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CJM72 · 09-24-2016, 09:42 PM

Bought this 1972 Blazer last fall and I've slowly been picking away at some mechanical issues. Over the winter, I rebuilt the leaky transfer case and fixed a few electrical issues. This spring and summer, I struggled to get the Edelbrock carb tuned and the th350 leaked non-stop despite several attempts to reseal the pan. The steering box was leaking and the radiator still leaks.

With all these little problems and no backseat for the kids, the Blazer has barely seen the light of day! I have 3 children (4, 2, and 3 mos), and time has been extremely limited these days. But.....I've always loved the 67-72 era trucks and Blazers. I'm determined to build this into a fun, reliable family rig.

The Good:
- The body is basically rust free. Last owner was a fireman that had spent the last 20yrs doing body work part time. He patched the floors, replaced the rockers, fixed several of the other typical Blazer spots. I looked at a handful of other Blazers in my price range and all were major rot boxes (thank you New England winters!). This body is solid and that's why I bought it.
- I've rebuilt the transfer case, replaced the steering gear, replaced the broken front hubs, and fixed the lights/electrical gremlins.
- Came with a decent single wall top and a full bronco bob roll cage.
- Inside the tub was coated with bedliner after the rust repairs were complete.

The Bad:
- Basically no original interior. It has a pair of early 2000 Silverado seats that are prettu beat.
- Original 350 is fairly tired even after tuning the carb. Runs well but my expectations may be too high.
- Th350 trans leaks like a sieve. A new pan with nice flat rails and trying 2 different kinds of gaskets has not helped.
- The door alignment and satinblack paint couls be improved.

The Plan!:

Well, I planned to repower with a 383 that supposedly just had a blown head gasket. Unfortunately the blown head gasket lead to enough hydrolock to put a 2" crack in a cylinder wall, trashed the piston, and bent a rod. I got disgusted with the loss and decided I was going to do what I really wanted from day 1......LS Swap time! Not enough original parts to make me want to go back to OE.

Powertrain:
I've already bought a 2006 LQ9 from an Escalade with about 110k. I picked up a ridiculously built 4l65e from a high performance transmission builder in Rhode Island. Way overkill for my needs, but the guy had taken it back in on trade from a customer that was moving to 2 spd Powerglide for drag racing. He freshened it up and put the Advance Adapters output shaft in it for my 4l60e to NP205 adapter.

Interior:
Picked up second and third row seats from an 08 tahoe for my front and back seats. I already cut and machined the frame for the rear seats, but I need some welding help. Bought carpet, carpet strips, etc. to fill out a basic interior but that is on the back burner at the moment.

More to come....

09-24-2016, 09:42 PM	#1
CJM72 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Raynham, MA Posts: 222	3 Kids, 1 Wife, and 1 Lonely Blazer Bought this 1972 Blazer last fall and I've slowly been picking away at some mechanical issues. Over the winter, I rebuilt the leaky transfer case and fixed a few electrical issues. This spring and summer, I struggled to get the Edelbrock carb tuned and the th350 leaked non-stop despite several attempts to reseal the pan. The steering box was leaking and the radiator still leaks. With all these little problems and no backseat for the kids, the Blazer has barely seen the light of day! I have 3 children (4, 2, and 3 mos), and time has been extremely limited these days. But.....I've always loved the 67-72 era trucks and Blazers. I'm determined to build this into a fun, reliable family rig. The Good: - The body is basically rust free. Last owner was a fireman that had spent the last 20yrs doing body work part time. He patched the floors, replaced the rockers, fixed several of the other typical Blazer spots. I looked at a handful of other Blazers in my price range and all were major rot boxes (thank you New England winters!). This body is solid and that's why I bought it. - I've rebuilt the transfer case, replaced the steering gear, replaced the broken front hubs, and fixed the lights/electrical gremlins. - Came with a decent single wall top and a full bronco bob roll cage. - Inside the tub was coated with bedliner after the rust repairs were complete. The Bad: - Basically no original interior. It has a pair of early 2000 Silverado seats that are prettu beat. - Original 350 is fairly tired even after tuning the carb. Runs well but my expectations may be too high. - Th350 trans leaks like a sieve. A new pan with nice flat rails and trying 2 different kinds of gaskets has not helped. - The door alignment and satinblack paint couls be improved. The Plan!: Well, I planned to repower with a 383 that supposedly just had a blown head gasket. Unfortunately the blown head gasket lead to enough hydrolock to put a 2" crack in a cylinder wall, trashed the piston, and bent a rod. I got disgusted with the loss and decided I was going to do what I really wanted from day 1......LS Swap time! Not enough original parts to make me want to go back to OE. Powertrain: I've already bought a 2006 LQ9 from an Escalade with about 110k. I picked up a ridiculously built 4l65e from a high performance transmission builder in Rhode Island. Way overkill for my needs, but the guy had taken it back in on trade from a customer that was moving to 2 spd Powerglide for drag racing. He freshened it up and put the Advance Adapters output shaft in it for my 4l60e to NP205 adapter. Interior: Picked up second and third row seats from an 08 tahoe for my front and back seats. I already cut and machined the frame for the rear seats, but I need some welding help. Bought carpet, carpet strips, etc. to fill out a basic interior but that is on the back burner at the moment. More to come....