Newbie question; top and doors

[Toro]

I've searched and read numerous posts before posting something I could easily find, but here's where I am.

I'm close to purchasing a '72 Blazer which currently has a "soft" top, the CO does not have the fiberglass top. Passenger door is good, the driver door is missing.

So, first of all how difficult do you think it will be to try and find a top?

Based on what I've read, I'll probably try and find a good truck door and cut it down. Does anyone know if the re-enforcing brackets are sold aftermarket, as well as the "caps" that are needed for the top of the vent window and rear portion after it's been cut down? If I can't find a 72 door, 69-71 should work, but the trim panel mounting holes will be different?

Thanks for the help, these will be the major issues if this goes through, and I just wanted to see what the options were before jumping in.

[SeventyOne]

Tops should be able to be found but you might need to travel some to get one. Just keep looking on craigslist or on here.

The door - sure cut down a truck door. The cap on the vent window is re-pop'd. The reinforcement stuff though you might want to post a want to buy in the blazer for sale section.

And yes right the 69-71 door panel, door + window actuators are different than 72.

[lks dcvn]

Things to consider for your potential purchase:

-no hard top means that if there is rust in the floor, rockers, supporting structure - the body may have sagged which means that the body is not 'lined up'. This can lead to doors not opening/closing as they should so you may want to measure the door gaps to see if there is any sag before purchase so you know what work will be needed to get it back to factory specs.

This may include finding a hard top, buying new body mount hardware and then shimming before you start any rust repair.

Have any pix of how the truck looks now or any shots from underneath that may show the progress of any rust?

Let me see if I can find the body gap measurements for you.

[lks dcvn]

found the pic from an old post. if the truck is local stop by with a tape measure to see how these numbers line up. It may prevent you from buying a truck that is already folding itself in half.

I will say - anything is fixable with time and $.

[Toro]

Thanks for the input. It has been kept in a garage but it still has some rust in the usual places, but thankfully it hasn't been sitting outside. When I'm back at my computer I'll post some pics. The hood also appears to have a cowl or raised up section back close to the windshield. I'm guessing that isn't a factory item.

[Toro]

Originally Posted by lks dcvn

found the pic from an old post. if the truck is local stop by with a tape measure to see how these numbers line up. It may prevent you from buying a truck that is already folding itself in half.

I will say - anything is fixable with time and $.

Lks,
So I measured before I bought the Blazer and my numbers are about a 1/4" greater to almost 3/8" greater in some spots based on the numbers in the photo you attached above. I thought that typical "sag" that is always mentioned would show the distances to be less than those listed in the photo?

[Toro]

Here are a couple of pics of the rockers and support boxes.

[lks dcvn]

Looks pretty solid actually from those pix. there is more rust behind what you can see there though.