1970 Chevy Blazer-Peter W.

I had a 72 Blazer in college. I sold it and bought a new pick up. I got married, built a house and had a family. I was starting to want a Blazer to restore. I searched the web and found the typical 130 k rebuilt motor and tranny body been partially restored, etc.
I found a guy out in Nebraska, who had a 72 for sale, but a guy already had first dibs. So I kept looking. That one was sold and I found one in Texas it had been restored and rebuilt. I even paid a guy to survey it. It was slightly over my budget.
I was about to buy it, when the guy from Nebraska called. It was Bob Harding, he asked if I bought a Blazer yet. I said ” no”. He said ” Hell don’t, I got one 10 min from my house with 21,000 original miles on it. I was skeptical to say the least. He sent me a disc of pictures
It was no show piece, but it was solid. He knew I was looking for a truck to restore and this one was all there. I was still unsure of making the deal so he sent me contacts to verify he was legit. He gave me the name of the guy he got it from who bought it new. I asked him how could you have owned this truck for thirty years and only put 21,000 miles on it. He said, ” my brother and I each bought a new one in 1970 and his was the CST so we used his when ever we went out cause it was nicer. I put a plow on mine and plowed the yard with it. My niece used it for college one year and she put 5,000 miles on it. I sold the plow so there it sat. I changed the oil every year but one. I only put 35 miles on it that year.” Well, I was sold.
So, I sent the check and contracted a carrier. I asked the driver to let me know when he received the Blazer. He called me and said “about that truck that’s supposed to have 21,000 original miles!”. I thought, here it comes now I’ll find its not so true. He said “I been hauling vehicles for twenty years and this is one of the most original vehicles I’ve seen.”
So he delivers the truck and drives it off the carrier. It still had bias-ply tires on it. The original set of tires. Originally, the top was white and the bottom was white. There was one little rust hole on the passenger side sill plate, which my body guy fixed easy. He painted the bottom flat black. I put in new glass seals and painted the top black. I replaced the dash pad and the floor vinyl. I recovered the seats with some naugahyde and canvas that I had. I found and bought a tiger too ragtop for it. I put some Toyota 16″ rims with some mud tires I had. I had to relace a fan lever and a radio with a FM converter and so far I haven’t done anything to it but change the battery, oil and driven it.
I park it in Oct. and it doesn’t come out til late May. It won’t see the salt and calcium we use here in the east as long as I can help it. Currently she has 25,800 miles. I’ve thought next year we’ll pull the motor and tranny with the transfer case and replace the seals. She seeps a little. It’s got a 307 with a three on the tree. Not sure of the transfer case. It’s got posi-traction and still has lots of.power. I buffed it out and it has the original orange peel copper paint. I still have a list of little things I want to replace. For now I just enjoy it.