Barn Find Project: 1972 Chevrolet K5 Blazer
The seller of this 1972 Chevrolet K5 Blazer calls it a project vehicle and it appears to be a really good place to start. It is located in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. Currently, 33 bidders have pushed the price to $7,100 and there is no reserve or it has already been met. The seller has listed 110,000 miles on the odometer and a clean title. There is a confusing aspect within the listing regarding the VIN because two different ones are provided. Sadly, the last time this Blazer traversed the road was 2014. You can find this Blazer here on eBay.
According to the listing, this truck is fitted with a 350 cubic-inch V8 connected to an automatic transmission. It apparently is fitted with a “mild cam” and everything is said to run properly and move accordingly. Holding up to the K designation, you can see the floor-mounted four-wheel drive selection in one of the interior photos. Some good aspects of the mechanical components include a new radiator and steering box. There is a minor issue with the exhaust that the headers have a gasket leak. As you can see in the photo, there is very little rust within the engine bay, which is a good thing when you consider it has been on the roads of Pennsylvania.
Inside, the upholstery and dashboard are in very good condition. Some simple cleaning will get everything back into order. The seller is clear to indicate the areas that have rust on them, which include on the right rocker, on the rear floor, and up near the top of the windows. You can see in some of the photos as well that there is rust on the lower door jams.
A link to a YouTube video is provided but I could not get it to load. The seller indicates that this could be an issue and you can contact them about it. Thankfully, there are some good photos provided that a video might not be needed. Photos of the underside are provided in the listing and you can get a good view of rust issues, which do not seem as bad as one would expect. The seller also notes a company that provides many replacement parts for these trucks that you can utilize to get this truck back on the road.
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Comments
I always wanted to redo one of these when I was younger but these babies were expensive 25 years ago . This one seems like a decent deal , parts aren’t to difficult to find . I would have no use for it today as my truck needs are only for hauling firewood and hay. It’s funny how a persons vehicle tastes change when you hit the other side of fifty .
They were expensive 25 yrs ago? I’m seriously asking, not arguing/trolling. I would’ve thought they’d be dirt cheap and NOW they’d be expensive because no one really cared about vintage trucks and SUV’s back then, but now they’re hot. You can’t even get into the classic car cheaply with a station wagon lately.
25 yrs ago there were not many suppliers for parts for these Blazers
Eric, it’s not many years back when a shortbed pickup was considered a far more desirable ride – 20-25 years ago you could probably have TWO K5s at the price of a ’67 C10 shortbed in similar condition!
I remember a magazine article from the early 90s – a guy always wanting a ’67 shortbed, and a friend had a 1st gen K5 RWD sitting around. Long story short, that K5 was converted into a pickup with integral bed. It was a sweet vehicle indeed, but cutting up a 1st gen RWD K5 would NOT happen today…!
25 years ago my buddy got a ’69 for 600, traded my other buddy for an ’84 or ’85 yamaha vision which was at the time even more worthless, threw a rod on the way to my house and after revamping, pulled out in front of a lady, got t-boned and thrown in the street, got it stolen after with a chain wrapped to the rear axle lost it into a ditch….. definately worth a ton back then, lol
I have owned K5 Blazers most of my life. My first new one was a 1976. The body rusted before I could finish paying for it. I bought a somewhat beaten ’71 from an oil pipeline construction company back in ’78. It was a foremans truck, with a 350, auto,ps/pb but otherwise basic fleet spec. It had painted bumpers, rubber floor and radio delete. It wasn’t rusty, but had many scrapes and dents. I gave it a tune-up,a paint job (in original bright orange), interior clean-up, new white-spoke wheels/bigger tires, and a new stereo. I drove it for the summer with the roof off. I sold it that fall for a profit.
I have bought and sold many since then. Some I regret selling, others I am still glad to be rid of.
I still watch for them locally, but decent repairable examples are rare…..and often expensive. I found a decent ’75 about 15 years ago and still have it as part of my topless summer fleet.
The one for sale here appears to be a solid candidate. If you are considering restoration to original spec, the seats and console are from a much newer truck. Original seats and consoles can be hard to find, and somewhat costly. This truck also has a lift kit that should be removed. Trucks that had been lifted usually have worn-out UJs, ball-joints, and E-brake cables.These trucks ride and handle better on-road at stock height. Check the frame thoroughly too for cracks near or behind the steering box.
If you are capable of doing most of the work, this truck could be a fair deal.
I really like it..
Reminds me of my Bronco. Looked really good. Until I crawled under it and seen alot of hidden work ahead and parts to get,but $8,700 is way over priced–if a person was goon fix it up nice. The undeside didn,t have any really good pictures for a person to see. When you replace bushing ,yokes and things. It can get expensive. I hope they check it out good and everything does go good for them. The looks–like mine looked–had alot of flaws. That I am still working on.
Bought my ’71 K5 in MO 20years ago in seemingly better condition as a guinea pig to practice welding and painting – finish was not a priority as it would see some trail use anyway. In retrospect it wasn’t very much better than this ’72. As Cam states above these seats are from a 2nd gen K5 – not that it matters much as the stock lowbacks are not very comfortable by today’s standards…
The major issue with this gen is its double floor, or torque boxes, to add rigidity to the topless design. The point where those plates meet the inner/outer rockers forms the ideal habitat for tin worm as moist, dirt and salt will accumulate into this sandwich. As it’s impossible to flush, rockers and floors will rot from the inside. The windshield frame is also on this species’ menu…
It’s shocking to see what these sell for, but this ’72 is among the better candidates in today’s market. Given what I know about these I’m 99% confident it’ll need AT LEAST new rockers, torque boxes, (partial) bed, inner rear fenders and rear arches. With all that said, once the top comes off I love my K5 despite its novice scars and I’m NOT afraid to use it (except on salty roads) 😁 Best wishes to the new owner!
Eric , for the full convertible blazers , guys were paying 2500 all day long for ones that every piece of sheet metal was flapping in the breeze.
Hm thanks for the info guys. Anyone watching Better Call Saul? If not, you should be. There’s a similar Blazer on the show, but can’t say it makes many appearances
https://www.imcdb.org/v001043101.html