Blazer Questions

[swissarmychainsaw]

So I spent the day yesterday shopping for trucks! Great way to spend my day off.
Two questions:

1) I saw 2 Blazers with the Driver door cracked at the hinge. Is this a common problem? What causes it, and do you just replace the door?
The door does not close after that, and it sags badly and hits the pillar.
Weird that I saw 2 in one day, so I'm guessing its common on these. Only when off-roaded?

2) Only one of the blazers had any kind of interior package (78 Cheyenne) which had interior body panels in the rear on either side of the rear seat. Is this a more rare option? The others I saw had no rear carpet or side panels.

3) bonus question: Why the F is it so hard to find a decent Blazer/Jimmy from the 70s?

--Nick

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by swissarmychainsaw

So I spent the day yesterday shopping for trucks! Great way to spend my day off.
Two questions:

1) I saw 2 Blazers with the Driver door cracked at the hinge. Is this a common problem? What causes it, and do you just replace the door?
The door does not close after that, and it sags badly and hits the pillar.
Weird that I saw 2 in one day, so I'm guessing its common on these. Only when off-roaded?

2) Only one of the blazers had any kind of interior package (78 Cheyenne) which had interior body panels in the rear on either side of the rear seat. Is this a more rare option? The others I saw had no rear carpet or side panels.

3) bonus question: Why the F is it so hard to find a decent Blazer/Jimmy from the 70s?

--Nick

1) Doors are probably harder to find than complete trucks. I would propose adding a small piece of structure on the inside of the door to reinforce the area.

2) Yes - my thinking is that the higher trim levels were more rare back then - because people used them as trucks.

Read through some of these and it will describe the various trim levels and what content they included: http://www.gmheritagecenter.com/gm-h...tion-kits.html

3) Bonus: Because they didn't build very many. And they are old.

K

[mgchevyparts]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

1) Doors are probably harder to find than complete trucks. I would propose adding a small piece of structure on the inside of the door to reinforce the area.

2) Yes - my thinking is that the higher trim levels were more rare back then - because people used them as trucks.

Read through some of these and it will describe the various trim levels and what content they included: http://www.gmheritagecenter.com/gm-h...tion-kits.html

3) Bonus: Because they didn't build very many. And they are old.

K

Thanks for that link, I didn't realize the roll bar in my 2wd Jimmy was factory orig. I have to say that I never see any here with a roll bar.

[special-K]

I've never had or seen those cracks that I can recall.

From my experience,most all K/5s had higher trim packages. It's been rare for me to see a single headlight '81 or newer. Same for the '73-80s. Most I've ever seen were two tone Cheyennes. I bought my '90 because it was a solid red w/black top 4spd Silverado w/rallyes. That was the exception. My '85 Jimmy is a base model all Doeskin Tan w/hubcaps. That one's really unique and was ordered for a park service. Most of the basic ones I've seen were municipality/gov't/fleet owned

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by special-K

I've never had or seen those cracks that I can recall.

From my experience,most all K/5s had higher trim packages. It's been rare for me to see a single headlight '81 or newer. Same for the '73-80s. Most I've ever seen were two tone Cheyennes. I bought my '90 because it was a solid red w/black top 4spd Silverado w/rallyes. That was the exception. My '85 Jimmy is a base model all Doeskin Tan w/hubcaps. That one's really unique and was ordered for a park service. Most of the basic ones I've seen were municipality/gov't/fleet owned

I have to apologize; I thought this thread was in the '68-72 section and answered within that framework.

I would agree that Blazer/Suburbans tended to be higher option content than their corresponding pickup bretheren, but I don't recall the really opulent versions taking off until the early/mid 1980's.

By 1988 we had really made a silk(ish) purse out of a sow's ear.

K

[special-K]

Hey Keith,no need to apologize and I was hoping you didn't see me a contradicting you. Just going by what I've seen from where I've been. I figured maybe things were different in your neck of the woods. I'm sure you noticed years ago how different regions had different trends in truck buying as well as how they got outfitted...factory and aftermarket. It's become more homogenized. It is true,as the years went by trucks became mostly higher optioned,especially the Suburbans and K/5s.

[motornut]

Originally Posted by swissarmychainsaw

So I spent the day yesterday shopping for trucks! Great way to spend my day off.
Two questions:

1) I saw 2 Blazers with the Driver door cracked at the hinge. Is this a common problem? What causes it, and do you just replace the door?
The door does not close after that, and it sags badly and hits the pillar.
Weird that I saw 2 in one day, so I'm guessing its common on these. Only when off-roaded?

2) Only one of the blazers had any kind of interior package (78 Cheyenne) which had interior body panels in the rear on either side of the rear seat. Is this a more rare option? The others I saw had no rear carpet or side panels.

3) bonus question: Why the F is it so hard to find a decent Blazer/Jimmy from the 70s?

--Nick

1.out of three i have only one has hinge issues,I was told while plowing,the door was opened backing up.caught a post
2.both 79s have the nicer inside panels,gauges,and finished rear sides
the 78 was a plain idiot light
3.rusted out ,up here everybody plowed with them ,a short wheelbase,with power