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Found 79-91 Blazer Tub and full vert windshield frame.....stretch it?
- Thread starter folkenheath
- Start date
That would give you plenty of room!
I don't need heavy 4 door burb leg room, I just don't want back seat in a truck bed leg room.
I want lighter, not heavier.
A 2 door soft top full vert blazer will still be somewhat light. And I could have the soft top made longer pretty easy.
I don't even know where to begin to make a soft top for a 4 door burb, and the extra doors are too heavy.
Changes are I'll just run the blazer wheelbase because its easier and cheaper and will probably work just fine.
I don't need heavy 4 door burb leg room, I just don't want back seat in a truck bed leg room.
I want lighter, not heavier.
A 2 door soft top full vert blazer will still be somewhat light. And I could have the soft top made longer pretty easy.
I don't even know where to begin to make a soft top for a 4 door burb, and the extra doors are too heavy.
Changes are I'll just run the blazer wheelbase because its easier and cheaper and will probably work just fine.
@imiceman44
just to make sure I have this right...
The answer to chop a burb is that it is too long and would need to be chopped???
just to make sure I have this right...
The answer to chop a burb is that it is too long and would need to be chopped???
What I meant is when he is stretching the blazer he only cuts the body.@imiceman44
just to make sure I have this right...
The answer to chop a burb is that it is too long and would need to be chopped???
With the suburban he has chop both, and not the easy way cutting the overhang like most do with a suburban but cut the wheelbase down
You would need to add length to a Blazer in both the body and frame vs removing material from the body and frame on a Suburban. On a quick comparison I would expect less work and complications from the burb option but reality is neither options are straight forward.
The option was to use his frame from the short bed and stretch the blazer body
Until I have a blazer here right next to the truck I won't have solid plans.
The burb would be a lot more work because it has 4 doors, I don't want 4 doors. So trying to remove half the doors and bob the back would be a lot more work than lengthening a blazer in one spot only. Bobbing the back is harder because its angled at the quarter panel, in between the wheels its straight. When it comes to a soft top, the door area would be too complicated and expensive.
If I did use the truck frame I may need to bob the back too? Not sure, I would need to make or swap different crossmembers for the body mounts and fuel tank at the least, which might be easier than lengthening it, not sure until I have it in front of me.
If I do it I would want the tub to look factory, like it came that way, with a factory looking soft top too. I don't want it all hacked up truggy style with no way to have a decent sealed soft top in bad weather.
A lengthened blazer would give me everything I want, and nothing I don't. A truck box or a burb would either majorly complicate things and/or not give me everything I am looking for.
I'll do it right, or I won't do it. And once I have it in front of me, I might just say, too much time involved, and shorten my current 1350 CV rear driveshaft and be done. Other than finally linking the rear and upgrading the Failed On Arrival shocks and bumps.
I see ORD has a rear link kit to put 12" travel under the box, I might go that route vs spending weeks fabbing my own like I did with the front before ORD kits existed. But I would fab my own axle truss/shock hoop as I don't need a huge heavy link mount/truss from 1/4" plate on my axle. I like lightweight chrome-moly tubing.
If I have to mount the shocks lower on the axle it doesn't really matter for how I use it in the sand or dirt hills. I'm not a big mud or rock crawling guy.
The burb would be a lot more work because it has 4 doors, I don't want 4 doors. So trying to remove half the doors and bob the back would be a lot more work than lengthening a blazer in one spot only. Bobbing the back is harder because its angled at the quarter panel, in between the wheels its straight. When it comes to a soft top, the door area would be too complicated and expensive.
If I did use the truck frame I may need to bob the back too? Not sure, I would need to make or swap different crossmembers for the body mounts and fuel tank at the least, which might be easier than lengthening it, not sure until I have it in front of me.
If I do it I would want the tub to look factory, like it came that way, with a factory looking soft top too. I don't want it all hacked up truggy style with no way to have a decent sealed soft top in bad weather.
A lengthened blazer would give me everything I want, and nothing I don't. A truck box or a burb would either majorly complicate things and/or not give me everything I am looking for.
I'll do it right, or I won't do it. And once I have it in front of me, I might just say, too much time involved, and shorten my current 1350 CV rear driveshaft and be done. Other than finally linking the rear and upgrading the Failed On Arrival shocks and bumps.
I see ORD has a rear link kit to put 12" travel under the box, I might go that route vs spending weeks fabbing my own like I did with the front before ORD kits existed. But I would fab my own axle truss/shock hoop as I don't need a huge heavy link mount/truss from 1/4" plate on my axle. I like lightweight chrome-moly tubing.
If I have to mount the shocks lower on the axle it doesn't really matter for how I use it in the sand or dirt hills. I'm not a big mud or rock crawling guy.
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Don't forget the shortbed frame rises under the cab where the saddle tanks sit. Using the truck frame will mean a large body lift to fit the K5 tub on the frame, raising the floor in the K5 tub, or cutting out the rise in the truck frame to flatten it. If the rear seat leg space is a must have, grab a K5 tub and frame together. It will give you more options to look at.
That is one slick ride! I bet it doesn't ride like a Caddy.
I've done a lot of this, here's my thoughts:
The half cab is a nicer vehicle for everyday use for sure. Doors seal up better, whole thing is quieter, top seals well, etc. Lot of mentions of these benefits and more. None of this applies to what you want to do as you've brought up. For a fun truck, the full vert is good.
My half cab weighed about 75 lbs when I cut it off my '82. And it is on the top of the truck so it's a good place to lose weight.
The drop floor in the later K5s is nice to have. For kids, maybe not so much since their legs don't hang down very far but it's still nice.
Start with the K5 frame and graft the front of your K10 frame to it. Trying to use the truck frame isn't worth it. Splice the two so that you retain the belly section of the K5 along with the fuel tank mounting, etc.
Stretching the whole thing is a great idea. Check out all the stretched broncos from the desert pre-runner world for some ideas there. Getting wheelbase to 115-ish or a little more does nothing but help. Starting with a 'burb frame would be good if you do this. Their drop center is longer to accommodate the longer passenger area and it could easily be cut down to whatever length you need. Or maybe you just build the belly section out of some rectangular tube and splice that into a K5 frame. That way you get straight rails and some extra beef in that area.
Give up on keeping the shocks under the bed floor. For what you want the truck to be, the suspension needs to come inside and build seating around it. It's very possible to have a 3 wide bench with the shock behind it, especially if you stretch it. And staggering seats like you mentioned gives you even more options. I have this now and it's the same layout I had in a full body at one point. For something whose purpose in life is to be fun, you should have at least 16" of rear wheel travel and if you stretch it, the door is open for more. This is a lot different from 12".
Don't splice an early windshield frame. The soft tops attach nicely to a cut down later frame. The only reason to put on an early frame is to use an early hard top which is not in your plan.
The half cab is a nicer vehicle for everyday use for sure. Doors seal up better, whole thing is quieter, top seals well, etc. Lot of mentions of these benefits and more. None of this applies to what you want to do as you've brought up. For a fun truck, the full vert is good.
My half cab weighed about 75 lbs when I cut it off my '82. And it is on the top of the truck so it's a good place to lose weight.
The drop floor in the later K5s is nice to have. For kids, maybe not so much since their legs don't hang down very far but it's still nice.
Start with the K5 frame and graft the front of your K10 frame to it. Trying to use the truck frame isn't worth it. Splice the two so that you retain the belly section of the K5 along with the fuel tank mounting, etc.
Stretching the whole thing is a great idea. Check out all the stretched broncos from the desert pre-runner world for some ideas there. Getting wheelbase to 115-ish or a little more does nothing but help. Starting with a 'burb frame would be good if you do this. Their drop center is longer to accommodate the longer passenger area and it could easily be cut down to whatever length you need. Or maybe you just build the belly section out of some rectangular tube and splice that into a K5 frame. That way you get straight rails and some extra beef in that area.
Give up on keeping the shocks under the bed floor. For what you want the truck to be, the suspension needs to come inside and build seating around it. It's very possible to have a 3 wide bench with the shock behind it, especially if you stretch it. And staggering seats like you mentioned gives you even more options. I have this now and it's the same layout I had in a full body at one point. For something whose purpose in life is to be fun, you should have at least 16" of rear wheel travel and if you stretch it, the door is open for more. This is a lot different from 12".
Don't splice an early windshield frame. The soft tops attach nicely to a cut down later frame. The only reason to put on an early frame is to use an early hard top which is not in your plan.
Thanks for your input Stephen, some good info I'll keep in mind.
Can you elaborate on the windshield frame? Are you saying a person can just cap the later frame and use ~74 doors and a soft top without cutting the upper frame off of a 73-75? And it will look and work correctly, you just can't bolt a hard top on it?
Well I got most of the parts I need. I still need a windshield frame if someone has one. I mistakenly passed on one and regret it.
Huge thank you to a few people.
Huge thank you to @acm for helping find and haul this 73 K5 here from TX.
My original plan was to sell the original top off this, and then cut the windshield frame off and use the doors.
However, after getting it here I can't bring myself to cut it up. It's still pretty solid with a good 1973 title.
So now I plan to use it as a template to copy and then likely sell it when I am done.
Also big thank you to @imiceman44 for selling, holding, and hauling this 85 K5 partway here.
Another big thank you to @Truckman4life for help hauling it the rest of the way here on his family trip.
The help on CK5 is amazing.
This is the rig I will build.
I will like start a new build thread as my truck will get the 1/2 ton axles from the K5 and a small block and sold.
The 85 will get the full vert convert, soft topped, and my 489 BBC, NP205, D60 and 14BFF (along with a 4L80E I will build). I will reuse most of my radius arm front suspension and link the rear at the same time. Along with a moly cage.
Huge thank you to a few people.
Huge thank you to @acm for helping find and haul this 73 K5 here from TX.
My original plan was to sell the original top off this, and then cut the windshield frame off and use the doors.
However, after getting it here I can't bring myself to cut it up. It's still pretty solid with a good 1973 title.
So now I plan to use it as a template to copy and then likely sell it when I am done.
Also big thank you to @imiceman44 for selling, holding, and hauling this 85 K5 partway here.
Another big thank you to @Truckman4life for help hauling it the rest of the way here on his family trip.
The help on CK5 is amazing.
This is the rig I will build.
I will like start a new build thread as my truck will get the 1/2 ton axles from the K5 and a small block and sold.
The 85 will get the full vert convert, soft topped, and my 489 BBC, NP205, D60 and 14BFF (along with a 4L80E I will build). I will reuse most of my radius arm front suspension and link the rear at the same time. Along with a moly cage.
The doors on the ‘73….
I have a set
Tempting but I imagine shipping them to Alabama would be miserable.
Pretty much.
Unless the blazer bash crew can do some LTL shipping.
Why do you need a '73-'75 windshield frame if you are not going to use a factory top?
Martin
Martin
He figures it's easier than trying to figure out a detail of how to finish it.
