83K5_blazer (she’s back!)

[Cntymnty77]

I understand your frustration, and kudos to you for knowing when to take a break!
You are definitely going to win though!

Haha! I normally just try to work through it and get even more pissed off. I've got bronchitis right now and just decided to say the hell with it.

Those repop panel make me cuss too

The bends aren't even close! You would have thought someone would have come up with the original dies by now and started making real OEM panels.

 

[Bent77]

Haha! I normally just try to work through it and get even more pissed off. I've got bronchitis right now and just decided to say the hell with it.


The bends aren't even close! You would have thought someone would have come up with the original dies by now and started making real OEM panels.

That's why so many guys want factory sheet metal. Some of those repops are waaaayy off

 

[Cntymnty77]

That's why so many guys want factory sheet metal. Some of those repops are waaaayy off

I'm praying the ass end of that '78 is still there when I get back out there to finish cutting it off. I got half way through it and killed all 4 batteries it took.

 

[GWeakland620]

What brand of replacement panels did you go with again?

 

[Cntymnty77]

What brand of replacement panels did you go with again?

It was a hodgepodge of everything. But for the right side it was all from Classic Industries, the same crap everyone sells from Taiwan.

 

[GWeakland620]

I'm telling you, you gotta check out Goodmark/Keystone.

 

[Cntymnty77]

I'm telling you, you gotta check out Goodmark/Keystone.

These were all panels I already had. I looked on their website and said that some of the panels I was looking for were discontinued.

 

[Cntymnty77]

So now this is my new problem.. everything lines up with my outer rocker so this is where everything goes. But, I have to make it clean and seal up.

 

[Cntymnty77]

Here is an end of day progress report.

The floor and inner rocker are about 90% installed. Just need to do some tweaking and a little sheet metal work. The last picture is more of a teaser picture for me of what the end product will look like. I got everything lined up and was able to set the outer rocker in place to look at it.

 

[AbramJ]

Looks pretty good, more ambitious and better than I could do

 

[Cntymnty77]

Looks pretty good, more ambitious and better than I could do

Thanks! I've done metal work before in the past but the hardest part about this, is trying to make these panels work.

 

[Cntymnty77]

Parts! Got all the stuff in that I ordered for my birthday! And after months of searching, I finally have all the components needed for the stereo harness. I was able to get it put together and wrapped with the harness wrap that I ordered before I went to work tonight. It's slowly coming together. I was hoping to get out and finish that rocker and floor but it's been raining all week so far.

 

[Cntymnty77]

A before and (close to) after.

 

[AbramJ]

Looks much better, definitely will pay off in the end.

 

[Cntymnty77]

Looks much better, definitely will pay off in the end.

Thanks, I was wanting to button everything up this weekend but it's looking like it's going to rain all weekend.. you're right, it will, it's just making it to the finish line. Haha!

 

[Cntymnty77]

Well, I found time to get out and got most of it welded up. Just need to get the outer rocker on and put the lower fender back on. I'm ready to get it back on the road!

 

[Cntymnty77]

I decided to redo that last post. I took a vacation day today and finally hammered this right side out. Still have some cleaning up to do on it but it's done for the most part. Door is back on (and closes properly), front fender is back on and welded the front lower quarter back on. I am by no means a body man but for the first time doing body work, it's not bad and can be spruced up later. Now I need to start planning the left side replacement and rear bed section.

I decided to do a step-by-step series of pictures for this. Some of these have been posted before but I wanted to give a one post rundown of the whole process. I'm going to be a picture whore for a minute. Haha!

I realized after I got home from the quick drive that I got so exited to drive her again, I forgot to put the headlight trim back on. Oh well..

 

[76k5blazerr]

Looking good

 

[Cntymnty77]

Looking good

Thank you!

 

[82355]

I wish I had that kind of patience.

Martin