Need some help on order to do things

[Oldfashioned]

Just recently acquired a Arizona 72 Blazer roller in decent shape that I tore down to see what was needed. Floors, torsion boxes, windshield frame and inner rocker panels are all in great condition. I will be replacing outer rockers, doors, bedsides, radiator support, front clip and tailgate. My dilemma is I need to replace the body bushings with energy suspension. I have it torn down to where it’s just a frame with the body on it. The top is still on it. The doors are trash. Should I bolt the old doors on to replace the body bushings or bolt all new sheet metal on and then replace body bushings? Doors didn’t open or close too bad before and I have read to shim body mounts for gaps. I know aftermarket won’t fit like original so will shimming until new sheet metal is on be futile? My plan was I was just going to leave factory shims where they were until new sheet metal. Sorry for the long post. Thanks in advance

[lks dcvn]

Order to start with (or you will be doing things twice or more).

Bolt top to truck at factory mounting locations
Bolt doors back on - confirming that hinges are in decent shape and the doors are not cracked at the hinge
replace body mounts and bolts one at a time moving around the truck to keep from moving around on the frame too much
once you have all mounts replaced - shim at floor and B-pillar to get doors to open/shut without sticking - you should note the number of shims at each location and replace them as a good starting point

Once you are at this stage - you can start to cut out and replace metal - if you do it before the above are done - things will start to get 'out of alignment' and you will be cutting stuff out to replace it or line things up again.

Do the tub alignment first and then worry about getting the front clip into shape. You will likely need to cut, adjust and massage any aftermarket panels you purchase. You may get lucky, but most need some work to get them installed.

Get some pictures posted up on your truck and we can give more advice and/or direction. These trucks can hide a lot of rust so many of us have found it from restoring them and cutting deeper than most to get them back on the road.

Congrats on the new ride and welcome to the forum!

[jaros44sr]

As well as the good advice given above, you may want to install your door seals, as they make for a tight fit and may affect the way your door shuts

[lks dcvn]

^ - forgot about this piece. It is way easier to do the shimming/aligning once with all of this stuff done instead of doing it several times...

[Oldfashioned]

Okay I finally figured out how to attach pictures. I'm not really tech savy and won't say how many hours I worked on this haha but there will be more to come.

[Oldfashioned]

So here is the two Blazers I acquired to become one. Green and yellow one is from Arizona and is missing just about everything. Rear end cover has been off for who know how many years. LF leaf spring was broken which made it a pain to steer. Reddish truck is from South Florida and is complete but rotted to death.

[Oldfashioned]

Here are pictures of the Arizona truck

[Oldfashioned]

Here are pictures of overall condition and most importantly the good windshield frame that I was really after.

[Oldfashioned]

Here is the ugly on this one.

[Oldfashioned]

Here is inside and back of torsion boxes

[Oldfashioned]

Originally I was going to do this at work and pull the frame out but have now decided to leave it on the frame and do it at home. I really don’t have the space in either location with all my projects to have two Blazers torn completely apart at the same time. I got a little carried away and had to add ballast weight on the frame so it wasn’t so sketchy on the lift. It became very back heavy because I left the top on. So this is where I am at. I’m waiting on a lift kit and then I can put the old axles back in to roll around on. I have restored quite a few vehicles but I’m very unsure of myself on this Blazer without a roof. I usually go way too far on every build and this one is supposed to be just a driver.

[lks dcvn]

Well - that is definitely a project and if you haven't heard it yet - all things on these blazers now are fixable or replaceable which couldn't be said 5-10 year ago.

Is the goal to fix up the yellow (ochre is the factory color) tub and then rob all the mechanicals from the reddish one to make one good driver?

Although the only rust visible on the yellow one is on the rockers and at the back of the door/B-pillar area - there is a lot more hiding that can't be seen. Did I mention it can all be fixed.

Take a look through a few Blazer build threads and you can see what you may find behind some of that metal. You can start with mine - link - and see how deep the rust can go. If you have questions on where to buy sheet metal or what to do first, second, etc. just post up your question. This group was instrumental at helping me and when several guys are building blazers at the same time - it can be nice to get pointers or share in the misery with another person.

If you check out the Blazer and Jimmy Build section - you will find several builds to gain insight on where the rust is hiding.

[lks dcvn]

I made a post for the aftermarket sheet metal and where to find it when you get that far...

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...5&postcount=18

I'm having a 1972 2wd blazer built from the ground up --- http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=710805

[Oldfashioned]

Yes I am going to be making one 4wd driver out of the two. I have read a lot on this site which has been helpful. In figuring out how to post and post pictures I have a lot of respect for you guys because it takes time to share. I will be buying all new sheet metal here shortly. Very cool of you thank you, I’ll check out the links. When I’m done the 4wd Blazer I will probably build a 2wd out of the leftover 4wd frame utilizing dead end garages c notch. I have a spare 72 short bed truck I can rob of parts. That is after I’m done the 63 c10 and 68 c10 I’m also doing simultaneously. Thankfully they are pretty close to completion. Almost too much to keep track of.

[Blazerowner]

Just a little word of advice I replaced doors and fenders about 13 years ago on a 71 I had and they were a nightmare. I don’t have experience with the floors and they probably are easier to message. The fenders did not line up with the hood and we had to use filler to line them up. I had to trim and weld the bottom of the doors to get them to line up and they were never close to the originals. Perhaps the supply nowadays is better but be cautious. I personally would try to get nos or used before I would go aftermarket again.

[lks dcvn]

^ the new 'apex' branded doors fit way better than the old molds of the doors.

If you are going to buy doors - check with some of the vendors who install what they sell so you know you are getting parts that fit. Note - you will still need to probably tweak the door as you will with any aftermarket parts.

Some of the large suppliers may be trying to still sell old stock - which would include the old doors that don't fit at all.

[Oldfashioned]

Thanks for the warning guys. Unfortunately I have been down this path with a 68 Camaro aftermarket hood and fenders. 4 hoods later I had to stand on it and close it with 2x4s wedged in the cowl to get it to fit. I surely hope I don’t have those kind of issues with this. The aftermarket doors on my 68 c10 fit really nicely so I’m hoping that this goes as smoothly.

[Oldfashioned]

Thanks for the advice guys. Completed the body mounts today. Took about 4 hours which I didn’t feel was too bad. Cutting the welds for every bolt was the most time consuming portion. If anybody uses the Energy Suspension bushings the washer, that comes with the kit, for the floor board mount is the wrong size.