K10 Blazer Transformed into Endurance Race Truck
Blazer started its life as a snow plow truck, but the owner has built an extreme performance machine.
The big-bodied Chevy Blazer is arguably one of the greatest of the classic off-road machines in stock form, whether you are talking about the K5 sport utility vehicle or the K10 pickup. While solid off-roaders in stock form, the old school Blazers are popular models to build monster mud machines and the video above features one such K10 pickup.
This in-car video of a K10 off-road race truck comes to us from the YouTube channel of Matt Huffman and the story behind this machine is a rare one in the world of competitive off-roading.
Decades with the Blazer
When we first came across this footage of a big block-powered Chevy Blazer in action, we reached out to the man who runs the YouTube channel for more details. It turns out that the truck is owned, built, maintained and driven by Gary Marx. Matt Huffman, who hosted the video on the channel, is Marx’s daughter’s boyfriend, but he is familiar with the truck. In fact, Huffman has served as navigator, so he has experienced this wild ride from the passenger’s seat.
Huffman explained that Marx has owned this K10 Blazer since the 1980s, when it was used as a snow plow truck in Ohio. Marx is a mechanic by trade and when this K10 was done pushing snow, he began modifying it for high performance off-road fun. According to Huffman, Marx has done almost all of the work himself, including fabrication, first getting involved in the world of non-competitive off-roading.
As time has gone on, the build has gotten more serious, as have the goals. This Blazer is now used for competitive off-road endurance racing in the Dirt Riot series of the World Extreme Rock Crawling organization. This truck runs the 4400 class and the 60-to-90-minute races everything from rock crawling to high speed sections to deep mud pits, testing every aspect of the vehicles’ capabilities in the heat of the Texas desert.
In a class where some of the competitors have trucks that cost more than $250,000 to build, Marx and his self-built Blazer go toe-to-toe with the big money trucks on a budget.
Build Details
This endurance off-road racer is built on the frame of Marx’s K10 Blazer, but there aren’t many stock components. The body is comprised of custom sheet metal and fiberglass panels, with a custom cage stiffening-up the chassis and providing safety to Marx and his navigator.
Under the hood is a 454-cubic inch big block V8, was Huffman told us is “built conservatively for reliability”, which is essential for endurance racing. Marx has been running this engine for six seasons, so his craftsmanship is clearly paying off. Over the years, this truck has been both carbureted and fuel injected, but it is currently running a Holley carb setup. Power from this classic big block V8 is sent to the 40-inch tires by means of a 3-speed automatic transmission with a 2,500-rpm stall torque convertor and locking front and rear differentials. The cooling systems for the engine and transmission are located in the bed, protecting them from damage while rocketing through the wilderness.
The chassis of this K10 Blazer features a custom 4-link suspension setup in the front and rear with King shocks, hydraulic front bump stops and an adjustable rear sway bar, all of which work together to offer around 16 inches of bump travel. This classic Chevy also has upgraded brakes with Hawk Racing pads and a steering doubler.
Finally, in addition to the roll cage and the custom dashboard, this custom K10 Blazer has lightweight racing seats with 5-point safety harnesses for the driver and passenger. All said and done, this race rig weighs around 6,500 pounds, but it can still blast across rough ground with ease. In fact, Huffman praised how well this machine performs, offering a surprisingly smooth ride for a race truck.
“This truck never fails to impress me. I have rode along as navigator in actual races, and he cruises smoothly over terrain at full speed that none of my cars could even think about touching. It’s like the Cadillac of off-roading due to his custom 4-link King suspension.”
Practice Action
In the video above, Gary Marx is getting in a little practice time with his big block Blazer. The action is filmed from a stationary camera in the cockpit as he quickly slips through what appears to be a narrow path through someone’s private collection of parts and old vehicles. It kind of looks like a huge, private salvage yard and this narrow path offers spots to exercise big speed while other areas test the chassis and suspension setup.
As you watch this video, take note of how easily is slips along the narrow path. While the path appears to be pretty rough, with jumps and bumps along the way, almost none of the shock makes it into the cab. This Blazer eats up the rough spots, even getting off of the ground and up on two wheels at times, but Marx and his Chevy race truck never falter.
Crank up your speakers and enjoy!
Photos: Matt Huffman
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