Getting into the barn find, restoration, and hot 4×4 truck market might seem difficult to do in one swoop. However, not impossible, indicated by this blue, 1973 Chevrolet Blazer with 100,000 miles. It is located in Santa Teresa, New Mexico. The Buy-It-Now price of $5,950 and the option to make an offer are the choices you have in purchasing. Thank you to Adam C for submitting this Blazer. To view more about it, head over to the listing on eBay.
Mechanically the truck has a 350 V8 with an automatic transmission and 4 wheel drive. Factory air conditioning is also a creature comfort included. It does run and moves enough to get on a trailer. The transfer case is slipping out of gear though, however. There is a spare transfer case available. There is a dent in the front passenger quarter panel. There are some other rust spots and bubbling paint here and there, but it is not overtly obvious.
The interior does need some attention because the floorboards are rusting. While there are no holes for Fred Flintstone foot power, it will need those replaced. It has been sitting for quite some time, so it is quite hard to ponder how the seats became so torn up. The top is removable, maybe that is how. This truck must have been well used when it was on the road. A dash cover adorns the top of the instrument panel, so its condition is unknown.
Thankfully, this truck isn’t blue cheese, in terms of being too daunting, or not prominent enough. Nor is it rusted to oblivion. With a clean title, it is a solid candidate, ready to blaze into the restoration process. It also is a great classic truck. With all the ruckus about Chevrolet bringing back a new Blazer and all the opinions about it, this truck is a great way to get out into the garage and not bother yourself with matters greatly disputed on the internet.
As classic vehicle fan and collector I love classic 4x4s . early this year I bought ALL original 79 Chevrolet Blazer K5 4×4 has 49K original miles its brown/white two tone color has 305 auto , PB ,PS , factory AM radio, manual windows , rally wheels No Ac Not issue since its not daily driver anyway I paid 20K for it. Not for sale just love share passion for classics !
i have 63 gmc 6′ big window 4×4, project
Anyone remember Charlton Hester’s Blazer in the movie Earthquake? This could be a candidate for someone to build a tribute to that, including the kinda goofy looking targa top.
Yes actor Charlton Heston was driving a 75 model Blazer in the 1975 movie ‘ Earthquake ‘ I also recently downloaded movie could Not find it dvd!
Roy Scheider also drove one with the full removable top like this one in Jaws.
First year of the second generation,and worth about 1/4 of a 72 in the same shape.These are cool rigs in their own right,and still a convertible.
Cheap and easy to build,this isn’t a bad price ,for this starting point on a well optioned Blazer.Nice feature.
looks familiar…
(barnfinds.com/early-second-gen-1973-chevrolet-blazer/)
Nice truck and worth a full rebuild, and above all, have fun with it. But a point of caution here: I always get nervous whenever I see free-running front hubs in a pre ’79 GM 4×4 with an automatic. Until ’79 you got full-time 4×4 utilizing the NP 203 transfer case. That in itself isn’t a bad unit (my ’79 GMC went over 300K miles without a whimper) but a lot of people have installed a part-time 4×4 conversion kit so they wouldn’t have to keep turning the front axle. What very few of them knew about was that you HAD to keep the transfer case locked in 4×4 position to keep the chain turning; the chain brought lube oil up to the geartrain in the top of the case. I rebuilt a lot of those because they had run dry and ground themselves to powder. Needless to say, they were back to full-time when I got through with them….
Not with most 73s and probably even a few other years. An NP 205 transfer case was readily available brand new. Had a 73 K10 until recently. Cast iron, gear driven true part-time four wheel drive. Automatic transmission right from the factory.
geomechs so just I like know I notice have front locking hubs on my 79 blazer is that original being a 79 ?
Hi Max. ’79 was the first year that Part-Time 4×4 was offered with an automatic (I believe 1977 was the first time you could get it with a manual). Having said that, very few were delivered that way because of a shortage of components to adapt the 205 transfer case to the automatic transmission. I ordered my ’79 with Part-Time but had to change to Full-Time or I’d lose the order. We did sell a couple of new units with Part-Time/Auto so I know they’re out there. If yours is original with the Free-running front hubs then you were one of the lucky ones. But then, if you haven’t had yours that long it could be a conversion. The 203 case has the bulge in the back to accommodate the differential.
Obviously not a New Mexico truck it’s whole life.
It could have been. I live in Prescott Arizona and much of the climate here in AZ is similar to much of New Mexico. I’ve had a 1973, 74, and 75 pickup or pickups as you may choose to say, and a 73 Suburban. Even in a relatively dry climate these first few years of Square Bodies are still prone to getting some rust in certain areas of the vehicles unless they were garage queens since brand new.
This would be great deal in FL. The 69-72s have outpriced an entry level guy. I had a POS 72 that I bought for 800 bucks in the late 90s and sold after the rear blew out. Now, that same truck would be a 10k purchase.
The 73-75 have better parts availability, and the AC in this one would make it worth freshening up and driving. The tricky part is getting it across the country. A good portion of the budget is just getting it across the country.
So unusual seeing a K5 like this. These were immensely popular in the upper Midwest, and for good reason, not much would stop it. Seen a lot of 4×4 pickups get stuck, ( me included) and it was the K5’s to the rescue. Sadly, they withered away, and most, if not all, became plow trucks and every cabin in the Northwoods has one ’round back, after the body fell off, that is. I think these K5’s ( and full size Broncos) were the best 4×4’s to come down the pike. You won’t find a better deal on a K5 than this, trust me.
Bought 2 of them new back in 77 and 81 they were great vehicles. This one was sold already when I checked :o( I would love to have my 77 back with 400 sb and every option you could order.
These are commanding some eye-opening figures for certified, rust-free examples. My father’s work buddy had one in ’72 and it made an impression on me. I ‘settled’ for a mid-’90s 2 door Tahoe (’96) just recently and that series is my favorite body style.