Cruise in Classic Style with this 1976 K5 Blazer

Beautifully restored K5 Blazer packs crate engine power, an eye-catching interior and a flawless exterior.

While flipping through the listings for Chevrolet trucks on ClassicCars.com, we came across this beautiful 1976 K5 Blazer. The classic SUV has been fully restored inside, outside and under the hood, introducing modern power to this perfect old school Chevy.

The Great K5

It can be argued that there is no old school SUV that is more recognizable than the Chevrolet K5 Blazer. If OJ Simpson hadn’t have chosen a friend with a Ford Bronco to star in a famous police chase video, there K5 would be the undisputed champion of that era of the American sport utility vehicle.

Like all square body trucks, the K5 Blazer has become a popular collectable even as some people are still driving this classic Chevy SUVs year-round, often in rough shape. These rough and rugged rigs can be found in rough shape all over the USA, perfect for complete restoration, but the time and cost involved with a project like that is too much for many people.

For those people who want to buy a K5 Blazer that looks and runs like it is new, this is the kind of vehicle you want to find.

The Perfect Restoration

As you can see in the pictures we have included here, this 1976 K5 Blazer is pretty much flawless. The silver paint, the bright chrome and the pristine, white top make this Chevy look like it just rolled off of the assembly line. The white top has sliding windows and it can be removed altogether, which is one of the coolest features of the K5 Blazer – it is practically a convertible!

The exterior is finished off with a set of Rallye wrapped in beefy off-road tires, but the outside of this Blazer was just the beginning.

The interior has been reupholstered in bright red, preserving the factory layout and feel, but introducing a whole lot of color. This Blazer has factory air conditioning, but the system has been retrofitted to work with modern R134a refrigerant, so we know that it blows cold on a hot day. This truck also has the original AM/FM/8-Track radio unit, coupled with the upscale wood trim of the Cheyenne package.

Modern Performance

So this 1976 K5 Blazer looks great, but the owner wanted to make sure that it performed just as well. This was achieved by adding a late model 350-cubic inch crate engine in 2015, fitted with an Edelbrock 4-barrel intake and long-tube headers that feed into true dual exhaust.

All of that power is sent to all four wheels via a TH350 automatic transmission and a 2-speed transfer case, preserving the driving feel of the classic SUV while adding plenty more power.

Finally, the front suspension and the entire braking system was completely rebuilt in 2017, so the engine is only a few years old and the key handling components are less than a year old – guaranteeing that this 1976 Blazer drives as nice as it looks.

Join the Chevrolet Forums now!

Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

Facebook   Twitter