This 1979 Chevrolet Blazer K5 is a refreshing change of pace from the assortment of resto-mods and lifted examples we see populating classifieds pages these days. It’s honest, looking like you might find it sitting on a used car lot in 1984. The paintwork is said to be original, and the seller indicates the finish isn’t the only area where the truck is still true to its first day off the assembly line. The mileage is just under 78,000, and the truck has supposedly been in one-family ownership until it made its way to the seller. The Blazer has been in Washington State since new, which helps explain its rust-free condition. Find it here on eBay where bidding has reached $10,145 with no reserve.
I don’t know what it is, but OEM Rally wheels and period running boards are a great look. Now, despite this truck being declared original, it has some alterations and cosmetic damage that the next owner may want to rectify. There’s an odd decal or applique panel on the rear gate that I originally thought was two-tone paint but it definitely is tacked on (that’s ultimately good news, as an odd strip of color would raise questions about the original paint claims.) The rear chrome bumper has a pretty nasty dent in it, and I’d need to change that if it were mine – the rest of the truck is just too honest and straight otherwise.
The interior is also all-original, including its factory power features, air conditioning, and a power rear window. The red cloth upholstery is very period-correct and the matching carpeting is to be expected, even if I can’t imagine seeing a truck with this kind of color coordination today. The door panels are in nice shape, and the dash appears to be untracked. The fact that the truck hails from the Pacific Northwest is good news, as those vehicles tend to be incredibly well-preserved. It makes me wish I lived closer to the west coast as the shipping costs kill off the potential of bringing home numerous survivor-grade classics. The Blazer is shown with aftermarket floor mats, which I’d remove promptly from the interior if this was my truck.
The 400 6.6L V8 is the numbers-matching engine and is paired to an automatic transmission. The engine bay looks quite clean and nicely detailed, and has what looks like an aftermarket air cleaner. So, there are a few alterations on this truck but they seem cosmetic in nature. It’s said to be a strong runner and with numerous other details like the OEM radio still in place, the overall vibe this truck gives off is that of a great driver or maybe a mild survivor. Either way, it’s a great starting point for bringing all the way back to stock or perhaps just using as-is while making it as reliable as possible, flaws and all. Which way would you choose if this was your truck?
That is absolutely beautiful. Sure wish they still made nice looking vehicles like this. Super well kept example that will be sure to make the new owners day.
I know this might offend people but I would sure take a close look at the EBAY photos. I think it is a little rougher than just the rear trim panel and rear bumper. Here is what I see.
Likely rust in the right rocker and spot immediately behind the rocker. Also rust in the right door sill.
Paint is flaking off of the top. Rear spoiler is period aftermarket.
Damage to moldings and body around the right rear wheel opening.
Damage to rear quarter behind the wheel.
Damage to moldings on the right rear corner.
Damage to left tail light and moldings.
Dash has several cracks when viewed from the passenger side angle.
This one is going to deserve a good look from top to bottom before paying clean survivor money.
I agree, wrong grille also. Rougher than it looks in the pics I’m afraid.
Badges on the rear quarter panels indicating the “Cheyenne” trim level should be present and are also missing. I’m gonna suspect that this truck was hit in the rear and repaired.
Good truck worth saving. The most pictures you ever saw with an add for sure. If you know what to look for you can decide pretty quick, after an hour of pics.
Bottom of inside door pic would be nice. Truck has issues but not any that say no hope by along shot. 400 CI is a major plus. T350-205, Good hood not all bent.
I see the rust, now what is the Dollar that someone pays? Not rust free by a long shot, and the east side of the state is where its been. Body bushings, bad. So what does that say about the rest.
The real bad news is that any parts you need that are 73-80 may be hard to come by. These trucks literally rusted away. And this one has been hiding somewhere but still used out in the weather of eastern Washington.
10 Large and hopefully that person knows that rust free it isn’t.
Edit
Western Washington not east.
I agree with Brad and Raymond. Also, it is not original interior as described, Chevrolet did not put a cushion on the center console and the interior cloth is also not original.
Look closely if you are interested
Agree with you guys – frame has a quicky re-paint with runs. And pretty sure that’s a later year interior also with the silver trimming. Pretty sure they were still into wood grain at that time.
The parents of my best friend in middle school had a ’79 Blazer with the top-level trim, and I remember it being brushed aluminium as shown in the pics rather than fake wood. If I do an image search, ’78 seems to be when they switched.
No wood grain in 1979
I wonder what this looked like with all the stripes and painted or vinyl panels? So many of these were treated to various design packages, especially vans. I’ll say one thing, the seller certainly provided enough photo’s. It would be hard to say you “didn’t see that!”
Man – i watched this auction. the winning bid popped up with literally 1 second left for a $200 raise. that’s as close as you can cut it on the web. dang close
The ad states “factory full time 4wd” and the center caps look newer than the rest of the truck. Was AWD available then or is that an aftermarket conversion? It’s mpg must be horrible! I had a ’77 in the early ’90’s with manual locking hubs. (wish I still had it) Nice truck and it sold for $12,200 which seems reasonable in the current truck market.
Those were indeed full time 4WD. Positions on the transfer case were HiLoc – Hi – N – Lo – LoLoc, depending on gear range and whether the transfer case was locked. No 2WD mode. And yes, fuel mileage was awful. One common mod on these is to install locking front hubs and a different transfer case to get part-time 4WD and improve fuel consumption.
Thanks for the lesson, Bill D! Learn something new every day on this site!