked below) about the Blazer. I disagree with the author regarding the Vette and the Camaro (I think they are both plastic pieces of shit I would not take for free), but he is spot on with the Blazer. One of my buddy's sent me a pic of it a while back, "Hey Mike, I know you love Blazers, thought you might want to replace the Super Duty with this." I laughed my ass off - it looks like the Prius name tag is missing.....what a freaking POS.
https://gearpatrol.com/2018/06/27/chevrolet-blazer-1972/#5
 
Dirsuper said:
Wiring. I have a wire for the front side marker light, and one for the front blinker. The pigtail off that light only has one wire (well, and a ground). Do I just splice the side marker light and the blinker light wires together? The manual is useless. I guess I could put the battery in and just try it........I bought a few extra bulbs with the new lights.......

The new grill assembly/brackets came in this week, as well as all of the lights, mirrors, and door handles.....It amazes me how fast the $$$ add up. People ask me all the time, "How much do you have into it so far?" I just tell them that I don't want to know, because I honestly don't.

Finding someone to put in the windshield is proving challenging......seems like everyone is afraid of those windshields.

I go back and forth every single day whether or not I want to put on the 'wood grain' trim. That decision plays into what I do with the tailgate, something I only realized when I saw the holes for the trim around the rear lights......If I don't want to do any trim it has to go back to the body shop to get those holes filled, which I am ok with, but. I've looked at hundreds of pictures of First Gens and I have mixed feelings about the wood grain. I started off wanting to 'hear Metallica (old Metallica)' when I looked at it......now, I don't know. I guess taste changes in two years......or I've just gained an appreciation for the stock look. Besides, Metallica, while perfect to listen to while kicking your own ass in the garage at 4AM, might not be the best standard for a vehicle.......I could just do the trim/wood grain on the tailgate but I think that would look stupid.......but then I look at my '88 K5 and that's basically how it is (not wood grain, but the more modern version)......and I love my '88.....

First World problems......
Click to expand...


I have decided that I will create a cruising playlist for my maiden voyage in the Blazer that will only contain songs from 1972 and earlier.... this will be an appropriate period-correct way to put myself back in time to the moment when this truck was new and imagine what it might have been like to drive one off the showroom floor and into my own garage.

Enjoy the voyage, and don’t be afraid to indulge your evolving tastes when it comes to finishing up the truck details.

-G
 
Faith Auto Glass in Temecula can install your windshield if you dont have any luck finding someone closer.
 
Dirsuper said:
Finding someone to put in the windshield is proving challenging......seems like everyone is afraid of those windshields.
Click to expand...

I’ve installed a windshield in mine. It was not easy but it’s not horrible and I’d recommend a new rubber seal and two buddies. There’s a few tutorials online describing the process, but essentially you install the seal on the windshield, press a ~1/4” cord into the seal all around until the two ends meet near the center of the top. Lay the windshield into place and gently press the rubber seal against the window frame and pull one end of the rope slowly out which makes the rubber flap on the seal bend out and cover the window frame. Then keep pulling the cord and making sure the seal keeps coming out and onto the frame while someone gently keeps pressure on it. Eventually you will come back around to the starting point which will get the last of the seal in place. Keep a few plastic hooks and pry tools handy to use in case the seal isn’t cooperating in some spots.

Also waaaay easier if you don’t have a roll cage installed while doing it.

Also way easier in the shade so the sun doesn’t heat up the glass to broiling temps that burn your bare hands, but might want to wear gloves anyway just in case.
 
Been lurking on this build awhile, mostly because it's great to see another Alabama transplant living in SoCal. I'm sweating it out in El Centro...

The truck is looking great! I know that feeling you get when it's this close.You just want to to get out there and cruise so bad!

One thing about this build that has been bugging me since the beginning... The Dixie on your wall is upside downwards! :D
 
Midnite - It was! Holy shit, I can’t tell you how many of my buddies (from the South) have drank beer in my shop - not one of us ever noticed. I appreciate you pointing that out, and it is corrected!

E7DD09D7-D8BC-4E1D-B279-BFF0A453FCC0.jpeg
 
Great idea Greg!
Jack, I appreciate the heads up on that one.
BP, I appreciate it, but as scared as I am of screwing up the windshield posts/frame........I'd rather have it done by someone who knows what they are doing.

The wiring issue plot thickens. The side marker lights work when only that wire is on the light. The blinker also works when only the blinker wire is on that light. The two of them together, and neither works. I am baffled. I literally spent the entire day chasing voltages, checking switches, etc.....well, and about an hour and a half convinced that the steering column was messed up, but that's not the case. No progress. I guess I'll call Painless tomorrow......
 
I know the front marker and blinker lights don’t work like modern vehicles. I spent some time with mine recently and I remember discussions online about how they worked weird from the factory. I modified my wiring to make it better but I forgot what better was. Might be worth a look online at the 67-72 site.
 
Thank you for the suggestion bp. I searched around and believe I found the answer:

Re: marker lights: always on or blinker??
Super easy to wire. Leave the wire that turns on the markers (usually brown) Then remove the ground wire and tie it in to the signal wire. (light blue and dark blue)

I'll try that next weekend (if I get any shop time - wife's birthday......). I've ended this weekend and shifted into Sunday night depression (read that, 'Seek the comfort of the Silver Bullet') mode for the evening.

I can't freakin believe how much shit I am learning during this project.....JFC, between this and all the new shit at work, my brain is going to melt.
 
Dirsuper said:
Re: marker lights: always on or blinker??
Super easy to wire. Leave the wire that turns on the markers (usually brown) Then remove the ground wire and tie it in to the signal wire. (light blue and dark blue)
Click to expand...

That sounds familiar. My front bumper lights still only go on with the parking lights, not the headlights. But they blink with the headlights on or off.
 
2-chevrolet-k5-blazer-emblem-jill-reger.jpg


https://fineartamerica.com/featured/2-chevrolet-k5-blazer-emblem-jill-reger.html?product=poster
 
So when you are trying to get the blinkers working after a complete re-wire - remember, both the front and rear have to be on the circuit for them to work. Hours wasted..........And BTW, side marker to the hot side of the light, ground to the blinker wire. Works like a champ......rear sitting on the front tire grounded with an alligator clip for testing.........
 
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