Body/frame advice request 73 Blazer, more than I wish I had to do
 

I posted this elsewhere - but this looks like a more active place to ask..

My first car was a 73 Blazer 4x4. in the early 90's I mildly restored/updated it, rebuilt everything etc.
Somehow it survived my marriage. It wasn't practical for a young family, it spilled oil. (believe me, my wife tried to make me sell it and I'm still married to her) I was able to hide the truck out of sight for years.
The next time the truck came up, I had the brilliant idea to say the truck was going to be for my son.
One day, Texas happened.
I let my father take the truck out to South Texas when he retired. He was/is a master mechanic and experienced collision expert. The idea was that I would move there (I did, for a bit) and bring the truck back to road-ready condition, it still ran great but had things that needed doing.
Fast forward 10 years and the warm salt air has cannibalized the body. I haven't been down there to visit, but I know my father doesn't want me to see it. It's mine though and I promised it to my son so I have to do some major work.
TLDR: I need a new body and I would like to do it as cheaply as possible - so I'm looking at available K5 bodies and the most intact I can find are 80's K5.
I know there are differences - the door posts will have to be cut, along with the windshield frame, etc. There's also the gas door thing.
I'm wondering if anyone has done this before?
My father insists that he once measured an 87 Suburban and that chassis was narrower than the one in his 74 Suburban (He was looking at a potential swap and EFI, etc). I found aftermarket replacement frames for K5 and there is nothing that I could find about these differences.
I don't have long to get this truck ready, my son just turned 14 - your help is appreciated.
Thanks..

Re: Body/frame advice request 73 Blazer, more than I wish I had to do
 

What are you trying to keep? The frame, part of the body? Any pics of the 73' or will your father not send it?

All 3 of my daughters used our 89' K5 as their first vehicle at 16. Made it through 2 of them.....last one just rear ended a Honda CRV. Lets just say the CRV was probably totaled, and I had to get a new grill for the K5! Bumper is a little bent but doable for now. The are definitely tough vehicles.

Re: Body/frame advice request 73 Blazer, more than I wish I had to do
 

It's just far away.. i live in denver and haven't been down there in a few years..

What I want is to get that truck back and put it together as it was, a 73.
the original body moldings, fenders.. that kind of thing.

Re: Body/frame advice request 73 Blazer, more than I wish I had to do
 

Only problem that I see when cutting a 76 and later K5 to make it a full convertible is the fact that the rocker boxes aren't there. 73-75 had boxes under the driver and passenger side to increase the stiffness. Also frames from I think 78 and up and different that the 73-75 so you can't swap them to the 73 if you wanted to save your body.

You can see them on each side of the frame in this picture. https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net...8c&oe=5BA7E645

Re: Body/frame advice request 73 Blazer, more than I wish I had to do
 

Dang..
well i'm going to have to find 73-75 to make this work.
btw - nice exhaust work ..