Wow. Break out the power washer, or whatever comes after that. This 1971 Chevrolet Blazer is a desirable square body 4×4, and while none of us want to think about the multiple layers of bird dung sitting on the exterior panels, it does look like a straight and true example underneath. Mileage is listed as being a hair under 124,000, and although the usual visual clues about how used up a vehicle is are impossible to see here, the Blazer certainly doesn’t appear to have been messed with. The grill, badges, bumpers, and hardtop all have the potential to be damaged or disappear as a truck becomes more of a beater and/or is pressed into off-road duty, but not here. Find the Blazer here on eBay where bidding is over $15,000 with the reserve unmet.
The Buy-It-Now is a lofty $49,500, which wouldn’t be a bad guess if the truck were in slightly better condition. Now, I get it – K5 Blazers are going for all the money these days – but this one still needs some pre-emptive love before it can command that kind of price tag. Then again, if you’re looking for a rust-free and unrestored truck, this is one of the few Blazers I can recall showing up for sale lately is mostly virgin form. The rear bumper is rough, and I’m sure you’re going to find plenty of flaws in the bodywork, but hopefully no hidden rot. If it were mine, I’d try and bring the paint back to life before deciding to respray it, even if that means presenting it with areas irreparably damaged by the bird droppings.
There’s a lot going on inside the truck, and I can’t quite tell how much work is needed to bring it back to life. The seats have covers over them, and the dash is very cracked. And what is that wrapping the gear selector? The painted dash looks clean, and the period-correct CB radio is a nice touch. The manual gearbox is a nice bonus and makes this Blazer even more of the quintessential 70s 4×4. I’d have a tough time deciding between this and an International Harvester Scout of the same era, but I think I’d give an edge to the Chevy. Even with the bird feces, it just looks like a rough-and-ready truck that is rubbing me the right way, especially with its robin’s egg blue paint.
The seller purchased the Blazer from its long-term owners a few years ago, and likely had big plans to restore it or at least get it back to roadgoing condition. Instead, it has sat in a barn near Mt. Shasta, California, keeping the pigeons company (or whatever else was flying around there.) I’m sure the mice have been cozy too, and perhaps the critters were the ones that found the backseat a new home. An untouched Blazer is certainly a big-time find, and if this one is as solid underneath as it appears to be up top, it should come back to life without too much of a struggle. But the Buy-It-Now still seems like a stretch for a truck with needs – what do you think a fair price is for a collectible square body like this?
Dang,at BIN of 49,500I could of bought this encrusted jewel instead of the awd Telluride with years of bumper to bumper warranty and more options than I can figure out how to use:-)
Unless it’s a stock carryover and was titled as a ‘71, you’re looking at a 1970. That aside it’s still a good project truck. Lots of these sold out west, many of them replaced the family car right from the getgo. Give it a thorough exterior wash and ‘Summers Eve Treatment’ before deciding where to go from there. If it was mine it would get the usual suspects…
Seller does state it has the ’69 face – but this one is neither a ’69,’70’ nor ’71 but a ’72!
If you check out its VIN you’ll observe it starts with a ‘C’ which was first used in ’72 to denote Chev (GMC got ‘T’), which also puts year designation in 5th position instead of 4th.
C= Chev
K= 4×4
E= V8
1= 1/2ton
8= Blazer
2= 72 model year
S= St Louis MO plant
Also, observe door panels have an extra ‘ridge’ + no holes for interior rear view mirror (’72 glued to windshield) , both unique details for a ’72 K5
Description seller gives states:
RUSTY FRONT FLOOR 1971 CEVY BLAZER—1969 FRONT CLIP. RAN WHEN DRIVEN INTO BARN—STILL WILL
So at some point, and who can imagine why, a ’69 front clip was put on the truck. So would that be sheet metal, or grafting of a whole frontend? That would deserve a closer look than this listing provides, IMHO. Good luck!
Let the shill bidding begin!
Had one, loved it, wouldn’t touch this one at half the present bid.
I dunno………… looks like crap to me………..
I think that was a one year color “Birdcrap Blue”.
Square bodys are 73/87.
Square body Blazers and Suburbans were built through 1991.
Crew cab 3/4 and 1 tons too. Model designation changed from C/K to R/V on the 1988-91 models.
The BIN ask is for the birds.
geomechs is right. That looks like a 69-70 front end to me. The buy it now is a carry over from Barrett-Jacksonitis. They forget that it needs work to get to that status. Also correct, square bodies started in 73.
Don’t forget that the BIN price includes the bird poop….
This was a great year for blazer, the 307 3 speed manual worked really well. That asking price could have used a wash
Had one, it couldn’t climb a slippery slight incline. Replaced it with a Ford half ton 4wd that would climb anything !
Noticed the floor cover in the back. The vehicle was swapped at some point from automatic trans. to a 4 speed manual. Sloppy square hole cut into it to facilitate shifter installation. Steering column was not changed, and the shift collar is visible. Great vehicles, a million times better and far more useful and practical than the first generation Bronco will ever hope to be. Seller should clean this one up so it can be presented better.
smaller IS better in some cases (esp back East).
I see a CB radio in there.
Bet his handle was “The Roost”…
Now it should be “roach”.
Hey, that should buff right out. .
Bluetec320, most of the bids are shills with low feedback. I can appreiciate what the car might of looked like when it came out of the barn, but for 50 large wouldnt you think the guy would take an hour or 2 to pressure wash, Like good bud geomechs said. Bird poop has an acid like, ingrediant, and after its done it might look liike swiss cheese. Plus whatever damage done by mouse pee. You would want to know this before you bid, duh. Up to 20k res not met. SMFH. Anyhoo, would be a great little K5 when done but geez.more dough than I got. Good luck and happy bidding.
Cheers
GPC
gaspumpchas – Agree 100%
If a guy were even remotely serious about selling this you would think the vehicle would be cleaned up AS MUCH AS possible, and let’s go crazy and show some pics of the engine and driveline. At least we could see what we’re looking at!
Guano is one of the more caustic substances around – eats metal, welds, etc. Spend $50k, add up to another $30k in parts and mechanical work, and have a really nice $50k truck.
Not a square body, CCFisher is right I have a 89 Suburban 4×4 that’s a square body. Looks like 69 to 70 front grill
Okay here’s another reminiscing story. The year was 1987, two girls in a lesbian relationship were customers of mine. They had a Honda Prelude that they wanted to get rid of and buy a Blazer. I took them to look at several before they chose a robins blue with white top Blazer. It had come to Miami, Florida from New Jersey and had some rust over the fender wells. They negotiated a very good price for it, but hated the color, so off it goes to a friend of mine who owned a body shop. He repaired all the rust areas and painted it dark blue with black top. It was just what those girls wanted. We drove it to Tennessee and back with no problems visiting a mutual friend. It was a 4×4 with automatic transmission. At one point the speedometer quit working so I replaced it with one from a junk yard and adjusted the mileage to show approximately the correct mileage. Don’t know what happened to them or the Blazer, as our lives took different turns. But they always paid their bill.
God bless America
“Not that there’s anything wrong with that.”
Not that long ago, the owner looked at this literal pile of crap and wondered how much he was going to have to pay to get it removed.
With the Bronco/Blazer resurgence, this is now worth something, but c’mon, get real.
BIN pricing on these early Broncos-Blazers-Scouts etc are out of control
BIN on all used cars are now. I bought a 2018 Buick in March 2021 with 10k miles @25g. They are selling for over 30g with 0ver 50k on them now.
Is bird poop patina a new selling feature?
Lot more BS than anything , this truck is basic trashed and needs a lot more than shown unless you have deep pockets . Not much mentioned about the engine , no pictures of it , other than 123k mileage . Sad info and pics usually mean the same for the real deal when you get to it . Sad sales approach.
Pigeon chit pigeon chit pigeon chit! Atleast clean the dang thing off if you are going to ask this stupid price.
New paint after cleaning off the bird crap; it ruins paint unless it is removed ASAP!
Joke , right ??
Located in:
Gazelle, California
all ya gotta do is wait (but not till the boomers R out) to get ur price.
These (1st gen) are great. I love the over-head’n 3/4s w/o a top. Seems like the rug runs on for ever (t.gait to dash). And the i6 is perfect for off rd (low rev tq – no tire spinnin).
Well then he will be waiting till PIGS fly.
No back seat, wrong color front seats, deteriorated dash pad and transmission and grill swap. The only thing this one has going for it, if the bird s**t didn’t ruin it is there is no floor or quarter panel rot that I can see.