Does anyone have an original paint Blazer or Jimmy with painted door latches?

[simicrintz]

'71-not smart enough to know where it was built

Had not realized how dirty that is either......

[DeadheadNM]

Originally Posted by simicrintz

'71-not smart enough to know where it was built

Had not realized how dirty that is either......

St Louis (S in the VIN) - thanks. I’m thinking now the door latches are the least photographed component of a truck

Here are original paint yellow 71 and white 72 examples from St Louis and Flint respectively. Thanks Keith and Steve.

Still chasing more 72 St Louis examples....

[HAULIN' IT]

I dont have any direct info on Blazer/Jimmy's however I do recall when doing research for a '69 Camaro I did, that there was confirmed "oddities" like you are finding. I dont recall to be able to recite them but it was very similar...this plant, that plant, before this date/after that date, ect ect. There were some "for sures" that were either right or wrong but somewhere in there was some maybes. What I do remember was the basics. If the latches were painted, so was the striker. If the doors were painted, so was the trunk latch/striker, ect.

The one photo posed that I kinda have trouble with is the one Blue one with the painted bolts but not the latch...that would typically be a no-no. This would mean the guy on the assembly line put the latch in & then masked off the latch poking through the door or was already masked off, installed & then later peeled off (more likely). Now in a way the idea isnt completely wrong...we want the latch in place but someone realized that the paint will peel, stick the latch ect. so a masking operation was added. My Two Cents, Lorne

[john deere]

I have two flint 72 blazers, both grapefruit original paint with no paint on the latches. Sorry, no pictures.

[4x41971SWB]

Here is one of mine.
Original paint, 1972, and St.Louis built.

[DeadheadNM]

I move that we recognize at least some and possibly all K5s assembled for the 1972 model year at St Louis had painted door latches. Anyone second that? Nays?

We could catalog sequence numbers to try and determine when the painting began.

[IronCanine]

Second. I make a motion we move to collect serial number data.

Huzzah for recognizing this manufacturing anomaly and for gathering the evidence to support it. Information! I love it.

[Tmend]

Originally Posted by deadheadnm

i move that we recognize at least some and possibly all k5s assembled for the 1972 model year at st louis had painted door latches. Anyone second that? Nays?

We could catalog sequence numbers to try and determine when the painting began.

👍👌

[402Bowtie]

Not a blazer, but a 72 St. Louis truck.

[DeadheadNM]

Originally Posted by 402Bowtie

Not a blazer, but a 72 St. Louis truck.

Thanks for posting. That’s really helpful. Looks as if St Louis was painting trucks in a similar manner for 72. It’s fun teasing out these plant specific variations.

[Ol Blue K20]

Originally Posted by DeadheadNM

Thanks for posting. That’s really helpful. Looks as if St Louis was painting trucks in a similar manner for 72. It’s fun teasing out these plant specific variations.

My truck K20 is a St Louis build and mine are painted as well

[402Bowtie]

Maybe this thread is becoming a dead horse, but I haven't seen a 1970 model yet...

1970 St Louis Blazer

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/19...t-k5-blazer-4/

[DeadheadNM]

Thanks for posting and keep ‘em coming. That 70 I’m skeptical about as it’s been repainted.

[60case]

1970 GMC Jimmy St Louis no paint

[IronCanine]

Here's an original paint St.Louis truck. One of the things this truck got me thinking about was production rate. The VIN on this truck ends in 195XXX. That's a big number at the end of the model year. We know that from the forum's build date project thread that St. Louis built trucks got to at least 202XXX in '72. It was obviously the last MY of this generation and they produced the most units of any year 67-72. And St. Louis appears to be uniquely prolific. Normally a VIN ending in 17XXXX would put you in June or July on average for 67-71. However in St. Louis in '72 they were in the 190s in May. That is churning out some trucks. I think the youngest example on this thread is 140XXX or there abouts. So it seems to me Pete, this may be a mid year process mod at St. Louis (probably one of many) that reflects the pressure of executing this level of production.

[DeadheadNM]

Excellent observations and thanks for posting.

I suspect but haven’t tried to confirm that St Louis ceased producing K5s on or prior to March 72. Perhaps K5 production was given over to Flint for the remainder of the year.

[IronCanine]

Originally Posted by DeadheadNM

I suspect but haven’t tried to confirm that St Louis ceased producing K5s on or prior to March 72. Perhaps K5 production was given over to Flint for the remainder of the year.

Hmmm. Well now that you say that out loud....I'm aware of late '72 model year changes to the Blazers/Jimmys (thanks to your work)...but a complete shut down of Blazers at St. Louis seems like a fun thing to test.

[402Bowtie]

Originally Posted by DeadheadNM

Excellent observations and thanks for posting.

I suspect but haven’t tried to confirm that St Louis ceased producing K5s on or prior to March 72. Perhaps K5 production was given over to Flint for the remainder of the year.

Why do you think that? Just curious. So far the build date project backs that up, but there aren't a lot of data points either. I'll be keeping an eye out on that question...

[DeadheadNM]

Originally Posted by IronCanine

Hmmm. Well now that you say that out loud....I'm aware of late '72 model year changes to the Blazers/Jimmys (thanks to your work)...but a complete shut down of Blazers at St. Louis seems like a fun thing to test.

Originally Posted by 402Bowtie

Why do you think that? Just curious. So far the build date project backs that up, but there aren't a lot of data points either. I'll be keeping an eye out on that question...

I took an interest in 72 K5 assembly dates while hashing out the 2x vs. 1x wall top details and again when hashing out details regarding the white interior accents seen exclusively on St Louis assembled Highlander Blazers. I certainly can’t recall seeing any St Louis K5s with a build date of April or later and I’m not sure I recall seeing March either (mine was assembled in February). If true, perhaps GM began to retool for square body Blazer assembly at St. Louis ahead of Flint?

[DeadheadNM]

Pickup example. February 1972 St Louis assembly.

[IronCanine]

Not to keep bringing trucks to a Blazer party, but this one sticks out because of the plant. This appears to be an honest original paint Highlander built in May of '72 from the Atlanta plant.

Edit: Also of mild interest are the black A/C vents.

[DeadheadNM]

Thanks for posting!

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by DeadheadNM

... If true, perhaps GM began to retool for square body Blazer assembly at St. Louis ahead of Flint?

No - because squarebody Blazer and Suburban were built only in Flint.

K

[DeadheadNM]

Good to know - thanks Keith.

[IronCanine]

A couple for the pile. The yellow one doesn't really move the discussion forward as it falls within the known range (165XXX, March '72)...but the orange, if legit is a new data point I think. It's a September '71 truck. Which I think (correct me if I've missed one) is our earliest example so far.