Having grown up in snow country in the upper Midwest, I don’t think of vehicles like this 1977 Chevrolet K5 Blazer Cheyenne as being rear-wheel-drive, but that’s what this one is. Having been in California’s Central Valley its whole life has surely preserved this one. It can be found listed here on eBay in Turlock, California and the current bid price is $11,200, but the reserve hasn’t been met.
The seller says this Blazer has no rust and I believe it after looking at the photos. Surface rust is one thing, but they have provided many good photos showing the bottoms of the doors, the rockers, and the underside and it looks as solid as Sears, back when there still was a Sears. Is there still a Sears? Not in my area at least. The right front fender must have been painted at some point and the hood appears to be kinked a bit, but this is a great-looking Blazer to me.
Chevrolet made the second-generation Blazer for model years 1973 until 1991, or from President Nixon to President George H.W. Bush, that’s quite a span of time. The K5 was Chevy’s (and, GMC’s) full-sized SUV until they were replaced by the Tahoe in 1995 and this is the era that I remember. I used to park a mid-1970s Blazer in an indoor parking garage that I worked in after high school and it was big, clunky, funky, and not well-made. It sounds like I’m talking about myself but I loved that big Blazer, even though the body panels didn’t fit right and it already had an exhaust manifold leak.
Being in dry California seems to have preserved the body of this Blazer Cheyenne, but it’s somewhat fried the interior, which is often the case. It happens to humans, too. Seat covers are a no-brainer, as is carpet, and most of the soft parts inside. The dash is another story and there may be other cosmetic issues. Overall, though, it doesn’t look as bad inside as I expected. The rear cargo area is big and is even bigger if you take out the rear seat, says Cap’n Obvious.
The engine is Chevy’s 350-cu.in. OHV V8 with around 160 horsepower and 275 lb-ft of torque and it sends power through an automatic transmission to the rear wheels. The seller says that it has factory heavy-duty cooling, cruise, and power steering, and it looks like power brakes, too. It’s said to run strong and mechanically has no issues. I would only spruce up the interior on this Blazer if I owned it and would leave the exterior as is. Have any of you owned a rear-wheel-drive Blazer?
You dont see too many 2 wheel drive Blazers, and you dont see too many from the 70s with their sheet metal basically intact. This is definitely worth restoring if the price is right. Or, maybe just clean it up and use it as is. There is a guy on Youtube in Canada called The Detail Geek, he does some amazing things with dirty vehicles that have been sitting a long time, some stuff for decades out in the woods, this could just clean up nicely.
Wouldn’t a two wheel drive be a C5 Blazer? I think my uncle had one.
Actually, no, that was for pickups, although I thought that would be/should be the case with Blazers, too. You can see “K5” on the front fenders of this Blazer.
Internally at Chevrolet, this was a C5. But the best theory I’ve read about why it’s called a K5 is that it was believed that 2WD sales were going to be such a low part of overall sales that Chevy decided not to pay for the tooling for a “C5” badge. Take that with a grain of salt.
No Still called a K5 I owed one just like it!!
It will be interesting to see how high the bidding goes. This two wheel drive Blazer is a blank canvas, clean it up and drive it, do a sympathetic restoration, full restoration or high budget show car, it looks like a perfect starting point. Like they say, start with the best example you can afford, this is probably it. The last few minutes of this auction should be entertaining.
Steve R
Had one in uni. $1000 truck, used it to tow our open race car trailer and as a daily to and from school, then work. Rust holes in the fenders as big as my head near the end. I recall taking the top off – once! I swear that thing weighed 300 pounds, almost killed us getting it off (and it was worse working against gravity to get it back on).
For what it was, it was just a great truck – never let me down. I wouldn’t mind the featured truck one bit!
best,
bt
Almost like sighting Bigfoot. As common as 2wd Suburbans were in Michigan I don’t recall ever seeing one of these. Proof that they not only exist but that years ago people just didn’t order every single option. Nice fixer upper.
A buddy of mine had a two wheel driver Blazer years ago. That is the only two wheel driver Blazer of this vintage I’ve actually seen. This one would be a fun ride. I agree with the author – fix up the interior, get the mechanicals sorted, and just drive it. Cleaning or painting the top would make a world of difference, I think. Need to reinforce where the hood hinges meet the hood before the hood buckles more and/or cracks. Common square body flaw, there.
As for removing the top, I helped a neighbor of mine put the top back on his K5 last year. It was heavy, but would’ve been more managable if my neighbor wasn’t sort of stumbly from the beverages he was consuming. I don’t think he’s taken the top off again.
The hood “flaw” is a design feature. In the event of a frontal collision, the hood will fold there instead of coming into the cab and cutting your head off.
The hood hinges need to be lubed on occasion.
So all of the non buckling at the hinge hoods on later model GM trucks will cut your head off in a collision? Scary.
If I had to choose, I would take that ’78 Bronco mentioned later; that looks to be in better overall shape. But a 2wd Blazer could appreciate more in the long run than that Bronco because of its rarity and novelty.
I had a ‘78 2 wheel drive Blazer in about 1986. I lowered it, rebuilt the 350 with some go fast goodies, had an ‘84 front clip put on it, de-chromed it, sanded the removable top smooth and had the whole thing painted black. It looked great and drove and handled great.
Like Ron, I had a two wheel drive Blazer. I’ve owned bunches of cars and trucks, held a dealers license for five years in the 80’s and made a good living buying and selling pickups, SUV’s and sports cars. I bought my 81 Blazer at a wholesale dealers auction, passed on a $200 profit offer from another dealer and drove it for 20 years. 1st as a “shop truck” then as my daily in my job as a salesman for a packaging company, then as a long distance cruiser taking me to both coasts and the Keys a dozen times. I lowered it 2/4 tinted the windows and primered it, completing my “urban camouflage” look in the seedy neighborhood that I lived in. This was the most versatile vehicle I have ever owned, and I put over 450,000 miles on it with a crate motor installation after 250,000. I towed cars, pickups, sailboats and a 23′ travel trailer with it, with only one failure towing. This truck was as close to bullet proof as I have ever seen, and I’ll say (taking into consideration my current 3/4 ton Ram) this was the Best Truck I’ve Ever Owned! If the truck in the ad is 1/2 the truck my old Blazer was, it is a great buy for the next owner. I’ve got so many Blazer stories that I can’t begin to tell. Good luck with the sale.
Great story Rufus!!
Last I read there are only 12 Sears stores open across the whole US. Who’d a thunk.
Auction update: this one made it up to $18,300 and that didn’t meet the reserve, so they have it for sale again with a suggested opening bid price of $20,000.
The author is incorrect! GM stopped building the K5 Blazer and the GMC Jimmy in 91!! The 2 Door Tahoe became the Big Blazer and Jimmy until 96 and changed the name to Tahoe because they gave the name’s to the stupid little 2 Doors!! Then became the trail blazers!! Even now a stupid SUV catering to women dishonors the name Blazer!! I owned a 2 wheel drive just like this one same color except it was a manual transmission and had a 12 bolt rear!!
1976 model alse white top.
Mr. Mandragona, this is the first sentence of the third paragraph: “Chevrolet made the second-generation Blazer for model years 1973 until 1991…”
I’m not sure what you’re referring to?
Over lap of names and body styles. Look up what GM did starting in 88!!