For those wondering whether there are still fabulous finds lurking in barns and shed, I give you this 1989 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. It has spent its life in dry climates but has hibernated since the mid-1990s. The overall condition is impressive, and it is a one-owner survivor with a genuine 66,000 miles on the clock. It has emerged from hiding and is listed here on eBay in Las Vegas, Nevada. Bidding has raced to $7,600 in a No Reserve auction. Barn Finder Larry D has had his radar working overtime to spot this stunning classic, so thank you for that, Larry.
It’s incredible the difference a wash and polish can make to a barn find because this Blazer shines like a new penny. Its Code 74 Red paint shows no evidence of significant scratches or marks, seemingly supporting the seller’s claim that its original owner used it sparingly on weekends. The underside is dusty, but the undercoat is intact, and there’s no evidence of rust. The same is true of the exterior, which is probably a testament to how well the dry Nevada and Californian climate preserves classic steel. The decals and hood protector are dealer-installed items. The protector looks fine, but the decals have faded. That isn’t the end of the earth because the buyer could probably locate a company capable of recreating replicas, ensuring the exterior presents as it did the day the first owner took delivery. The alloy wheels should respond positively to polish, and there are no issues with the chrome or glass.
If this Blazer’s exterior presentation impresses you, the interior will knock your sox off! The decision to team the Red exterior with Burgundy upholstery was inspired. It creates an interior that oozes class and would have made a marked impact when the Blazer was new. The original owner protected the seats with covers and blankets, making it no surprise that there’s no wear or damage to the plush velour upholstery. The back seat may be better than the front buckets because it has never been used. The plastic looks excellent, with no significant discoloring or deterioration. They mounted a compass and altimeter on the dash, but the rest of the interior remains unmolested. If you’re partial to creature comforts, this beauty has you covered. The new owner receives air conditioning, although the system requires recharging. There are also power windows, power locks, a power seat, cruise control, and a premium AM/FM radio and cassette player.
There were several engine choices for Blazer buyers in 1989, but this one features the 350ci TBI V8 producing 210hp and 300 ft/lbs of torque. The task of sending that power to the road falls to a four-speed 700-R4 automatic transmission and a dual-range transfer case. Driving duties are effortless thanks to the inclusion of power steering and power brakes. Outright performance is not the aim of the game with this type of vehicle, although this Blazer’s ability to storm the ¼ mile in 17.9 seconds and cruise comfortably at freeway speeds is impressive for an off-roader tipping the scales at 4,540lbs. However, engage low range and point this baby at rough terrain, and that V8 should haul it into some seemingly inaccessible locations. Because it has hibernated for years, this classic requires essential maintenance before returning to active duty. This would include a fluid flush, a complete service, the replacement of perishable belts and hoses, and a tune-up. With the work done, this Blazer should be ready for a life of adventure.
To say this 1989 K5 Blazer has generated interest would be an understatement. It has received twenty-six bids in ten hours, which is some of the most frantic action I’ve seen recently. If you like what you see, there is still time to stake your claim. The pressing question is, should you? To me, it’s a no-brainer. If you are considering purchasing a vehicle of this type, you can wander into your local dealership and drive away in a shiny new Blazer that features all the bells and whistles we find on our feature vehicle. That’s fine, but it will set you back nearly $50,000. That’s the first downside of purchasing new. However, that doesn’t hold a candle to how you’d be impacted by depreciation. Recent market trends suggest the bidding on this beauty will probably taper at around $20,000. It requires work to return to a roadworthy state, but that should still bring it in at less than half the price of the newbie. That’s one good reason to pursue this classic. The other is I know which will receive the most attention and positive comments, and it won’t be the showroom-fresh example. Those seem like good reasons to stake your claim. Do you agree?
Man with light sabre!
Now unless this fella owns another one of these he rather wants to keep I cannot understand why he even sells it. IMO this is one of the very last GM vehicles I’d care to own myself – a late squarebody with this level of options is decent enough to compare with later Tahoes, + parts availability/prices not to mention serviceability are unequal to any newer vehicles. Only real issue with these vehicles are gas milage – which is not impressive with newer comparable SUVs anyway – and rust, the latter should not be of much concern in the region our seller lives in…
Not that I fancy them but does anyone recognize those decals as official GM offerings? Apparently the original owner liked ‘stuff’ as there are multiple items here that look tacked on – the first to go would be those HIDEOUS side window deflectors and the goofy spare tire mount
Side window deflectors are correct OEM. I had a 1987 Blazer with this top. The sliders on the removable hardtop could be left open while parked, (mine was dark blue with dark blue interior so heat in summertime was pronounced), to allow some cross flow air movement and reduce cabin temps while parked. When driving with the sliders open, there was no notable wind noise to speak of with the help of those deflectors. You could angle the deflector to get more airflow but I didn’t move mine as I was afraid I would damage the hinge point and felt I was better leaving good enough alone. The sliders and deflectors on the removable hardtop was an upgrade option to the fixed windows on the top. Nice upgrade. Options are what these trucks standout from bone stock units. This one looks like the one I had which was fully loaded with all available options. I miss mine.
Good point, Poncho. My ‘89 also had those sliding windows but not the deflectors.
Looks like a flipper selling it,so no intention of keeping it.
To them,it’s all about a quick buck.
Yep spare tire purdy funky.
That’s one funky tire carrier
That tire carrier I believe mounts to the bumper and can be lowered to open the tailgate. Then if you want to get rid of that carrier you unbolt and no holes ?
It’s up to $27,850 now. Hmm…
I have a very nice ‘85 Silverado short bed I’ll sell you for that. Red/red 55,000 original miles, 350 TPI, working AC. Awesome cruiser!!
Almost 28k now ! But a very nice truck.
I bought one of these new, there was only one engine available:the 350. After I swapped out the automatic hubs, the fuel economy was acceptable: 17 locally and 22 on the road which was fine by me.
With all those O’reily auto parts add-ons, this looks like some old guys last new car he ever bought, and he dressed it up like he wanted it before he went to glory, but that happened sooner than expected
Get rid of all the crappy J.C. Whitney add-ons, and decals.
A compass and Altimeter? Does it fly? And an excellent photo of the ash tray to boot
Not a fan of burgundy velour interior Nice truck but I am with others this guy had an open account at JC Whitney and probably a leisure suit. But all that stuff could be easily removed and leave a great truck
Square Body trucks are the hotest on the market now. What was a 20K truck new will get 32K now.
I would buy it now with only an inspection. NICE!
The seller has ‘666’ feedback rating and 97.6% positive feedback. They have two nasty negatives. As I type this, the listing is gone/over with more than two days remaining.
The truck, I’m not a square body fan but I like this survivor, sans the dreaded, highly undependable 700R4 trans. I avoid vehicles with that ‘leave you stranded’ curse. Sure, the cursed trans in the van I owned could have been caused by the previous owner not having it serviced at or around 70,000 miles. Nothing worse than being stranded 500 miles from home… well, a crash would’ve been worse but that never happened.
I had one that was bright red with grey on top and bottom. Mine was cream puff clean and could pull a house but did not want to do more than 65mph on the interstate. Sold it to a dear old lady who gave it to her grandson and he went to the woods with it every day until it died.