I just recently got a 1997 4x4 blazer for free. Well almost free, because it cost me about $240 (trailer rental + gas) just to get it home. My brother decided to be nice and give it it to me as he had trouble selling it with all the problems it has. I'd like to fix it up some and make into a pretty capable hunting or offroading rig. Now I've joined this site so maybe I can get the ball rolling. As I've been checking it all out so far, heres the list of things I'll have to fix:

1.Front suspension bushings and balljoints are all shot
2.Exhaust is shot
3.It looks like it has a bad intake gasket (sludge in radiator , and it has
dissapearing coolant with no external leaks, no coolant in the oil)
4.The drivers seat is power and broken so it wont move, plus it looks like
a rottweiler has been using it as a chew toy.
5.I can't get the 4wd lo to work (the switch just flashes when its pressed)
6.The drivers door jamb striker is bent/mangled to the point where the
door latch won't catch on it. My brother just kept slamming the door
when it didn't catch, making it worse.
7. The ign key gets stuck in the ign switch, and you have to press this lil
"button" up inside the column to relase it. Looks like it used to have some
kind of key release lever thats just been broken off.
8. The AC doesn't work
9. The interior lights wont turn off, it keeps killing the battery. This may be
related to number 6 I think.
10.The drivers door mirror is broken off, hanging by the power wire.

Feel free to make any suggestions or tips on any of these problems. I've been searching the crap out of this site and been finding a lot of good info. I've been reading a lot about that 4x4 switch as well. Thanks!

 

Not too bad for free!

 

Darn Tootin'.

Looks like you have a real good base to start from. Keep the updates coming.

 

You can find the mirrors on Ebay (I just replaced both mine) for around $30 each. There are places that want more but I got both for $25.95 and $27.50. As far as the lights, check the door switches. Especially the front. The rear door switches just pop out but if you try to pop out the front it will come apart. No biggie as they just snap back together but you need to take one of the dash panels on the bottom off to get to them. The driver side is worse. it's up around the back of the fuse box. Just be carefull not to loose the spring or the connector strips in the body. Of course if the door isn't closing it won't push the plunger in far enough to turn them off. Again you could just pull off the top of the switch and leave it (I did that to my passenger side) until you get the door fixed.

 

Well, for now I just pulled the domelight fuse. But for some reason, the rear glass release button is on that same fuse. So if I need to open that rear glass and tailgate, I have to temporarily pop that fuse back in.
Another thing, he gave me two different keys, one works the ign, the other works the doors, but neither works on the rear glass/tailgate. So the only way I can open it is by pressing the button. I'll be screwed if that release solenoid ever goes out.
And since I'll have to rebuild the suspension anyways, I might as well lift it. Any recommendations on a suspension lift? I'll probably wanna go at least 2 or 3 inches I guess.