Ok, so after owning my 72 blazer for almost 3 years now I'm ready to start really taking care of some of the crap that's been bugging me about it. When I bought it the truck had a rough country 4" suspension lift, 3" body lift (with wasted factory bushings underneath), sitting on f***ed 38" gumbo monster mudders. According from the guy I bought it from the 350 in it had been bored .030 over and whatnot... Had a Turbo 350/205 and the typical 44/12bolt setup. Nothing else fancy. Has a "family" cage, but it's not tied into the frame, just for looks and does not extend to the windshield. I'm pretty sure it's added on to the factory bar. Bedliner interior, factory buckets/rear bench.
Since owning it I've done some things I'm happy with, others not so much. Many of the latter are since moving to Hawaii and having to conform to their rules about modified trucks to get tags... more on this in a bit. So after buying it in Howell, Michigan and driving it home to Akron, Ohio I began to have high hopes for the truck. Little did I know how expensive everything is for these trucks. I started poking around the thing and finding out what exactly I was working with. The good: the frame/underside of the truck except the rocker boxes looks beautiful. It's been redone at some point. The engine ran great (still pretty ok, but I've got some lifter noise and she's burning a bit o' oil), tranny was good, axles are stout half tons with chromoly shafts, good u-joints etc. The ball joints and one tie rod were wasted and got changed quickly (really glad my wife and I drove it the 300 miles home that way....). Everything else looked pretty good for a 35 year old truck. The bad: wiring is not only factory, but has been cut/hacked at least a few times. The paint isn't great overall and a few spots on the body have issues. As mentioned before the rocker boxes have some weak spots and need replaced. The doors are whooped. The lower edges are bubbled and peeling pretty bad. The vertical portion on the front where the hinges bolt are pulling so the doors sag and are a real pain to open and close. A couple other minor things here and there.
Since then I managed to find a sm465/205 for dirt cheap so I threw that in with hydro clutch. Bought new 15/39.5/15 tsl's. Front brakes, new e-brake cables from inline tube and added ebay-special 4 point harnesses for the front (I was afraid the suspension was so damn bouncy I was gonna hit my face on the steering wheel just driving down the road with the factory lap belts). Once we moved to Hawaii I had to get it to pass the recon (any vehicle with modified suspension has to conform to their rules to get licensed, but once you have the sticker nobody gives a damn). So because my truck was lifted I had to add mud flaps and fender flares to cover the wheels completely...on 40's... So I made some mud flaps from Napa semi-truck flaps. Made fender flares from garden liner, looked like a real turd but they said it was ok. I also was told I was only allowed 3" between the body and frame. So being strapped for cash and not being able to even sort-of clear my tires without the body lift and no more suspension I just pulled what was left of the body mounts out (which didn't help the doors btw). After the 3 week waiting list I went to get inspected and was told I failed because my rear bumper was 1.5 inches too high and because I didn't have a shifter boot. So I bought a shift boot and waited another 3 weeks for my next appt. I drove it across the island until I was a block away from the inspection place. Lowered my rear tires to 5 psi, got inspected, passed and then went around the corner to the goodyear store and topped them back off. Then I drove home and took the ugly crap back off.
Now that we've been here for a year and I've actually started making some money it's time to start fixing. Here's the plan as it sits now. Nothing is set in stone and I would love to hear suggestions/comments. I've learned a lot from you guys on this site and continue to do so.
I plan to pull the front clip/doors and take the seats out and really get a good idea of how much bodywork I'm going to have to tackle. This will be my first attempt at bodywork but I'm patient and eager to learn. We'll see how that works out. I know I need to just replace the doors, so I've got that covered. I have a nice new-old set of windows and new vents. My plan for now unless someone tells me it's a poor idea is to do away with the factory style latch setup and cut the hole and install a newer-style latch with the stud on the body and whatnot. Let me know if there's any reason I shouldn't go that route. I will replace the rocker boxes and know I will probably need to replace some bits of the rear quarters, although maybe not. My hood is iffy... it's solid but has plenty of little dings/dents. I'd love to get a cowl hood, but it's on the bottom of the list for now. I can always do a hood down the road. My grill shell is a bit dented but I think I'm going to try to tap them out instead of dropping $300 on a new one. There is also a small hole in the bottom inner portion of my tailgate that I'll have to address. The floors are super solid and shouldn't need any attention. I will just touch up the bedliner in a few spots and be good to go. I'm also going to pull the body lift out and replace it with new poly bushings. Does anyone know of a complete set WITH hardware or do I have to buy the set from LMC and then buy a poly bushing set too?? If I'm reading it correctly their complete set has rubber bushings.
To take care of the lost body lift I plan on a DIY4X shackle flip in the rear and a combination of 6" springs/longer shackles and a 1" zero rate in the front. When putting the zero rate in I plan to move the axle forward to try to help fender clearance. I may also do the same in the rear with a zero rate to move the axle back. I'd like to upgrade to 1 ton axles but don't need them as I don't plan to beat on this truck at all, just get a little dirty every now and then and certainly don't need to spend the coin on a set of 60's. (on that note I can get my hands on a pair of 60's that were under a CUCV with 4.56's and the guy promises he resealed and put new bearings/brakes in for $800. Am I retarded if I pass this up???? Be honest
) As I said before this is my first go at bodywork/paint. I know the 39's should require larger fender wells and I've seen some sweet posts on here about trimming fenders while keeping the factory look but I'm not sure I can pull any of that off... I don't plan on beating on this truck ever, and probably wont be doing much flexing but I also don't want to rip a fender off the first time I get talked into it. Any suggestions? I also have to bear in mind that when we leave Hawaii (2 years from now) It has to be 7 feet to the top or it incurs an oversize vehicle shipping fee of $1000. I made it work by shipping it on some teeny tiny car tires to get it out here...it's 7'8" to the top of the windshield as it stands now. So the "just add more lift" may not work here...
While the front clip is off and I'm doing bodywork and paint I'm going to pull the motor and do a full rebuild. Here's the plan for now: felpro kit from summit with new flat-top pistons, comp cams extreme 4x4 cam kit with new valve springs, lifters and double roller timing set. Any suggestions on cam specs?? I don't need anything too crazy. I want it to sound good and have better throttle response but don't want it to idle like sh*t... Also need to replace the edelbrock valve covers as mine have small cracks and leak. Carb is a 650 edelbrock with matching intake and will just get cleaned. Heads are stock as far as I know. I'll be taking the block/crank/heads to a local machine shop I've heard good things about. Get the block hot-dipped and I'll paint it hugger orange. I may have the machine shop install the cam...never done it and have heard cam bearings are super delicate...we'll see.
While everything is apart I'm getting a painless harness. I will also be replacing the circuit board in the gauge cluster. I also plan to replace the factory temp gauge and add a factory-style tach. I have a crappy little autometer tach now that I don't like the look of.
A few other little odds and ends include a new master cylinder (mine leaks all over the damn inner fender, the cap is bent and so now the whole thing is rusty so I may as well replace it. Possibly a new small-cap distributor (currently HEI setup). And I'm sure I'll run into more things to spend $$$ on. My wife is being super understanding so far.... She wants a 69 or 70 vette, so that'll be the next project I'm sure.
I'm not settled on paint. It's currently a PPG blue (not sure of exact color) with no clear. I plan on doing base/clear and I want it to stay blue, but not quite the same color. I really like the blue that's on the new tacoma's but don't think I'll go exactly toyota blue. Anyone have suggestions on paint? As I said, I'm really looking forward to hearing what anyone has to say both suggestions and critiques.
I'm sure I'll think of more later but that's it for now. Pics to come shortly. I'll include plenty of before as well as during. I plan to get started in the next few weeks. As for right now it's my daily driver based on the fact that the damn optispark went on my 96 z28 and it was under warranty so I have to wait to get it back to put it in
Since owning it I've done some things I'm happy with, others not so much. Many of the latter are since moving to Hawaii and having to conform to their rules about modified trucks to get tags... more on this in a bit. So after buying it in Howell, Michigan and driving it home to Akron, Ohio I began to have high hopes for the truck. Little did I know how expensive everything is for these trucks. I started poking around the thing and finding out what exactly I was working with. The good: the frame/underside of the truck except the rocker boxes looks beautiful. It's been redone at some point. The engine ran great (still pretty ok, but I've got some lifter noise and she's burning a bit o' oil), tranny was good, axles are stout half tons with chromoly shafts, good u-joints etc. The ball joints and one tie rod were wasted and got changed quickly (really glad my wife and I drove it the 300 miles home that way....). Everything else looked pretty good for a 35 year old truck. The bad: wiring is not only factory, but has been cut/hacked at least a few times. The paint isn't great overall and a few spots on the body have issues. As mentioned before the rocker boxes have some weak spots and need replaced. The doors are whooped. The lower edges are bubbled and peeling pretty bad. The vertical portion on the front where the hinges bolt are pulling so the doors sag and are a real pain to open and close. A couple other minor things here and there.
Since then I managed to find a sm465/205 for dirt cheap so I threw that in with hydro clutch. Bought new 15/39.5/15 tsl's. Front brakes, new e-brake cables from inline tube and added ebay-special 4 point harnesses for the front (I was afraid the suspension was so damn bouncy I was gonna hit my face on the steering wheel just driving down the road with the factory lap belts). Once we moved to Hawaii I had to get it to pass the recon (any vehicle with modified suspension has to conform to their rules to get licensed, but once you have the sticker nobody gives a damn). So because my truck was lifted I had to add mud flaps and fender flares to cover the wheels completely...on 40's... So I made some mud flaps from Napa semi-truck flaps. Made fender flares from garden liner, looked like a real turd but they said it was ok. I also was told I was only allowed 3" between the body and frame. So being strapped for cash and not being able to even sort-of clear my tires without the body lift and no more suspension I just pulled what was left of the body mounts out (which didn't help the doors btw). After the 3 week waiting list I went to get inspected and was told I failed because my rear bumper was 1.5 inches too high and because I didn't have a shifter boot. So I bought a shift boot and waited another 3 weeks for my next appt. I drove it across the island until I was a block away from the inspection place. Lowered my rear tires to 5 psi, got inspected, passed and then went around the corner to the goodyear store and topped them back off. Then I drove home and took the ugly crap back off.
Now that we've been here for a year and I've actually started making some money it's time to start fixing. Here's the plan as it sits now. Nothing is set in stone and I would love to hear suggestions/comments. I've learned a lot from you guys on this site and continue to do so.
I plan to pull the front clip/doors and take the seats out and really get a good idea of how much bodywork I'm going to have to tackle. This will be my first attempt at bodywork but I'm patient and eager to learn. We'll see how that works out. I know I need to just replace the doors, so I've got that covered. I have a nice new-old set of windows and new vents. My plan for now unless someone tells me it's a poor idea is to do away with the factory style latch setup and cut the hole and install a newer-style latch with the stud on the body and whatnot. Let me know if there's any reason I shouldn't go that route. I will replace the rocker boxes and know I will probably need to replace some bits of the rear quarters, although maybe not. My hood is iffy... it's solid but has plenty of little dings/dents. I'd love to get a cowl hood, but it's on the bottom of the list for now. I can always do a hood down the road. My grill shell is a bit dented but I think I'm going to try to tap them out instead of dropping $300 on a new one. There is also a small hole in the bottom inner portion of my tailgate that I'll have to address. The floors are super solid and shouldn't need any attention. I will just touch up the bedliner in a few spots and be good to go. I'm also going to pull the body lift out and replace it with new poly bushings. Does anyone know of a complete set WITH hardware or do I have to buy the set from LMC and then buy a poly bushing set too?? If I'm reading it correctly their complete set has rubber bushings.
To take care of the lost body lift I plan on a DIY4X shackle flip in the rear and a combination of 6" springs/longer shackles and a 1" zero rate in the front. When putting the zero rate in I plan to move the axle forward to try to help fender clearance. I may also do the same in the rear with a zero rate to move the axle back. I'd like to upgrade to 1 ton axles but don't need them as I don't plan to beat on this truck at all, just get a little dirty every now and then and certainly don't need to spend the coin on a set of 60's. (on that note I can get my hands on a pair of 60's that were under a CUCV with 4.56's and the guy promises he resealed and put new bearings/brakes in for $800. Am I retarded if I pass this up???? Be honest
) As I said before this is my first go at bodywork/paint. I know the 39's should require larger fender wells and I've seen some sweet posts on here about trimming fenders while keeping the factory look but I'm not sure I can pull any of that off... I don't plan on beating on this truck ever, and probably wont be doing much flexing but I also don't want to rip a fender off the first time I get talked into it. Any suggestions? I also have to bear in mind that when we leave Hawaii (2 years from now) It has to be 7 feet to the top or it incurs an oversize vehicle shipping fee of $1000. I made it work by shipping it on some teeny tiny car tires to get it out here...it's 7'8" to the top of the windshield as it stands now. So the "just add more lift" may not work here...While the front clip is off and I'm doing bodywork and paint I'm going to pull the motor and do a full rebuild. Here's the plan for now: felpro kit from summit with new flat-top pistons, comp cams extreme 4x4 cam kit with new valve springs, lifters and double roller timing set. Any suggestions on cam specs?? I don't need anything too crazy. I want it to sound good and have better throttle response but don't want it to idle like sh*t... Also need to replace the edelbrock valve covers as mine have small cracks and leak. Carb is a 650 edelbrock with matching intake and will just get cleaned. Heads are stock as far as I know. I'll be taking the block/crank/heads to a local machine shop I've heard good things about. Get the block hot-dipped and I'll paint it hugger orange. I may have the machine shop install the cam...never done it and have heard cam bearings are super delicate...we'll see.
While everything is apart I'm getting a painless harness. I will also be replacing the circuit board in the gauge cluster. I also plan to replace the factory temp gauge and add a factory-style tach. I have a crappy little autometer tach now that I don't like the look of.
A few other little odds and ends include a new master cylinder (mine leaks all over the damn inner fender, the cap is bent and so now the whole thing is rusty so I may as well replace it. Possibly a new small-cap distributor (currently HEI setup). And I'm sure I'll run into more things to spend $$$ on. My wife is being super understanding so far.... She wants a 69 or 70 vette, so that'll be the next project I'm sure.
I'm not settled on paint. It's currently a PPG blue (not sure of exact color) with no clear. I plan on doing base/clear and I want it to stay blue, but not quite the same color. I really like the blue that's on the new tacoma's but don't think I'll go exactly toyota blue. Anyone have suggestions on paint? As I said, I'm really looking forward to hearing what anyone has to say both suggestions and critiques.
I'm sure I'll think of more later but that's it for now. Pics to come shortly. I'll include plenty of before as well as during. I plan to get started in the next few weeks. As for right now it's my daily driver based on the fact that the damn optispark went on my 96 z28 and it was under warranty so I have to wait to get it back to put it in
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Blazer looks nice, good place to start from. And it sounds like you have a good idea of were you are going to go with it, for the mods. Sorry to hear your not planing to wheel it, like it likes it. They are good for it. 
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![IMG_0256[1].jpg](https://ck5.com/forums/data/attachments/88/88698-0c9ae41ffede0e3a28a74db0fb9f4873.jpg "IMG_0256[1].jpg"){kind=small}
![IMG_0257[1].jpg](https://ck5.com/forums/data/attachments/88/88699-d604c5f3ac5374c1d4432ec31c7e62fc.jpg "IMG_0257[1].jpg"){kind=small}
