CK5
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The new Blazer has arrived - pics!

Jesse, I sure don't mean to knock your ride, it just looks like something a lot of dealers do on a sales lot, it just don't last though. The prep isn't there to keep the paint on, and the paint isn't up to the task of anything more than a drive in the rain....same with engine compartment...they pressure wash everything, then spray some shiny mist on it all to give it a like new appearance.
Everything looks good and solid on the truck, nice score man!:waytogo:
 
I am not sure about the rims, but they are very nice.

As far as the undercoating ... er ... job, I am glad you pointed it out so I can take precautions to make it last longer. I'm all about learning what's wrong and fixing it before I have major problems!

Anyway, I finished off a lot of things today. First, a Vanilla air freshener. The truck smelled really bad ... and it probably still does, but now I can't tell. :) I pulled the thermostat and discovered it was a 160, so I put in a 195. Flushed out the coolant and noticed some rust on the radiator core tubes, so that may be an issue in a while. New radiator cap installed. Changed the oil and filter. Next on the list is the spark plugs, cap, rotor, and wires but it's getting really cold this week so that may have to wait!

I took the boys for a ride, they approve. :)
 
Yeah, pretty common car sales lot undercarriage treatment. Either just black paint, or a product like Rust Ender that is a primer. It is a thick coating that goes on milky when you spray it and as it dries is neutralizes the rust and turns everything black. You can tell if it's that type of product by looking very closely at the spots that have over spray. If the stuff looks like it went on really thick, than it's a rust neutralizing primer.

If so it's actually a good start. Hit it with some black paint and it should stick good, after all that stuff is a primer.
 
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Jesse, looking at these two pics, I'm convinced its just paint....if that was just sprayed on with out good prep (see the rusty color coming through already) it will not last long, and without proper prep (doubtful) and putting something on over it will not stick well either. If you want to undercoat it, maybe try a pressure washer and see what happens to the paint on there.
 
I am not sure about the rims, but they are very nice.
Those rims could still be the original finish. It came from SoCal. Look at the condition of all the rubber underbody stuff. Not nearly as much climatic **** going on there to tear up stuff.
Ten years ago in San Diego I looked at a '6...crap...'64?...Impala 4 door that was all original with 227,000 miles. One family owned it from new. Surface rust underneath and the white paint was kinda faded. Otherwise really good shape. They just don't rot and age out there like ours do.

Anyway, I finished off a lot of things today. First, a Vanilla air freshener. The truck smelled really bad ... and it probably still does, but now I can't tell. :)
As far as the stink goes...only sure way to be rid of it is to rip the carpet and upholstery out.
SHORT of that...clean the bejezus out of everything and get some good odor absorbant.
Short term/cheap - go to Walmart in the car care section and look for these white pucks about the 6-8" in diameter. They're a variety of scents and they absorb odor while releasing their own scent. Cost less than $4 each last I knew.
More expensive - find a car detailing supplier and look for the professional odor absorbing pucks. We had one we used when I worked for Enterprise Rent A Car. We kept it in a coffee can and when we got a stinky car we'd just pot the lid off, set the can in side the car with the windows up overnight and the next day the car wouldn't smell like anything inside. It was weird but it worked great.
 
When I did the CarFax there were about 10 owners, so either someone polished them or no one drove it in the rain. Which was entirely possible when I was a kid ... I didn't rain for 7 years in Northern California!

There are some points on the frame near the engine where the "undercoating" has come off and there is a little surface rust. Nothing major, but I do want to do something to keep it as good as possible.

My plans are to flat out replace the carpet next summer, so stink will be gone. Usually I clean the carpets with my Bissel Little Green Steam Machine (which, BTW, is AMAZING at cleaning carpets and seats, go get one, it will make your carpets look NEW!) but the carpets are faded pretty bad. I'm just going to replace them outright. Besides, that will let me inspect underneath to be sure there isn't anything else I need to take care of.

I bought this from an individual. He was pretty cool, but like most sellers he "neglected" or perhaps "forgot" to tell me a few key things. "Everything works great" translated to "Everything except the rear window and a few other things work fairly well." :rolleyes: And again, there were 10+ owners, so who knows who did this. I doubt it was the seller, it doesn't look that fresh.

Overall I am very happy with it though, as it only took a few dollars to fix.

Now I have to tear into the heater controls. While the heat is there, it's mixing in with cold air so it never gets really hot, and it's coming out all the vents at the same time, not just the floor or dash. I fixed the vacuum leak so now at least it works, but I suspect one of the vacuum actuators is shot.
 
Another place to check is the actually diverter door. There is a white place piece that the rod hooks to on the door, then tend to crack/break over time. Its a dealer only item and is hard to find. Nice score on the k5 btw.
 
Looks like I'll be crawling around under the dash. The shop manual shows me where everything is, I hope it's something simple on the outside of the HVAC box so I don't have to take that all apart.

It doesn't help that it's 38 degrees out... I'll be freezing! :D
 
It looks like Bolton make a headlight converter to fit the 150mm. I can't seem to find their catalog on the web except for on parts places sites.
MFG's part number is 332-1117PXAS and automd.com says they have them in stock. They ain't cheap but I can say stepping up to an H4 after a sealed beam is a world of difference. I used these because the output is over double the sealed beam. Yes they really are that bright PIAA 15214

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I've had several people recommend the PIAA bulbs. Considering them when I replace these but they aren't cheap!
 
Another place to check is the actually diverter door. There is a white place piece that the rod hooks to on the door, then tend to crack/break over time. Its a dealer only item and is hard to find. Nice score on the k5 btw.

correct, and take off that vent cover "Y" under the glovebox, watch the doors move while moving the controls and make sure that plastic swing door isnt broken at the bottom where it pivots on that rod...seen that before too. That used to be metal on older blazers
 
I was one of the members who went to look at this and the guy said he had chromed those rims at a shop where he worked.
 
I was one of the members who went to look at this and the guy said he had chromed those rims at a shop where he worked.
Ah, that explains it, thanks for the info!

So ... are there any other secrets about my truck you're holding onto, or am I going to find out while I'm doing 65 mph? :whistle: :haha:
 
correct, and take off that vent cover "Y" under the glovebox, watch the doors move while moving the controls and make sure that plastic swing door isnt broken at the bottom where it pivots on that rod...seen that before too. That used to be metal on older blazers
This probably explains why one of the bolts holding on the glove box door is missing. I will have to get in there and see what is up. :D
 
Another place to check is the actually diverter door. There is a white place piece that the rod hooks to on the door, then tend to crack/break over time. Its a dealer only item and is hard to find. Nice score on the k5 btw.

This looks to be a VERY common breakage point. Mine is also broken, plastic on metal door. I went to the salvage yard to find a replacement and every vehicle I looked at (6 or 7) all had the plastic broken. My door still moves a little but I'm thinking to somehow come up with a better solution.

Sweet truck! I wouldn't care if that is "car lot" underspray or not.....regardless, the undercarrage looks great! Looks like a very solid, base vehicle.

Carpet......I paid about $380 for a brand new set from "stockinteriors.com" with mat backing. It actually came from ACC directly. :dunno: Anyways, get carpet samples from both companies and if you like ACC's color (as I did), tell stockinteriors what color you like from ACC and they will get it for you (at a far less price). I did a color match under the door sill trim. That's where it was the least amount of fading and showed the more "original color".

Good luck on the fun!!
 
Thanks for the tips, Jeff.

you have 35x13.50 tires on a stock non-lifted blazer and on stock wheels?
Yeah, the seller had them on there. The tires are for sale in the classifieds right now .l.. make me an offer! They rub and I want something more street friendly. :)
 
Ok, so can someone help out a little? Here's the view from under the dash, through the glove box. In the back the red retaining clip is broken. Where can I get a new one?

The other mechanism in the front operates properly, but the controls do not make it move so it just sits in the middle. What would cause that? A worn out vacuum actuator? If so, where can I find that?

uqzh9l.jpg


On the plus side, I just moved the rear cable all the way and now I have nice toasty heat! Yay!
 
Ok, so can someone help out a little? Here's the view from under the dash, through the glove box. In the back the red retaining clip is broken. Where can I get a new one?

The other mechanism in the front operates properly, but the controls do not make it move so it just sits in the middle. What would cause that? A worn out vacuum actuator? If so, where can I find that?

uqzh9l.jpg


On the plus side, I just moved the rear cable all the way and now I have nice toasty heat! Yay!

Could just be bad vacuum lines under the dash...I replaced all mine a couple of years ago and everything works fine now.
 
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