The sky’s the limit when undertaking a restomod, and what better canvas for your imagination than a Chevy Blazer? Roomy, accommodating a variety of powertrains, imminently functional, and with plenty of examples available, the Blazer almost begs to be modified. Here on eBay is a 1972 Chevrolet Blazer 4×4 with an LS swap and a modern four-speed automatic, with very active bidding to $55,775 in this no-reserve auction. This gorgeous truck is located in Van Nuys, California, and yes of course you can drive it home. The starting point here was a frame-off, show-quality, nut and bolt restoration, with perfect panels, mirror-like Hugger Orange paint, and new glass all around.
The motor is a 345 hp Chevy 6.0 liter LS V8, backed up by a 4L80E four-speed automatic transmission. The aluminum radiator and electric fans keep it cool in any weather. The entire suspension is brand new. The objective was to make this Blazer into an effortless cross-country cruiser, but since the restoration, it has logged only 240 miles.
The interior is virtually perfect, retaining the classic appearance of the original truck but now equipped with Dakota digital gauges and Vintage Air. The rear seats were just as carefully tended to as the rest of the interior, and the cargo area is flawless.
This Blazer does not disappoint underneath. While minor road-wear is evident, it’s about as sanitary as you could want. The rear view is a reminder that the Chevy made its hallmark SUV a convertible – one of the advantages of a pre-1975 example. While it’s astonishing to those of us who used to commute in a Blazer, the current auction bid could be considered low. Here’s a substantially original ’72 with an asking price of $75,000, and in the stratosphere we have this nut-and-bolt restomod CST K5 at $260,000. Our subject truck’s appeal is the effort to maintain its vintage appearance while modernizing its drivetrain and interior for reliability and comfort. What’s your favorite of these three?
With the basic interior our ’72 was a work horse, and a good one. After solving an early rust problem and adding an extra fuel tank it never had any problems. Always thought the ’72 grill completed the good looking Blazers body. Beautiful job on this one but I sure wouldn’t haul lumber or pull race cars with it. Great color too.
I don’t know that a Blazer would be high among my choices for an effortless cross-country trip.
Agreed. I had one of these and if you were driving on anything except an interstate road, you better have a good supply of Dramamine! Stiff suspension and short wheelbase does not make for a good ride.
We drove ours from Oregon to Florida after buying it and the first thing I did was put on an antisway cylinder on the steering gear. Worked wonders.
Terrible waste of an engine. It’s just another truck. That mill should have gone into a ’58 Impala.
Top is not original.
I’m surprised that being a California truck that it doesn’t have factory A/C. I’ve owned 8 of these (some were parts trucks), one was a 71 and I would buy this if I won the lottery. It’s a beautiful truck. Why does Lee think that the top is not original?
We bought our Blazer in Portland, Oregon and almost none of their trucks had AC but they had plenty of dealer install units in their parts department. Guess they were thinking north west while we were thinking Florida.