Half a century ago, no one would have thought the Sport Utility Vehicle would be the preferred car of choice for the modern auto consumer. Think about it. The SUV consumes more gas, takes up more space on the road, and is relatively pricey to maintain compared to the beloved Corolla or Civic. Well, the market today demands practicality. That means; enough storage space for shopping and travel, roomier cabins for legroom, and versatility for adventures off the beaten path. Most SUV lovers today don't know the practicality they enjoy in their crossovers, and SUVs began with the Chevrolet K5 Blazer.
Shawn of AutotopiaLA reviewed another Speedtech Performance chassis build owned by Hondo Miller. If you've been following our stories, we recently did a piece about a Rocketship '69 Chevelle with a 632 cubic-inch big-block V8 by Colorado-based Mile High Muscle.
On their latest episode, Shawn did a walk-around and ride-along video of a supercharged 750 hp (760 ps) 1970 Chevy K5 Blazer on a full custom chassis by Speedtech Performance.
They say the most challenging disease to beat is nostalgia, but we have to agree, between the newer mid-sized Blazer, and the full-sized C/K line of trucks derived K5 Blazer, the latter is the one to get.
The Chevrolet K5 Blazer was the laying stone for the modern SUV
Photo: YouTube Screenshot/ OPTIMA Batteries
To understand that, we have to take a trip down memory lane. In the early 60s, the much-loved Sports Utility Vehicle wasn't quite the go-to car when shopping for a family car. Vehicles in that era that fit that description (International Harvester Scout and Jeep CJ-5) weren't particularly designed with the creature comforts that give the SUV that superb driving experience we all love (especially on highway speeds).
Even though Ford's Bronco was an excellent entry into the infant segment, its compact underpinning made it hard to sell. Chevrolet sensing the opportunity, dropped the K5 Blazer from its C/K line of trucks in 1969. The Chevrolet K5 Blazer became the foundation piece of the recreational vehicle market.
With that kind of history, the K5 Blazer is very collectible, and like most vehicles from its era – very restomod (able). Shawn's feature K5 is obviously the latter; its 750 hp (760 ps) output is a dead giveaway. It doesn't stop there; it's built to go Autocrossing.
"When we first built or bought it. We were just going to restore a nice K5 Blazer. Make it a cool rig. And then I was out of town and came home, and Jesse had it sitting down with the axles pulled. It was sitting down on tires and wheels, and he was like. That's what it needs to look like." Miller confessed to the decision to build it for Autocross.
Miller bought this 1970 Chevy K5 Blazer for $1,500
Photo: YouTube Screenshot/ OPTIMA Batteries
Like all restomods that turn into interesting builds – there's always a back story. For the owner of this 1970 Chevy K5 Blazer, it began with $1,500.
Believe it or not, this beautifully done restomod that even featured in the 2019 SEMA show started its new life after the new owner, Hondo Miller, bought it from a trailer park in Montana for $1,500.
According to Miller, this K5 Blazer was in a deplorable state when they bought it (more like a donor car). Everything's been modified on this classic SUV. The only thing that's still original is the cowl and glove box.
Like the '69 Chevelle, Miller reached out to Speedtech Performance for a custom K5 Blazer Chassis, and six weeks later, they had a prototype. It was the first time Speedtech was doing a custom chassis for this K5 Blazer, and Miller's unit was the guinea pig.
Has an LS3 engine, Whipple supercharger, and runs on E85
Photo: YouTube Screenshot/ OPTIMA Batteries
It gets exciting under the hood. This 1970 Chevrolet K5 Blazer runs a 6.2-liter LS3 built by JDP Motorsports. It runs a Whipple supercharger, E85, and pushes 750 hp (760 ps).
It's a thoroughly thought-out build with intercoolers for everything, including the engine, transmission, brake, supercharger, and power steering. It's also running side exhausts with custom-built headers (coated with zycoat) by Speedtech Performance.
It initially had a Magnaflow exhaust system, but they changed it to Vibrant Mufflers to tame it down a notch.
For transmission, it's running a TREMEC 6060 6-speed manual transmission with a triple disc clutch. For braking power, it's running Stoptech Brakes with a 6-piston front and 4-piston rear setup (14-inch rotors).
"Very few people have ever beat me out of the hole when we do the start-stop challenge or drag racing the first 60 feet. You know she just grips and goes." Miller explained how hard his restomod '70 Chevy K5 Blazer rips.
The initial Idea was to build the baddest K5 Blazer for fun
Photo: YouTube Screenshot/ OPTIMA Batteries
For the interior, this 1970 K5 Blazer has a dark-maroon custom-made interior by Middleton, Indiana-based Interior Revolution, complete with FIA-certified Sparco seats.
Miller didn't build this classic SUV to be competitive. It was all for fun at the beginning. However, during last year's SEMA, the truck ranked fifth in the truck class and this year's LS Festival. The team just wanted to build the baddest Blazer – and it turned out better than they imagined.
"Man, that is just a flat-out killer badass build. I love when something looks as good as this Blazer, but it works as good as it does. I mean, I love the color combination on it." Shawn complimented Miller's classic '70 K5 Blazer restomod.
Are you curious how hard this classic SUV rips? We recommend catching that action and more in the video below.
Humphrey is a car enthusiast whose love and passion for automobiles extended into collecting, writing, driving, and working on cars. He got his passion for cars from his Dad, who spent thousands of hours working on his old junky 1970 E20 Toyota Corolla. Years later, he would end up doing the same with a series of lemons he’s owned throughout his adult life. Full profile
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