Blazer front door differences?

[Nicks 72]

I am restoring a 72 Blazer that came with "extra" doors and wanted to make sure they are from a 72 because the door panel holes in it are for bolts and my 72 panels have plastic retainers . I noticed that the repalcement doors are sold as 67-71 with 72s all alone. What are differences between the two? I think it might be the door panel but im not sure and is it that big of a difference ?

 

[Greg72]

The '72 was a single-year door. The giveaway is to look on the inside directly below the wing window divider. On a '72 door there will be a recessed hole for a set screw. Not sure if those vent wings were problematic in the earlier years but the '72s have a screw there to anchor it better.

Beyond that, the physical doors should be the same. The regulators will be different, since the '72 has a much deeper doorpanel. The window crank needs to have a longer stickout to clear the panel correctly, so you will notice that the regulators will also be '69-71 & '72 only.

Those are the only differences I'm aware of.




...also, pure speculation on my part, but if your extra set of doors have threaded holes, they are probably not off a '72. The early style door panels were secured with screws, the '72 used those irritating plastic-spiral-always-breaking-off-and-cutting-my-fingers clips.

A quick look at an LMC catalog will show you the differences in how the door panels looked.

Also, if you haven't already found it, "dremu" has an amazing website which has all the original factory brochures....great for looking at REAL original Blazers. I think the link is www.slosh.com


.

 

[70jimmy]

Good info Greg 72.


On the jimmy I used 72 doors so I could have the retainer screw and put earlier model flat metal door panels on. Since no threaded holes I used metal mollies. They slide into the hole from the front and then when threaded the sides fold in and spread to hold them in place. I found some chrome strips to hold the top of the door panel and used factory type screws for the bottom once I threaded the molly so it was close enough to the door for the screw to grab. The holes didn't line up so I drilled new ones in the strip and two new ones in the bottom where the panel attaches to the door. If I remember right the inner two holes were Ok and I had to drill the outer ones.

I also swapped regulators. these retainer screws are present in the 72 pickups also and then you can cut the truck door into a blazer door like I did.

 

[Nicks 72]

Thanx guys for all the info and that amazing site with all the original pics
Nick

 

[Nicks 72]

Well this door thing is still a bit mystifying. After reading the what makes a 69 blazer unique thread(s) I think the doors I have for my 72 are actually 71 or maybe earlier. They do have a hole in the interior for the wing window toward the top for a set screw(only 72?) but also have the threaded holes for a metal trim panel(67-71).I have a 68 that has no extra hole in the door for the wing window set screw. I think after reading the what makes a 69 unique thread, they may have added the extra exposed set screw in 70 or 71 and this contained a plastic bezel for the screw to rest on and in 72 they recessed the screw and thus didnt need this plastic bezel anymore.I still cant believe that they would list and make two aftermarket doors due to this seemingly insignificant difference. Actually I bet the main reason for the different doors is for the holes that retain the plastic door panel which only the 72 require.

 

[R72K5]

someone may have drilled the hole at top on a 67-71 door, if its not recessed in

it cant be both

get a pic ?

 

[Nicks 72]

I should try to get a picture because what doesnt make since to me is that in this hole resides a plastic what I call a trim bezel that fits perfectly in the hole and is moulded at an angle to fit the curvature of the door as the hole is located where the door starts its curve at the top.This plastic piece seems to act like a washer for the screw. One of the other members in the "what makes a 69 specific"thread also described that he had the same thing on his 71 blazer doors.

 

[3 on the tree]

My 70 has the same screw/bezel setup neath the wing vents, and I am 99% sure it is original to my rig. Mine has the steel door panels, if that makes any difference.

 

[Blazer1970]

I should try to get a picture because what doesnt make since to me is that in this hole resides a plastic what I call a trim bezel that fits perfectly in the hole and is moulded at an angle to fit the curvature of the door as the hole is located where the door starts its curve at the top.This plastic piece seems to act like a washer for the screw. One of the other members in the "what makes a 69 specific"thread also described that he had the same thing on his 71 blazer doors.

All years of Blazers/Jimmys had the screw under the wing window to hold the outer and inner door skin together. Pre-'72s had a plastic washer thing on the screw to make the head conform to the contour of the door. In '72 they used the same door as the trucks with the indentation for the screw in the sheet metal.

 

[Nicks 72]

Thanx Tim, So this pre 72 plastic washer and screw setup is just a blazer thing, that makes sense, considering that these doors are inherintly more flimsy from the start dure to the lack of a complete window frame.