A few other updates that are new around here is the K10 and Polar Bear Burb have gained a stable mate. I’ve finally begun building a 1985 K5 Blazer for myself. I’ve always wanted another Blazer since I sold my ’72 K5 over 25 years ago!
This K5 will literally be like building a 1:1 scale 1:25 model truck, as there is nothing to it other than a stripped rust-free tub, a rolling chassis and a clean Colorado title. Even the wiring that is there all needs to be replaced as it was cut up badly. I’ve been collection parts for it and building components one by one in the garage. Once all the pieces are ready to bolt on, I’ll drag it in and start the assembly process.
The actual build thread is HERE.
This is the K5’s current state.
When it’s done it will look like a mashup of both of these K5’s. It will have a modest 2.5” lift with cutout fender flares on 315 tires……with a snorkel! ?
83/84 grills are my favorites of all slope nose squares so it will be wearing this grill and headlight bezels
Hand renderings of how she’ll look minus the fact this is the wrong grill and the cut out flares are missing
The idea of this K5 is to be the opposite of the K10 and Suburban where I want it to be light and CHEAP! I had planned to use a 292 I6 for it running on a Holley Sniper EFI system but when I opened the 292 it was toast. The cam lobes were practically worn off in half and the rod and main bearings were total onion skins. It really made no sense to toss money into rebuilding a 292 when I had a ready to run TBI 350 out of a donor truck and engine harness left over from the Suburban.
With the idea of being “light” and “cheap” I prepped a 4:10 semi floater from a cheap farm truck I bought for the doors and front clip. Might toss in a lunch box locker later or an Hummer H2 E-locker if I can ever find one of those axles in a bone yard. Normally, I throw these axles away and go straight to a 10.5" full floaters
The TBI 350, 465 and 205 have all been opened up and reconditioned. By the time I actually bring the K5 in the garage the 350 and 465 may change to a L29 454 and NV4500. We’ll see. I built the 205 with twin stick shift rails and converted it from a slip yoke to a fixed yoke
Before
Of course, it will have hydroboost
In process of building a Dana 44 for it now with an Eaton TrueTrac
Tried some Mevotech balljoints on this one. Very impressed with the intial quality of these balljoints. Time will tell how good they actually are.
This farm fresh $200 C20 donated its doors, front clip and rear axle to the K5 parts pile.
Even made about $50 in profit scraping the left overs
Then bought this K5 last summer for 120 bux to pirate the top, TBI fuel tank and interior harness as well as some small dodads. All these parts turned out to be free as well and I made enough money selling the carcus for scrap to buy a burrito on the way home
Picked up some decent front seats for it the other day. These came out of an International DuraStar Forestry Service brush fire truck some ladies bought to turn into a tiny home. The arm rests need to be reskinned though. For a $100 for the pair I couldn’t pass on these. The plan is to get a pair of black GMT900 SUV 3rd row seats for the rear.
Oh, and I bought a new Power Wagon! Its about to turn 2 years old next month. Just put 35’s on it 2 weeks ago. Dig this truck! (I still have the 2001 Silverado pewterpuff with the 8.1 and 6 speed manual)
That’s all that is new around here
. I watched all of Gale's videos as they came out too. Of course I figured it was going to be a prelude to a new product but the science is sound. I checked out the new covers at SEMA last fall and they're pretty cool.
