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.

The 2nd one - it runs!

Purple 72 I picked up from a junkyard
Overview Gallery Discussion
DON'T DO DRUGS KIDS!

When I cleaned out the blazer I found a bunch of paperwork and pictures from the previous owner.

Turns out I am the 2nd owner, not counting the junkyard.

I contacted the previous owner on fb and he told me his dad bought it new off the lot back in '72. He inherited it in 2010 when his father died. He moved to Idaho and "wasn't able to take the blazer with him".

However, I found a lot of paperwork in the blazer that showed he had a serious heroin problem. Jail time, rehab, etc... also found some drug paraphernalia. From some other paperwork it looks like he took out a title loan on the blazer then promptly lost it. From there it ended up at the junkyard.

I'm pretty sure most of the body damage was caused by the forklift at the junkyard, so this thing was a clean(-ish) one owner before this kid got into heroin and screwed it and his life up.

I'm glad I got to hear the history of it, and that I have a chance to save it, but it's a sad tale.
 
mrk5 said:
Finding the backstory is what hooked me on the 73. I guess we're just geeks for old trucks. Haha
Click to expand...
Oh, for sure! I was telling my daughter and she said "I kinda don't want you to part it out now". I feel the same. Kinda feels like I NEED to restore it now. :D
 
Last edited:
Sad truth is many equally nice old trucks & cars land in junkyards because of similar situations..someone gets busted for DWI or possession of drugs,etc,end up in jail,their vehicle gets towed,sits in a impound yard or towing lot until the storage fees are high enough to let it get sold for scrap to pay off the fees..

Often all their valuables are still in the vehicle too--I've found everything from high dollar leather jackets,to Snap-On tools and brand new jacks,jumper cables,etc..found bags of weed and drugs in some vehicles too,that were likely hidden before the cops pulled them over,and was surprised they didn't tear the vehicle apart hoping to find more,to pad the charges!....never found much money though!..I think $20 was the top prize we found out of hundreds of vehicles we had come in the junkyard..

I have seen dozens of such vehicles in the past 25 years ,maybe more,some highly desirable ones too,like this Blazer,--seen some nice "half finished" muscle cars come in the gates when the owner dies of an overdose or gets jailed for many years--one car I wanted to buy bad was a minty '71 Buick Skylark with a 455/TH400,had zero rust,was driven here from CA--but "no title" ,and to get one would have required jumping thru 100 hoops and probably bribing someone in a high place,which would cost more than it was worth..

Anyways,nice score on the K5,glad you saved it from the crusher..
It is a shame so many decent vehicles end up scrapped due to circumstances like that..

I also have seen many of the nice restoreable vehicles get ruined at the junkyard by goons with forkloaders and even worse,some with mint doors get the skins air chiseled off to get the door lock or window regulators from them..you'd think any boneyard owner with a brain bigger than a pea would take those parts off ,stash them in a safe place,and get top dollar for them..but no..let hacks chop the doors open with an axe..:surepal:..

Our boss used to ban people from the yard if they left hoods open,after having several good engines get ruined by filling with rain water ,often the air cleaner was the first item to be scoffed up and it only took one rainstorm to ruin a good engine..
 
I frequently look at trucks in the local pick n pull and think about whether or not they could be saved.
 
I've seen some that are nicer than what I'm driving, get crushed for stupid reasons,like "no title" more often than I care to remember..:doah:..
 
Finally had a few minutes to mess with this blazer last night so I got the new ignition switch and lock cylinder put in.

I dropped a battery in it and tried to start it... nothing. :(

No noise from the starter at all. Headlights come one (brights only), heater fan, radio, wipers, brake lights all come on. No blinkers or starter though.
 
kgblazerfive said:
fuse-able link, or the wires are in wrong to the ignition.
Click to expand...

I need to check it out again to be sure, but as I recall (I changed it in my other blazer) the fusable link would keep the headlights from coming on as well.
Pretty sure the ignition wires are correct. They don't appear to have been molested, and there is only 1 way to connect the switch.

I didn't have a chance to look at the fuse panel though, so may be something going on there. Although I'm pretty certain the starter circuit doesn't go through the fuse block.
 
You have one wire that tells the starter to work. Turning the key sends power to that wire. I do think that the link does power all that lights and stuff too so you are probably good on that.
Pull the starter and bench test it.
Maybe the starter is just bad.
 
That's the plan. Gotta tow it into the shop first though. Don't feel like crawling around in the gravel when I've got a perfectly good shop 20ft away. :D I'll get @Fullerton to help me out.
 
A '72 may have two fusible links and wires at the starter solenoid where the positive battery cable attaches at the stud...one powers the cab back,and the other one I think does all the under hood wiring..one might be bad...

You could jump the solenoid with a screwdriver or remote starter switch,to see if it'll crank ,that'll save some time..(Make sure its in park or neutral with the wheels chocked !)..

Then if it'll crank ,you'll know no power is getting to the solenoid "crank" wire from the ignition (usually purple or pink)...if it has points still ,it may have another wire from the solenoid to the ignition coil (yellow),that sends full 12V to the coil during cranking only,so it'll have hotter spark...
 
Thanks, I did plan on jumping the solenoid to check it. It does still have points, so I'll check that wire too.
 
72gmck5 said:
maybe neutral safety switch is worth checking too.
Click to expand...
That's where I would go before pulling the starter. It may have the neutral safety switch bypassed, but maybe the jumper wire got knocked out during the previous owner's search for the next high!
:dunno:
 
diesel4me said:
I've seen some that are nicer than what I'm driving, get crushed for stupid reasons,like "no title" more often than I care to remember..:doah:..
Click to expand...
‘73 or older doesn’t require a title in Alabama. If you see anything older let me know. If it’s worth the trip I’ll buy it and ship it here.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest Posts

Top Bottom