You Chose a Blazer/Jimmy - WHY?

[vtblazer]

What made you want one?

Easy for me...three kids and a topless ride.

[special-K]

I used to think,"why drive a blazer when they are just as big as a truck and a truck can do more." Then,I meet a girl with two kids.It was cool to have a truck we could all run in.Looks the same from the driver seat,turns real sharp,and love no top.I`d love to have another.I`m Blazerless after 23 years with one (17 with a`90/8 with a`71).

[pound41]

When I was about to turn 16 My dad a mechanic and a service station owner said. Here's the deal I will get you any kind of car you want but you will work and get your own insurance so if you screw up you will ruin your own not mine. I thought about a 69 camaro. Then I remember the camping trips we went on in a 72 blazer with all the people sitting in there. I like to run the streets So I wanted something that if it snowed it wouldn't stop me. When my blazer first hit the high school there was a few trucks After everyone saw mine Blazers, broncos and ramchargers were popping up everywhere. That was 27yrs ago Still have it and now I have another one. My wife and kids love them

[lks dcvn]

I was looking to sell my 95 Impala SS that just sits in the garage unless it is nice weather out and figured - if I am going to have a nice weather only car - I might as well get a convertible.

So began the search for something not too common that could be registered as a classic (older than 25 years in Ohio) and could be plated once and not have to have recurring expenses for registration (like the Impala - every year)

I stumbled onto a few boards looking for older cars and have always had a need for a pickup truck in the summer months to move some large stuff around...I accidentally found the Blazer part of this forum and really liked the body style, the removable top and the ease of working on them.

I found several that were rotted out and that would have needed some 'help' to get going - but thanks to several board members I was educated in the process and was given some guidance to the green one in my avatar (Bouncy's Old Truck) and had it shipped to Ohio.

Sadly, against my original plan - I still have the Impala in the garage and the Blazer costs me more money due to my persistent goal to update a few areas that could use some work. I think that is part of the hobby/addiction though.

[Burt4x4]

As a kid I had alot of fun ridding around offroad. Mostly my buddy taking a non-baja VW bug and boonycrashing it until the fenders fell off making it a baja My dad had a 73 P/U 4x4 that I would drive around the property and the neighbor kid drove his dad's 41 willys flatfender w/cage on it and H/L shifters...man I loved that willys it was like tha baddest of the bad hahaha
fastforward to young adult life I started looking for my own flatfender. Once I looked at a few I didn't relize how damn small they were! but I wanted the full convertable w/cage AND somewere to put all my camping gear (before I had kids) Answer = 69-72K54x4

[jaros44sr]

The only truck I could find for 700.00....10,000.00 later it's still not dun

[bouncytruck]

It's a convertible truck with seating for 5.

[Jtrux]

When I first bought mine I just knew it was a blazer and 4x4, didn't know anything about being a 1st gen or anything like that. I owned it for a while before I knew I had anything unique. It was perfect timing, I was looking at a few other vehicles before I bought it including a DODGE!!!! Where would I be now????

[raggedjim]

I saw a dropped 73 Blazer in Bremerton, Wa while the ship I was on was in drydock and have loved them since.

Rg

[fun in dirt]

Basically like them because you don't see many around & I like to be different. And it's fun overhearing folks wondering if it's a truck that I cut the top off of ...people around here don't have a clue!

The long story... My husband built a mud truck that we had alot of fun with, thats what got me into the whole offroad mode (I was raised drag racing). I was looking for a daily driver & came across an '85 Jimmy with 35s & 6" lift. I thought it looked cool & was in my price range so got it. At the time I was driving 90 miles a day of gravel roads to my job...it was a blast. Then summer came & we took the top off & it was like I had a whole new truck. Got to where I couldn't afford to feed it & my husband was tired of working on it all weekend; sold it for a Tacoma. Missed the fun & breeze in my hair ever since. So started looking for another now that I have a closer job & can afford a weekend vehicle. Realized 1st gens are full convertibles and that's where I am today!

[AJs72K5]

I actually wanted a 72 K10 for the longest time. I'd always driven a truck but had to go to a car due to the drive distance to the job. When kids came into the picture, I realized more seating would be a necessity. Enter the K5 "master plan". Going topless was a killer bonus. The only problem is that I can't really throw a yard of gravel or mulch in the back of the K5. I still have to borrow a truck

[Livrat]

For me other than liking the look.. it is..... a convertible.. a station wagon.. and a pickup all in one.

[Yukon Jack]

I've always liked Chevy's, my favorite high school car was the 1980 Camaro that I finally got during my Junior year. Sadly I didn't have an appreciation for the 67-72 trucks or first gen K5's at that time. I liked trucks but they just weren't special to me yet. In 1999 my family moved from the city to about 20 acres out in the sorta country (18 miles from the city). The first year I hired a friend to cut my brome field and he brought over his 70 1 ton - I'd seen it before but never really got a chance to check it out real good. Well, his bailer broke and he needed a part from his house and he had me drive his truck to get the part - kinda fell in love with the truck immediately. I jokingly told him I'd buy it - knowing he would not part with it - and from that point I decided I needed a 67-72 truck.

I started scouring the classifieds in the paper each Sunday and found the paper's internet site added cars on Wednesday. So of course first thing I'd do when I got to work each Wednesday was search the online classifieds. Well, one Wednesday I found my 69 listed in the local paper for $2,000. All it said was 1969 Chevy C20 4x4. Called the number and it was an elderly man's son and he advised that after storing the truck for 9 years the elderly man and his son decided it was time to sell the truck. I immediately left work and was the first to call and test drive the beauty! As we were about done test driving I asked the son if they would take $1,750 and he said yes so we drove straight to my bank and got him the $$! I was hooked big time.

Not long after getting the truck I was searching the internet to figure out if I was going to damage the engine running unleaded fuel. Well, that search led me to this board and to all you lunatics. (Well, it was a much smaller board back then - but still a bunch of lunatics)

I started to see pics of the 69-72 K5's and soon found myself thinking I needed one. I was knee deep in the 69 project when I came across a local 71 or 72 that was a bit rusty but did have a hard and soft top. Really wanted it but the rust was scaring me and the fact that I had one project going made me decide to pass. I still continued to keep my eyes open and one day I was on this K5 subforum and saw a link to a Texas fishing board where a guy had my present K5 listed. I sat on the fence for a couple days and kept looking at the fairly straight and minimal rust on the body then finally got the guts to throw out the topic to my wife - for some odd reason she didn't say no, probably because the asking price of $700 was so low! Anyway, I got it for $650 and trailer in tow along with boardmember barn9 as my copilot - we set out from here to drive to Dallas, Texas to pick it up.

I'm glad I bought it as I get alot of joy out of my K5 and my kids dig it - my 11 year old daughter really likes it and when ever we are going on an errand, she's chomping at the bit for us to take it. Course that just makes my day!

Well, there's my long story!

[Critter]

Well, I won’t bore you with the extended version of this story, but here are the major points. My family has always had Chevy trucks around and they usually needed some kind of work which is where I came in. I was always the designated mechanic for the families ranch trucks. My older brother had a 72 swb 2wd when he was 16 and I loved it! When I was 15 I bought a 68 swb 2wd that I basically rebuilt for my first vehicle. It wasn’t a frame off resto by any means, but I did end up going through the entire thing fixing areas as they broke. I ended up selling it the day I graduated high school and have been kicking myself ever since. Towards the end of college I realized that a 72 K5 that had been sitting in a neighborhood was for sale. I was broke and in college and couldn’t afford the $500 that the guy wanted. Ever since I have been obsessed with them but didn’t really have the time or space to work on one. I had always known what they were but until that one got away in college I didn’t realize how much I NEEDED one . Around that time the 4x4 bug hit me as well. A few years ago I bought my own house and had some room to work so I picked up the search again. I looked around on the internet and paper and everything looked pretty trashed and overpriced. I had known about the 72 that I now own for a while. I had been driving by it for years and finally stopped to talk to the guy, expecting it not to be for sale. It was also pretty trashed but had a lot of factory options and after negotiating with the guy for a week or so here I am. The scary thing is I am nowhere close to getting this one “finished” and I already have my eye on a nice 72 CST that has been sitting out beside a house for a while. Sorry, this kinda turned into the extended version…

Now to answer the actual question that this post asked, to me the K5 was/is the perfect blend of off-road agility, street comfort, all around fun to drive, and good looks.

[tdkosta]

I loved the looks of the 67-72 trucks. In high school I would see topless blazers and think, why did that redneck hack the roof off his truck? Little did I know then that they were blazers and came that way from the factory. I bought a 68lwb, but now have 3 kids and needed the extra room and cool uniqueness of the blazer.

[Jtrux]

This is turning into one heck of a thread! All I can say is that now that i've got one, I want a lot more of them.

[Matt's k5]

Do you really have to ask why? the question is why not?, 2nd owner of my blazer, bought it from scott wilkins(rip), he was 84 years old ten years ago, known well in my city for his small grocery store, back when i was younger he was close to our house and very fun to go into a small store this was before walmart hit the seen, my dad was goinh to tech college for auto body he painted his 68lwb 3/4 ton blue, in the late 80,s i just turned 18 in 1998 and i always noticed scotts blazer parked at the corner next to his strore ever since i could rember the funny thing about this is his house was no more than 50 feet away from his store , he must just like to drive it i decided to go and ask him if he whanted to sell his blazer he told me he would think about it ,come back next week and ask me so i knew that i had a chance after 4 weeks of asking he said yes my heart just dropped any way here it is 10 years later and i finally able to finsh it the way i whanted mostly stock with a few extras

[drunkbus]

I like 4x4 trucks and I like convertables. I wanted something unique, not a Jeep like a billion other people. I either wanted an early Bronco or Blazer and chose the Blazer because I hate how the Broncos have the window frame on the door with the top off and Chevy's are easier to find parts for with many years interchanging and a better aftermarket.

[LUV2XCLR8]

Dad had a Blazer when I was a wee young ladd. It was Ochre w/ Red primered spots
all over it, rode like crap, sounded worse, and leaked like a siv. Yeh, I wanted one

[wedgemon]

Can a Square Body Guy Chime In???

To the point. Grew up in the 70's. Loved convertibles and trucks. Couldn't afford either. 2 Years ago, got a 73 K5 in a divorce. $500 and she's mine. Put it into service 2 months ago and have since replaced the rear diff, Trans, and Rear Ubolts.

Topless since early May!!



Looks better now with the rallys on it. That's a 2 year old pic...

- Dave

[Long Roof]

My dad had a few of this body style trucks when I was a young'n and I guess for sentimental reasons I have always loved this body style. When I started looking for something cool to haul the family in I mainly focused on the suburbans. I ended up buying a real nice 70 that came from Cali and soon most everyone in town knew the sub and who owned it.

One day I was at the local ice cream stand with the wife and kids and a buddy of my brother-in-law stopped to talk. He told me that a guy he works with bought a Jimmy with a blown engine and it was sitting at his house waiting for an engine swap. He told me it was for sale and it could be had pretty cheap before the engine was replaced. I figured it would be completely rusted after hearing the price but I couldn't help going over to look at it. I was stunned when I saw it for the first time. I told myself I really didn't need it and I shouldn't spend the money on it. We had a vacation planned for the following week and while on vacation all I could think is how stupid I was for passing up on this Jimmy. I finally told the wife that if it was still for sale when we got back I was going to buy it. As luck would have it I purchased that Jimmy and have had a blast ever since! The kids love it and the wife has warmed up to it so we cruise around whenever the sun is shining. I have yet to drive it with the top on and I don't plan on it either. It is what I call 'a cheap mans convertible'.

[1tonblaze]

wow this might be a long one here too . my mom growing up had a 87 k5 blazer that we had for many years till a drunk driver hit me and her and totaled the truck . a few years later a good family freind baught a 4wd 70 k/5 and we all used to run around in . same freind years later baught a 2wd 72 and well that is when the topless truck thing set in with me . I had a 83 jeep cj 7 with 33s and a v8 in it . that was a fun toy but it was too small then my blazer came in to my yard where it sat for 2 or 3 years . then my mother baught it to drive up since it had a lift kit it was too tall for her to get in and out of then it ended up in my hands . I paid $900 for it and well many hrs and dollars later its still in my shop . I cant wait for the frist time i can drive it and not worry about it breaking down on me lol .

[vtblazer]

Whoa, cool posts!

Gotta be one of the best threads I ever started.

When I saw my first, 1st gen I almost drove off the road rubber necking to check it out, I was hooked right then and there.

[67_C-30]

Same reason as a lot of guys above. I wanted an old vehicle that the family could travel in. I looked at some cool old wagons, and even some burbs, but I had always wanted a Blazer, and I ran up on a '70 2WD. I felt it was meant to be. Unfortunately, I'm in the collecting parts stage on mine, and I haven't started on it yet. I have scored a nice top, doors, and I have all the sheetmetal I need.

[special-K]

Kurt,after posting this morning and seeing all these responses I had the same thought...Great thread!