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The Rockford Files Pontiac Firebird10 Facts You Didn’t Know About the Chevrolet Blazer
The Chevrolet Blazer has plenty of fans whether it’s an off-roader or a family EV. But did you know these 10 facts about this SUV?
The Perennial Off-Roader Turned Electric Crossover
The Blazer name has been around since 1969. Back then the model was known as a production off-roader with a removeable roof based off the K10 pickup truck. It was made for adventure and has been a favorite for mudding and rock crawling ever since. That experience differs greatly from the car that’s now known as the Blazer. The model has shrunk in size and focuses primarily on city driving, especially given its fully electric powertrain. Whether you’re a fan of the burly K5 Blazer or the brand-new EV version, we’ve found a couple fun facts you may not have known about this iconic SUV. Check them out and let us know if you have any other facts about the Chevrolet Blazer.
Chevy’s Answer to the Ford Bronco
While the two-door off-road SUV segment was technically kicked off by the International Scout and Jeep CJ-5, General Motors was more interested in combating their direct competitor – Ford. The Bronco was released in 1966 as a compact SUV made to handle itself on the trails better than it did on the pavement. It was quickly becoming a great seller for Ford and GM wanted a piece of the action. This led to the production of the larger and more capable Chevrolet K5 Blazer in 1969.
Originally Based Off the Chevy K10
In order to make a competitor against the likes of the Ford Bronco, General Motors looked to their full-sized pickup trucks known as the Chevy K10. By using the same platform, they could save on production costs and utilize some of the same components across the lineup. This also gave the newly created K5 Blazer models solid front and rear axles with a leaf spring suspension all around and part-time four-wheel drive, which are important pieces when considering doing off road.
The K5 Blazer also utilized the same doors, front facia, hood, tailgate, lights, and some of the available straight-six and small-block V8 engines from the K10 pickup truck. What was different from the K10 was the shortened wheelbase and there wasn’t a separate cab. In fact, there wasn’t even a roof on the two-door body that was dropped onto this truck frame.
One Seat & No Roof
If you purchased the base model of the K5 Blazer back in the day, you’d end up with a single seat and no roof. Chevy made their off-road vehicle as spartan as possible and only offered additional “luxuries” as optional equipment. A front passenger bucket seat and rear bench seat were add-on equipment along with two choices for a roof. Customers could option on either a folding soft top or a fiberglass hardtop. Either roof option covered the entirety of the passenger space from the windshield to the tailgate. This design allowed the model to offer itself as a short bed pickup truck, covered SUV, or a convertible – if you paid for it.
Chevrolet Blazer Feathers
Chevrolet K5 Blazers are growing harder to come by in good condition, but finding a 1972 Feathers Edition one is even harder. This was a decal package available for one year on the four-wheel drive sport truck. It added exciting and colorful “Feathers” graphics to the exterior and could be paired with any paint color. If you manage to find even a non-running example with little rust and this decal package intact, it could be a holy grail among Blazer fanatics. That is unless you have the production camper version.
Blazer Chalet
The Blazer Chalet was produced for the ‘76 and ‘77 model years and is one of the few examples of a production overlander straight off the assembly line. Chevy was able to swap on a pop-up camper in place of the typical roof option with the help of RV maker Chinook Mobilodge Inc. The camper space included a seating area that doubled as two beds, a removeable dinette table, a storage closet, a sink with a connected five-gallon water tank, a two-burner stove top, an icebox, and a raisable roof that allowed passengers as tall as 6’5 to stand comfortably in the Blazer’s living space. It’s the ultimate overlanding classic.
M1009 CUCV – The Military Blazer
The Chevy Blazer was handed to Vic Hickey in the late ‘70s to begin testing as a Commercial Utility Cargo Vehicle (CUCV) for the United States military. Hickey’s known for his extensive off-roading innovations, serving a role in the development of the lunar rover, and was the designer behind the HMMWV – better known as the Humvee. His work on the Blazer CUCV would enter service in 1983 as the M1009.
This militarized variant of the K5 Blazer carried an additional leaf spring in its suspension, blackout headlights, a split 24/12 V electrical system, camo paint options, utilized a 6.2L diesel V8 under the hood, and dropped the air conditioner. These were often given radio centers and primarily used as mobile command centers and officer transports. Production ended after 1987, but many of these M1009 CUCV are still active in the military today.
The K5 Blazer Was Still Around for the S-10 Blazer
The Blazer name shrunk into a mid-sized SUV based off the S-10 pickup truck in 1983. This two-door S-10 Blazer still offered the same off-roading capabilities that its predecessor had while providing more composed on-road manners. Also, unlike the K5, this smaller model carried an unremovable roof. However, even though a new Chevy Blazer had hit the market, the second generation K5 Blazer was still available. In fact, it was around for another seven years before being shelved for the short-lived GMT400 based full-size replacement in 1992.
Dale Earnhardt Special Editions
To promote the S-10 Blazer, Chevrolet marketed two special edition models that were centered around NASCAR legend, Dale Earnhardt. The first special edition was the 1986 S-10 Blazer Wrangler Edition. This was a navy-blue model that featured yellow Wrangler stitching, the Wrangler logo, Goodwrench logo, and Earnhardt’s signature as exterior decals. Only ten of these fully loaded Wrangler Editions were made and one of them was owned by the man himself.
To celebrate his third Winston Cup Championship, Chevy introduced the 1988 S-10 Blazer Dale Earnhardt Edition. This time the SUV took on his iconic “Man in Black” paint scheme, added his signature as a decal and on the spare tire cover, included both “Winston Cup Champion” and the Richard Childress Racing logo as decals, and added in a completely red interior.
Chevrolet Blazer Xtreme
The second generation of the smaller Blazer arrived in 1994, but the most exciting version of it didn’t debut until the year 2001. This forgotten trim level made for a nice-looking street version of the 4×2 Blazer that only came available in two-door form. It featured a Z87 lowered suspension, low profile tires on aluminum wheels, color matched street bumpers, color matched side skirts, but was powered by the same 4.3L Vortec V6 found on lower trims. If only Chevy added in a better motor, the Xtreme could have been remembered with the likes of the Dodge Ram SRT-10 and the F-150 SVT Lightning of the same period. Instead, one of the cleanest looking street SUVs of the early 2000s is often forgotten by the masses.
Used By Steve McQueen for the 1970 Baja 1000
Famous Hollywood actor and part-time racer Steve McQueen purchased four 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazers for the 1970 Baja 1000. These Blazers were outfitted with front and rear Positraction (limited-slip) differentials and swapped out the grille for one from the GMC Jimmy to give it four headlights. These McQueen Blazers weren’t race participants but were used as team support vehicles throughout the various checkpoints in the race.
McQueen instead piloted a specially made Baja Boot which is another connection to the aforementioned Vic Hickey. The star-studded team submitted a “Did Not Finish” result for that 1970 Baja 1000 and liquidated his team’s vehicles soon after. So, if you’re a big fan of McQueen, keep an eye out for a K5 Blazer wearing a Jimmy grille. It may just be related to the late actor. Be sure to check out some of the other vehicles Steve McQueen drove in our article here too!
