Some of you may remember this thread, if not here is a link. It is also linked in my signature.
Disapointed in the Blazer I bought!!
Shortly after purchasing, a restoration shop had heard about my situation and told me he could help me out. I toured his shop and saw some of his work and felt he was up to the task. He was also doing a convertible Buick Skylark for a friend so I thought he was good to go! As happens too many times it was too good to be true. He quoted me a not too exceed $2250 (and said it would probably be less) to strip to bare metal the quarters, windshield frame, cowl, and A pillar to determine the amount of work that was needed. Within a week he had stripped the quarters and tried to get me to pay in full, I gave him $1500 towards the $2250 NOT TO EXCEED quote. My Blazer sat for 4 months getting moved in and out daily but not being worked on. He had the top balancing on some 6 X 4 blocks so he could access the top of the quarters (even though no work was done on the top of the quarters. I had even provided him some 2 X 6 boards with pre drilled holes to bolt to the bottom of the top to prevent it from falling off and being damaged. After a total of almost 6 months I decided to pull my Blazer out of his shop. He would not release it until I gave him another $650. It really bothered me to pay him any more for his sloooow and incomplete work but being a civil matter I didn't want to wait months fighting in court (and with Covid there is no courts) so I paid.
So here are some pictures of my Blazer today after getting it home. The Previous owner was quite the hack. He welded strips on the top of both bedsides to cover the removeable top holes. Being a St Louis Blazer it has both sets of holes or should I say had!
Some holes in the drivers side lower quarter in front of the wheel. Doesn't look like it was ever dented so I have no idea what these holes are for?
A dent on the drivers side quarter behind the wheel.
The hack of a fuel fill. There are pictures (in my disappointed thread) of it open with the wire nut spacers and from behind with the hideous weld job?
The body work would have been done for 1/2 the price and already finished if I had gone with the person a board member had introduced me to but I had already agreed to the other shop (just another of my many mistakes).
I went to Gloucester MA yesterday to meet with a true craftsman and restorer I met through a local forum I am a member of. He restores Porches and many unique vehicles and has done a few of our era trucks and has a 1970 pick up in his shop now. His work is 99% metal and almost no filler. I was trying to save a buck but this guy does the job 100% right so I am going to have him do the work. He can not get me in until next spring and body work and paint will be $20,000 (what I figured it was going to cost) to $30,000. But it will be done right.
Here are some pictures of a couple of his projects.
He showed me the before paint pictures of this Blue car with a 454 in it. there is less than a pint of filler on the whole car. Looked flawless! He was working on the hood while I was there. Literally no filler.
I guess I have plenty of time to find my last few parts. It will be 2022 before it is finished. It probably would have taken that long at the shop I pulled it out of for similar costs and a lot less quality.