Blazer as first truck

[3j3j3j]

I am going to be getting my drivers permit come less than a year. The blazer seems like a great option. Affordable, plenty of cab room, can haul siblings and friends, and has the good cargo space like a truck. It is also capable offroad and comes with the reliable 350 that is so easy to get power out of. My passions are dirtbiking and mountain biking and I want something that will easily hold both. I figure i can get 5 months with the top off or a soft top and a hard top for the winter. If i put bucket seats in the back so that the tire of my dirtbike could go through to the drivers seat, would a dirt bike fit in with the tailgate shut? Is the tail gate with the glass to fragile for the dirtbike to be on? How easy is it to fit a mountain bike in the the top on or off? I know they are semicapable at towing but could i fit a lawn mower in the back or grass clippings and leaves if i had something fabbed to seperate them from the cab? Obviously rear carpet will be coming out and bed painted or rhino lined. Thanks guys. If you guys think against my k5 idea, any other suggestions?

 

[tRustyK5]

Welcome to CK5 first of all.

A K5 is pretty versatile, God knows I've had all sorts of stuff in mine, slept in it, etc. From the back of the console between the front seats to the inside of the tailgate is right on 6 feet. If your dirtbike is 6 feet or less it should be doable.

The tailgate with the glass is reasonably tough, the critical part are the cables that support the gate. If those are in good shape and the topper is off I could see a dirtbike fitting.

Lawnmower and clippings wouldn't be an issue, just fold the handle on the mower.

As far as a first vehicle, be prepared to put some time in on the research here so you know what to look for when you're checking one out to buy. The biggest issue is always rust. Mechanically they are pretty simple and user friendly. Fuel cost will be high, mid teens for these trucks is mostly a pipe dream.

They are a solid, versatile rig that is easy to work on, modify etc though...and pretty capable off road even dead stock. Lots of after market support too, so parts are never hard to come by.

 

[Cruz89K5]

I used to haul a banshee in mine with the seat folded up and the tailgate down. A bike will fit.

Mine was my first truck, I had a lot of fun in mine in highschool. If that truck could talk. I learned a lot about working on and maintaining stuff and was always a hit with the amount of people we could fit in and go anywhere.

I couldnt think of a better first vehicle. A truck when you need it, an SUV when you need to haul all your buddies, and plenty of room in the back for... well. You know.

 

[blazinzuk]

Made more than one rescue mission out to the dunes to get a bike out. We usually popped the front tire over the back seat. The buckets are a good idea for carrying a single bike though

 

[83ChevyK5Blazer]

I've had my truck since I was 16.

 

[3j3j3j]

Thabks guys just what I wanted to hear

Welcome to CK5 first of all.
Mechanically they are pretty simple and user friendly. Fuel cost will be high, mid teens for these trucks is mostly a pipe dream.

Bad fuel economy is to be expected from such a big rig, but if i can get 13 or 14 i will be happy

 

[paratrooper307]

As said earlier, check for rust. Then check again. And go back for a third look. Rust on these trucks is like icebergs, once you start tearing into it you often find a lot more below the surface. Replacement panels are available, but you're looking at a lot of work and cost.

 

[6.2Blazer]

Being the devil's advocate here and as much as I love K5's can't say it would be my first choice for what you want to do with it. You talk a lot about hauling bikes, lawnmowers, and grass clippings which it really is not the best choice in vehicle configurations. Go fill the back with glass clippings on Saturday afternoon and them see what your friends think that night when you go to pick them up. Also keep in mind that two bucket seats in the back will be very close together, if not touching each other. This is because they have to fit in between the rear inner fenders and therefore a lot less total width then the front seat area. The other downsides are the rust and the absolute newest version will be 23 years old.

Now trying to be a little more positive, if you do go with a K5 I would highly recommend something like this for hauling the bikes around.

A lot easier to load, keeps a dirty bike out of the interior, and doesn't matter if you have the top on or not. No reason you couldn't slap a mountain bike on it either. A similar concept but a cargo carrier version could be made to handle grass clippings and such, or a small mower.....or just invest in a small trailer. Again, keep the crap out of the interior.

 

[scottsdale86]

I am going to be getting my drivers permit come less than a year. The blazer seems like a great option. Affordable, plenty of cab room, can haul siblings and friends, and has the good cargo space like a truck. It is also capable offroad and comes with the reliable 350 that is so easy to get power out of. My passions are dirtbiking and mountain biking and I want something that will easily hold both. I figure i can get 5 months with the top off or a soft top and a hard top for the winter. If i put bucket seats in the back so that the tire of my dirtbike could go through to the drivers seat, would a dirt bike fit in with the tailgate shut? Is the tail gate with the glass to fragile for the dirtbike to be on? How easy is it to fit a mountain bike in the the top on or off? I know they are semicapable at towing but could i fit a lawn mower in the back or grass clippings and leaves if i had something fabbed to seperate them from the cab? Obviously rear carpet will be coming out and bed painted or rhino lined. Thanks guys. If you guys think against my k5 idea, any other suggestions?

Wrong tool for the job IMHO. Especially if you want to get a nice K5 that has a decent interior and have passengers comfortable. Putting lawn debris, mowers and muddy/dirty dirtbikes are going to THRASH your interior. If you are cool with a noisy, rattle trap with no interior and maybe a bedliner material for the floor covering then you are good to go. 13-14MPG is certainly doable but you better be mechanically inclined, ready to replace a lot of old parts or be prepared to drop in a more modern drive train. As stated the newest version of our K5 are OLD and even when new and optimized for economy and emissions didn't get great mileage.
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Powe...=Chevrolet&model=Blazer V1500 4WD&srchtyp=ymm

 

[jeff in co]

Being the devil's advocate here and as much as I love K5's can't say it would be my first choice for what you want to do with it. You talk a lot about hauling bikes, lawnmowers, and grass clippings which it really is not the best choice in vehicle configurations. Go fill the back with glass clippings on Saturday afternoon and them see what your friends think that night when you go to pick them up. Also keep in mind that two bucket seats in the back will be very close together, if not touching each other. This is because they have to fit in between the rear inner fenders and therefore a lot less total width then the front seat area. The other downsides are the rust and the absolute newest version will be 23 years old.

Now trying to be a little more positive, if you do go with a K5 I would highly recommend something like this for hauling the bikes around.

A lot easier to load, keeps a dirty bike out of the interior, and doesn't matter if you have the top on or not. No reason you couldn't slap a mountain bike on it either. A similar concept but a cargo carrier version could be made to handle grass clippings and such, or a small mower.....or just invest in a small trailer. Again, keep the crap out of the interior.

I like this idea on the receiver hitch thing. I was just looking into it a few weeks ago. Does the bike sway back and forth a lot? Can it haul two bikes very well (say a CR250 and KX80?!?)

To the OP, I'd agree to keep the Blazer fairly clean and not take the top off for "hauling". If that's more the function, I'd aim more towards a Pickup. My 16 year old daughter is driving my K5 and she does enjoy it. But it did take a lot of work (and money) to get that $3500 Blazer reliable!

IF you do go this route, I'd aim for the 87-91 era for fuel injection. 89-91 for newer grill look.

You really need to look at rust and how well it's been taken care of. That will pay off in spades! Good luck!

 

[jeff in co]

I'd probably look at these ones:

http://wenatchee.craigslist.org/cto/4686028159.html
http://lewiston.craigslist.org/cto/4688157212.html

 

[MajMike]

Well . . .

Wrong tool for the job IMHO. Especially if you want to get a nice K5 that has a decent interior and have passengers comfortable. Putting lawn debris, mowers and muddy/dirty dirtbikes are going to THRASH your interior. If you are cool with a noisy, rattle trap with no interior and maybe a bedliner material for the floor covering then you are good to go. 13-14MPG is certainly doable but you better be mechanically inclined, ready to replace a lot of old parts or be prepared to drop in a more modern drive train. As stated the newest version of our K5 are OLD and even when new and optimized for economy and emissions didn't get great mileage.
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Powe...=Chevrolet&model=Blazer V1500 4WD&srchtyp=ymm

Get the K5 with a diesel, you'll get better mileage that your desires (I get 19-20 in town and about 24 hwy sticking to speed limits), then get a small trailer to put all the stuff you need to haul and you'll have the best of both worlds.

 

[paratrooper307]

Wrong tool for the job IMHO. Especially if you want to get a nice K5 that has a decent interior and have passengers comfortable. Putting lawn debris, mowers and muddy/dirty dirtbikes are going to THRASH your interior. If you are cool with a noisy, rattle trap with no interior and maybe a bedliner material for the floor covering then you are good to go. 13-14MPG is certainly doable but you better be mechanically inclined, ready to replace a lot of old parts or be prepared to drop in a more modern drive train. As stated the newest version of our K5 are OLD and even when new and optimized for economy and emissions didn't get great mileage.
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Powe...=Chevrolet&model=Blazer V1500 4WD&srchtyp=ymm

For your lifestyle and what you're looking to do it does seem like a crew cab pickup might be more to your liking. You'd be able to carry your bikes and messy crap in the bed while still keeping the interior nice. If you're dead set on an old truck you can get them, they just are more rare.

 

[campfire]

Get the K5 with a diesel, you'll get better mileage that your desires (I get 19-20 in town and about 24 hwy sticking to speed limits), then get a small trailer to put all the stuff you need to haul and you'll have the best of both worlds.

My thoughts exactly! (and that's about what I get, mileage-wise, in my K10 automatic). They have a few quirks, and they tend to be slower than sbc trucks, but the mileage is awesome.

And welcome to CK5!

For your lifestyle and what you're looking to do it does seem like a crew cab pickup might be more to your liking. You'd be able to carry your bikes and messy crap in the bed while still keeping the interior nice. If you're dead set on an old truck you can get them, they just are more rare.

An old truck is a good idea if you are interested in maintaining/restoring vehicles. If you don't wanna wrench, don't get something old. If you do like wrenching, or you wanna learn, you many find that it's much more fun to wrench on something old than to wrench on newer vehicles (this is the camp that I fall in). These vehicles are quite simple compared to most of the vehicles on the road, and most possible problems have been mapped out already. A quick search of CK5 (or a post for help) will usually solve any K5 issue rather quickly. Newer vehicles don't have such a large knowledge base accumulated yet.

Obviously rear carpet will be coming out and bed painted or rhino lined.

I wouldn't jump too quickly at this one. You may want to run without carpet, but consider that these trucks become obnoxiously loud (inside the cab) without sound deadening. It's not hard to end up driving around inside a reverberating tin can.

Ask anyone with an M1009 (stripped-down Military Blazer). It gets old after a few seconds, if you're like me.

If you guys think against my k5 idea, any other suggestions?

I think a K5 is a good vehicle for a young driver because it's difficult to destroy. It will be much more forgiving when you plow into a telephone pole or dump it into a ditch than, say, a Saturn. It's also a lot easier to get out of a ditch than a small car.

So I think it will fit your needs pretty well.

 

[swettysblazer]

GO for it. I've had my truck seven years to the day.... It was my first car, and it's taught me a lot of life lessons and it really is great to learn on. Do yourself a favor though- if at all possible, buy one where rust is not a problem.

 

[3j3j3j]

Diesel just seems so slow..... Still a consideration though. I doubt I would go as grass clippings unless bagged. If i do want to make money mowing I will definetely get a trailer. This seems like my only good option and is somewhat of a compromise. Toyotas are out for ifs and I hate how cramped they are. Dodges are dodges and I wont own one sorry . The late 80s chevy only come in four door long bed or single cab and my mom says the long bed quad cab is just too big. 90s chevies I cant stand the look of and expensive to lift. That leaves blazers and fords. The ford isnt too capable offroad. I might not go as far as throwing leaves and grass clippings in it, but hauling off my grandmas leaf bags would work much better in my blazer than her subaru or my moms nissam armada.

I am semi capable mechanically and definetely willing to try things out and learn new stuff. I also work for a mechanic friend so I have access to tools and info.

 

[6.2Blazer]

I like this idea on the receiver hitch thing. I was just looking into it a few weeks ago. Does the bike sway back and forth a lot? Can it haul two bikes very well (say a CR250 and KX80?!?)

That picture is just off the internet, but a good friend does have a style that goes on the back of his pickup but still lets him use the hitch to pull a trailer. He has never complained about it and has hauled a pretty heavy dual sport with it.

 

[JDS]

A K5 is like a woman. From a PURELY PRACTICAL standpoint, you are probably better off without one. Lots of time and money involved. From a purely practical standpoint, a 4 cylinder station wagon and a little trailer will do about anything you really need.

You have to love a K5 to be happy with it. But if you really want a K5, nothing else will do.

 

[diesel4me]

How about getting an old Suburban and chop the roof off behind the rear seat--weld in a pickup cab rear wall...make an 80's Avalanche...
Or buy an El-Camino...they can still haul things,yet get decent gas mileage...I had three of them,one was a 1980 Royal Knight edition,that had a 267 V8 and a 2:56 posi...it could barely spin the tires in sand,but it cruised at 75 mph and got 21 mpg doing it...

 

[campfire]

Diesel just seems so slow..... Still a consideration though.

6.2 engines were designed for mileage. And folks drive them for mileage. They've never been fast engines, and they're not the best starting point for someone wanting speed. But I also don't think my 6.2 is noticeably slower than a typical tired stock 350. And adding a turbine (fairly simple) will rectify that.

So choose your engine based on what you want (speed/power vs. mileage/torque). Seems easier to add a turbine to a 6.2 than to build up a 350.

The late 80s chevy only come in four door long bed or single cab and my mom says the long bed quad cab is just too big.

There are 80s crew-cab short-bed trucks (6-foot). You might also consider a Suburban if you want both utility and passenger-carrying capability.

That leaves blazers and fords. The ford isnt too capable offroad.

At the risk of starting a Ford/Chevy fight, both their truck and their Bronco are roughly equivalent to Chevy's versions (they didn't have a Suburban, though ). There are even some advantages that Ford offered that Chevy didn't. Like overdrive manual transmissions (why couldn't Chevy figure that out sooner? ) So don't rule them out without doing some research first into their strenghts and weaknesses. They may or may not fit what you want, but the differences are not extreme.

I am semi capable mechanically and definetely willing to try things out and learn new stuff. I also work for a mechanic friend so I have access to tools and info.

This is the most essential part to owning a K5. I don't think anybody here will tell you to get a K5 for practical reasons. K5 ownership is an experience chosen for many reasons, but practicality is not typically one of them. They are great at their niche, but consider how narrow that niche is. It's not a great people-hauler, it's not a great pickup, and it's not great at towing. But it's a neat combination of all 3, should you be wanting that. And quite capable offroad for a stock vehicle.

So if you want that particular combination, go for it! You will find great support here (and tech info too)!