1976k5chalet - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

**swervin ervin** · 01-06-2003, 01:26 AM

I just wanted to say welcome to 1976K5CHALET.

Hello Doug. Glad you decided to drop by and join in on the fun.

Folks, you need to check out Doug's site. Anyone ever heard of a Chalet?

Doug is a wealth of info and help. I know he will be able to help us all with just about anything.

1976K5CHALET · 01-06-2003, 01:49 AM

Thanx for the welcome. I've spent the last 2.5 years wrapped up in the coloradok5 site i have failed to notice the rest of the world...lol.

I own 1976 K5 Chalet...usefull......cool...and rare....we have a web site for these rare GM creations @ www.blazerchalet.com ...i am the tech arm of the site and an owner....Aaron is the brains behind the site as HTML has me baffled and i don't have the time to mess with it.

My daily driver is a 79 K5....late model (73-86) 350 crate....TH350...NP205....4.10's..35's....GM TBI system....11.2 mpg. She made it into the June issue of OFFROAD magazine this year somehow....got caught on film winching off a waterfall i got hung up on.....lol. The trail was Raw Deal north of Phx az.

I have two parts K5'sd in the back yard....an 88 and an 78. You can say i'm kinda a GM truck nut of sorts....my garage has factory deale posters(cardboard) on the wall and my work bench has any Helm manual for a 73 to 99 c-k-r-v series truck gm made....okay so i got it bad.....lol.

Azblazer

low 84 · 01-06-2003, 02:35 AM

glad you joined up, we have alot of fun over here

79BIG10 · 01-06-2003, 04:15 AM

Great site. Never heard of them till now. I've owned a K-5 like your 74. Mine was same year except all red (repainted). Gotta love the fully removable tops in summer time

Prerunner1982 · 01-06-2003, 04:34 AM

i tried the site, it wouldnt load.. welcome to the site.. where abouts in CO are you?

Prerunner1982 · 01-06-2003, 04:57 AM

got the site working.. too many .... at the end.. DUH! nobody said i was smart..

BigRed · 01-06-2003, 09:54 AM

Welcome aboard! Glad to have another enthusiast here!

Tom · 01-06-2003, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by 1976K5CHALET
You can say i'm kinda a GM truck nut of sorts.....okay so i got it bad.....lol.

Good, you've reached the first step in recovering. The next step is to go buy as many more chevy's/Gm's as you possably can

Anyways welcome. Were all nuts here!

KIILew · 01-06-2003, 01:32 PM

That is a great web site! The Chalets and Casa Grandes were fitted with the Chinook conversion at their facility in Yakima, WA, just a 40 minute drive away from where I live.

I also have original sales literature for the 1976 and 1977 Chevy Blazer Chalets and GMC Casa Grandes, if anyone is interested. Furthermore, I also have an old issue of Pickup, Van &4wd magazine, somewhere, containing a test of a 1976 Blazer Chalet. (Later edit: Actually, I notice that all of this literature is available at Doug's site and then some...awesome!)

I would imagine tests of the vehicle were also performed by publications like Motorhome Life and Trailer Life, although I don't have any such articles in my possesion, and am not sure of their existence.

And, quite recently I saw one for sale in Truck Trader in Woodinville, up here in Washington State.

Ken

Slonaker · 01-06-2003, 01:43 PM

When I was in high school I worked at Randolph AFB, TX. There was a Chalet or Casa Grande on base that I used to see very frequently. It was so unusual that it was hard to miss. I always wondered what it was.

Slonaker

c10scotty · 01-06-2003, 05:18 PM

wow, those are pretty cool. never even knew they existed

Prerunner1982 · 01-06-2003, 05:24 PM

kinda like for the longest time i didnt know extended cabs in our body style existed......the things you learn.......

ElGracho · 01-06-2003, 05:55 PM

Uhhh, what extended cabs? Do you mean crew cabs?

Prerunner1982 · 01-06-2003, 05:59 PM

nope.... extended cabs..

here is a thread about them...
http://www.chevytalk.org/threads/sho...5&o=31&fpart=1

bigblock73 · 01-06-2003, 08:04 PM

GM never offered extended cabs, like it was mentioned, they were done by coach companies.

They are rare to see, but you can definately tell they aren't GM made.

-Jeff

1976K5CHALET · 01-07-2003, 12:03 AM

Grand Junction Colorado...90 mile from Moab Utah..

I have seen a few of those ex cabs inthe bone yards in phoenix...pretty neat unit actually.

Anybody have a Street Coupe? 79-80 step side with a 454 from gm with custom factory graphics and aluminum wheels?

Azblazer

arveetek · 01-07-2003, 12:56 AM

Welcome!

The first time I heard of a Chalet was when I saw one on ebay a year or so back. Then I did some searching and came across your site.

I love cool, rare trucks like that! I consider myself to be in the rare truck business, seeing as I own an '81 Chevy truck with a 6.2L diesel, and they weren't even made until '82.

The very fact that I love the 6.2L is a rare view to have as well!

Prerunner1982 · 01-07-2003, 01:33 AM

bigblock73, you are correct, but the campers on these werent done by GM either..."The Blazer came off the same production line as a regular truck, and had a pop-up camper shell installed by Chinook Mobilodge in Washington. The camper is similar to the Chinook campers installed on Toyota pickups of the same era"

k5chalet, my parents live in the Durango area. i am usually there in the summer... might have to give you a hollar the next time im there. would like to see this thing in person..

ElGracho · 01-07-2003, 03:11 AM

1976k5chalet: read about the street coupe on my web site. I just got a 79 dealer sales album that gives even more info on the Chevy Sport trucks (Chevy version of the Street Coupe) and will be posting it soon.

Prerunner1982: While the work wasn't done by GM on the Chalet and Jimmy Casa Grande, it was contracted by them and they were sold and serviced by GM dealers. The extended cab trucks were more like conversion vans and the like today. They are sold by some dealers who happen to carry those companies products and GM vehicles. There is plenty of original GM literature on the Chalets and Casa Grande's while you won't find a mention of the extended cab trucks in any GM brochure or literature. They are cool though...

Prerunner1982 · 01-07-2003, 04:38 AM

ahhh very true.....

1976K5CHALET · 01-08-2003, 01:43 AM

ElGracho: Really liked that article on the Street Coupe! GM has done some neat things over the years....like Feathers By Chevy....the Chalet K5...Street Coupe....and then there was a deal where they had some sort of package out in the mid 70's that include the long diff colored stripes on the hood....

The chalets were serviced by chinook dealers and chevrolet....got a dealer sales album that references the warranty procedures...

The creator of our web site has spent some time talking with the Toyota Chinook web site and it seams there are far fewer chalets built than we had thought as their sn#'s intermingle....

Azblazer

Grim Reaper · 01-14-2003, 05:06 PM

Ohh man Doug's here? ......

1976K5CHALET · 01-14-2003, 11:34 PM

Hey Grimy....lurkin at this sight buddy. Lol....

Azblazer

01-06-2003, 01:26 AM	#1
swervin ervin You get what you pay for Join Date: Dec 1999 Location: Cherryville, NC Posts: 4,798	1976k5chalet I just wanted to say welcome to 1976K5CHALET. Hello Doug. Glad you decided to drop by and join in on the fun. Folks, you need to check out Doug's site. Anyone ever heard of a Chalet? Doug is a wealth of info and help. I know he will be able to help us all with just about anything. __________________ Mike 1985 Chevy C-10

01-06-2003, 02:35 AM	#3
low 84 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 2,144	glad you joined up, we have alot of fun over here __________________ '51 F100, backhalf with a narrowed 9 and coil overs, 18.5" mickeys, monte front clip, +400" sbc in the works '05 1500 Crew Cab RIP '84 swb 5/7 drop, solid cammed 408 w/ fully ported dart heads, th350 w/ 10 inch hughes, 12 bolt w/ 3.73 richmonds and a locker '80 swb 4x4 in progress: 7" lift, 350 th350/np205, d44 and 1.5" ORD tie rod, 14BFF w/discs , armored diff covers, 40" MTR's

01-06-2003, 04:15 AM	#4
79BIG10 I'm back with 2nd truck! Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Texas Posts: 3,775	Great site. Never heard of them till now. I've owned a K-5 like your 74. Mine was same year except all red (repainted). Gotta love the fully removable tops in summer time __________________ 1979 Chevrolet Bonanza Big10 "Tootsie Roll" 1985 Chevrolet Silverado (wife's) Member of the Southern Bowties Club "Don't underestimate how sexy a fat man who drinks to excess can be." Homer Simpson

01-06-2003, 04:34 AM	#5
Prerunner1982 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Edmond, OK Posts: 5,906	i tried the site, it wouldnt load.. welcome to the site.. where abouts in CO are you? __________________ Jon 1982 Chevy Silverado 350/th350.... RETIRED 1993 Jeep XJ 2 door(Cherokee) 4wd 4.0ltr/AX-15 (5spd)/NP231 .... Oklahoma Roll Call

01-06-2003, 04:57 AM	#6
Prerunner1982 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Edmond, OK Posts: 5,906	got the site working.. too many .... at the end.. DUH! nobody said i was smart.. __________________ Jon 1982 Chevy Silverado 350/th350.... RETIRED 1993 Jeep XJ 2 door(Cherokee) 4wd 4.0ltr/AX-15 (5spd)/NP231 .... Oklahoma Roll Call

01-06-2003, 01:49 AM	#2
1976K5CHALET Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Grand Junction, Colorado Posts: 611	Thanx for the welcome. I've spent the last 2.5 years wrapped up in the coloradok5 site i have failed to notice the rest of the world...lol. I own 1976 K5 Chalet...usefull......cool...and rare....we have a web site for these rare GM creations @ www.blazerchalet.com ...i am the tech arm of the site and an owner....Aaron is the brains behind the site as HTML has me baffled and i don't have the time to mess with it. My daily driver is a 79 K5....late model (73-86) 350 crate....TH350...NP205....4.10's..35's....GM TBI system....11.2 mpg. She made it into the June issue of OFFROAD magazine this year somehow....got caught on film winching off a waterfall i got hung up on.....lol. The trail was Raw Deal north of Phx az. I have two parts K5'sd in the back yard....an 88 and an 78. You can say i'm kinda a GM truck nut of sorts....my garage has factory deale posters(cardboard) on the wall and my work bench has any Helm manual for a 73 to 99 c-k-r-v series truck gm made....okay so i got it bad.....lol. Azblazer

01-06-2003, 09:54 AM	#7
BigRed Registered User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: DFW, TX Posts: 1,680	Welcome aboard! Glad to have another enthusiast here! __________________ Scott Shelbourne

01-06-2003, 01:32 PM	#9
KIILew Active Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Prosser, WA 99350 Posts: 147	That is a great web site! The Chalets and Casa Grandes were fitted with the Chinook conversion at their facility in Yakima, WA, just a 40 minute drive away from where I live. I also have original sales literature for the 1976 and 1977 Chevy Blazer Chalets and GMC Casa Grandes, if anyone is interested. Furthermore, I also have an old issue of Pickup, Van &4wd magazine, somewhere, containing a test of a 1976 Blazer Chalet. (Later edit: Actually, I notice that all of this literature is available at Doug's site and then some...awesome!) I would imagine tests of the vehicle were also performed by publications like Motorhome Life and Trailer Life, although I don't have any such articles in my possesion, and am not sure of their existence. And, quite recently I saw one for sale in Truck Trader in Woodinville, up here in Washington State. Ken

01-06-2003, 01:43 PM	#10
Slonaker Insert Witty Text Here Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: San Antonio, TX Posts: 3,415	When I was in high school I worked at Randolph AFB, TX. There was a Chalet or Casa Grande on base that I used to see very frequently. It was so unusual that it was hard to miss. I always wondered what it was. Slonaker __________________ '86 Chevy C10 (Sold 04/19/13 ) Stock '01 Silverado

01-06-2003, 05:18 PM	#11
c10scotty ~THE SILVER BULLET~ Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: WYOMING Posts: 285	wow, those are pretty cool. never even knew they existed __________________ ~1980 c10 chevy scottsdale~ ~2.5/4 drop 305/th350c~

01-06-2003, 05:24 PM	#12
Prerunner1982 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Edmond, OK Posts: 5,906	kinda like for the longest time i didnt know extended cabs in our body style existed......the things you learn....... __________________ Jon 1982 Chevy Silverado 350/th350.... RETIRED 1993 Jeep XJ 2 door(Cherokee) 4wd 4.0ltr/AX-15 (5spd)/NP231 .... Oklahoma Roll Call

01-06-2003, 05:55 PM	#13
ElGracho Gentleman Jim Driver Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Poulsbo, WA Posts: 1,550	Uhhh, what extended cabs? Do you mean crew cabs? __________________ Joe '75 GMC Gentleman Jim '84 Chev C10 Short Wide - Super duper plain (manual steering, manual brakes, no dome light, no cig lighter) '85 Chev C10 Short Wide - Super plain Vortec 4.8 4L60E trans also: '81 K30, '83 C30 Crew Dually, '84 M1028 CUCV, '85 M1009 CUCV, another '85 C10 SWB, '89 R3500 Flatbed

01-06-2003, 05:59 PM	#14
Prerunner1982 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Edmond, OK Posts: 5,906	nope.... extended cabs.. here is a thread about them... http://www.chevytalk.org/threads/sho...5&o=31&fpart=1 Last edited by Prerunner1982; 01-06-2003 at 06:04 PM.

01-06-2003, 08:04 PM	#15
bigblock73 yeller Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Twin Cities Posts: 13,826	GM never offered extended cabs, like it was mentioned, they were done by coach companies. They are rare to see, but you can definately tell they aren't GM made. -Jeff

01-07-2003, 12:03 AM	#16
1976K5CHALET Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Grand Junction, Colorado Posts: 611	Grand Junction Colorado...90 mile from Moab Utah.. I have seen a few of those ex cabs inthe bone yards in phoenix...pretty neat unit actually. Anybody have a Street Coupe? 79-80 step side with a 454 from gm with custom factory graphics and aluminum wheels? Azblazer



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01-07-2003, 12:56 AM	#17
arveetek Ultimate Diesel Dude Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Southwest Missouri Posts: 328	Welcome! The first time I heard of a Chalet was when I saw one on ebay a year or so back. Then I did some searching and came across your site. I love cool, rare trucks like that! I consider myself to be in the rare truck business, seeing as I own an '81 Chevy truck with a 6.2L diesel, and they weren't even made until '82. The very fact that I love the 6.2L is a rare view to have as well! __________________ Project truck: '81 C/20 converted to 6.2L TURBO DIESEL bored .040", gear drive, 6.5L injectors/pump, custom pistons, custom 4" exhaust, 700R4, 4.10's Daily Driver: '95 K1500 Tahoe, 6.5L TURBO DIESEL, NP241, 4L80E, 3.42's

01-07-2003, 01:33 AM	#18
Prerunner1982 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Edmond, OK Posts: 5,906	bigblock73, you are correct, but the campers on these werent done by GM either..."The Blazer came off the same production line as a regular truck, and had a pop-up camper shell installed by Chinook Mobilodge in Washington. The camper is similar to the Chinook campers installed on Toyota pickups of the same era" k5chalet, my parents live in the Durango area. i am usually there in the summer... might have to give you a hollar the next time im there. would like to see this thing in person.. Last edited by Prerunner1982; 01-07-2003 at 01:36 AM.

01-07-2003, 03:11 AM	#19
ElGracho Gentleman Jim Driver Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Poulsbo, WA Posts: 1,550	1976k5chalet: read about the street coupe on my web site. I just got a 79 dealer sales album that gives even more info on the Chevy Sport trucks (Chevy version of the Street Coupe) and will be posting it soon. Prerunner1982: While the work wasn't done by GM on the Chalet and Jimmy Casa Grande, it was contracted by them and they were sold and serviced by GM dealers. The extended cab trucks were more like conversion vans and the like today. They are sold by some dealers who happen to carry those companies products and GM vehicles. There is plenty of original GM literature on the Chalets and Casa Grande's while you won't find a mention of the extended cab trucks in any GM brochure or literature. They are cool though... __________________ Joe '75 GMC Gentleman Jim '84 Chev C10 Short Wide - Super duper plain (manual steering, manual brakes, no dome light, no cig lighter) '85 Chev C10 Short Wide - Super plain Vortec 4.8 4L60E trans also: '81 K30, '83 C30 Crew Dually, '84 M1028 CUCV, '85 M1009 CUCV, another '85 C10 SWB, '89 R3500 Flatbed

01-07-2003, 04:38 AM	#20
Prerunner1982 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Edmond, OK Posts: 5,906	ahhh very true..... __________________ Jon 1982 Chevy Silverado 350/th350.... RETIRED 1993 Jeep XJ 2 door(Cherokee) 4wd 4.0ltr/AX-15 (5spd)/NP231 .... Oklahoma Roll Call

01-08-2003, 01:43 AM	#21
1976K5CHALET Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Grand Junction, Colorado Posts: 611	ElGracho: Really liked that article on the Street Coupe! GM has done some neat things over the years....like Feathers By Chevy....the Chalet K5...Street Coupe....and then there was a deal where they had some sort of package out in the mid 70's that include the long diff colored stripes on the hood.... The chalets were serviced by chinook dealers and chevrolet....got a dealer sales album that references the warranty procedures... The creator of our web site has spent some time talking with the Toyota Chinook web site and it seams there are far fewer chalets built than we had thought as their sn#'s intermingle.... Azblazer

01-14-2003, 05:06 PM	#22
Grim Reaper Registered User Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Atlanta GA Posts: 1,704	Ohh man Doug's here? ...... __________________ Grim-Reaper 70 Pontiac LeMans Sport Convertible, worlds longest resto in progress Looking for 71-72 2wd Blazer or Jimmy Project

01-14-2003, 11:34 PM	#23
1976K5CHALET Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Grand Junction, Colorado Posts: 611	Hey Grimy....lurkin at this sight buddy. Lol.... Azblazer

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