04 4dr 4wd build/rebuild
 

Bought this 2004 for CHEAP from work. It's been sitting and neglected, but I aim to change that :) The truck fires right up, runs smooth and strong, goes into 4wd and will break all 4 tires loose, so it's a good foundation to start with for a reliable daily driver. I work in a salvage yard so parts are pretty easy for me to come by when I need them.


https://blazerforum.com/forum/attach...ine=1398617749



On the exterior it looks pretty good! Small scuffs and scraps here and there, and a little clear coat fading in a spot on the roof and on the two panels on the sides of the back window, but that's to be expected on a 10 year old vehicle in Florida.



Things it needs mechanically:

*AC - compressor locked up solid, so I'm replacing EVERYTHING but the evaporator
*Intake gaskets - SURPRISE... noticed it was starting to seep a little coolant out the front when I got it
*Mild overheating - installing a new water pump, thermostat, swapping the fan clutch, and flushing the coolant and adding new Dexcool
*Small exhaust leak - simple fix, it's the flanged joint under the passenger side; new gasket and a pair of new bolts should fix that
*ABS light on - hopefully as simple as popping the module off and fixing the notorious solder joints

Everything else looks good and strong. Driveline wise I believe it is sound; no squeaks or rattles, no biding or popping, tires look brand new.



Interior:

*Driver's seat is SHOT - couldn't find another matching driver's seat, so I've got a full set of seats of a different cloth material lined up to go in
*Driver's door panel is SHOT - surprise there... BUT, I've got a full set of ones that match the new seats anyhow :D
*Door hinge pins - another surprise lol, the bushings look like they're starting to wear
*Rear window release button - another common problem... but I've fixed them before on another blazer so that's not a big deal
*Steering wheel is worn threw - already got another to replace it with

Aside from that, the major things like the dash and all is in really good shape!



Future plans in store:

*STEREO! - I'm an audiophile... I've got components for all four doors and 2 Kicker CVR's in a ported box waiting to be installed, as well as a Pioneer single din to drive it all (would go with a double din, but I had a nice one in my last truck and never really made full use of it, so I don't see the use of one now...)
*POSSIBLY a small lift - nothing crazy, maybe shackles and torsion bar crank just to get another 1.5" out of it
*Wheels and tires - probably stick with 15"s, maybe 16"s it just depends on what I find, and will just put some sort of all terrains on them to keep it rather street friendly but still useful off the pavement
*Fender flares - that all depends on the wheels and tires though; if they stick out too far, I'll look into some aftermarket flares
*Lights - already plane on putting some HID's in the low beams and doing the quad-mod, and if I get bored enough I might try to actually projector retrofit them. I also want to put on some sort of light bar on the front to mount a pair of lights to
*Roof rack - would like to find some sort of roof luggage rack/cage, be good for camping trips, and maybe give me another spot to mount some more lights up high
*Exhaust - might do something to give it a little tone, but nothing that's going to piss the neighbors off lol





Yesterday I tore into the engine bay and got started. I plan on getting everything mechanically fixed and reliable under the hood before I start anything on the inside like stereo and such.

Degreased everything, got the intake torn off, started to pull some of the AC system apart, water flushed the block, radiator, and heater core, went ahead and changed the valve cover gaskets, and cleaned up and prepped the gasket surfaces for the intake on the heads, and went ahead and put on the new water pump. So now it's sitting with red shop towels draped all over the engine as I tear into the intake and throttle body to do some cleaning.

I was pleasantly surprised to see this valve train considering the odometer reads 160k miles!


https://blazerforum.com/forum/attach...ine=1398617749

https://blazerforum.com/forum/attach...ine=1398617749

Nice looking blazer. It looks really clean.

You mean all 2 tires?

Thanks :) I thought so myself, just needs a little TLC

At any given time yeah I guess so lol :P

Didnt mean to sound snotty. It is a nice looking ride
Looks like it ran synthetic

Lol I know :) darn open diff's... Who knows, if I get some extra cash maybe I'll turn that into a 3 wheel peel! :D

That would do the trick ;) almost put one of those in my old 91 Toyota a few years back but ended up selling it for something newer and more comfortable for a daily 1 hour commute :P

New plans for upgrades while I got everything apart :D

After some research and hunting parts down at work, and a little luck finding some random things (remember I work in a salvage yard), I'm throwing on a 145 amp AD-244 alternator, a dual fan two speed electric fan out of an Intrepid, found an OEM ZR2 aluminum skid plate, and an aftermarket intake (which I need to buy a new filter for). i can't believe how well the Intrepid fan sits down onto the radiator and covers the entire core, like it was made for it!