You Chose a Blazer/Jimmy - WHY?

[Chevyman63]

Originally Posted by special-K

Kurt,after posting this morning and seeing all these responses I had the same thought...Great thread!

That's pretty strange...the first thing I thought of about half way through this thread was, Kurt, this is a great idea for a thread...nice job



As for my interest in the first gen K5...I have always been a Chevy dude. I've had Camaros, Corvettes, trucks and a few Blazers, but there was one around town, many years ago, that was owned buy a few guys that I knew and it was beautiful. I also have always been a convertible fan and a fan of trucks that are lifted, so this seems like the logical choice. Most of all though, they are bad a$$ looking trucks!

[72Levi]

Ever since high school I've always wanted one. There was a guy I knew who had one and he always drove it with the top off, classic! I have two boys so my wife and I use it as a weekend cruiser. The perfect convertible, my boys love it. Funny thing I am the second owner and the top has never been taken off. I can't make myself to be the first, but either this summer or fall I will take it off, maybe My 72 K5 is all original ochre with factory paint, interior, engine, etc... I show my boys the lil JL blazer without the top and they keep asking me to take ours off. Hmmmm one of these days. Its the perfect family convertible cruiser, mine even has A/C, much needed here in south Texas.

[Jtrux]

Originally Posted by 72Levi

Ever since high school I've always wanted one. There was a guy I knew who had one and he always drove it with the top off, classic! I have two boys so my wife and I use it as a weekend cruiser. The perfect convertible, my boys love it. Funny thing I am the second owner and the top has never been taken off. I can't make myself to be the first, but either this summer or fall I will take it off, maybe My 72 K5 is all original ochre with factory paint, interior, engine, etc... I show my boys the lil JL blazer without the top and they keep asking me to take ours off. Hmmmm one of these days. Its the perfect family convertible cruiser, mine even has A/C, much needed here in south Texas.

We need to see some more pics of it!!

[cablazer]

Simply, I've always loved this body style. I must admit my first choice would have been a truck, and I think it would have been easier to find parts than for a blazer, but I too have a family and the blazer was the next best thing. I don't regret it, but sometimes my pocket book does.

[BLUE THUNDER]

Hey Richard, I'm almost ready to start driving mine, but that's a diff thread. As for my love for these Blazers, we (Blizz, my brother and board member) grew up with these. Not in the immediate family, but my uncle had a couple. I could hardly wait to check it out when we would visit. I think my favorite part was when it finally came into view as we were driving up. Ther is something about the lines and curves of these old Blazers. Simply put, Beautiful!!! Well fast foward 20 years and Blizz bought his. I was so jealous. I looked just like my uncles. I wasn't looking too hard for one, but Blizz called me at work one day and told me about one on craigslist. At the time i was saving for a house and did what every responsible adult would do. BOUGHT IT!!!!!!! Unfortunately, after 6 mos of working on it I had to give it back to the origional owner because of a titling issue. well after that i searched for about an hour and found my curent Blazer in Carrolton(near Dallas). After geting my money back from the first Blazer i just came up w/the diff, and here we are. Ol' Yeller will ride soon. The wife and kids love it and can't wait to ride in it. Funny thing is that my two youngest kids (5 and 4) have both asked if they can have Ol' Yeller when I die. Gotta love that. Mario P.S I still bought my house. Wife really loves that!!!!!

[BigRed Beast]

Ditto on the great thread...

I bought our '72 for my son, then 14. He'll be driving it in July of next year, so we still have alot to do. I've always loved the convertible part and thought he might like to be driving something that was cool, different, he could learn about and work on himself and, if he did it right, could last him all the way through college or longer. He surprised me at how much he liked the idea, so we started looking. Figured out pretty quick that the first gen was the way to go.

Drove some real beaters until we found this one--factory AC, everything but the vacuum gauge, slight cuts at the radio, typical rust, etc. Had a roll bar,
3" lift and decent wheels and tires and a double wall top. The crappy mileage may be a weird sort of benefit--he won't want to be driving it too much or it'll cost him big time. 4 x 4 is a bonus.

I guess, bottomline, the Blazer gives us time together, teaches him a thing or two about vehicles and, when it's all said and done, he'll have a unique truck that'll protect him and get him around in most any weather. Pretty cool!

[special-K]

I know I already posted.But,I went to grab a picture and I instantly remembered another reason I bought this Blazer:



Not only had a meet the gal I ended up marrying who had two kids,I had just started sub-contracting and my`71 K/20 became my workhorse.I didn`t want to go 4 wheelin`in it and mess something up to where I couldn`t work,it was laiden with ladder racks/ladders,toolboxes/tools,and materials in the bed.I realized how cool it would be to have a work and a play truck.That`s when I really accepted the Blazer.I used to think,"What good is a Blazer when a truck can play and haul.Even back then I figured if it was just a passenger vehicle it should get better mileage.A truck can earn you that gas money.Well...the truck was earning the money to put fuel and goodies into the Blazer.The Blazer and K/20 made the perfect pair for work and play.That`s when I decided to go for the perfect trio and staed looking for a`71 Monte Carlo for my gal to drive.Ended up coming across a`63 Riviera and realized those were what the Monte was spun off of and got it.Man,those were the days...

I bought the Blazer after going to the beach with all four of us in the K/20,about 125 miles each way.

[72Levi]

Hey Mario, I have not done much to mine. I did install a factory tach and I want to install an HEI. I also fixed the original radio, AM only but its ok. I bought some 15x8 Rally Wheels and I am thinking about swapping out the stock wheels/hub caps, but I am 50/50 on that. Here is a pic of my 3 yr old that wants me to take off the top. Both of our boys like the K5 but my 3 yr old LOVES IT! One of these days I'll take off the top, the first time after 36 years! All original and I like it that way. But the top was meant to come off! Just do it! When is the next SA meet?

[special-K]

Oooh datsh nicesh

[vtblazer]

Originally Posted by special-K

Oooh datsh nicesh

Finally, your spelling makes sense.

[Jtrux]

Originally Posted by 72Levi

Hey Mario, I have not done much to mine. I did install a factory tach and I want to install an HEI. I also fixed the original radio, AM only but its ok. I bought some 15x8 Rally Wheels and I am thinking about swapping out the stock wheels/hub caps, but I am 50/50 on that. Here is a pic of my 3 yr old that wants me to take off the top. Both of our boys like the K5 but my 3 yr old LOVES IT! One of these days I'll take off the top, the first time after 36 years! All original and I like it that way. But the top was meant to come off! Just do it! When is the next SA meet?

I really like that truck.

[67_C-30]

Originally Posted by 72Levi

Hey Mario, I have not done much to mine. I did install a factory tach and I want to install an HEI. I also fixed the original radio, AM only but its ok. I bought some 15x8 Rally Wheels and I am thinking about swapping out the stock wheels/hub caps, but I am 50/50 on that. Here is a pic of my 3 yr old that wants me to take off the top. Both of our boys like the K5 but my 3 yr old LOVES IT! One of these days I'll take off the top, the first time after 36 years! All original and I like it that way. But the top was meant to come off! Just do it! When is the next SA meet?

Wow! That's a clean one! I love it!

[Troy-Built]

I have always grown up around the 67-72 chevys. My wife and I were at Super Chevy Sunday in Indy a few years ago and the 72 K5 we have now was in the car corral. She just told me a few months earlier shw would like to have one. She liked driving my 71 GMC 4x4 and wanted the best of both world with the K5. Since I had 4 trucks I figured she could have a blazer She just didn't realize how bad I had been wanting one also. Now I am in the middle of restoring it for her.

[KevsClassics]

I had always admired the 73-75 2wd blazers. Then in 1996 at a Good-guys show in Pleasanton I was searching for a 64 Impala SS convertible to buy when I first set eyes on my Blazer there was also a Silver Boyd Coddington built Blazer for sale I was going back & forth between the two and made offers on both. Neither one wanted to take my offer. Till later in the day I told the PO of mine I had cash & was getting ready to leave. He thought about it then accepted. It did not look close to what it does now but it was nice. This was when the 67-72 trucks were just starting to become desireable and I had not seen to many 2wd 72 Blazers fixed up so I wanted to be one of the first. I love my Blazer and I will keep it forever

[shirleyb]

I had always wanted one...and the ex-boyfriend and I bought one together (when he wasn't an ex). He kept it (and got a new girlfriend) so I bought a better K5.

It took me 4 months of looking...but I couldn't have done much better than finding my "Jack".

[vtblazer]

Originally Posted by shirleyb

I had always wanted one...and the ex-boyfriend and I bought one together (when he wasn't an ex). He kept it (and got a new girlfriend) so I bought a better K5.

It took me 4 months of looking...but I couldn't have done much better than finding my "Jack".

We need some pics ya know...

No photo, no proof.

BTW, welcome to the board.

[Critter]

Wow Kurt, we made it to page 2! This MUST be a good thread!

[SOON2BLAZE]

I had a bunch of 67-72 parts laying around after selling my 67 and wanted to build another one. When looking for another project I ran across a post on this site about 2wd blazers and half cabs. Fell in love with them. When running through my brain of the list of local blazers that I knew where were
( I log all cool cars where I see them in my head) I remember seeing one about 3 miles from my house. I asked the owners wife about interest in selling she said "ya I think he will". I walked around the side of the house and *#@$ it had 5 lugs. I had planned on converting a 4wd to a 2wd. An unmolested 1 owner, for 8K. Thought I had struck gold. Hope to have it on the road again in 2 weeks from now. Things I love about it, :Low production #'s ,wheel base 4" shorter than a 67-69 camaro, TOPLESS!!, half cab, manual trans, now BBC, the look on peoples faces when they try to figure out what it is.

[vtblazer]

Originally Posted by Critter

Wow Kurt, we made it to page 2! This MUST be a good thread!

Luvin the stories.

Since pics have been posted, there was this green colored blazer I restored once...

[Chevyman63]

Originally Posted by vtblazer

Since pics have been posted, there was this green colored blazer I restored once...

Man that is still one of the nicest Blazers on this board!

Do you ever see it? Or is it not locally owned?

[vtblazer]

Originally Posted by Chevyman63

Man that is still one of the nicest Blazers on this board!

Do you ever see it? Or is it not locally owned?

No, I have never seen it again, even told him about the board and gave him the site addy.

He lived 2hrs south of me in NH, last I heard he was talking about moving back down to Florida where he came from.

[AJs72K5]

I was soooo close to pulling the trigger on that one. I hate to say it, but the green just wasn't my thing. Oh well, still a really nice rig, and a great example of why we all drive 'em.

[Tom Vogel]

We bought a new GMC 3/4 ton in 1969 when I was 16... good memories; alaways loved the grill. Restored a 69 shortbed when I was in my 40's and loved that truck. I always thought a GMC with a Cheyanen package would be the ultimate... and found a fully optioned 72 2wd in the early 90's for my son when he was in high school. Well the son moved away (as they all eventually do) and left the Jimmy in the barn. I tried to buy it from him, but absolutely no luck. I think the wife threatened him or something because he finally relented after several years (I think Jan promised it to him when I die... Im watching my back, LOL).
Anyway, we are resto-rodding it (I grew up at the drag races, [Carlsbad]) and its not too far from being on the road again. Jan says Ive gone way overboard... shes right of course.
Anyway, once you've driven one with the top off, you will actually look for a reason to drive somewhere... anywhere, as long as its in the truck.... no kidding!

[Thealien]

Great thread!

Something about a convertible/truck!

[ABLAZN]

When I bought my Blazer the first time, I wanted something to take 4 wheeling with my buddies. They had pick ups, but I liked the utility factor of the Blazer for some reason, even as a single guy at the time. I did everything with it, mud snow, pulling the ski boat and just getting me back and forth to school. It never left me stranded, and of course driving topless was an added bonus. So you could say I had a lot of great memories in it. Fast forward 22 years when me and the wife were looking into getting something to drive to classic car events, we considered a lot of different vehicles. We decided to go with a Blazer because the whole family could fit into it, and the convertible part really sold the wife on the deal. As most of you know, I unknowingly bought back my old Blazer 22 years later after selling it. So I guess you could say that my love for the Blazer has come full circle. The things that I loved as a young man about it, are the same things that I love about it now. The difference is that I get to share it with my family now which makes it more special this time around.