How rare is a '72 Blazer with a factory 4 speed?

[Roberty]

I looked at a '72 Blazer today (2wd) with a friend of mine that was bought new by a local guy. He's wheelchair bound now (The guy who ownes the Blazer) and can't drive it anymore and is going to sell it. I looked in it and noticed it was a factory AC, V8 truck and was expecting an automatic transmission but low-and-behold it had a granny geared 4 speed trans in it. I looked at the options sticker on the glove box door and it was listed as having the 4 speed trans. The owner stated that he had special ordered the Blazer as soon as he got home from serving in Vietnam. He stated that he had driven it from Alasaka, all over Canada, to Central America and just about any other place that you could mention in it's early years. Anyway my question is this : How rare is a Blazer optioned like this one is? The truck is a one owner '72 2wd with factory posi rearend, 350 V8, 4 speed tranny, AC, front sway bar, etc... but it's not a CST. He claims it's one of only 5 produced like this - I have no idea where he came up with this figure. He's asking a very reasonable price and I told my friend that if he doesn't buy it I will, but he has first shot at it since he used to work with the guy and he found it. Does one out of 5 produced sound likely?
Sorry for the long post.
Robert

[Longhorn Man]

I think the one out of 5 might have been pulled out of his 4 points of contact.
However, every Blazer (69 - 72) that I ahve ever seen was a stick...which is only 4, but none the less...that is still 100%.
Now the A/C on the other hand...that seems like a fairly rare option on the Blazers...some one please correct me if I am way off base.

[Roberty]

I know that the 4 speed opition was fairly common on the four wheel drive Blazers but I thought it might be fairly rare on the two wheel drive Blazers. Every 2 wheel drive Blazer I've ever seen was an automatic except for this one. Thanks for your input Longhornman.
Robert

[Joesjunk]

The 2wd Blazer I have was a CST, 350, 4-speed, posi, A/C. I don't think a 4 speed would be all that rare, but the 2wd part sure is. Lets see some pics if you get it.

[71blazerman]

I would have thought that the four speed would be pretty rare, I've never seen one. By the way, what is the point of the granny low gear in a 2wd anyway?

[bpmcgee]

Hmm,

I prepared a carefully thought out response last night, but it doesn't seem to have made it. So, let me summarize here:

1) With the 350 option, the only two transmissions you could get were the SM465 or the TH350. The automatic was a $250 option, or about 10% of the base price. I can't imagine that people opting for the base model would pay an extra 10% for the TH350.

2) The 2wd truck was so unpopular that it was dropped after the 72 model year. About 42K 4WDs were built in 72 and about 3K 2WDs.

3) With the 350 you will also have 3.07 rears. In the '71 resto pack I got from GM, there isn't a mention of an RPO for a posi rear. Of course, that may be different in '72.

So, yeah it's a fairly rare Blazer. One of 5? I'm a skeptic. On the other hand, I haven't seen much of a collectors market for Blazers. They ARE fun to drive, though. And getting parts for them is dead easy.

Longhornmail: In vehicles with the CST package, A/C was included more often than not by a wide margin. And the CST package was pretty popular, but I don't recall the actual numbers.

Brian

[Blazer1970]

2) The 2wd truck was so unpopular that it was dropped after the 72 model year. About 42K 4WDs were built in 72 and about 3K 2WDs.

Not true. 2WD Blazers were built through the 1983 model year.

[bpmcgee]

Tim,

Thanks for correcting me. I wasn't aware of that.

Brian

[Alexis]

rare(kinda hard to decide)....seen a few. the only problem with this is since there were so few build(2wds) the ratio wasn't that high. But you can be in your own field for haven a stock 4 speed though IMO.

A/C rare on blazer........hmm not as rare as the 4 speed. i dont have A/C on britney. Wouldn't be useful with the top off in many ways.

[72BLAZERDUDE]

Personally I think they are a collector item. I get at least 1 or 2 offers to buy my 2wd every month. My CST had both A/C and 4spd from the factory. Why anybody would want a 4 spd in a 2wd is beyond me. I think it took me 3 weeks from the day I got it until I had the TH350 in it. It also had manual steering.That also got corrected very quickly. Try backing a trailer with a 4spd and manual steering. There is a lesson in futility especially for a rookie.

[Roberty]

Well, My friend decided to buy it. I told him if he decided the truck wasn't for him after he bought it I would give him his money back so I believe that's what tipped the scale to help him decide.
Me personally, if it was mine, That new 383 stroker I bought off Piston with a Muncie 4 speed behind it would be just the ticket to replace the tired 350 with granny geared 4 speed that's in it now!!

On a similar note, a friend of mine used to have a '69 or '70 short step Chevy truck with bucket seats, radical 350, and a Muncie 4 speed with a Hurst shifter. It was geared fairly low as most '69 and '70's are and would do some extremely BAD A$$ burnouts and would tear those rear tires up on a good first/second and then second/third speed shift. Too bad GM never offered the Muncie 4 speed and 454 motor as an option on these trucks. SS454 in '70-'72 would have been a real winner!!

Hmmmm - Sounds like an ideal project idea for the '71 short wheelbase truck I have sitting in the field!!
Robert