K5 Blazer With LT4 Swap Is An Excellent Sleeper Restomod
Squares aren’t supposed to move this fast, but this LT4 swapped Blazer is a stunner.
There’s two things we like here at LS1Tech. We like big-power engine swaps. And we like square body trucks. So when we stumbled upon this K5 blazer, we found a third thing we liked: sleeper square body trucks.
Blackdog Speed Shop near Chicago normally specializes in high performance Corvette builds, but this 1989 Blazer was commissioned by a customer. As we know from Bring A Trailer, this K5 received their suite of customization offerings. Most notably, the installation of a supercharged LT4.
What would have been a perfectly fine car to restore, is now a genuine head-scratcher in the best way possible. The added power of the 640 horsepower engine is essentially three times the amount of power from the original 5.7. Given that the exterior wears an era-respectful makeover, no one would have a clue that this Blazer could hurt some feelings out on the streets.
And yet because it is a sleeper, it doesn’t have to be a total chore to drive. In fact, it’s probably every bit as comfortable as a new car. The interior has been totally refreshed, and you even get things like air conditioning, cruise control and a 4L80E built transmission.
There was no attempt to re-invent the wheel, and that’s what we like. One could argue that from this era of GM performance, you could in thepry have a “454” Blazer. or a ZR1 Blazer. But no, instead a screamer of an engine is installed, while cloaking that LT4 in the unassuming Blazer body.
Now if you were to look close you’d see some aftermarket wheels and brakes, but even those don’t suggest an alarmingly quick 0-60 time. We actually don’t know what time that would be. Or if the Falken Wildpeak off road tires would agree to such a task. But the point is, you already know this thing is a machine made to generate smiles. Those smiles are from inside the K5, as well as those who are newly aware of just how cool this one really is.
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Photos courtesy of Bring A Trailer
