What's new
CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.

JUMPPR's '75 Blazer-con build

Overview Gallery Discussion
Jumppr

Jumppr

1/2 ton status
 Premium
Joined
Dec 9, 2014
Posts
419
Reaction score
345
Location
Clovis, Ca
Jumppr submitted a new Build:

JUMPPR's '75 Blazer-con build

So I bought this truck 3 years ago thinking it was a great deal. I live in CA and thought I had to jump on anything that was smog exempt because they don't come around that often. Well, I was wrong! This truck wasn't such a great deal and there's been a few more better ones come and go in the time that I've had it. However, hindsight is always 20/20 and if you don't make a few mistakes you'll never learn. With that said I've still got the truck and I've finally started building it and the silver lining is that with all the stuff that was f***ed on it I've been able to develop a few more skills. :hack::grind::weld:

Growing up my dad always had some sort of Chevy hotrod to work on. Usually it was a '55 Chevy or Chevelle. My first car was a '67 Camaro that I had for 4yrs before it was rear ended and pretty much totaled. A few years later after going camping with some friends in their 4x4 on one of the local trails I decided I needed to get something I could wheel. I was young and single with no money at all in savings. I would've rather spent $2000 on an old Chevy 4x4 to fix up, but instead I financed 30k on a new '01 Jeep TJ Sport. Makes perfect sense right? :dunno: I wheeled the Jeep stock for a few years and then as finances permitted I started building it. I bought it in 2001 brand new and by the time I sold it in 2015 I had built a pretty respectable wheeler and gained quite a few skills in the process. Of course, I also knew that it wasn't exactly what I wanted and if I ever got the chance to build an older Chevy 4x4 I would build it how I wanted the first time. Enter the Blazer-con!

Over the years I'd owned the Jeep I went from single to married and had a kid with another on the way. My wife had also become a fan of camping and wheeling and luckily for me she really like the older K5's. When we camp we like to be as comfortable as possible. That means bringing a lot of stuff that probably isn't necessary. Because of this, the Jeep just wasn't big enough for our family and all our gear. When I owned the Jeep I was always a little bummed that the Rubicon model came out after I bought mine and I would probably never be able to afford it. So I decided I'd build a Blazer-Con! I bought the Blazer and started making plans while I tried to sell my Jeep. In that 3yrs I re-did the lift on my Jeep from a short arm Skycrapper 4" to a Rock Krawler 51/2" long arm. I was able to sell the Jeep finally and with the money I got from that...
Click to expand...

Read more about this build here...

View attachment 197413

View attachment 197414
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Growing up my dad had a '69 3/4 2wd Chevy that he drove and it had a set of wheels on it that he claims to have only ever seen one other set like it. They're 16.5 steelies with a spade type pattern. Since he doesn't have that truck anymore, but he kept the wheels, I talked him out of them for my truck. I bought a set of military 37's and here's what it looked like when I got them mounted.

newtires.jpg
 
Once I sold the Jeep and had some spending cash it was time to get serious! I knew I wanted an LS motor for sure. It also had to have an automatic because the wife wanted to be able to drive it. One of my good friends built a 1st gen Bronco with a 203/205 doubler that I fell in love with (the doubler, not so much the Bronco) so I started looking for a NP 203 also. My friends have a hot rod business specializing in LS swaps so I bought a rebuilt 2004, 5.3 from them with the wiring harness. I also found a 4l80 in the local Pick-n-Pull, and I was scoured the local classifieds for a NP203 that I got for a 12-pack of Coors Light.

engine4.jpg

engine5.jpg

transpull.jpg
 
I almost forgot....Here's a shot of the Jeep and the Blazer when we brought it home. The blue Bronco is my friends that he built from the ground up. It was selected in 2008 for Petersons Ultimate-4WheelDrive Adventure. Also, there's a picture of the Jeep loaded with all the stuff necessary for 3 people to camp for 3 days. :surepal:

blazjeep.jpg

Inspiration.jpg

JeepLoaded.jpg
 
Last summer after I sold the Jeep I got serious and started dismantling the Blazer. Through this process I found out there was a bunch of rust everywhere, the frame was cracked in the usual spots (steering and shocks), the floor had been halfway replaced with pieces from a later model and the truck was probably originally from back east or Canada ( hence all the rust and the metric gauge cluster). I yanked out the drivetrain and sold it. I also took the body off the frame and sold the rear 3/4, 14b SF. The front is a 3/4 10-bolt with disc brakes that I plan on using for the rear 14b FF that I got. I also got a Dana 60 for the front.

clipless.jpg

kittylitter.jpg

frameoff.jpg

frame.jpg
 
When I'm not spending money and time on the Blazer, you can find us out at Oceano Dunes. The 2500 HD is my tow rig for the trailer/toys and the white Tahoe is the wife's. I've also got a '97 Yamaha Banshee, '06 Raptor and a '07 Honda for the kid.

goodtimes.jpg

goodtimes2.jpg
 
Originally I wanted to link the front suspension. When I bought my front axle the guy threw in a brand new Chassis Unlimited 3-link kit. I did a little research on this and decided to go with all leafs instead. I got rid of the the CU stuff and got some 63's for the rear and started getting the front ready for the 52's that were in the rear.
 
Last weekend my father-in-law brought his torch over and helped me get the rear hangers removed so I could move them forward for the 63's.

rivets1.jpg

rivets2.jpg
 
Ha, holy crap. I wondered who was this guy in CA? I fingered it out. Looking forward to some progress. Ask lots of questions because these guys have tons of knowledge.
 
I had planned to do some more work on the frame this weekend, but ended up doing yard work instead. I'm retiring from active duty at the end of August this summer so I'm thinking the building is gonna get pretty serious after that.
 
Subscribed. Looking forward to this one. Check out the thread in the Blazin' Trails section about the CK5 Rubicon run planned this year.

Scott
 
The area around the wheelwells on the rear are rusted out and pretty bondo'd over. Plus, the blue section of the rusty floor is actually from a newer truck that the PO just spot welded in place over the old shit. I'm afraid to see what's underneath. I'm just going to clean up the mess and seal it off better.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest Posts

Top Bottom