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Buying first k5

Irishmic

Irishmic

1/2 ton status
Joined
Apr 19, 2022
Posts
116
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Location
Maine
This may be a dumb question but looking into year ranges 1996 to 1988 chevy k5 blazer. The question I have is are all blazers in this year range suburban? I ask because I see some advertised as a suburban and have the playe on the truck but some are not and don't have the badge on.

Is there a larger and smaller version or some difference?

Thabk you in advance for looking at my simple question that I just can't seem to find an answer for.
 
So they stopped making the full size blazer in 1991, so the Suburban will be more common leading up to that period, and then only Suburbans and pickups
This also marked the end years of GM using a solid front axle

Then there the Blazer looking Tahoe

Later they issued a SUV as a “Trail Blazer”

Not to be confused with the 80s-90s version of the s10 based “Blazer”

Clear as mud
 
Pretty sure they continued using Blazer badge into the GMT400 for a few years, and was still a 2 door. When GM started using Tahoe/Yukon badge is when it gets confusing, because they are all 4 doors, and the suburban model is longer. Sometimes the Suburban was called Tahoe xlt, 7-8 passengers.


Welcome to CK5 btw
 
1991 saw the K5 designation disappear, or maybe is was when they changed to V/R, Are we confusing you @Irishmic. We don't mean to, ask any question you like we will answer, as best we can.
 
Are you looking for a squarebody or obs blazer? The squarebody was from 1973-91 with various front clip changes over the years. The obs body style is the next body style however I'm not sure what year the obs blazers started or ended or if they are "k5"s . I'm pretty sure if someone told me they had a k5 and they showed up in an obs or s10 I'd be confused and disappointed.

There are also suburbans in all these year ranges. Suburbans are different vehicles than blazers.
Watch this guy's video:
 
OBS and GMT400 are same truck, just different nomenclature. Didn't what vid, but the trucks changed in 1987.5 and were 1988 model year. The Blazers and Burbs didn't change to GMT400 till 1991. I want to say some crew cab duallies too, but don't have a solid memory on that.
 
the_blaze said:
Are you looking for a squarebody or obs blazer? The squarebody was from 1973-91 with various front clip changes over the years. The obs body style is the next body style however I'm not sure what year the obs blazers started or ended or if they are "k5"s . I'm pretty sure if someone told me they had a k5 and they showed up in an obs or s10 I'd be confused and disappointed.

There are also suburbans in all these year ranges. Suburbans are different vehicles than blazers.
Watch this guy's video:
Click to expand...
I just want to start off with a big thank you. It's really great we have places like this where people are share information. I very much appreciate the responses from everyone.

I'm looking at only the squarebody. I really think it will be a 1988 squarbody k5 blazer. I look and they are many to pick from. But I get confused with some called suburban and have a badge and some don't. The grills look different on some that appear to be the same. So I am wondering if there diffrent styles and if there are do you have some opinions on them and what the difference is.

I hope I'm being clear with my question as I'm not fully sure how to ask but the responses so far are great and I should be getting a call from the back today for the loan.
 
There are different trim packages

All of the Suburbans will have 4 doors, Blazers being 2


The grill above on the tan/brown is the GMT400 body, so it will definitely be different
 
Bent77 said:
There are different trim packages

All of the Suburbans will have 4 doors, Blazers being 2


The grill above on the tan/brown is the GMT400 body, so it will definitely be different
Click to expand...
This is where I think I'm having the confusion. I understand that a chevy suburban is a bigger and different truck. I don't want a 4 door or a big truck like that. But I am seeing the k5 blazer, with 2 doors that have suburban plates on the driver side back quarter panel.

I'm only looking at the 2 door k5s. Some are advertised as suburban k5 blazers and they have the plate and some that are just advertised as k5 blazers with no plate. So is this just a different package? If so are there any real advantages or disadvantages?

Thanks again and I would upload pictures but that's another thing I can't seem to figure out lol
 
Yea the pictures on the site make you wait until you have enough posts that the software knows you're not spam
If you stick around, the membership will be worth it, you can post away and get the other half of the forum unlocked

I'm going to move the thread to the Garage forum as this is a trail report corner of the site
 
Bent77 said:
Yea the pictures on the site make you wait until you have enough posts that the software knows you're not spam
If you stick around, the membership will be worth it, you can post away and get the other half of the forum unlocked

I'm going to move the thread to the Garage forum as this is a trail report corner of the site
Click to expand...
Okay, thank you.
 
If someone is listing a Blazer for sale as a “suburban blazer” they are a doofus. There is no such animal. It’s a Blazer or it’s a Suburban.

Grille design between a Blazer and Suburban will be the same for the same year. Though within a year you’ll have a different grille for the higher level Silverado with 4 headlights and Scottsdale lower/base level trucks with 2 head lights. That often can be confusing.

Here’s the base version for 89-91:


Here’s the Silverado version. Same truck.
https://flic.kr/p/2jeNFhS

There were 2 door full size Blazers on the gmt400 platform from 92-99 but after ‘95 they were called Tahoe’s. Key differences on the gmt400 versions are the lack of a solid front axle (ifs) and no removable roof.
 
2 door Tahoe

rM2m5vG8.gl8kzLMPJ-(edit).jpg



4 door Tahoe notice how the rear wheel intrudes into the rear door

1st-Chevrolet-Tahoe-4door.jpg


Suburban

maxresdefault.jpg


Trailblazer replaced the S10
 
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Something to keep in mind is the parts for the 73-91 square trucks are 90% interchangeable. The newest ones are 30 years old now and most have been modified or repaired over the years. Don't rely on emblems and trim to mean much after 30-50 years. Look at what parts are really in the truck. Do some image searches on the web and try to understand the differences in drivetrain for these trucks so you know what you are really buying. Small block engine, big block engine, carburetor, TBI, 1/2 ton 6 lug, 3/4 ton 8 lug, 1 ton 8 lug, 3 speed auto, 4 speed auto, manual trans, 4wd part time, 4wd full time, etc, etc, etc. With a 30 year production run the options and variants are huge. If you plan on going forward with a purchase get the premium membership here and post up pictures of what you want to buy. You will be amazed at what we can figure out from just a couple pictures.
 
HankScorpio said:
Something to keep in mind is the parts for the 73-91 square trucks are 90% interchangeable. The newest ones are 30 years old now and most have been modified or repaired over the years. Don't rely on emblems and trim to mean much after 30-50 years. Look at what parts are really in the truck. Do some image searches on the web and try to understand the differences in drivetrain for these trucks so you know what you are really buying. Small block engine, big block engine, carburetor, TBI, 1/2 ton 6 lug, 3/4 ton 8 lug, 1 ton 8 lug, 3 speed auto, 4 speed auto, manual trans, 4wd part time, 4wd full time, etc, etc, etc. With a 30 year production run the options and variants are huge. If you plan on going forward with a purchase get the premium membership here and post up pictures of what you want to buy. You will be amazed at what we can figure out from just a couple pictures.
Click to expand...
Thank you for the detailed responce and advice on moving forward. You are probably right as far as being able to post and have input from so many that have so much knowledge on this subject.
Seems the $35 membership is a great deal.
 
HankScorpio said:
Something to keep in mind is the parts for the 73-91 square trucks are 90% interchangeable. The newest ones are 30 years old now and most have been modified or repaired over the years. Don't rely on emblems and trim to mean much after 30-50 years. Look at what parts are really in the truck. Do some image searches on the web and try to understand the differences in drivetrain for these trucks so you know what you are really buying. Small block engine, big block engine, carburetor, TBI, 1/2 ton 6 lug, 3/4 ton 8 lug, 1 ton 8 lug, 3 speed auto, 4 speed auto, manual trans, 4wd part time, 4wd full time, etc, etc, etc. With a 30 year production run the options and variants are huge. If you plan on going forward with a purchase get the premium membership here and post up pictures of what you want to buy. You will be amazed at what we can figure out from just a couple pictures.
Click to expand...
Screenshot_20220420-112852_Brave.jpgScreenshot_20220420-081118_Brave.jpg
"This 1988 Chevrolet Blazer K5 4x4 is a loaded Silverado-level SUV"

I see things like this. That is how they wrote up the white k5 in the pictures. It does not have a close up of the badge on the back driver side but I see it on lots of others.

Screenshot_20220420-113732_Brave.jpg

Screenshot_20220420-113812_Brave.jpg
 
Both of these are k5 Blazers, not suburban
 
Bent77 said:
Both of these are k5 Blazers, not suburban
Click to expand...
Okay, thank you.

Again, everyone who responded thank you for the information. I have it down to a some I like. I'll post when it's down to 2 or 3 but hoping to have one in my driveway over the next few weeks. And from there just keep building it up to a really sweet ride.
 
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