Ringbrothers Bring 1,200-Horsepower Bully to SEMA 2022
A 1972 Chevy K5 Blazer gets the Ringbrothers treatment that includes a supercharged LS3 that earns its ‘Bully’ nickname.
One of the highlights to SEMA is the Battle of the Builders competition. The competition is open to builders competing in four different categories. One of the categories is 4-Wheel Drive & Off-Road. A 1972 Chevy K5 Blazer known as ‘Bully’ built by Ringbrothers was entered in that category. That is bad news for every other builder competing in the same category. Every SEMA builder does an amazing job, but Ringbrothers is next level. And as I write this it has just been announced that the K5 ‘Bully’ Blazer won their category in the Battle of the Builders. When I first spotted the K5 on the first day of the show I could have predicted that outcome. Not because I am some sort of genius, but because this Blazer is so incredible.
A stock 1972 Chevy K5 Blazer is desirable SUV in the market today. But this restomod K5 Blazer is one of the most desirable vehicles on the planet. And it should be considering it took 8,500 hours to build. That means if you did this work yourself and worked 40 hours per week it would take you over four years to complete the build. That is a lot of work, and it is evident in the final product. This level of quality is not slapped together overnight.
Power
The stock V8 used in the 1972 Chevy K5 Blazer was adequate. But Ringbrothers doesn’t do adequate, they do exceptional. Under the hood now is a 6.8L LS3 V8. That is good. But making it great is the 2.9L Whipple supercharger. The result is 1,200 horsepower. Twelve hundred. That should be plenty to get you into and out of a lot of trouble. And if you want to apply that power off-road the Dana 44 front and Dana 60 rear axles will take care of that.
Off-Road
Speaking of going off-road this bully is at home there as well. Assuming of course you would be willing to risk banging up a vehicle you spent 8,500 hours to build. On top of the beefed-up axles there is a triangulated four-link suspension. The shocks are Fox Racing 2.5 Factory Race Series coilovers. The tires are Cooper Discoverer STT Pro 325/65R18 all around. You could certainly use this as a little baja rig if you want.
Design
It is practical, powerful AND it looks great. It is painted Bashful Blue which plays perfectly with all the chrome bits. On the inside are Dakota Digital gauges and a custom designed steering wheel by Ringbrothers. And look at those seats. Wonderful. This is what an award-winning build looks like. Competition at SEMA Battler of the Builders is fierce. Ringbrothers has set the bar very high with the K5 Blazer ‘Bully’ build. If you are a builder looking to beat them out next year, you have your work cutout for you. And there are only about 8,700 hours until the 2023 Battle of the Builders event so you better get cracking.
Photos: Joe Kucinski
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