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K5 Blazer vs. K10 Blazer?

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classicdotcom

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Hello CK5 members,

We are curating all the listings for historical auction sales for the K5 Blazer and have come up with a problem: Some of the listings from the auction houses are labeled as "K10 Blazer", but we can't find an authoritative source to determine if that model did exist or not. Figured we'd ask the experts...

https://www.classic.com/m/chevrolet/k5-blazer/

These are some K10 Blazer listings that we have found: https://www.classic.com/search?q=k10 blazer

So the question is, do we need to create a separate K10 model page or should we simply assume that it's a mistake from the sellers/auctions and put them into the K5's? Any feedback on this would be greatly appreciated!

Juan
 
GM designated all of its half ton 4x4 trucks "K10". K for 4x4 (2wd is "C") and 10 for half ton (20 was 3/4 ton, 30 was 1 ton).

K5 was a marketing name for Blazers. I guess the idea was it's smaller than a full size truck? Dunno.

Anyway, AFAIK all 4x4 K5 blazers are K10s. I do not think you should separate K5s from blazers described as K10s because the only basis would be what the seller chose to put in the ad and both designations are accurate (at least for 4x4s) If you do mix them together I would ask sellers to specify whether the truck is 2wd or 4x4 since GM made some 2wd blazers.
 
The old K series Blazers, Suburbans, 1 ton crew cabs became the V AND R series from 1988 to their demise in 1991. Th new Body style GTM 400 pickups were now K10-K15 and K25

V10 blazer is the replacement designation for the K5 Blazer
 
frankin5 said:
The old K series Blazers, Suburbans, 1 ton crew cabs became the V AND R series from 1988 to their demise in 1991. Th new Body style GTM 400 pickups were now K10-K15 and K25

V10 blazer is the replacement designation for the K5 Blazer
Click to expand...
Thanks, but was the V10 actually used for marketing purposes? In other words, would consumers know them as such (V10) or would they simply be the 3rd gen K5 Blazer? If so, we have them under 3rd gen: https://www.classic.com/m/chevrolet/k5-blazer/3rd-gen/
 
Good questions
To me, 69-91 is always a K5 Blazer
92-94 was always just a Blazer, never knew what else to call them but a K5 they are not. Then it was a 2 door Tahoe, which was kinda rare to see too :D I am of no help I know.
 
1969-72 first gen K5 Blazer
1973-91 second gen K5 Blazer with a change in designation to V10 1987-91
1992-95 third gen Blazer

You can look at scans of the sales brochures over the years here: http://brochures.slosh.com/
 
And to muddy the waters there was also the V1500 designation for the GMC Jimmy from 87-91.
 
Then there is the fact that the badging in the V series years still said K5. This is from the 1988 sales brochure.

Screenshot_20191121-200039_Adobe Acrobat.jpg
 
classicdotcom said:
Thanks, but was the V10 actually used for marketing purposes? In other words, would consumers know them as such (V10) or would they simply be the 3rd gen K5 Blazer? If so, we have them under 3rd gen: https://www.classic.com/m/chevrolet/k5-blazer/3rd-gen/
Click to expand...


I'm going to vote a no here. I would guess few people other than aficionados understand the V and R designations. I don't believe I've ever seen any marketing referring to it and there is no badging that I have ever seen. 3rd gen would be the way IMO, and for those years its subcategorized into Full Size and s-series. Full Size and K5 are interchangeable for 3rd gen and I think both wordings should be included. But realistically you could also add V and R in a parenthesis designation next to your category, albeit probably unnecessary though and may make things more confusing.

Just my humble opinion on how almost all of the car based general public understands these trucks.
 
I had a hell of a time getting parts for my 87 pickup. Didn't realize it was now (at the time) a R10. Kept telling the counter folk it was a C10, they kept saying, correctly, it was a R10. Good times lol!
 
ramack said:
Here's a little more info I found via Google:
https://itstillruns.com/difference-between-chevy-k5-k10-7569881.html
Click to expand...

I think they made most of that up lol. Ok, a bit harsh, but I don't even have to look at the specs to know that an '83 was never rated for 24/31MPG.

I also don't believe I've EVER seen GM call the K5 a "quarter ton". Maybe first gen? Probably even by the time GM started badging the trucks 10, 20, 30., the rating meant nothing, as the load carrying capacities were higher than the chassis designation. Heck, the lowest rear spring load capacity offered in 1980 was 1550lbs (according to the GM sales brochure). The only available spring capacity for the 1984 Jimmy was 1875lbs. Calling it a quarter ton would make even less sense, given everything drivetrain was half ton.

In the 1984 Jimmy brochure, GM states "K-1500 Jimmys" (PDF page 7) http://brochures.slosh.com/pdfs/1984/1984%20GMC%20K-Jimmy.pdf
Early on in the brochure they just say "K-Jimmy" (page 2).
 
As far I know there is no official K10 designation for the Blazer. It was only K5. People only use the un-official term "K10" because the full-size blazer came with 1/2-ton running gear and suspension like a K10 pick-up truck. There where different specs for some Blazers that came with heavier-duty drive trains, and others that came with lighter-duty drive trains. A lighter duty Blazer could come with a 350/T-350/203/12-bolt/10-bolt. A heaver-duty Blazer could come with a 350/SM465/205/12-bolt/Dana-44.
 
dyeager535 said:
I think they made most of that up lol. Ok, a bit harsh, but I don't even have to look at the specs to know that an '83 was never rated for 24/31MPG.

I also don't believe I've EVER seen GM call the K5 a "quarter ton". Maybe first gen? Probably even by the time GM started badging the trucks 10, 20, 30., the rating meant nothing, as the load carrying capacities were higher than the chassis designation. Heck, the lowest rear spring load capacity offered in 1980 was 1550lbs (according to the GM sales brochure). The only available spring capacity for the 1984 Jimmy was 1875lbs. Calling it a quarter ton would make even less sense, given everything drivetrain was half ton.

In the 1984 Jimmy brochure, GM states "K-1500 Jimmys" (PDF page 7) http://brochures.slosh.com/pdfs/1984/1984%20GMC%20K-Jimmy.pdf
Early on in the brochure they just say "K-Jimmy" (page 2).
Click to expand...
I don't think I have seen the quarter ton description on anything other than the jeep cj2
 
1-ton said:
A lighter duty Blazer could come with a 350/T-350/203/12-bolt/10-bolt. A heaver-duty Blazer could come with a 350/SM465/205/12-bolt/Dana-44.
Click to expand...

Assuming 73-87(91) there really wasnt much choice when it came to K5's. AFAIK drivetrain was dictated by the years and what GM used those years. 12 bolt dana 44 and 10 bolt was all based on when the truck was built, nothing more. As was the 205, 203, 241 and 208 usage.

Now earlier on there were different combos used, but that was engine/trans. By the 80s it was basically 305, 350, or 6.2, and the 700 or 465 for trans, and those werent heavy vs light, those were simply options for the consumer.

I'm not even sure if a towing option specd higher rate springs, for the 1984 Jimmy it appeared there were zero options in that regard.
 
dyeager535 said:
dana 44 and 10 bolt was all based on when the truck was built
Click to expand...

If that is true then why do I see people on this web site ask many times "do you have a 10-bolt or Dana-44 in your 1986 Blazer?". Why would people ask that...because they don't know what year came with what, or because either is a possible option?
 
Because,though the Dana 44 and 10 bolt have many interchangeable parts,some dont swap over,the 10 bolt "GM Corperate Axle" does differ from the Dana in many respects,so you need to know which one you have to get the right parts like bearings & gears.

I believe GM started using the 10 bolt around 1977,but some trucks still ended up with Dana's after that..

Also you can swap a 1972 Dana 44 front axle into just about any year GM truck up to 87 or a 10 bolt in a 1972,this complicates things,since these trucks are aging now, and parts fit so many years,but may have subtle differences..anything could have been swapped in by now,so you have to identify what you have..

GM is also noted for using up leftover stock ,which is why some trucks built after the year they were switching to 10 bolt rear axles ended up with a 12 bolt in the rear..My '85 K10 Suburban has a 12 bolt and it appears to be the original one..
 
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