Fix or scrap? 69-70 Blazer

[jwinga]

My grown son is considering this for a project. I’m not sure what advice to give.
It’s either a 69 or 70, 4x4, v8 350 or 307? 4barrel quadrajet(breather is gone)Auto, No AC , I didn’t notice if it had power steering or not, has a vacuum brake booster with drum brakes on front? ( Im not familiar with that) frame is good everything is under there, transfer case, drive shafts etc. spring hangers and associated hardware looks good. The wiring under the hood isn’t hacked up, radiator and core support looks good, inner fender wells and fire wall all intact. Still has the original AM radio.
Now the bad, inner and outer rockers, at least part of the front floorboard, looking in the back hatch I can see the ground through the briars growing up through the holes, I couldn’t get the driver’s side door open, when opening the passenger side door the whole quarter panel on that side moves around, I’m guessing the drivers side is going to be the same, I’m assuming it must be rusted out around the fender wells. There’s a bunch of crap in the back so I couldn’t see much back there. About the only serviceable sheet metal appears to be the hood and front fenders(rusted out at the very bottom), doors may be fixable, looks like everything else from the windshield back is mostly toasted.
The rear hatch has been broken around the right hinge and patched, the rear window is broken, there’s a small crack in the top above the windshield in the middle, there’s a couple of chips gone in the rain gutter over the doors.
He’s considering fixing it for a knocking around ride ( dirt roads on weekends and riding to the swimming hole) so it’s not going to be a restoration.
The mechanical things we can handle, it would have to have engine/ transmission I’m sure, then brakes and associated hardware and hoses, new oil and seals in the axles and transfer case, ball joints, king pins or whatever you want to call them, tie rod ends, drag link etc,probably convert to power disc brakes.
Aside from the mechanical things, the floors, rockers and fender wells at a minimum just to hold it together. He’s not concerned about paint or fixing the outside rust but, I’m not sure if it’s even feasible to fix the inside stuff without going on and doing the quarter panels too. Plus when we start digging, there’s no telling what else may come up.
The other good thing though is, it’s going to be cheap, like, really cheap but, at this point I’m not sure if free would be cheap enough.
What you think? I’m open to suggestions.
It was late this afternoon before we got there and got dark before I could give it a more thorough going over. We’re going back Thursday around lunch to look again and I’ll get more/better pics then.

[jwinga]

Pics

[Warrens69GMC]

Depends on the price and how much you can do yourself with your abilities.

Need to have someone do the floor pans and other rust repair? PASS

[jwinga]

He has a close friend that is sort of an outside contractor in industrial welding, he has a mig welder, son and I will do the removing, cutting, fitting back, he’ll do the actual welding. He’s not a body man but has plenty of experience welding sheet metal. He is wanting to get into rust repair on vehicles on the side and is interested in helping so he can learn it.

[raggedjim]

For a knockaround ride go ahead and get it. Do whatever you have to do to get it safe and then repair the body, floors, and other rust anyway you want. Drive it for awhile then sell it and let the new owner gripe about the shoddy repairs the previous owner did.

Sounds odd, but that's about the only reason any of these are still around, someone took an interest in them.

Good luck, Rg

[truckster]

It's more than I'd want to take on, but I already own a Blazer.

In today's market, I'd probably have to consider anything.

[painterljp]

At the prices of blazers now a days. I would think it would be a good investment even getting it running and driving am sure you would get your or his initial investment back and down the road the more work you do (done right) the more your return would be. And the quality time you spend with your son fixing it would be priceless in the future. Memories you know. Go for it!!!

[72gmguy]

Like some of the above said. Values of blazers have changed significantly over the last couple years. I don’t see them coming back down at any point. Broncos where crazy high for years and have only continued to rise. If you get it for the right price get it running and enjoy it while you decide how to fix the body. I used to buy decent running and driving blazers for reasonable money just a couple years ago….not anymore!

[jwinga]

It’s cheap. $500. That’s the only reason he’s even considering it lol. When I think about trying to fix that rust though, I wonder if free would be cheap enough.
The mechanical is no big deal to us, the body is.

[Warrens69GMC]

$500? I would have had a trailer there and given the man the cash the same day.

You will always be able to get your $$$ back no matter what you do.

[lks dcvn]

I would have already bought it at $500 - and just found a place to park it until I got to it. I said no more projects many moons ago - and just completed a full rust repair on a 71 blazer since the prices on 1st gens (1969-1972)have been skyrocketing for the past 2 years.

That truck, without you doing anything to it - will easily bring 4-5xs that for just a roller with a clean title.

Go get it - for $500 you can make your money back at almost any time if you get in over your head - just in parting it out.

[Yukon Jack]

I agree with all above - GET IT! Get it road worthy and enjoy - that's some excellent REAL patina!

[72gmguy]

I’ve seen trucks like that sell for $4-5k lately. BUY IT!

[Blue GMC]

For $500 is it in your driveway yet? Seriously even if it was a LWB truck you could get your $500 back parting it out and crushing the leftovers

[Toro]

At $500 that must be the friends and family price. Seriously, around here that would fetch around $4000 or $5000 based on what can be seen in the photos.

[jwinga]

Working on getting it bought, it’s part of an estate so some hoops have to be jumped through. Went back and looked again and it’s really not as bad as I thought. More pics below.

[jwinga]

Pics

[Warrens69GMC]

And a CST?

[jwinga]

More

[jwinga]

I can only upload pics two at a time for some reason and they’re sideways? The truck is right side up anyway lol

[jwinga]

Pics not wanting to load. Last licensed in 83.

[1rippen6]

I believe with B being the first letter it's a 69!

[Skymortar]

If they had ten of them I would buy them all at five hundred each. Some have bigger holes than others but they all need the same thing

[lks dcvn]

fixed pix

[lks dcvn]

fixed pix 2