91 K5 Inner side panel rust repair

[Squarebodymedic]

Hey guys and gals ,

I'm right in the middle of a 91 K5 resto-mod build and have found some serious rust on the sidewall of both sides of the interior wall above the floor pan, area starts at the rise of the rear bench seat area forward to the internal cab brace and on to the curved edge of the door opening! The floor pan itself will not replace the area as this area in the sheet metal above the floor pan. from the outside with the box side removed it shows the cab corner back into a squared area which would be the foot well for the rear seat passengers. As I stated before the internal downward internal rear cab brace which includes the bottom seat belt bolt is also a problem.

Does anyone make a replacement panel for the above described area or is it going to be fabrication time!??!

I would also be receptive to someone in the SouthWestern states to junk yard find a wrecked K5 Blazer or Jimmy that was in good shape behind the front doors to the front of the box floor and either have the junk yard or themselves cut those areas out for me, ship it and collect a finders fee for the effort !!! Of course I would pay for the purchase, shipping and finders fee.

Mike Pitt
Knoxville, Iowa

 

[83blazertexas]

Fabrication time. Going through this now as well. No replacement parts made for this section. There is debate that one "used" to be made but either way, none now.

 

[83blazertexas]

only pic I have right now, but this area is what i'm talking about above.

 

[Squarebodymedic]

only pic I have right now, but this area is what i'm talking about above.

View attachment 322915

Yeppers !!!! That pretty much nails the same area I am dealing with, I did buy new cab corners, rear front floor pans, and under floor supports for the area closest to the raised area into the back.prior to it raising in to the bed area. I also need a cross support for the top of the raised area if anyone makes a replacement part!??!

 

[83blazertexas]

Good luck. I'm going to be following this thread to see how it works out. I'm wrapping up the rear part of the bed now and then moving to this section. Truck looks good btw.

 

[HankScorpio]

Mine has a hole there too. I painted it with the rest of the truck and went 4 wheeling. I will probably rivet a plate over it or something.

 

[Squarebodymedic]

Good luck. I'm going to be following this thread to see how it works out. I'm wrapping up the rear part of the bed now and then moving to this section. Truck looks good btw.

Thanks man, I've had several K5's over the years and traveled to Montana several years ago to purchase this one, not raised up, or beat up to badly, and what I had hoped was minimal rust LOL oh well from years past I expected some rust here or there !!
I started out just wanting to replace the front end and passenger door with NOS parts and it morphed into a complete frame off resto-mod rebuild !!!! NOS complete front end, both doors, and a after market drivers side box side. New bumpers, front grill and head light surrounds, mirrors and a freshened transmission, torque converter and transfer case, all new stainless fuel, brake and tranny coolant lines. The TBI 350 went by by with 155,000 miles on it and was replaced with a 489 cu. in. big block sporting a forged bottom end, forged rods, and pistons and a set of aluminum BRODIX heads along with a Weiand aluminum intake and Holley Sniper fuel injection unit with Hooker headers and dual exhaust making it sound sweet !!!

 

[Squarebodymedic]

Good luck. I'm going to be following this thread to see how it works out. I'm wrapping up the rear part of the bed now and then moving to this section. Truck looks good btw.

I'm thinking if I fabricate 3 or 4 pieces per side into one plate to cover the factory area and make it as close to original as possible, there could possibly be a "nich market" for that piece for people looking to fix and or restore their K5's !??!

 

[83blazertexas]

I'm thinking if I fabricate 3 or 4 pieces per side into one plate to cover the factory area and make it as close to original as possible, there could possibly be a "nich market" for that piece for people looking to fix and or restore their K5's !??!

I would buy it. The only thing I've read is that since it's a critical piece (holding the front/lower seat-belt bolt) there may be a huge liability. But I have zero idea, I just know I'd buy one today.

 

[Squarebodymedic]

I would buy it. The only thing I've read is that since it's a critical piece (holding the front/lower seat-belt bolt) there may be a huge liability. But I have zero idea, I just know I'd buy one today.

I won't have the seat belt bolt threaded hole worry as I changed my seats out to a set of high back bucket seats from a 01 pickup, they have the internal seat belts built in to the seats and seats are also power seats, so a much better arrangement !!! I know it's only common sense but it should structurally be stronger with new metal welded in place vrs. old worn out rusted away metal holding the seat belts anchor point in place when it comes to a liability issue !??!

 

[83blazertexas]

I won't have the seat belt bolt threaded hole worry as I changed my seats out to a set of high back bucket seats from a 01 pickup, they have the internal seat belts built in to the seats and seats are also power seats, so a much better arrangement !!! I know it's only common sense but it should structurally be stronger with new metal welded in place vrs. old worn out rusted away metal holding the seat belts anchor point in place when it comes to a liability issue !??!

That's 200 IQ on the seat update.

 

[6872xtc]

I believe that it would be difficult to find one that doesn't have rust there to cut the parts out. I have a '90 here that is pretty good everywhere but there. Now it doesn't have much rust there, but the rust blisters are definitely coming out from between the layers of metal.
My black and silver '90 Jimmy had less than what @83blazertexas posted, but it spent the first 6 years of its life in Wisconsin, then moved out here. I made panels myself to repair it last year because I didn't have newer seats to install. But my repair was purely for functional purposes not to make it like new.

I believe that sealing it up after the repairs and adding a splash guard inside the front of the wheel opening could keep it from rusting again.
AND make sure that the top doesn't leak!!

 

[Squarebodymedic]

Hey guys and gals ,

I'm right in the middle of a 91 K5 resto-mod build and have found some serious rust on the sidewall of both sides of the interior wall above the floor pan, area starts at the rise of the rear bench seat area forward to the internal cab brace and on to the curved edge of the door opening! The floor pan itself will not replace the area as this area in the sheet metal above the floor pan. from the outside with the box side removed it shows the cab corner back into a squared area which would be the foot well for the rear seat passengers. As I stated before the internal downward internal rear cab brace which includes the bottom seat belt bolt is also a problem.

Does anyone make a replacement panel for the above described area or is it going to be fabrication time!??!

I would also be receptive to someone in the SouthWestern states to junk yard find a wrecked K5 Blazer or Jimmy that was in good shape behind the front doors to the front of the box floor and either have the junk yard or themselves cut those areas out for me, ship it and collect a finders fee for the effort !!! Of course I would pay for the purchase, shipping and finders fee.

Mike Pitt
Knoxville, Iowa

View attachment 322913

Bought some 18 ga. sheet metal at the local machine shop and will begin tracing out a template for the lower B pillar repair. My body shop guy is a great fabricator and truly repairs and rebuilds many items in his shop as it is a "restoration shop" !!! I have purchased the "rear" portion of the front floor pan, the floor supports, and the inside and outside door rockers, but it looks like we will have to fabricate the lower B pillar post area about a foot up on the drivers side and then from the rear of the door opening to the rise of the rear box area, and on the passenger side a simple rectangular piece that will cover the B pillar area from front to back but the rear floor pan area should make up the rest of the patch panel on that side!

 

[Squarebodymedic]

Bought some 18 ga. sheet metal at the local machine shop and will begin tracing out a template for the lower B pillar repair. My body shop guy is a great fabricator and truly repairs and rebuilds many items in his shop as it is a "restoration shop" !!! I have purchased the "rear" portion of the front floor pan, the floor supports, and the inside and outside door rockers, but it looks like we will have to fabricate the lower B pillar post area about a foot up on the drivers side and then from the rear of the door opening to the rise of the rear box area, and on the passenger side a simple rectangular piece that will cover the B pillar area from front to back but the rear floor pan area should make up the rest of the patch panel on that side!

 

[Squarebodymedic]

Above you can see what I am fighting at the moment on my resto-mod build of the 1991 K5 Blazer. Floor patch panels check, floor supports check and cab corners check but no one I can find makes the B pillar patch panel or the outside boxed in area either, so fabrication time it is !!!!!

On the bright side Holley sent an email stating my Weiand Intake manifold for the 489 bbc build has shipped and I am happily waiting for its arrival. Holley has stated they think it is the best manifold to use with their new Sniper 4150 "complete" fuel injection system on the 489 motor !!
I am also using their electric water pump on the build and their "Sniper" valve covers too!!!

 

[83blazertexas]

Looking good. Tell your restoration guy to make two sets--I still need to do this same thing soon. Still wrapping up tail pan replacement now

 

[Squarebodymedic]

Looking good. Tell your restoration guy to make two sets--I still need to do this same thing soon. Still wrapping up tail pan replacement now

I will see if I can talk him in to making 2 sets, 1 part for each side. If you could send me a couple of pictures of both sides of your B pillar post rusty areas , it might give us an idea of what you need !!!!
Send them to my phone 641 891 6468 from your smart phone and I can save them and message them on to him !!!!

 

[83blazertexas]

I will see if I can talk him in to making 2 sets, 1 part for each side. If you could send me a couple of pictures of both sides of your B pillar post rusty areas , it might give us an idea of what you need !!!!
Send them to my phone 641 891 6468 from your smart phone and I can save them and message them on to him !!!!

That's so cool of you--Mine are currently covered with carpet and i'm not quite ready to go peel that back yet. Looking forward to seeing your progress. Check out my build page if you wanna see the tail pan replacement part of my project.

 

[JBlazer12]

I feel so much better knowing I’m not alone, lol... just pulled off all of the makeshift floor panels from the previous owner, and was blown away at all that had rusted out.

 

[imiceman44]

I feel so much better knowing I’m not alone, lol... just pulled off all of the makeshift floor panels from the previous owner, and was blown away at all that had rusted out.

View attachment 327286

View attachment 327287

View attachment 327288

I have sent far less rusty trucks to scrap.