Lets See Those K/5s

[special-K]

I was just going through my Photobucket and came across pictures of the '85 Jimmy and '71 Blazer I used to have on the same page and I thought it would be nice to have a thread for K/5s from '69 to '91...although they started calling them (V?)1500s in the last years. The year specific boards have threads for ones of those years, but I think a thread dedicated to these icons that have come and gone is a good thing. So, I'll start and I hope others will help fill in with their pictures. Doesn't have to be yours, just let us know what's what

Circa 1986, outside the shop I rented:


Circa 2011, along the Potomac River:

[JIMs70GMC]

I never miss a chance to post a pic. I have the swampers on their now. The Kumho's are sitting for another project....

[obijuan]

[special-K]

Nice Blazer Jim

Nice nasty K5 there Obijuan. Pretty much how I had hoped to do the tan Jimmy if I had kept on going with it.

This '90 we bought new for the family car/wife's vehicle. Ran it for 18 years. It was a few months old here. I had the windows tinted, black powder coat on rallyes and stainless Ventshades, and 32/11.50 Michelin XCH4s. I have a couple pictures with later changes I'll have to find:


More of the '71 and a '72 parts Blazer (that was full of Hickey and other off road accessories:

[cleszkie]

I'll play.

[RANDY COX]

Cleszkie I'm really digging you ride. I like how you have it setup, Yrs ago I owned a 72 Blazer with 4" lift and big ole 35's...

[cleszkie]

Thanks. I see you are in Radford, VA. Brings back many memories. I went to Virginia Tech just down the road back in the early 90's.

[RANDY COX]

here's my old K/5, yea I've lived around the area my whole life...Kool...

[special-K]

I love the set-up as well. Set up to use! looks great at the campsite and at a show

[57NAPCO]

This is one I used to have, sold it to a fella up in Canada. I did a fly and drive with my daughter out to Las Vegas. She drove it the whole way home, 1500 miles.

[RANDY COX]

57Napco very nice original, hard to find nowadays...

[cleszkie]

Originally Posted by special-K

I love the set-up as well. Set up to use! looks great at the campsite and at a show

Its all about function and durability. No pun intended, but its a real sleeper when it comes to on- and off-road performance. You wouldn't know it to look at the Blazer, but the interior is very nice and complete parchment and sandalwood combo with matching plaid and wood paneling in the camper. Underneath is a Dodge Dana 60 front axle and GM 14 Bolt full-floating axle in the rear, both with ARB air lockers and hydroboost powered disc brakes. Under the hood sits a built, fuel injected 400 SBC mated to an SM465/NP205 combo. A Gear Vendors overdrive hangs off the back of the NP205.

The camper sleeps three easily on the cab-over bed and couch that folds out into a bed. Its got a propane furnace, two burner propane stove, 10 gallon water tank, sink and faucet, and I replaced the old three-way frig with an ARB AC/DC frig/freezer. It has power hook-up for 110V service, and outlets inside to plug appliances into. I also installed a 5000 BTU window air conditioning unit in the rear facing window that I power with a 2000 watt generator. I can, and have spent weeks living out of the Blazer with my wife and 5-year old son. Its redneck, but I wouldn't do it any other way.

[Zoomad75]

I'll bite...

Been a work in process, but finally getting to wheel it. Here's a shot midway through our annual snow run on New Year's day. With my K5's big brother, Larry's polar bear burb.



It wheel's like a beast too. I'm totally loving the detroit Tru-trac up front.

[57NAPCO]

Originally Posted by RANDY COX

57Napco very nice original, hard to find nowadays...

It was a beauty, thanks. On top of that a very memorable trip with my 16 year old daughter. We bought 2 rigs and each drove one back across the country.

[DEISS]

Here's my '91, bone stock other than the slots.

[special-K]

Originally Posted by DEISS

Here's my '91, bone stock other than the slots.

I like it that way. Classic

Originally Posted by Zoomad75

I'll bite...

Been a work in process, but finally getting to wheel it. Here's a shot midway through our annual snow run on New Year's day. With my K5's big brother, Larry's polar bear burb.

It wheel's like a beast too. I'm totally loving the detroit Tru-trac up front.

I'm glad to see your Blazer out hangin' with "the boys" once again. I'm a big Tru-Trac fan, too. Been around since before all these other traction devices and still better

Originally Posted by cleszkie

Its all about function and durability. No pun intended, but its a real sleeper when it comes to on- and off-road performance. You wouldn't know it to look at the Blazer, but the interior is very nice and complete parchment and sandalwood combo with matching plaid and wood paneling in the camper. Underneath is a Dodge Dana 60 front axle and GM 14 Bolt full-floating axle in the rear, both with ARB air lockers and hydroboost powered disc brakes. Under the hood sits a built, fuel injected 400 SBC mated to an SM465/NP205 combo. A Gear Vendors overdrive hangs off the back of the NP205.

The camper sleeps three easily on the cab-over bed and couch that folds out into a bed. Its got a propane furnace, two burner propane stove, 10 gallon water tank, sink and faucet, and I replaced the old three-way frig with an ARB AC/DC frig/freezer. It has power hook-up for 110V service, and outlets inside to plug appliances into. I also installed a 5000 BTU window air conditioning unit in the rear facing window that I power with a 2000 watt generator. I can, and have spent weeks living out of the Blazer with my wife and 5-year old son. Its redneck, but I wouldn't do it any other way.

It's what's inside that counts and yours has it. When I had three K/20s (well, one K2500) the plan was for the GMC to be the camper hauler. I wanted to find a Four Wheel Camper for it, but those don't exist back East. I want to go get one. That is the reason I went ahead and parted out my C/20 camper truck. It was where it was "needing" and my heart was more into an off road capable rig I could haul kayaks up to on and still tow.

Originally Posted by 57NAPCO

This is one I used to have, sold it to a fella up in Canada. I did a fly and drive with my daughter out to Las Vegas. She drove it the whole way home, 1500 miles.

Very very nice one! When I lived near Flagstaff I bought up a few trucks. I had my nose in the Truck Trader every week. Then ended up coming back East, but thought I'd be back. I left a few trucks with a friend and they ended up stranded there since I didn't move back. In '89 I took my family on a SW travel vacation in the '71 Custom Camper. I had a couple trucks lined up to sell and brought the Blazer back, with my wife driving the camper truck. What an epic trip for the kids (and me) to always remember.

[1tuff71]

1971 resto-mod. Intended to restore to original and some where along the way things went waaaayyy off track.

[special-K]

Ended up nice!

I might as well show more than one of the '85. The ones from when I got it are on Photobucket, so I'll go backwards from after I sold it nd put the top back on

[1tuff71]

I have to say I've had my fair share of 4x4's and these trucks are pretty hard to beat. Set up with 1 ton running gear and point and shoot. I currently have a 4 Runner and Tacoma dbl cab and they give most anything a run for it but I've always had a soft spot for these trucks and I'm buried in this one and I'm still not done LOL

[RANDY COX]

Originally Posted by 1tuff71

1971 resto-mod. Intended to restore to original and some where along the way things went waaaayyy off track.

Very nice me likes a lot...

[bL.A.zer90045]

hey cleszke,are those stock rims with hubcaps widened or stock? if widened did you do them in cali and where?

[Zoomad75]

I'm glad to see your Blaze out hangin' with "the boys" once again. I'm a big Tru-Trac fan, too. Been one since way before all these other traction devices and still better

Been too long to go wheeling. But that's behind me. Got some more stuff to do, but putting on prove out miles is key before it hits the road for a long distance off road run.

[bmchevy1979]

My 74 k5 it's been through alot of different variations and been beat hard but it's gotten me out of some hairy situations in one piece
Its got a 4in lift and 33s for now

[cleszkie]

Originally Posted by bL.A.zer90045

hey cleszke,are those stock rims with hubcaps widened or stock? if widened did you do them in cali and where?

Long story short - I had a set of 16.5x9.75 aluminum slots and a set of 16.5x9.75 factory white steelies, both mounted with tires. When the 16.5" tires became obsolete and it was time for new tires, I sold both sets of rims and got the black satin steelies you see in the picture from Wheels Vintiques through Summit Racing. I make long road trips and need to be able to replace a tire easily if I tear one up. Finding 16" tires is very easy in any small town. 16.5", not so much. They are 16x8 and have the nubs for the stock 3/4 ton dog dish hubcaps. Unfortunately they only come in chrome and black powdercoat, no white powdercoat. They do come in 10" width as well.

[special-K]

That's what I did, sold my 9.75 steelies and slots and now have 16 x 8 steelies waiting for tires...for my '72 K2500. I had turbines, too, in 8.25 and sold them. If my truck was a local yocal, trailer queen, or garage queen I'd have hung with the 16.5s. But I want to get outta town in that thing. I still hope to get a 4wheel camper for that one, too.

Not mine: