just got my first ck5 blazer...

[OffRoadPrincess]

...And i need to do exstensive body work to it. i can usually fix anything in the engine, but body work is a pain in the ass. i also want a cheap used soft top, if any one can point me in the right direction it would be much appreciated !!! i don't know where to go from here besides the junkyard. is there anything i shouldnt buy from the yard (body work) i don't really know the specs of this thing yet, so i'm not sure what i should buy new and what i can get away with buying from the junkyard. please and thank you!!

 

[496truck]

You need to give us more info. How you intend to build it. How you intend to use it. A straight up restoration or just fix the rust so it doesn't look like crap. How bad is it now, be specific. What year is it.

Pics would help too. You can't link pics till you have a certain number of posts on this site. Unless you become a paid member, which I will say, is well worth it if you really want to get into that truck. The knowledge and info here will more than pay itself back.

 

[blazinzuk]

Yep pics asap.

I know you easterners do extensive body work all the time, but it might just be a better deal to try to have a good body shipped out there.

Depends on how much time you wanna spend doing body work, where you are going with the rig etc.

 

[TheBeast_88K5]

Oh, the beginning.....

I remember that.
Before the spiral....

 

[crazedyak]

I'm in Virginia Beach as well... I'll save you a little time on one junk yard trip. Pick-n-Pull in Va Beach has 1 very stripped K5 engine wise, but almost all of the body panels were there. I do believe the hood and tailgate were already gone when I saw it on 26 Nov. Every other GM and Chevy I saw there was just about stripped bare.

I have not checked Oceana Salvage yet.

Metro used Aut-o Parts in Chesapeake is your best bet. I know they have at least one 88 K5, and a few 86-90 Suburbans.

As for Body Work... I looked up Auto Body Shops on Angies List for Hampton Roads and got the following results:
1) SUPERIOR SCRATCH & DENT REMOVAL 495 London Bridge Rd suite 104 Virginia Beach VA 23454 (All "A" scores from 5 reviewers, and all said the cost was very good)

2) KING CARL'S AUTO REPAIR 928 BUSINESS PARK DR Chesapeake VA 23320 (Solid "C" score from 2 reviewers)

3) MICAR COLLISION CENTER 928 VENTURES WAY STE 101 CHESAPEAKE VA 23320 (Solid "A" from 6 reviewers. People claimed customer service was fantastic, cost and quality of word was great)

If you have a body shop in mind, PM me the name, and I'll see if they are listed. I can only see in the Hampton Roads area, so they'll have to be local.

 

[smier]

Cheap used soft top? They are out there, but usually not very cheap. I almost bought one on eBay a few times, but they were going for close to $500 used. I finally just bought a brand-new soft top from softtopper.com and haven't regretted it. It fits great, no leaks, and is really easy to use. Took about 1 and 1/2 hours to install it. Well worth every penny, all 75,000 of them!!! Be curious to see what you're starting out with. Rust repair is $$$$ if you pay someone else, I had a buddy repair mine for cash an it still was a fortune if you get into rockers, floor, and tailpan repairs. Go over it really carefully, these thing hide rust well in spots you can't see, check where the front seatbelts mount to the body, mine were only being held in by carpet and the cardboard. Post up up some pics!