1985_K5_Silverado
1/2 ton status
Greetings,
I just bought my first Blazer!
My first GM vehicle, for that matter. She's a Midnight Blue 1985 K5 Blazer Silverado. I went to check it out and was smitten when I saw her. She's now a winter 2005/2006 resto-rod project, official budget destroyer, and after her makeover, she'll be my daily driver. I looked for Broncos, Blazers, Jimmies, and Ramchargers (I like full-size, short-wheelbase trucks), and this one got the nod.
She's rusty around the rear wheelwell lips and the bottom of the tailgate (and a few spots in the front floor pan). Overall, the mechanical condition is mighty good for a 20 year old truck. It has a very healthy GM 350 crate engine (with 23K miles on it, about 120K on the Blazer), a recently rebuilt 700R4. It drives and steers good and tight. The transfer case operates well, all the gauges, windows, locks and lights work, inside and out.
It has all the original emblems and trim. The blue interior looks pretty good, but the front seats will need recovered, and the front carpet could use replacing, so I'll just have all the carpet and upholstery replaced after the rust is gone. I might replace (but store) the front seats with better buckets and 5-point harnesses, then recover the rear seat to match, but I'm not positive on that yet.
It has been well-maintained, but with all the salt they dump on the roads around here, rust has taken a few bites out of her. She has a brand new bed in her future, as well as a new tailgate and front floor pan. I'll get as much of the underside as possible Rhino-Linered, and hope to coat the rear frame as well when the bed is off and the old front floor pan is cut out.
The plan is to get rid of all the rust and repaint the Blazer the original midnight blue, but with up-to-date paint. The rear drums will be converted to discs, and the front discs will be replaced by bigger discs. Convert the AC to R134a. I don't plan for it to be either lifted or lowered, nor to have huge wheels and low-pro tires installed.
Compared to the price of a new SUV, it ought to be cheap at twice the price of this resto (and easier to spot in a huge parking lot). I'm looking forward to learning a lot from the old (and not so old) hands here. I liked these back when this one was new (and I was 20-ish and couldn't afford one), and I like them even more now. I rarely see them anywhere, and this one isn't going to wind up as scrap iron a decade from now.
Better than new by March 21st!
I just bought my first Blazer!
My first GM vehicle, for that matter. She's a Midnight Blue 1985 K5 Blazer Silverado. I went to check it out and was smitten when I saw her. She's now a winter 2005/2006 resto-rod project, official budget destroyer, and after her makeover, she'll be my daily driver. I looked for Broncos, Blazers, Jimmies, and Ramchargers (I like full-size, short-wheelbase trucks), and this one got the nod.
She's rusty around the rear wheelwell lips and the bottom of the tailgate (and a few spots in the front floor pan). Overall, the mechanical condition is mighty good for a 20 year old truck. It has a very healthy GM 350 crate engine (with 23K miles on it, about 120K on the Blazer), a recently rebuilt 700R4. It drives and steers good and tight. The transfer case operates well, all the gauges, windows, locks and lights work, inside and out.
It has all the original emblems and trim. The blue interior looks pretty good, but the front seats will need recovered, and the front carpet could use replacing, so I'll just have all the carpet and upholstery replaced after the rust is gone. I might replace (but store) the front seats with better buckets and 5-point harnesses, then recover the rear seat to match, but I'm not positive on that yet.
It has been well-maintained, but with all the salt they dump on the roads around here, rust has taken a few bites out of her. She has a brand new bed in her future, as well as a new tailgate and front floor pan. I'll get as much of the underside as possible Rhino-Linered, and hope to coat the rear frame as well when the bed is off and the old front floor pan is cut out.
The plan is to get rid of all the rust and repaint the Blazer the original midnight blue, but with up-to-date paint. The rear drums will be converted to discs, and the front discs will be replaced by bigger discs. Convert the AC to R134a. I don't plan for it to be either lifted or lowered, nor to have huge wheels and low-pro tires installed.
Compared to the price of a new SUV, it ought to be cheap at twice the price of this resto (and easier to spot in a huge parking lot). I'm looking forward to learning a lot from the old (and not so old) hands here. I liked these back when this one was new (and I was 20-ish and couldn't afford one), and I like them even more now. I rarely see them anywhere, and this one isn't going to wind up as scrap iron a decade from now.
Better than new by March 21st!
I like this guy already!!! Welcome to CK5 brother!
