Part Chevy Blazer, Part Toyota Tacoma: ‘Tuka’ Is All Business
Tuka is a 1972 Chevrolet K5 Blazer that Ringbrothers brought to SEMA 2024 after spending 3,700 hours building it.
In 2022 the Ringbrothers brought a 1972 Chevrolet K5 Blazer named ‘Bully’ to SEMA. It won its class of 4 Wheel Drive & Off-Road in the Battle of the Builders competition. Well, it is two years later, and Ringbrothers are back at SEMA, and they have another 1972 Chevrolet K5 Blazer with them.
This one is called ‘Tuka’ and it is very different from its older Bully sibling. Bully had a supercharged 6.8L LS3 V8 that made 1,200 horsepower. Tuka must make do with a mere 525 horsepower from a 6.2L LS3 V8. Poor Tuka. Although it may have less than half the horsepower, the latest Ringbrothers K5 Blazer is far from disappointing.
It is another incredible build from the folks that do nothing but crank out incredible builds.
The Tuka build is of course unique but one thing you may not realize is that it hides a bit of a secret. It rides on a 2016 Toyota Tacoma chassis. That’s right. And most of the suspension is also from a 2016 Tacoma.
But we won’t let the fact that this isn’t 100 percent Chevy sour our mood on this SUV. It is a stellar build with plenty of GM parts as well as high-quality aftermarket pieces. It took 3,700 hours to complete and here it is in all its glory.
Drivetrain & Chassis
A sultry 525 horsepower and 487 foot-pounds of torque is generated from the LS3 V8 engine. It might not match the power from the 2022 Ringbrothers K5 Blazer, but it is more than double what you got from an original 350 V8 in 1972.
This power is sent through a Bowler Tru-Street GM 4L60E 4X4 transmission backed by a Midwest Transmission Center NP208 transfer case and Truetrac differential.
The exhaust and headers are custom built Ringbrothers units. The front suspension is from a 2016 Toyota Tacoma with Total Chaos control arms and Offroad Design custom extended travel leaf springs. The sway bars and steering rack are also from a 2016 Taco.
Wheels & Tires
Tuka rolls on HRE custom wheels designed bySean Smith Designs. They are 18×11-inches all the way around. They come wrapped in 325/60R-18 Nitto Recon Grappler A/T tires. If you look hard enough you will be able to see the Baer Brakes with six-piston calipers and 14-inch rotors at each corner. They should provide plenty of stopping power for this big boy.
Exterior & Interior
The interior was installed by Gabe’s Custom Interiors and includes custom Dakota Digital gauges, a one-off steering wheel with carbon-fiber, Vintage Air Gen IV Magnum Evaporator Kit, and a custom sound system. The exterior is a thing of beauty, and it borrows from several different vehicles.
It is painted in BASF Glasurit Waterborne Galactic Black. There is a powered sunroof and mirrors from a 2019 Blazer. The custom right-hand swing tailgate door, latches and hinges are from a 2024 Ford Bronco.
The front skid plate, radiator support covers, front wheel tubs, spare tire mount behind the back seat, roll cage and powered running boards are all custom. The side marker lights have been frenched-in, the stock bumpers were modified, and daytime running lights were added to grille. The list goes on and on.
It would not surprise us at all if Tuka didn’t win some prizes just like Bully.
Photoa: Drew Phillips
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