Tailgate idea, help me decide what to do.

[jimmyleetn]

So I've been thinking for several weeks about how to build my own 73-80 tailgate band. If you follow my build then you know that I'm converting my '88 into a '74 full convertible. Me and my friend at the chrome shop have figured out a way to build the band and make it look original. But then I saw a nice 73-76 Chevy pickup truck tailgate at a swap meet and now I'm not sure what to do. My thoughts are, cut out the CHEVROLET stamping from a 73-76 tailgate and patch it into a my blazer tailgate. I'm sure I'm not the first to do it and know a guy on youtube did it with a later styled gate. I'll be doing two tone paint with white in the middle like the originals were and I'm thinking black for the letters. To make matters worse, on FB marketplace there's two junk tailgates for sale 20 minutes down the road. Let me know what you guys think, tailgate band or patch in the letters. Two pictures I stole off the internet for reference.

 

[BoondocK5]

I'm not a sheet metal guy, but, I could be convinced to try this.

 

[Blue85]

So the goal is to keep the roll-up window, but gain the stamped letters? This sounds very challenging because the truck gate is all dished in, while the K5 gate is flat through that area. So flattening it out and keeping it from warping during the welding will require some expertise. Is it cheating to get some solid letters, attach them to a Blazer gate and smooth the transition with some filler?

Also curious to know how you would make the panel. Probably a lot easier, but in the end it's about the look you're after. Any thought to ditching the window and just using a truck gate as-is?

 

[jimmyleetn]

So the goal is to keep the roll-up window, but gain the stamped letters? This sounds very challenging because the truck gate is all dished in, while the K5 gate is flat through that area. So flattening it out and keeping it from warping during the welding will require some expertise. Is it cheating to get some solid letters, attach them to a Blazer gate and smooth the transition with some filler?

Also curious to know how you would make the panel. Probably a lot easier, but in the end it's about the look you're after. Any thought to ditching the window and just using a truck gate as-is?

From the pictures of the gates I wasn't sure how flat it was back there since I haven't really looked at one up close. That would make it a lot harder. The YouTube video I watch the guy used one of the later designs and he didn't have much trouble but it was the smaller letters and he put it in the right corner about where the emblem would go. It looked relatively flat on the one he used. He only had the dolly the corner by the T. I'd prefer to keep the roll-up tailgate I have. The two truck gates I'm looking at that are down the road are way too junked out. The guy is selling them so someone can make a bench out of them. I figured that would be an easy way to scoop one up if I go that route. Long-term the stamping would be cheaper because if I make my own band and the chrome shop finishes it I'll have to pay quite a bit for a piece of that size to be chromed. The chrome shop has figured out a way to make chrome look brushed so if I do the band it'll look really cool too. He's going to use an English wheel to replicate the lip on the top and bottom.

 

[jimmyleetn]

@Blue85 Call me crazy, but I couldn't resist. You are correct though, there is ever so slight bow that gets much more prevalent once you get past the letters. I still think that once it gets to the body shop my guy can flatten it out. I've seen way worse get straightened up. Plus this tailgate was 50 bucks. Who knows what I would have in an original tailgate band or one that I make and send to the chrome shop.

 

[JeffWithers]

I got rid of all the emblems & just have brushed stainless panel.

 

[83ChevyK5Blazer]

I think it will make it stand out and the full lettered gates are my favorite, so there is that.

 

[jimmyleetn]

I got rid of all the emblems & just have brushed stainless panel.

I think it will make it stand out and the full lettered gates are my favorite, so there is that.

I'm with you 83chevy, I think it'll really stand out and be just different enough to be cool. I think if I went with the band I would have to have the emblem. I really like those 73-80 emblems. I'm not a big fan of the emblem or band on the 81 and up models.

 

[Miss Piggy]

So I've been thinking for several weeks about how to build my own 73-80 tailgate band. If you follow my build then you know that I'm converting my '88 into a '74 full convertible. Me and my friend at the chrome shop have figured out a way to build the band and make it look original. But then I saw a nice 73-76 Chevy pickup truck tailgate at a swap meet and now I'm not sure what to do. My thoughts are, cut out the CHEVROLET stamping from a 73-76 tailgate and patch it into a my blazer tailgate. I'm sure I'm not the first to do it and know a guy on youtube did it with a later styled gate. I'll be doing two tone paint with white in the middle like the originals were and I'm thinking black for the letters. To make matters worse, on FB marketplace there's two junk tailgates for sale 20 minutes down the road. Let me know what you guys think, tailgate band or patch in the letters. Two pictures I stole off the internet for reference.

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I will be watching which option you use. I am building an 88 and I have it’s tail gate it weighs a lot. I’m thinking a tube steel gate. Good luck

 

[bigjbear]

Are planning on using a 73-75 hardtop? If running a hard top is there a reason to go from half 76-91 to a full 73-75? If you plan on a soft top the truck gate is a simple solution. Just trying to understand the goal. Build something unique, trying to get the look of the truck lettering, or something else?

 

[jimmyleetn]

I will be watching which option you use. I am building an 88 and I have it’s tail gate it weighs a lot. I’m thinking a tube steel gate. Good luck

Are planning on using a 73-75 hardtop? If running a hard top is there a reason to go from half 76-91 to a full 73-75? If you plan on a soft top the truck gate is a simple solution. Just trying to understand the goal. Build something unique, trying to get the look of the truck lettering, or something else?

I have a good 73-75 hardtop (I personally don't like soft tops) and couple of K5 tailgates. One is better than the other but will need some massaging. I intend to brace it internally or let the body shop do it once we get some of it's flaws straightened out. It has no cracks so that's a plus. A link to where I have some issues with it is here. https://ck5.com/forums/threads/is-this-tailgate-bent.348462/ Once all that is done the end goal will be to cut and transplant the stamped letter section from the truck tailgate to the blazer tailgate in lieu of using a tailgate band. I do not have a good tailgate band and since they don't reproduce the 73-80 ones I thought this would be a unique alternative. The current catch here is that the letters on the truck gate are not flat (at least on the year design I have chosen), but after looking at them, I think they can be shaped and made flat by someone who knows what they're doing. That's where the junk tailgate I bought will come in handy. I'm gonna get that surface rust removed this week. I'm still about year out from it being my turn at the restoration shop. I'm gonna let them do the metal work.

 

[bigjbear]

I wonder if the curved section would clear the window. That would be just different enough to make people do a double take.

 

[CT-BLAZER]

Am I missing something..... Wouldn't it be cleaner to do a complete skin, or a new gate?

 

[jimmyleetn]

Am I missing something..... Wouldn't it be cleaner to do a complete skin, or a new gate?

I wonder if the curved section would clear the window. That would be just different enough to make people do a double take.

The window regulator bracing is in the way (and necessary) so you cannot swap it without flattening it. I already thought the same about keeping the curved section. @CT-BLAZER there are no reproduction tailgates for K5s currently so nothing is new unless NOS and the skin can't directly swap. This is about as custom as it gets, at least for me.

 

[bigjbear]

If you’re on Bookface this just popped up on the CK5 page. Just another option.

 

[CT-BLAZER]

I was actually thinking of removing the skin from one gate and reinstalled on a different inner frame.

 

[kcruzer]

Having done a lot of sheetmetal customizing, the challenge is the depth of the stamped section will interfere with the window and regulator. But that depth is a function of the overall height of the stamped section. So if you narrowed the height of the stamped section being cut out, you could also minimize the depth. Does that make sense?

 

[Miss Piggy]

I have both doors with glass a hardtop and a tail gate. I am going for the open cockpit so I don’t need these things.