Bidding is downright cheap for what amounts to a nearly-new diesel-powered Chevrolet K5 Blazer. This is a former military truck that went into civilian hands and essentially amounts to being a very overbuilt truck with what looks like a fresh paint job. The Chevy comes with all the requisite heavy-duty equipment that makes it suitable for military use, but this one seemingly escaped being pressed into service for decades at a time (or simply bounced around various equipment auctions after years of inactivity, which can happen with vehicles by owned by the government.) Whatever its story is, it has since lost the olive green paint job but retains many clues as to its past. Find it here on eBay with bidding to $5,300 and no reserve.
The Blazer may sport sharp jet-black paint on the outside, but it still looks like a tired military truck elsewhere. Still, I imagine this adds to the charm for some potential buyers, but others may be turned off by the loose wiring handing under the dash. The bucket seats and full console are nice features to have, and both appear to be in good shape. The seller reports that the history of this Blazer is that it was part of the U.S. Department of Defense CUCV (Commercial Utility Cargo Vehicle) program for civilian-based tactical command vehicles. Despite sounding like the thing was being air-dropped out of the back of a C5 over a war-torn country, it’s more likely it sat parked in a building in Nowheresville, Ohio next to the salt pile for spreading on winter roads.
All that is to say it probably saw very little use despite the impressive-sounding name of the program it was authorized under, and now the next owner will get a K5 Blazer with next to no miles on it. Unfortunately, the interior tells us that it wasn’t exactly treated like a museum piece despite racking up next to no miles, but the engine bay looks surprisingly nice with a no-fuss appearance and I’m sure plenty of military-spec features that eagle-eyed readers will recognize. If this Blazer is anything like a police vehicle, I’m guessing it has additional cooling capacity, perhaps upgraded electronics (what little of those there are), and dual batterys.
If this were my Blazer, you can bet I’d get that black-out mode working once again – this has to be one of the coolest features of a military-spec vehicle. The 6.2L Detroit diesel is supposed to be a decent engine, even if it’s slightly archaic by modern standards. Still, it will survive the apocalypse and the zombie attacks and God knows what else, so you can bet there’s a fierce legion of survivalists keeping an eye on this auction – this is the truck you want to park next to your underground bunker. If it were mine, the first thing (and possibly only thing) I’d do is to upgrade to a larger wheel and tire combination and clean up the interior; otherwise, I’d just use it as-is and know I had a vehicle that could handle daily driver duties when called upon.
Military spec? I’m curious if it is a 24V electrical system; I have seen them so equipped. Pretty much a run-of-the-mill Blazer otherwise. I like what I see (except for the idiot lights). If it came my way I would just get everything working properly and put the truck to work. Not fussy about the black paint job or the wheels; I’d have just left it Olive Drab with stock wheels and kept on going…
Don’t worry, Geomechs, those hupcaps will pry right off!
You know, I kind of wondered if they were just hubcaps.
Resale black paint job and Walmart wheel covers. It may only have low miles, but every single person that I know that was in, or is currently in, the military has pounded the living daylights out of any and all military vehicles. They were never easy on them so the low miles mean nothing.
Yup, guilty as charged, I’ve beat the daylights out of many of these in woods, desert, smd jungle.
Ugly paint, ugly hubcaps, slow as molasses, but great for plowing.
Regardless of the odometer and the Carfax I don’t see a 17k mile vehicle. The interior wear and abuse makes 117k more likely. It’s still low mileage for a 35 year old work truck. That’s less than 600 miles per year between 1986 and 2017 plus idling hours.
The batteries are in parallel so it’s a 12 volt system.
It’s a partial 12v/ 24v system. To comply with NATO standards all military vehicles should offer 24v to assist in jump starting.
While all CUCVs I’ve seen have had the NATO receptable in the grill this one appears to have it in lower dash above accelerator. Starter is 24v, rest of the vehicle is 12v. Observe it not only has dual batteries but dual alternators too.
The round cap under the dash is for diagnostic connection to a basic code reader used by mechanics during repairs or service. The dual alternators run onboard communication radio and equipment separately from the vehicle electric system. I worked on many of these in the military in the years before they switched to HMMV’s. They had problems with the glow plug system many times swelled up and broke off when removed. Look for dented piston tops as a sure sign they failed.
I just don’t get the plastic wheel covers. Powder coated or painted steel wheels look a billion times better than any Tupperware, especially on a truck.
I have a lot if seat time in these and the blazer versions are the ones to have, they can cruise at Highway speeds versus the pick up that are screaming at 55 MPH.
Not a Detroit diesel.
Wrong is a Detroit
I have one of each, 1008A1 and the 1009. I picked mine up at Riley in 17′ and both must have been driven by motor pool as they both are like new. 4,000.00 A1 and the 09 was a little more.
The one seen here is in fair to good but not 9,700 good. And now with it being molested by black paint and the problematic rear widow track being broken and hard to find parts for, well maybe it can be saved.
I would buy the worst trucks for a grand just for the 5/4 ton running gear and have enough parts for my lifetime.
I drove one like that during my time in the Corps in the Philippine’s. Lets just say you give a 20 year old a vehicle who tends to think there living in a Dukes of Hazzard episode is kind of hard on the vehicles. I would never buy one from the abuse I know this guy got hammered with. It went to DRMO for a reason.
I looked at one in SoCal locally from CL. Beat hard with rust through and through. 6.2 updated with a Banks turbo is tolerable, otherwise 0 to 60 in 30sec. Better examples for same money.
That is way more than 17k miles look at the brake pedal not the most reliable diesel perfect example of why you do your research before clicking bid now
This 64C trained private enjoyed the off road course in Ft Dix New Jersey (grin)
The seller could have at least put on the correct size tires. In my experience, all of these military versions came with 31X10.50R15 tires
I bought my ’88 K5 courtesy of the US Navy, Pearl Harbor. 13K original miles. White over blue. 350, 4sp, locking hubs, A/C, tinted glass and not much else. Immaculate vehicle for the princely sum of $5500. Found Battleship game pieces jammed down into the back seat. Had full maintenance log, at one point going 121 miles between oil changes. I put Centerlines on with 31’s, steering stabilizer, good shocks, Vortec heads, cam, headers with good pipes, Performer RPM with a seriously reworked TBI from a 454. I shattered the rear diff the ting pulled so hard. So Auburns front and rear. I LOVED my Navy Blazer. I still have it’s Dog Tags.
DamIT!! THIS RELOGGING IN, SOMETIMES MID-COMMENT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED!! I’M YELLING, BECAUSE I SPEND 10 MINUTES OF MY PRECIOUS TIME,( not really, but calming down anyway) only to have the comment go into nowhere land, “Log-in” comes up. You realize how many times I do that here? No other site does this, so what gives? I can’t be the only one with this issue, don’t forget, we, as “members” are paying for this hassle and I don’t pay for any other automotive site. And I’m not crazy that you deleted Jims and my “Jack Benny” comments. Come on, really?
Now I forgot what I was writing about,,,something diesel holding back sales, stout military guts,,oh, the heck with it,,”LOG IN??? ARRRRRGGGGHHH!!,
Yeah, that “log in” issue this website has is a real pain in the a$$. That’s one reason I don’t comment much any more.
I still have a Key for one of those somewhere. They were all keyed alike for standardization. LMAO. When I went in the army we had Dodge M880’s and variations there of. Those 880’s were hard to get stuck and ran on Gas.
Then we got the CUCV’s I was all excited. Oh Boy new trucks and blazers. Then I took them into the mud. What a POS. It couldn’t get out of it’s own way. That and it was Diesel. Cause the Army wanted all vehicles to run off the same fuel.
In so far as the interior being beat up with suck low miles. Well when you put on all your battle rattle and drag your D-bag around and any other equipment you gotta have as well as your weapons stuff is gonna get messed up. Especially if you gotta bouncing through the woods without all that stuff tied down. Remeber that time you had to slam on the brakes and all the stuff in the seats went flying fwd and hit the dash. Yeah like that. Privates drive like they stole them. Sgts drive like they are on a mission from god. Got an officer riding with you? Yeah your driving convoy speed. I would invest no money in that thing.
Dang somebody paid 9700 for that steaming pile of…………..
Ended: Dec 14, 2021
Winning bid:US $9,700.00
[ 60 bids ]
Located in:Severn, Maryland