At the time they were made, this 1977 Chevrolet K5 Blazer Cheyenne 4×4 was reportedly the smallest SUV that they offered. It’s hard to grasp that today with so many tiny SUVs swarming around on the roads. The seller has this beauty and beast listed here on eBay in beautiful Bend, Oregon. Thanks to the stealth Barn Finds tipster who sent this one in and didn’t leave their name.
We’ve gone over (and over and over) who made the first Sport Utility Vehicle, or SUV, before here and it’s tough to nail it down. Some sources say that it’s rooted in old military 4x4s and other sources say that, at least for the first “modern” SUV, the Jeep Cherokee gets the nod. That would be more for the street rather than trail SUV crowd I’m guessing, which is probably… ohhhhh, 90% of SUV owners today? Any thoughts on what the first SUV would be or could be?
Chevy made the K5 Blazer for model years 1969 until 1994, a very long run in the vehicle world if you think about it. This is a second-generation model made for model years 1973 to 1991. The last generation models came in 1991 for the ’92 model year until 1994. This example looks good with a few dings and scratches here and there, you know, because it’s a forty-five-year-old SUV.
This one has the Cheyenne package which included things like a door map pocket front headliner, rear speaker, and all sorts of things that we take for granted today. These Highlander plaid seats are fantastic and they appear to be in nice condition. In fact, the whole interior appears to be in outstanding condition. Everything works other than the AC and an intermittent speedometer reading, and they report no rust on the body of this Blazer.
The engine is Chevrolet’s 350 cubic-inch V8 which would have had 165 horsepower and 255 lb-ft of torque. At 10-12 mpg and today’s gas prices, this may not be a candidate for a daily-driver SUV as a lot of you have and use for your daily-driver, but this one would be fun to own. Have any of you had a second-gen Blazer? Even more important: what’s your thought on the first SUV as we define them today?
I love what I see, for the most part. I would like to have this truck at my place. But—when I look at this, or others like it, the first thing I look at is the locking hubs and immediately wonder if the transfer case isn’t another one of those full-time to part-time conversions. They left a lot to be desired. The 203 wasn’t a bad unit. I ran one over 300K miles and although the chain was worn out it never let me down. And my fuel mileage was not any different than the ones that were converted…
I had a 73 Jimmy. One of the last of the cool ones, fully removable roof, 2wd.
1976 began the half top, ended the cool factor IMO.
This is certainly one of the nicest older K5s I have seen in a while. It should have the gear-driven NP205 transfer case, so the locking hubs should not be a worry. I bought my first new K5 in 1976, and have had many since then. Like Michael Uptain, I do prefer the full convertible models. After looking for a long time, I bought a 1975 K5 Cheyenne 16 years ago, and enjoy roof-off motoring every summer.
The one for sale here demonstrates how every option was selected individually for each vehicle back then vs the packages sold on current vehicles: This one had Cheyenne appearance, but basic (not rally-style) wheels, AC, tilt wheel and cruise, but no power windows (on doors or tailgate)or door locks. The owner also selected the larger fuel tank (without optional skid plate).
These are fun rides, but if you are used to the modern version (Tahoe/Escalade), you will find the solid front axle and short wheel-base makes for a comparatively choppy ride, and the steering tends to bump-steer and wander. They are also not that great for hauling larger trailers, and if you are not careful, the “tail will wag the dog”! The low-back seats are also not particularly supportive, nor do they adjust other than for and aft. (BTW the seat-back frames are fairly weak, and tend to bend with larger/heavier front occupants.
Really clean rust-free K5s have been hard to find for a number of years. I expect this one to sell quickly.
When I worked for GM I never saw an automatic transmission with a 205 case between ‘74 and ‘79. We got a sales bulletin in January of ‘79. I actually ordered my ‘79 4×4 with part-time and the automatic. But it got held up because of an adapter between the transmission and the 205 case. I resubmitted the order for the 203 right at the deadline and the rest is history…
What factory you work at?
J Max, I never worked in a factory; I just worked in the service department of a Pontiac/Buick/GMC dealership. Toured a few factories, piggybacked some big trucks home but otherwise I was just a lowly mechanic/service manager/janitor/teacher/guidance counsellor…
I once owned a 1989 K5. Dang good-no, great- vehicle. Sold it to a little old lady who bought it for her grandson and he proceeded to drive the heck out of it, more in the woods than on asphalt, and destroyed it! Hurt my heart.
The first SUV? Hands down, it could only be the Willys Jeep J-100 Wagoneer. Which is how it was identified when launched in 1962. It was trying to appeal to EXACTLY the market strata that later SUVs all reached for – suburban families with limited need for four-wheel-drive. The Wagoneer was to haul kids, launch boats, take the family camping. Sound familiar?
Although it got off to a slow start – Jeep was known as an industrial brand, at the time, and the change of the name from Willys to Kaiser (1963) and then AMC (1970) didn’t help identity or encourage buyer confidence. Nonetheless, the J-Series (later re-designated SJ) wagons grew steadily in sales popularity (with dramatic drops during two separated fuel panics).
The life of the Wagoneer and derivatives, unchanged except for trim and drivetrain options, rivaled the length of the VW Type 1 and Model T in duration.
This one reminds me of Chief Brody’s Chevy in Jaws
I met him in London, friendly but not the biggest talker.